Have 02 e-55 neeed new tires, are the PS2's the way to go??? Put about 15k on a set of toyos and have been happy, but everyone says the Mich are very good. What about wear on the rears?

 

Cap,

I have an '04 E55 and replaced my original Conti's with Toyos. I could not keep any grip on take off (compared to the conti's) and my cornering was not as stable.

For my third round of tires I bought PS2's and was blown away with the better off the line grip and the cornering is unbelievable compared to the Toyo's (and the Conti's for that matter). I will never put anything else on my car...ever. FYI, with these cars you will still burn off the line no matter what tires you put on your car...but I'm sure you already know that.

I love to drive my car and really put some wear on the tires. I bought my car in May '04 (used with 400 miles on it) and replaced with Toyos in Aug/Sep of '04, and replaced again with PS2's in Jan/Feb of '05. I only have 13k miles on the car. Just wanted to give you some perspective.

Cheers,

Darren

 

PS2's hands down.....wouldn't sling this 4000lb monster into a hairpin on anything else.

Worth the extra cash.

 

No experience with either. The PS2 is probably the best. But if you were satisfied with the Toyo T1-S there is a new version coming - T1-R.

http://www.toyo.com.au/proxes%20t1-R%20page.htm

 

srew toyos i think they suck there more for the sport compact crowd. mich all the way.

 

Don't know how they would perform on an E55, but the Bridgestone Potenza S-03's are outstanding on my M5 and have better wet traction than the PS2's.

 

Yep.... haven't tried PS2 yet. Count me in as one satisfied S03 user... It's a lot better than stock contis and original PS. So for me, PS2 may not worth the extra $$$. I stick w/ S03 for now.

Would anyone consider Dunlop SP? I heard they have good ratings also.... not as good as S03 or PS2... but a lot cheaper.

 

WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO BE A CHEAP SKATE WITH A $80,000.00 + CAR?
especially a performance car! dunlops suck, potenzas i think are decent, theres probrably only 2-3 tires you should even consider putting on this car.
I just put on a set of mich ps2's 2 hrs ago and beleive me they rock!(2nd set)
I used to run yokohamas they were decent a few yrs back but suck now.
the thing with mich is there always improving on there tires not like the others who are running the same compound for the last 3 t0 6 yrs.

 

Not a cheapskate.... but I always think like this:
Why do you want to buy a $5000 super computer (you could afford it if you want to) if you just use it for chatting at MBWORLD forum? Don't you think it'd be better to spend the extra $$$ to get bigger and better monitor (so you could see your E55 better in your computer)?

Likewise, why spends extra $$$ for PS2 if you actually don't need tires that caliber? If you are just one of occasional street and twisty racer, like me, wouldn't the extra $$$ be better spent on better wheels and/or other accessories?

Once again, I am not arguing that PS2 is better or worse.... I am not suggesting people to buy cheaper tires.... I am only suggesting people to buy something that's good enough for their driving style. And I feel S03 is enough for me and Dunlops may be too (I'll try if someone doesn't mind lending me or has first-hand experience trying them ) End of story.

 

Cap...I got PS2's a few months back and love em. The handling difference was quite noticeable. My ESP light would come on regularly with the last tires. The PS2's stick like glue. If you have an American Tire around, have them match the tire rack price. That way you get a good deal and a local shop.

 

I think there on sale right now anyway(ps2). I paid $1000 fo mine and my cousin paid $13 or $1400 3 month ago.

 

245/40-18F + 265/35-18R = 988$
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2

 

Go with 275 in the back. Another happy PS2 owner.

 

you know whats really dodgy...
Im after 245/35/19 and 275/30/19.. but UNFORTUNATELY
i can get the 245.. BUT they dont make the 275 in Australia!!!!
OMG!!! They replied my enquiry recommending 255's.. Get a clue?

 

Putting SO-3's on this car is not "cheaping out" by any stretch of the imagination. They are VERY good tires. I am using PS2's now but also have a set of SO-3's (275's) and they are very close. If my memory is correct, here's how I'd stack them up (with the stock conti's way behind in each category). Dry=PS2's Wet=Tie (maybe even a slight edge to SO3). The only area where the PS2's are clearly superior is noise and comfort. When I'm thru with the PS2's that are on the car now, the other set of stock wheels w/ the SO-3's is going on. Without any trepidation.

 

I'm very happy with my Nitto 555's. They have great grip and they have lasted me over 20k even with 2 degrees of negative camber. The thing I like about Nitto's it the blocky looks. My 275's rears look as wide as some 295's.
Good luck on your tire purchase.

 

I had Nitto 555 on the rear and I loved the wider look. They were hard to break loose - Sticky. I replaced them with the OEM Dunlop 9000's and they look narrower and are both the same 275 size, but the 555 has a broader shoulder and the Dunlops have a rounded shoulder. I could not use the 555 up front with a 18X8 et35 rim - it rubbed.

 

On a budget? The F1 GSD3's were not bad at all on my E430.

 

I am able to run 19x8.5 with 35offset 245-35-19 with a two inch drop with no rubbing issues.

 

I may not be remembering correctly, but it seemed the F1's for the w210 were about $300 a pop, and impossible to get... this was late '04, so things may have changed... pls elaborate.

I've done the PS2's and have absolutely nothing but great things to say - got 10k on the rears and about 12k on the fronts... could've pushed another 1k, but why sweat it...

no noise - reasonable ware - great initial tracking, with only a minor amount of slippage after a time...

I'd still like some feedback from folks who've gone with the latest generation of goodyear F1's - are they available, and what is the commentary? anybody?

 

In stock at Tire Rack, $926.00 for a set. They solved the tramlining problem I had with the Continentals on my E430. Very sticky and quieter as well. Not quite a PS2, but very good all around. It never mattered to me, but I'm told wet traction is even better than a PS or PS2. Believe it or not, that was the only other MB recommended tire for the 430 according to a local dealer.

 

The F1 GS-D3 is supposedly a phenomenal tire. It is typically rated just behind the PS2. Neither are cheap and I was looking at both in Jan/Feb of this year when I needed to upgrade from my Toyo Proxes (junk).

I could not find anyone with the F1's in stock and they were priced competitive with the PS2's. Neither are a tire for anyone on a budget.

Here's a good review of both in a head-to-head test:

Test Results

There are two other tires in the review, but I only focused on the Michelin and Goodyear Max Performance tires.

I hope this helps.

Cheers,

Darren

 

I didn't mean to imply the F1's were cheap, only cheaper (especially if the Michelins aren't on sale) as compared to a cheaper but much less capable tire. I didn't get to test the long term wear characteristics due to selling the car to make way for the 55 but I did get 5K miles on them and was impressed. No noticeable wear at that point.

 

I had Toyo T1-S on my E46 M3. If I get tires on the E55, I will probably go with them. Very good tire, and they are actually one of the lightest tires out there, FWIW.

 

You're right. They are typically less expensive (by a few dollars) per tire. Neither are cheap in my book when I need to replace a set every 9 months or so. My wife keeps asking me "and you need mods why???". She doesn't get the concept of bigger tires/wheels, upgraded pulley, upgraded headers, etc. She just sees $1200-$1300 for tires and likes to use that as leverage for a spa package...ugh!

I'd like to know where the gentleman who posted a price of $988 purchased those tires. I need that kind of deal!