[3immer]

Ive had my 07 328xi wagon for about a year now, Before the Bimmer I had a 2004 Audi A4. I love the wagon, its quick, has plenty of room, and looks sharp (sharper if I ever get some 18" CSL style wheels). The one thing that I have noticed is that it doesnt take well to the every day bumps in the road. I notice myself making that "Ouch" face () not for myself but for the car. Is this just the BMW suspension being a little bit stiffer than other cars? Or could it be tire pressure? I live in NH so the road conditions are constantly changing. It's not a huge deal, the car drives great but I just want to see if I am the only first time bimmer owner who has ever thought this.

[BMWUltimateDriv3r]

Still got RFTs on it?

[3immer]

Contiprocontact SSR Self supporting runflats, they are the same wheels that came on the car.

[BMWUltimateDriv3r]

There's the problem.

[JRJ1970]

+1 These tires are like driving on rocks. I live with 'em, however.

[3immer]

Basically it's like driving on rocks, exactly... Good to know that if I get a flat I won't be driving on alloy, though. What tires would you guys recommend going into the winter? I had some Bridgestone Blizzak Lm25 winter tires on my Audi and they were untouchable.

[Tom K.]

With the stock 16" wheels and Turanza RFTs, the ride on my '07 E91 is aceptable. But I set the tire pressures at 33/36 rather than the recommended 32/39 when I'm not carrying passengers or a significant load.

While 18" wheels & tires may look good, they will make the ride worse and will be much more prone to damage from potholes, etc.

When they are worn out, you might consider replacing the SSRs with Continental DWS. You'll get a much better ride, better handling, longer wear, and significantly lower price. And while I have not driven mine in snow, Tire Rack reports that they are among the best performing A/S tires on snow & ice.

Tom

[Yngvejos]

I never tried my e91 with runflats. I went from 16" wintertyres when I bought it to 19" csl reps with non RFT tyres. I never experienced the "ouche" face, but it felt like the car was riding on bump stops some times (m-sport suspension). The car felt much better after I changed to H&R coilovers.

[JRJ1970]

I experience the ouch face when I drive over a step-up on the road that's an inch plus high, especially when you hit it straight on. Totally an ouch moment.

[Fraggy]

Ouch face lol. Pretty much sums it up

[krhodes1]

Originally Posted by 3immer

Basically it's like driving on rocks, exactly... Good to know that if I get a flat I won't be driving on alloy, though. What tires would you guys recommend going into the winter? I had some Bridgestone Blizzak Lm25 winter tires on my Audi and they were untouchable.

I have Dunlop Wintersports on my e91 for winter, on stock 16" wheels. 205/55-16, IIRC. VERY happy with them. I have not had a flat on the road in 20+ years, so I just don't worry much about it. I do intend to pick up a compressor and slime kit though.

I will also say that the LCI cars ride much less harshly on the current RFT tires. I have no major complaints with my car on the stock 17s. It does ride noticably more smoothly on the winter Dunlops, and you can certainly tell a difference with the major unsprung wieght reduction. But I think if I had 17s for winter the ride would be about the same. Feels more planted on the winter tires. Note though, my winter tires are W speed rated vs. only H for the stock Continental runflats, so they have pretty stiff sidewalls, relatively speaking. I suspect H speed rated non-runflats would feel pretty sloppy.

[Rselby]

On my 2012 E91, I just swapped out the 17" Continental SSR Run-Flats for Pilot Super Sport (conventional tires) mounted on BBS RS GT 18" wheels. Ride quality is significantly improved even with the shorter sidewalls. And the new wheels look much better too....

Even though the newer generation run-flats and LCI cars do ride better, the tire swap still makes things much better.

If you are still running run-flats and you don't like the ride quality, ditch 'em for conventional tires. Problem solved....

-Rick

[Speedwagon]

Originally Posted by Rselby

On my 2012 E91, I just swapped out the 17" Continental SSR Run-Flats for Pilot Super Sport (conventional tires) mounted on BBS RS GT 18" wheels. Ride quality is significantly improved even with the shorter sidewalls. And the new wheels look much better too....

Even though the newer generation run-flats and LCI cars do ride better, the tire swap still makes things much better.

If you are still running run-flats and you don't like the ride quality, ditch 'em for conventional tires. Problem solved....

-Rick

+1
I changed my 2012 E91 to DWS with 18" and I feel the same way!

[roundle]

I have a 2011 E91 with the factory sport suspension. When brand new, the car was totally perfect. I would have even called the car "supple"; however, after 10K miles, the OEM RFTs ruined the car.

After about 15K miles of sub-optimal RFTs, I traded the Bridgestone RE050s for a set of Michelin Primacy Pilot HPs (W-Rated). I've had them for 12K miles. The car's been quiet, smoother, but has lost a bit of its edge.

If you want a quick fix, buy a good non-RFT. If I lived in NH, and did not switch to winter tires, I would buy the Michelin Pilot Sport All Season Plus. They've been getting great reviews for years and have EXCELLENT wear rating.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....ort+A%2FS+Plus

Also, here's my RFT-->Non-RFT review:

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=619290

[plokij]

this isn't unique to the e91. yes, rft's are harsh but the only way to really dial out the issue is to upgrade the suspension. better struts/shocks will go over the bumps without all the banging. it still makes an impact, just not as jarring as the stock setup.

check out something like billstein b4 sports suspension dampers paired with eibach pro springs for a nice oem look and comfortable feel. i personally went with koni sport single adjustable with eibachs. very comfortable. i have 18" wheels with a/s performance tires. i adjust the front strut rebound stiffness depending on the day. greater stiffness feels much better on the highway or on smoother pavement. i go softer for everyday commuting in the potholes. i leave the rears at pretty much full soft to prevent bouncing.

i imagine an upgraded suspension kit with 16 or 17 inch winter tires would be bliss to ride on.

[roundle]

Originally Posted by krhodes1

my winter tires are W speed rated vs. only H for the stock Continental runflats, so they have pretty stiff sidewalls, relatively speaking. I suspect H speed rated non-runflats would feel pretty sloppy.

When you replace your current set of summers, what will you go with?

[krhodes1]

Originally Posted by roundle

When you replace your current set of summers, what will you go with?

Non-runflat performance summer tires. Probably Continental DW or DWS.

[3immer]

Just purchased and installed Bridgestone Potenza RE960 Pole Position RFTs. The most dramatic tire change I have ever seen. Feels like I have gone from Flinstone Mobile to Bentley!

[BmerMeUp]

Originally Posted by BMWUltimateDriv3r

There's the problem.

+1.
Bought the car, drove 3,100km on brand new runflats, thought that was just how the car felt. Switched to non-RFT's... whoa. Uh, ya - RFT's suck. Bought a can of roadside tire fix, won't ever go back.

[jonmaceng]

I have 19" rims with runflats. The ouch face is a normal part of life lol. The only good thing about the runflats is the crisp turning. My winters (18" non runflat") are so much nicer to drive on, but if course you lose performance. I even heard the continental dw feel a little soft in the turning compared to the runflats, but overall they are probs a much better tire. One thing about the re050a tires are that they are amazing in rain.