Driving the new 4.8 (2007+) with the 21" style 215's there seems to be a lot of road noise. Has anyone tried different tire combinations for a more peaceful ride? I have the stocks, when they wear out I definitely plan on trying something different. The Bridgestone Potenza's on my 650 ride very smooth and quiet, but the stock dunlops on the X5 are pretty awful IMO, but it might not be just the tires, maybe the X5 just can't cruise quietly at 95.

Opinions?

run flats?

I test drove a 2008 X5 with the optional staggered 20s and steamroller tires -- probably runflats but I did not ask, and they were definitely noisier than the standard sport package 19s (which are runflats). Noise is a price you pay for the handling of big wheels and tires. Some tires are quieter than others, but I am not sure where you will find such a review for 20 inch steamrollers. I have also generally found that very high performance tires are stickier and noisier than lower performance tires, so you may lose some stick in return for the possibility of a slightly quieter ride.

We got the 19s because we drive year round in an area that got over 10' of snow last year. Two sets of wheels would have been ideal, but this is my wife's car. I had to push to get the sport package and V8 . . . .

Currently they are "Dunlop SP Sport Maxx." I'm taking it up to play in the snow, I wonder how terrible these tires will be.

And yes, they are runflats, yet oddly they include a spare tire? Stupid. I hate runflats.

The noise is definitely fron the run flats. Install a larger contact patch tire and you get more noise. Many are moving to normal HP tires to mitigate the noise.

patch tire? HP tires? Sorry, I'm not an expert can you elaborate?

By the way, I fucked up the X5. The summer performance tires are a disaster even with all wheels turning. slid around a corner on a backroad with a foot of snow and slammed into a flower bed surrounded by railroad ties. I didn't know it was under the snow until I hit it. The back left wheel is busted sideways so I'm guessing the damage is not minor. Probably needs a new axle assembly, hopefully I didn't fuck up the rear diff and hopefully I don't need a new wheel. We will see officially what the damage is tomorrow.

Sorry for the profanity, but if you read one of my last threads it involved a bunch of crap falling out of a guys truck onto my car. My luck is shit, I think all cars should come with all-season tires and if you want to go performance or snow that is your choice.

"contact patch" tire meaning a tire with more rubber on the road. Such a tire will add noise but improve handling (assuming it is a high performance fitment).

As you now know, one is foolish to play around in a foot of snow in an X5 with 20 inch wheels and steamroller tires. Even the standard sport 19s with 255mm wide all seasons are merely OK in the snow. I would look for a set of 18s with snows or at least all seasons for winter use. The new X5 apparently cannot fit 17s over the brakes.

I knew what I was getting myself into, I wasn't really playing around, I got myself in a bit of a sticky situation because I should have been a bit more careful, but to be honest the tires should have gotten me out of it no problem. It was pretty ridiculously unlucky, but what can you do. That's why we have insurance.

Thanks for the advice, I'm going to try some 20" all season michelins I think. I figured that they would have a good set of snow rims/tires available for the X5, since it is an SUV and all. I guess everyone drives SUVs in the city now and us rural dwellers are SOL and have to buy a truck.

The best snow tires are narrower than stock and have squishier sidewalls. I'd source the smaller standard wheels. You can probably find a used set. Just dismounting and mounting your steamrollers twice a year will cost you probably $150 per year. In 3 or 4 years, you have paid some of the price of a used tire/wheel package.

I'm just borrowing the vehicle from my mother, and she lives in OK. I think the all-season tires even on the steamroller rims will be fine for her use, she never sees snow just really cold ground and a bit of ice possibly which would fit the use of all-seasons. As long as the compound will be fit for lower temperatures unlike the current "max performance summer" tires on it now.

Speaking of which, here is a pic of the tires after less than 25k miles, and these miles were driven by my mother and father, only the last 1500 miles have been me driving to Canada, and they are older folks definitely not being abusive. DO NOT buy dunlop sport maxx.

http://s193138467.onlinehome.us/hicks/IMG_2330.JPG
http://s193138467.onlinehome.us/hicks/IMG_2351.JPG

25k miles is actually pretty good for steamroller tires on a heavy, high performance vehicle. Some high performance cars go through tires in more like 12k miles, at least the rear tires.