My dealer is currently trying to find me a 328i coupe manual with sport package because I want the sport seats. I noticed on the website that the rear tires on the sport package are a different size than the front tires. How do you rotate tires with this setup and how many miles could I expect out of the tires? I know the life expectancy is a great variable due to differerent driving conditions but just some idea would be appreciated. Also, has anyone had issues with having to replace the tires prematurely due to wear problems due to inability to rotate tires like you would normally? Thanks,

You don't rotate the tires with sport package. The staggered setup means you can't go front to back, and the tires are directional too, so you can't go left to right unless you physically remove the tires off the wheels and put them on the other side (in other words, a pain in the ass).

As long as you are diligent in keeping the correct tire pressure and have not knocked off the alignment, there should be no uneven wear. Now using up the rears before the fronts, that's a different story, but is the bane of owning any RWD sports car.

I never expect to keep any UHP tire set on a performance oriented car for more than 2 years or 20-25K miles at best, and that is assuming you take it easy on the tires.

sport package cars with a manual are thin on the ground....you'll need to order it

sport package cars with a manual are thin on the ground....you'll need to order it


Yeah, tell me about it, my dealer found 1 with the exact color and options I want and we have made a deal but the dealer is having some difficulty getting the other dealer to trade. Im keeping my finger crossed. If not, then I will order one. The dealer said it would take 8 to 12 weeks. They found 2 others with the right options but I dont like the colors.

I never expect to keep any UHP tire set on a performance oriented car for more than 2 years or 20-25K miles at best, and that is assuming you take it easy on the tires.We had an E70 X5 4.8i sport package (20" wheels) with tires that were almost worn to the wear bars, and it only had 7000 miles on it. The 315/35-20 rears were around $600 each.

We had an E70 X5 4.8i sport package (20" wheels) with tires that were almost worn to the wear bars, and it only had 7000 miles on it. The 315/35-20 rears were around $600 each.


Yikes!!! Did you replace them with something different? I think I am going to change to non run flats once they wear out and buy a temporary spare to put in the trunk along with jack. I will find a way to secure them down in the trunk so they wont bang around.

There is nothing different to replace them with. They only bought the rears, and that was because there were nails in both of them.

Flawless

We had an E70 X5 4.8i sport package (20" wheels) with tires that were almost worn to the wear bars, and it only had 7000 miles on it. The 315/35-20 rears were around $600 each.
I believe the heavier the car the faster the wear. Of course #1 factor is how you drive it.

Any problems with the sport package tires? Thanks,

yeah.......no grip @ SCCA events....... (grin)

I never expect to keep any UHP tire set on a performance oriented car for more than 2 years or 20-25K miles at best, and that is assuming you take it easy on the tires.

That would be GREAT news....from what i've been hearing it's 12-15K max...and that from peope who don't beat on them all that much...

My experience with an E36 M3 and E46 330 was that the rears lasted around 12K.

It's not just the weight of the car but the alignment settings that BMW uses to give the car such good handling. You pay for it in accelerated tire wear.

What color combo are you looking for - I saw a beautiful black/black 328 coupe in Greensboro NC. That's not too far from you (of course, I don't know where Tellico is). It had 5 miles on it when I test drove it. Don't worry - I took it easy. :-)

Michael

I'm just approaching 16k in my e90 330i. The original tires are still on the car, but I'm going to have to replace them pretty soon now.

That would be GREAT news....from what i've been hearing it's 12-15K max...and that from peope who don't beat on them all that much...

The staggered RFT's on my E92 are no where near worn out at 14,000 miles. I have the Bridgestones. Incredibly, I am in the category of people who BEAT on their cars routinely, and I also have not had any problems with the tires. I have seen white smoke pouring off my rear end a few times, and I have even subjected the rubber to (yikes) moderate snow fall. But, they have been consistent in their performance and in their degredation. They have already lasted longer than the Pirelli Asimetricos I mistakenly bought once for my E36...they lasted about 7,000 miles, and cost about 2,400 for 5 tires, non RFT.

:nonoIf you don't smoke your tires off (in the snow/ice or at the change to green) you should expect 25,000 to 30,000 miles from your OEM sport package tires.

That would be GREAT news....from what i've been hearing it's 12-15K max...and that from peope who don't beat on them all that much...

I have about 13,500 miles on the original sport package tires and I would estimate the tread is about half-way to the wear indicators. I don't think I am gentle on them either.

I have a 36 month, 12,000 miles a year lease. I will replace the tires once under the lease and have a enough tread at turn-in. My last lease was an E46 with similar tires and things worked the same way.

That would be GREAT news....from what i've been hearing it's 12-15K max...and that from peope who don't beat on them all that much...
Yeah, I don't expect the Potenzas to last that long, they only have a 140 tread rating. With a 200+ rated tired, I wouldnt' be surprised with 20k assuming perfect alignment and an underworked traction control ;).

Thanks everyone for your replies. The color I am trying to get is Alpine white. The dealer has found one and it is 50-50 as to whether my dealer is going to be able to work a trade with the other dealer from several states away. It will probably be Monday before they know. If not, it looks as though it will be 8 to 12 week wait for me after I put in the order to build. I really have my hopes up to be driving the new car next week but it may not work out.

i work at a bmw dealership in service i strongly recommend that you do not get the sport package without tire insurance

i work at a bmw dealership in service i strongly recommend that you do not get the sport package without tire insurance


+1
Especially in areas where potholes are common. All it takes is about 2 flats for it to pay for itself.

i work at a bmw dealership in service i strongly recommend that you do not get the sport package without tire insurance

Tire insurance is actually a bad financial decision. They price the product taking into account the experience rate of claims and the cost to repair/replace tires. On top of that they pay commissions to the sellers, marketing costs, other overhead and make a profit. If you are buying these cars you should be able afford to buy a new tire if the unfortunate happens. No need to insure yourself against this risk.

Simple example to illustrate:

New tire: $500

Risk of an incident requiring a new tire that is covered by your insurance: 10%

$500 x 10% = $50

If the policy costs you more then $50 then it is a bad decision since this is not a risk you need to insure yourself against.

3 series tend to wear the rears faster than the fronts, so the sport setup with wider rear tires tend to wear more evenly so rotation isn't needed as much. BMW doesn't recommend rotating tires anyway, but I did it on our old e46.

I'll second the tire insurance recommendation if you plan to stay with runflats. Mines already paid for itself.

I have had pretty good wear on the Potenza's. Agree with mryakan, think I can get 20 to 25K on the tires, maybe 30K. Have 8K miles now and tread is not much different than when I bought the car. Offered the insurance but declined. Roads are pretty good around here since we do not get alot of snow. One thing I have noticed is you need to frequently check your tire pressures.

Tire insurance is actually a bad financial decision. They price the product taking into account the experience rate of claims and the cost to repair/replace tires. On top of that they pay commissions to the sellers, marketing costs, other overhead and make a profit. If you are buying these cars you should be able afford to buy a new tire if the unfortunate happens. No need to insure yourself against this risk.

Mine already almost paid for itself, any other tire incident and I'll end up better off that not getting it. Although I agree in principle on the risk factor affecting the decision, tire insurance is more like extended warranty on electronics, probably doesn't make sense on a dvd player, but probably a good idea on a Plasma tv, e.g. mine already got me a new replacement TV after going bad within the 1st year. Worth it or not will forever be debatable, but once you use it, it becomes worth it :D.

Mine already almost paid for itself, any other tire incident and I'll end up better off that not getting it. Although I agree in principle on the risk factor affecting the decision, tire insurance is more like extended warranty on electronics, probably doesn't make sense on a dvd player, but probably a good idea on a Plasma tv, e.g. mine already got me a new replacement TV after going bad within the 1st year. Worth it or not will forever be debatable, but once you use it, it becomes worth it :D.

Couldn't agree more. I mostly turn down these types of warranties but the tire one seemed worth it because of the expense of the RFT's and the vulnerability of the sport package tires. I can almost guarantee 2 flats in my 3 year lease period in the area I live which would pretty much cover the warranty expense and that's assuming no damage to the rims. Then there's the peace of mind too....

Everybody always says that their warranty has paid for itself but this can not be the case for the vast majority of buyers otherwise the warranty underwriters would be out of business. Plenty of potholes around here and I am in the eighth year of sport package 3 series with low profile tires. I have had one incident. Did not require a new tire or wheel so the cost was minimal. I think everybody is overstating the risk and spending lots of money on "insurance" for a minor risk.

I think everybody is overstating the risk and spending lots of money on "insurance" for a minor risk.

I was hoping that was the case....but decided it probably wasn't after reading this thread:

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80899&highlight=tire+protection

Everybody always says that their warranty has paid for itself but this can not be the case for the vast majority of buyers otherwise the warranty underwriters would be out of business. Plenty of potholes around here and I am in the eighth year of sport package 3 series with low profile tires. I have had one incident. Did not require a new tire or wheel so the cost was minimal. I think everybody is overstating the risk and spending lots of money on "insurance" for a minor risk.
true, but depends where you live and how lucky you are. For example, it is definitely worth it IMO if you live in or a near a new development, you can't believe how nails travel around those areas. BTW, I wouldn't have gotten the policy if I didn't have RFTs.

BMW does not recommend tire rotation on any of their vehicles. FYI.

true, but depends where you live and how lucky you are. For example, it is definitely worth it IMO if you live in or a near a new development, you can't believe how nails travel around those areas. BTW, I wouldn't have gotten the policy if I didn't have RFTs.

I probably over do it since I reply to all extended warranty/tire warranty with the same lines but money in what I do for a living and I am just trying to help out.

Last week I tried to to explain to my barber that the premium on the $12,000 credit life insurance policy that he got on the used pick-up he just bought would pay for $50,000 of term life insurance. Not to mention the insurance benefit decreases each month as the loan is paid down. Still don't think he understands.:(

I probably over do it since I reply to all extended warranty/tire warranty with the same lines but money in what I do for a living and I am just trying to help out.

Last week I tried to to explain to my barber that the premium on the $12,000 credit life insurance policy that he got on the used pick-up he just bought would pay for $50,000 of term life insurance. Not to mention the insurance benefit decreases each month as the loan is paid down. Still don't think he understands.:(

I'll go with "over do it" ;).