BMW Brake Pads

Initial Review, 15,000 Miles on Tires
April 01, 2013

I am a BMW Tech and have driven every tire currently out. Hands down best summer tire and longest lasting. Michelin tires are the best for BMW's low road noise, good sidewalls, fantastic wet traction. I will only buy Michelin for my own cars. Yes they are expensive but think about it... it is the ONLY thing that holds your car to the road. I always say tires and brakes are not the place to save money.

When the outside air pressure is equal to inside tire air pressure you should have bought tires a long time ago!

Initial Review, 5,000 Miles on Tires
March 26, 2013

I've been a long time skeptic of all season tires. Having spent a decade switching between dedicated summer and snow/winter wheel sets, I decided to give the DWS a try. My previous set of A/S tires, RE960 AS's were a huge disappointment. The dry weather in early January gave ample opportunities to test traction and stability and although the DWS' are a little less responsive than say the SportContacts it's certainly enough for a small AWD sedan. The snow storms in February/March however have made me a believer. Braking on snow is as expected. Ice performance is as well (since nothing is "great" on ice, "OK" performance is acceptable. The light/heavy snow traction though is what impressed me. This does have something to do with the fact that I drive an AWD with a manual transmission, but the tires rocked the snowy roads. I actually found myself detouring down unplowed streets just to keep the smile on my face!

Initial Review, 1,000 Miles on Tires
February 26, 2013

I live in Denver and with the changing conditions on a day to day basis that we experience here I knew I needed a good set of all season tires. I should mention that I don't like the cost and the pain of having a winter/summer set of tires.

So with much research and after reading all the reviews on the Continental DWS all season tire I knew they would be an excellent set of boots to strap to my RWD 2006 BMW 325i. Through the dry, rain and heavy snow they have not disappointed as of the first 1000 miles. (meaning I can't comment on tread life quite yet)

Prior to the Conti DWS I had a set of michelins and bridgestones on the front and back. While I can comment on my prior set of tires performance in the snow, I'd rather not. What I can say is the road noise and driving comfort were much improved with the DWS! Overall they offer supreme comfort and balance for city driving and elevated highway speeds.

As for the reason why everyone buys this tire: While not a full "winter" tire the DWS has yet to fail me and land me flat footed through 6-8 inches of snow we recently experienced. The car feels balanced and well planted with minimal oversteer and steering lock if I plant my foot down while entering a corner. But when the TC and DSC kick in my tires regain traction and the car regains its balance on corner exit and I'm off again to attack more snowy apex's! Which is something I can't say with the rear bridgestone tires that nearly landed me into the curb if it weren't for my cat-like car control reflexes earned during my karting days.

What I can say and what many reviewers fail to mention (as commented on above) is that even though the 325i is a RWD with the DWS tire and the addition of traction control and stability control the tires fare very well in snowy/icy conditions. I've been impressed with their grip under heavy acceleration as well as under heavy ABS activated braking. Road noise as mentioned is minimal for an all-season tire but I've also been impressed wit

Initial Review, 1,000 Miles on Tires
February 12, 2013

I have limited miles with these tires on my RWD BMW, but the one major storm we had here in the north east recently I was able to put these tires to the test which include hard braking, evasive maneuvers and acceleration and was amazed how well the car performed under the conditions, It made you feel in total control and you can feel the tires grip the road and push the car ahead.
I look forward to the winters now with my rear wheel drive BMW now!

I was really impressed with how these tires performed

Initial Review, 3,500 Miles on Tires
December 30, 2012

I've had these Pirellis on my 335xi for a bit over a month now and I've out almost 3,500 miles on them since, in a number of conditions.

In the last week especially, I've experienced just about everything you could throw at these and I'd frankly rate them as bulletproof.

This last week I road tripped to VA from CT to see my family (800 mile round trip) with warm temps at times (50s) and cold (10s). I had light snow & slush, dry roads and cold and the tires just get better the folder it gets. I then drove to VT yesterday to go snowboarding (350 miles round trip) and returned in a heavy winter storm (4+ inches of heavy snow). Roads were NOT being plowed in any state (VT, MA, CT) and tires handled great. Lots of confidence going up and down hills, great braking, ABS/TC never kicked in once and never felt any slip. And most of the drive through MA and CT was like driving through Donner Pass in CA when it's chains only (which I've done a few times - lots of packed snow, can't see lanes, chains or AWD/4WD with snows required) and the 210s were solid. Able to easily do 40-50, visibility & traffic permitting (probably faster but girlfriend didn't like that).

My point of comparison for these is the Continental ContiPro RFTs in OEM size that were the original tires on my vehicle. They rode really hard and were quite loud. The 210s ride a bit softer, and are quieter (for an RFT - not as quiet as non-RFTs). Worlds better in snow handling. Contis were a bit better in dry/warm than 210s, which can feel a bit mushy in corners at speed, but the more miles I get on them, the more its like riding on rails.

If you have an AWD car and live where there's snow, or drive to where there's snow, step up and get yourself some snows - best decision I ever made.

Initial Review, 11,000 Miles on Tires
December 27, 2012

Excellent tire! Living in Michigan, I wanted a sport orientated tire that would still get me to work during the two or three snowstorms we have a year in Michigan. These fit the bill. They handle great for an all season, good wet and dry performance and really compliment the excellent handling characteristics of a 5-series BMW. With a semi-powerful RWD car that has the sport package (Lowered by an 1" and low profile tires) I was pretty concerned about winter performance and debated getting dedicated snow tires, but I'm glad I didn't. These are VERY adequate in snow. We just had a 6" dumping here and the car was fine. Don't get me wrong, I had to take it slow, drive carefully, and be gentle on the throttle and brakes, but for ultra high performance all seasons + RWD, these are a great tires. I even made it though some major drifts without an issue. If you do your part driving, these tires will do theirs. At the end of the day yes, all season tires are a compromise, but for someone like me who drives a sports sedan in an area that sees serious snow only a few times a year, and someone who doesn't want to deal with the hassle and extra expense of doing summer and winter tires and wheels... these tires are a perfect compromise.

Initial Review, 1,000 Miles on Tires
November 29, 2012

I bought this tire to replace a worn-out set of three-year-old Yokohama IG-20s. They are very quite on the highway (for a winter tire), slightly better fuel economy than my summers (probably due to cold weather and non runflat), and braking is unbelievable on snow and ice. I was recommended these because they have a 55,000 km treadwear guarantee, so we will see how they last. Pulling away from a stop on snow covered roads still makes the traction control activate, but once moving they are very stable. Only a more aggressive snow tire on the rear would be better at low speed grip. Starting in 2nd gear does help somewhat. I will provide an update at the end of the winter.

Initial Review, 650 Miles on Tires
December 19, 2012

My previous winter tires, the original 1st generation Michellin X-Ice, finally needed to be replaced after 9 seasons of use (around 22,000 miles). I liked their performance in nasty winter conditions, as well as dry and wet conditions. After watching/reading Tire Rack's test results and looking at numerous other sources, I decided to go with the Michellin X-Ice Xi3 tires.

I'm reviewing this tire mounted on a 1999 BMW 540i 6-speed manual with approx. 650 miles driven on the set. The performance is great! They grab really well while accelerating and braking in light snow (about as well as my summer tires do in wet/rainy conditions). In deeper packed snow, they provide noticeably better traction than the 1st generation X-Ice tires. Even when they are driven beyond their traction capabilities on packed snow, they provide a predictable response making it rather easy to correct the loss of traction and regain control.

Compared to a the set of Continental WinterForce tires on my 2008 BMW 535Xi, I would say that these provide more traction, especially on icy and packed-snow roads. It is a little hard to differentiate the tires abilities since the 535Xi is all-wheel drive, but when braking (which doesn't make use of the all-wheel drive), the X-Ice Xi3 performs better in every condition. The Continental is still a great tire, and I would recommend it if you want a more comfortable and quieter ride, and are willing to sacrifice a little snow/ice traction and dry/wet road handling to get it. They are still very capable and I have never been stuck in the Continentals, but the Michellin X-Ice Xi3 just provide a little extra traction, along with better dry/wet road handling and a sense of confidence when driving in winter weather.

If you have an all-wheel drive vehicle, both the Continental and Michellin will work well. However, if you drive a rear-wheel drive vehicle, I would highly recommend the Michellin X-Ice Xi3 for it's added "bite" in winter weather conditions.

Initial Review, 400 Miles on Tires
November 14, 2012

I bought these (with a new set of OZ Racing Ultraleggeras 18x8 square setup) to replace my last winter set: 17 inch Dunlop Wintersport 3Ds. Essentially, big shoes to fill, when it comes to snow/slush/ice performance. The Dunlops are that good in the nasty stuff.

These new guys so far perform just as well as the Wintersport 3Ds in the cold-and-wet/slush--which is saying something, with the Wintersports being outstanding--and better in the cold-and-dry (where the Wintersports let me down a bit). These Pirellis really feel like performance tires.
Here on Long Island we get at most a week of snow in the winter, and the rest of the time it's just cold and sometimes wet. And in these conditions, the Pirellis really do a great job.

Overall, the Pirellis are very good winter tires, but be warned, these guys are NOISY. They whine when unloaded (coasting), but quiet down when cornering, braking, or accelerating.

Initial Review, 4,000 Miles on Tires
November 04, 2012

I am dissapointed in the winter traction of these tires. They plow allot in anything more than about an inch of snow and i find myself having to drift the car or use parking brake on cornering if i want to maintain any amount of speed through cornering. i expected to scrifice traction by going with a performance winter tire, just didnt think it would be so much. had dunlop winter SP 3D previously and would go back to those or something else when these Michelin's wear out. Ive had Michelin PA2's before and had the same problem. i had hoped the PA3's would be better but they're not. Great in winter when roads are clear or wet, but not good in any snow to speak of unless you drive like a Granny (no offence to any Grannies).

Initial Review, 15,000 Miles on Tires
November 05, 2012

bought the eco hype for 85K tread wear and better mileage. The mileage is about .3 mph better, as quiet and better riding than OEM Dunlops runflats BMW puts on. Wanted a smoother ride and got it. Decent in heavy rain in a straight line, but wet traction for braking and corning is awful. In light mist this am, traction light on at every corner and ABS can be invoked quite easily when it's wet. Like everything but wet traction and in KC, this means I won't buy these again even if they otherwise are nice tires.

Initial Review, 1,500 Miles on Tires
October 08, 2012

Really don't have enough miles on tires to fully rate. These were an excellent bargain priced tire that was very competitive in comparison results. They seem as grippy as the Michelins they replaced due to dry rot. Limited wet weather driving seems fairly sure footed. May be a little rougher and noisier than Michelins, but cornering and braking are on par. Don't think the mileage wear will match, but if you don't drive a lot per year, these seem to be a great bargain tire for performance minded drivers.

Initial Review, 5,500 Miles on Tires
September 01, 2012

I just finished a track Dave A NJMP. Driving with an instructor, we worked on improving my corner entry and exit speeds. 4 thirty minute sessions later and I am very impressed with these tires. Under track conditions they were extremely solid performers, had great grip cornering and braking, and exceeded my expectations.

I've tracked a Ferrari 360 in the past with much more expensive tires, and these were much better on track.

I'm looking to buy a new set of wheels right now for this car (that's why I'm here today) and they're getting this tire.

I've driven performance cars for 30+ years, these tires give the best bang for the buck of any I've driven on.

Definitely recommend them.

Initial Review, 1,500 Miles on Tires
June 01, 2012

Everything they say about this tire is true. Just an amazing combination of excellent handling/braking and smooth/quiet ride. So much better than the Bridgestone RFTs that came standard on my BMW 335i. I feel that the true capablities of my car have been revealed by the Michelin PSS. BMW should include these on 3 series cars with sport package. They make the car even more of an Ultimate Driving Machine.

Initial Review, 40,000 Miles on Tires
August 07, 2012

My first set of these and most of my second set were used in Upstate New York. In pretty much any weather conditions, they performed incredibly well. My case and point for their performance in NY is that I used to be able to make it from my house to my fire station(was a volunteer firefighter in NY) in even the worst of snow storms. I remember back when we had that huge ice storm in December a few years back, and it was like driving on a dry road even then.

Recently, I moved west, and drove my car all the way to California. It was late March, so I didn't see much weather on until about Wyoming where I experienced extremely fast crosswinds on I-80. These tires kept me glued to the road in that. When I got to Utah, there was some snow and slush, but these tires cut right through it. And when I got to the Sierra Nevadas, I was at 4/32s of tread left on my tires(just at the legal limit for not needing chains on I-80 in snow conditions), I traversed the mountains during the height of a snow storm and had absolutely no problems whatsoever with handling or braking in the Sierra Cement.

Now I'm here in one of California's hot valleys where it's blisteringly hot during the summer days and it rains buckets for periods during the winter. None of the weather conditions here have even put these to the test, even on the tires last legs(one's almost bald). I will be putting another set of these on my vehicle shortly. They've performed so well up until this point, I couldn't imagine buying a different set.

Initial Review, 9,400 Miles on Tires
June 10, 2012

I have now used about 6-7 sets of these on my old M3. They are the best tire I have had so far. The original Pilot SX MXX3 that came on the car had fabulous lateral drip and straightline braking, but the PS2 was a better road tire in every way.

I was ready to cry when they said they were going to stop making this tire, but I just put a set of the new Super Sprts on my '06 Evo and they are every bit as good and supposedly last longer.

This tire is the first street tire that started me 'cheating' and driving my street tires at the autocross track instead of dedicated race tires. At the BMW Performance Center at BMWCCA events I can get within 2 seconds of my time on slicks with these tires. Yes, slicks allow a violence and fun factor that exceeds any street tire, but to save a ton of money and have almost as much fun, I'll stick with these for now!

The hydroplane resistance is terrific all the way down to the last 20% of tread depth. These tires are expensive because they are good!

Initial Review, 1,500 Miles on Tires
July 30, 2012

After mounting these Goodyears and driving approx. 1500mls, so far I've been mostly pleased with them. Although this was not purchased for my primary driver, these replaced a staggered set of ContiSportContact3s, which were very good all around. These Goodyears are stable at speed and while cornering, although they still lacked the at-the-limit grip levels of the Continentals and don't have quite as good feedback, although still very good. Braking distances are short, and rolling-resistance/fuel economy is a smidge better, likely due to its newer design. At-the-limit handling is predictable and stable, albeit with a bit more noise approaching the limits. On-road comfort is on-par with similar summer tires, with road impacts reasonably absorbed and noise levels about average. Not the best Max performance tire, but pretty good value for money.

Initial Review, 28,000 Miles on Tires
June 27, 2012

These replaced the OEM RFTs so much better ride comfort. Noise on good roads is mimimal, but on poor roads it is very noticable. Wet traction is outstanding. Dry traction is excellent. Cornering is excellent, braking is excellent. At this mileage the front tires look almost new, but I was into the wear bars on the passenger (drive) side rear and only about 1/32 on the other (LSD installed last November). I do like to accellerate thru 1, 2 and 3 when I get the chance, and push thru corners when its safe, but that is not an everyday occurance. Will do another set of rears and then go to a non-staggered setup.

Initial Review, 7,000 Miles on Tires
May 30, 2012

This is a great compromise tire for any performance car. Tread wear is great for this class of tires, I'm on my second set on my 2002 M3. They are lasting 30000 + miles for the front tires, less for the rears. Wet weather handling and braking is excellent, they work well in light snow (a few inches) but loose it in deeper snow. I have dedicated snow tires for winter. Maybe the biggest plus is the cost which is moderate compared to the ultra perf summer tires that come from the factory. Highly recommneded. I buy all my tires from Tire Rack,and they are highly recommended too; this is an unpaid word of praise.

Initial Review, 15,000 Miles on Tires
August 22, 2008

Great wet handling. Very good dry handling, except that braking performance decreased after switch from the previous Pilot Sports. Smooth transition at breakaway with easy recovery.Very predictable, but feels greasy as it nears its limits. Poor treadlife with uneven wear even with balanced chassis. Still, a very good tire if a bit overpriced compared w/ the competition. Main strength is superb wet handling.