New wheels for BMW X5 E70 - Advice needed

[535dboy]

Very scary reading !

[535dboy]

Oh and isn't the subject title confusing !?!?

[Shez1878]

Fair point, should say tyres!

I won't be buying either if it means I'm gonna end up killing myself but is there really THAT much difference?!

Branded will clearly be better - but by that much...really?

[535dboy]

Any test I have reviewed shows that generally the wet tyre performances of *some* 'cheaper' brands is significantly different to that of a well known quantity. If stopping distances are longer then that increases your chances of smashing in to the car front in an emergency situation which can only be exaggerated when you are in a 2.2t car compared to that of a golf sized car generally used for the tests.

Does not seem logical to be cost cutting on a car that is presumably still worth in excess of £20k, this forms part of the running costs of such a car.

[huck]

[quote="Shez1878"]
Fair point, should say tyres!

I won't be buying either if it means I'm gonna end up killing myself but is there really THAT much difference?!

Branded will clearly be better - but by that much...really?
[/quote]

Firstly, I don't have experience of these tyres myself.  Need to get that out of the way.

However, even some of the more popular budget brands (eg Accelera etc) have been found to have their wet weather stopping distances to be severely wanting, in independent tests.  I think evo did this a year or so ago?  Also, go to tyrereviews.co.uk and you'll see plenty of concerning reports from people who have put down their money on these tyres.  Yes, you'll find some positive reviews but I do feel it really has to take a very biased eye not to see a pattern developing occasionally e.g. poor wet weather characteristics.  That is something, IMHO, I would never even think of risking in such a big, heavy car which carries my wife and kids in all conditions.

Anyway, as I've said before on other threads, you may indeed be paying the premium for premium tyres but, in answer to your question, I really do believe that (in some conditions and with some tyres on some cars etc etc) there really is that much of a difference.

In the end, though, you pays your money and takes your choice....

[535dboy]

[quote="huck"]
In the end, though, you pays your money and takes your choice....
[/quote]

...........or somebody's rear end off !

[Chompers]

Crazy thread indeed  wouldn't even consider putting anything but branded tyres on my cars. We are not talking about £500 of Fiesta, but as £20k's worth of the best handing 4x4 on the road. Why is it the best, because of all the engineered suspension components used to build it play a big part, but the the tyres also play a huge part as well. You dick around with these you dick around with the whole vehicle set up and dynamics.

IMHO you would crazy to even consider anything but approved tyres for an e70.

[Shez1878]

Well that's cleared that up! Genuinely didn't realise the difference was so vast and therefore shocked that companies are allowed to sell the cheaper alternatives.

Search continues!

[huck]

[quote="Shez1878"]
Well that's cleared that up! Genuinely didn't realise the difference was so vast and therefore shocked that companies are allowed to sell the cheaper alternatives.

Search continues!
[/quote]

I don't think you should be shocked that these are on sale. I doubt that they are the 'ditchfinders' they have been accused of, in places. However, any tech is going to have a wide spread of talent. The point is that why would one risk putting on average tyres etc etc (points well made above)

[55NF]

[quote="Shez1878"]
Nankang looking favourite at the moment. £600 plus fitting, balancing etc.

Thoughts?
[/quote]

Why are you considering Budget tyres on a car like this?  Crazy.....  Branded only is the safest way to go. Mich, Bridge etc

[Bmwx5 montenegro]

I have dunlop sportmax 275/40r20, 315/35/r20 RFT they are fantastic


Sent from my iPhone

[syg9m]

I Always go for a branded tyre , as the others say these companies spend millions on the handling of these cars & recommend BMW rated tyres for a reason ! Your own safety .

[Lummox]

I would seriously consider not buying tyres from a well known auction site (Not sure if i can use the name)  as there was an episode of fake Britain on a few months ago warning of the amount of counterfeit tyres that are now entering the UK and ending up on said well known auction site and the difference in braking distance and road holding performance of the tyres is enough to put your heart in your mouth. I seem to remember reading a related article that stated that some of the tyres in question had up to 4 times the braking distance of the actual tyre that it was copied from and that was in dry conditions, this extended to up to 9 times the distance in wet conditions. It also said that in some cases the entire tread pealed away from the carcass of the tyre at speeds of 100kph. Not sure if the episode is still available on the net but it was season one episode 3 http://www.tvguide.co.uk/episodeguide.a ... %20Britain. i am still trying to find the related article that i was reading but up to now can't find it. I will keep searching and post it if I do.

Lummox

[Sanj]

You can say eBay here. Nothing about anti-freeze tho buddy! 

[Lummox]

[quote="Sanj"]
You can say eBay here. Nothing about anti-freeze tho! 
[/quote]

I have a funny feeling that that post is going to keep coming back to haunt me!!!!! but the one about using a .50 or .22 to blow a hole in the cat was acceptable

Lummox