335i owners w/ goodyear F1 A/S

[supermick]

Please give me your thoughts, comments, and reviews about this tire, especially if you dumped your Bridgestone Run flats. THanks

[JPrieur]

Just took mine off after about 3500 miles during the winter months (07 335i staggered sport pkg sizes).

Grip: Its an all season with a much harder tread compound so don't expect the same grip as with the bridgestones. However, the grip is very good for an all season. Wet traction on the goodyears is awesome. The only time you would notice is during full throttle turns and some severely spirited driving (like the kind that would make your wife/significant other yell at you).

Handling: Pretty good steering response for an all season, but again not as precise as the bridgestones. However, it is this lack of precision that makes them much more livable on during interstate driving (very good straight line stability and control). On center feel is a little bit numb on the interstate, but it again it tracks very well.

Ride: You will get a smoother ride over bumps (obviously) being a non-RFT, but these tires have a slight gravely 'grainy' feeling from about 5 mph to 35 mph. It is hard to explain but they just don't roll as smoothly on smooth surfaces as the Bridgestones.

Noise: A little bit louder, depending on how much wear you have on your bridgestones. Not objectionably loud but noticeable.

Treadwear: exceptional, I truly believe that these tires would last WELL over 30,000 miles even with some spirited driving.

Appearance: Very aggressive look at both the sidewall and tread. Gives the car a little more of a muscular look.

Overall I think these are pretty good tires. It really depends on what your looking for. They definitely make the car more livable on a daily basis taking out some of the harshness but you will give up some traction/handling.

If you are looking to get a set of these I am selling mine (3500 miles) in the Sport PKG staggered sizes. Shoot me a PM if you are interested or if you are looking for other particular points about this tire that I did not address.

[wilbur_the_goos]

I have a 325i (2005) with these tires, and I would avoid them. Really bad cupping, and my car's alignment and suspension are all A-OK. Not a safety issue, but the tire noise is horrible.

I'm ready to dump them after 8K miles.

[Gary@Tirerack]

Were these the Eagle F1 A/S? When you say the alignment is A-OK, are you just saying that the car tracks straight or do you have specs/ or a detailed printout? I'm only asking because tires typically do not cup on their own and I'd be curious to see what your settings are.

[wilbur_the_goos]

Were these the Eagle F1 A/S? When you say the alignment is A-OK, are you just saying that the car tracks straight or do you have specs/ or a detailed printout? I'm only asking because tires typically do not cup on their own and I'd be curious to see what your settings are.

Yep - They were Eagle F1 A/S.

I actually had the car aligned at Otto's BMW 7K miles ago, and it was just rechecked yesterday. My 2005 E46 settings are "to spec", and they told me the suspension/shocks were fine. The car is out of warranty, so they weren't trying to keep me from getting a repair under warranty.

Otto's thinks the issue is in with the tire's construction - that the angle between the sidewall and the part of the tire that rides the road was too angular (too much of a right angle). He told me they haven't had a lot of luck with Good Year on BMWs.

Otto's felt that BMW's camber settings favor a tire with a more rounded angle between the sidewall and the part of the tire that is on the road.

The Otto's Service Writer also recommended TireRack because their price for original equipment tires was way too high.

Does this make sense?

[Gary@Tirerack]

Replied to your email as well.