jvr826
01-18-2005, 09:09 AM
Some background first. I have a 2002 530i with sport package, upgraded 18 x8.5" wheels and I run 245-40-18 tires. My driving is 95% mountain twisties, 5% freeway/city type stuff. Living in the Bay Area I drive on mostly dry roads, but winter brings mucho amounts of rain and wet/slick conditions. My car is aligned for performance (max neg rear camber) and I have an M5 rear anti-sway bar. I set tire pressure at 38psi on all 4 corners.
Since the car was new I've been running S-03s. Due to the fact that I drive mostly on mountain twisties, and the way I have the car aligned, I've been getting pretty poor life out of these tires - about 7k miles from the rears, 10k-12k for the fronts with no rotation. Handling wise I'm a huge fan of the S-03s. They stick without limits in all conditions, even wet roads. Turn-in is awesome and the ride is crisp and sporty. I also find them relatively quiet especially compared to the S-02s I used before the S-03s came out. The only complaint I have about them is their tendency to flat-spot which causes minor vibrations until the tires come up to operating temperature, usually within a couple miles or so.
Due to the short tread life of the S-03s I decided to try the RE-750. I read posts here and evaluated the customer reviews and comments at Tire Rack, as well as looking at the specs. In the size my car is running, the S-03 has a 220 treadwear and the RE-750 has a 340. The tread pattern on both tires is very similar as well. And, in the size I need, the RE-750s are about $80/corner less expensive. I went into it with an open mind and comfort knowing I had 30-days to decide if I liked the RE-750s.
First impressions of the RE-750s were decent from a driving perspective. They're quiet, have good turn in, and are less stiff than the S-03s. Freeway driving was good. When driving on the mountain twisties, the differences between these two tires are very obvious. The RE-750 does not feel as connected to the road, squishy in the corners is the best way for me to describe it. Not that they lost grip early, but the razor sharp handling I was use to with the S-03s was not there. I spent a week driving on these tires, pushing them hard after reaching the 200 mile mark, the suggested break-in period. I can definitely say handling improved as I put more miles on them, but never got to the level of performance I was looking for. Some have said a break-in of 1000 miles is necessary for these - I didn't have the time for that.
I returned the RE-750s and got a new set of S-03s. After just 60 miles on them I can say the difference in handling is night and day. Cornering is razor sharp on dry, moist, and even wet roads. I expect it to only improve as the miles start totalling up.
One other difference I noticed, and something I read in a review of the RE-750 at Tire Rack, is that the sidewall appearance on the RE-750 was not too attractive. Personally I didn't think it would make much of a difference, but being able to compare the 2 mounted on my own wheels made it more clear. The RE-750's wheel protection lip is pretty thick, a good thing, but the top of the shoulder of the tire seemed to taper in sooner than the S-03 does. Hard to explain, but the S-03s look so much better on my wheels. Granted their protection lip is not as pronounced, maybe that's it.
Bottom line, IMHO, if you've been running ultra high performance tires and are considering the RE-750s as a longer life replacement, be prepared to give up that razor sharp handling you're use to. I found them to be a great freeway cruiser and at slower speeds, i.e. city driving, handling was great. It was at the higher speed aggressive mountain driving where the RE-750s fell short for me.
My plan to get better life out of the S-03s is to rotate them every 1000 miles. I'll let you all know how that works out.
Since the car was new I've been running S-03s. Due to the fact that I drive mostly on mountain twisties, and the way I have the car aligned, I've been getting pretty poor life out of these tires - about 7k miles from the rears, 10k-12k for the fronts with no rotation. Handling wise I'm a huge fan of the S-03s. They stick without limits in all conditions, even wet roads. Turn-in is awesome and the ride is crisp and sporty. I also find them relatively quiet especially compared to the S-02s I used before the S-03s came out. The only complaint I have about them is their tendency to flat-spot which causes minor vibrations until the tires come up to operating temperature, usually within a couple miles or so.
Due to the short tread life of the S-03s I decided to try the RE-750. I read posts here and evaluated the customer reviews and comments at Tire Rack, as well as looking at the specs. In the size my car is running, the S-03 has a 220 treadwear and the RE-750 has a 340. The tread pattern on both tires is very similar as well. And, in the size I need, the RE-750s are about $80/corner less expensive. I went into it with an open mind and comfort knowing I had 30-days to decide if I liked the RE-750s.
First impressions of the RE-750s were decent from a driving perspective. They're quiet, have good turn in, and are less stiff than the S-03s. Freeway driving was good. When driving on the mountain twisties, the differences between these two tires are very obvious. The RE-750 does not feel as connected to the road, squishy in the corners is the best way for me to describe it. Not that they lost grip early, but the razor sharp handling I was use to with the S-03s was not there. I spent a week driving on these tires, pushing them hard after reaching the 200 mile mark, the suggested break-in period. I can definitely say handling improved as I put more miles on them, but never got to the level of performance I was looking for. Some have said a break-in of 1000 miles is necessary for these - I didn't have the time for that.
I returned the RE-750s and got a new set of S-03s. After just 60 miles on them I can say the difference in handling is night and day. Cornering is razor sharp on dry, moist, and even wet roads. I expect it to only improve as the miles start totalling up.
One other difference I noticed, and something I read in a review of the RE-750 at Tire Rack, is that the sidewall appearance on the RE-750 was not too attractive. Personally I didn't think it would make much of a difference, but being able to compare the 2 mounted on my own wheels made it more clear. The RE-750's wheel protection lip is pretty thick, a good thing, but the top of the shoulder of the tire seemed to taper in sooner than the S-03 does. Hard to explain, but the S-03s look so much better on my wheels. Granted their protection lip is not as pronounced, maybe that's it.
Bottom line, IMHO, if you've been running ultra high performance tires and are considering the RE-750s as a longer life replacement, be prepared to give up that razor sharp handling you're use to. I found them to be a great freeway cruiser and at slower speeds, i.e. city driving, handling was great. It was at the higher speed aggressive mountain driving where the RE-750s fell short for me.
My plan to get better life out of the S-03s is to rotate them every 1000 miles. I'll let you all know how that works out.
