Hi everyone,
I am new to the forum, and have been spending some of this morning searching the forum to see if my questions have been asked before.
I did get some answered, but not others. If they have been answered somewhere else, please forgive this post, and point me in the direction of that thread.
Background: This past May, we replaced my wife's 2003 325i after 200k fantastic miles. Since our family expanded, and I already had just purchased a family hauler (Audi Q7), she wanted to have the fun car. It was a CPO 2010 135 convertible. It is her everyday driver. Neither of us drive it hard, as the convertible was what she wanted. I'd say I am a conservative driver when I use it, and she is more like an average driver. Not really aggressive, but not as conservative as me.
She loves the car, but has complained about the tire noise. We agreed that when it was time, we wold replace with non run flat tires, as this was the same issue we had when we bought the 325. The tires that came with it were run flats, and we replaced hem with non run flats for what my wife thinks is a quieter ride.
We got our first raw all day this week. Lots of wind, rain, and cold weather. She told me the car did not feel as if it was safe unless she slowed way down, and that we needed to get new tires ASAP.
When I went to get tire size, imagine my surprise when she had different size tires on the rear than on the front. This is where I have some questions.
1) Reading around the forum, the different tire sizes indicate she has the sport package. I also see this is called a staggered set up versus a square set up of 4 same size tires. What are the pros and cons of these two different tires setups? I need to know this as I go over my options.
2) In researching the tires on there now, it appears that they are summer tires. Given that performance driving is not an issue here, my wife would like to go to all season tires. Since neither of us drive it hard, what difference, in any, will we see versus what's in there now?
3) Because of the difference in sizes, and wife's preference for a non run flat tires, I have been unsuccessful in finding a set that meets her criteria and the staggered set up. If I look at a summer/winter set up, I can find some options. If I do this, what will winter tires do the driving experience? Mpg, road noise, ride comfort, etc? We don't really get a ton of snow here, and its flat, so I'm not inclined to to use winter tires. On snowy days, she can always take mine or I can take her to and from work, since her car has such low clearance. But I need more info.
So my options, as far as I can tell, are these:
1) Go with different sets for summer and winter. Aside from having to buy a rack and find storage space for the tires, and getting them switched out twice a year, what other issues does this present? Also, can I get this done at any tire place without messing up the CPO warranty and service plan?
2) Buy a new set of rims for either the front or the rear, and buy a new set of all season tires that meet what she wants. Should I keep the larger rear wheels, or the smaller front wheels? Again, what does tires size do for the ride, even if you are not pushing the car hard? Which is the better way to go in this scenario?
3) Go with different pairs of all seasons for the front and the rear. I have read and been told for years that this is something that should never be done, because it wont handle properly due to the different tread patterns. Again, since the car never goes faster than highway cruising, is it still a safety concern? Would the fact that the pairs would likely wear at different rates cause an issue later?
Any answers anyone can give me would be great, as I would like to get this handled before truly cold weather and winter arrives. Maybe in about 30-45 days?
Thanks.
I am new to the forum, and have been spending some of this morning searching the forum to see if my questions have been asked before.
I did get some answered, but not others. If they have been answered somewhere else, please forgive this post, and point me in the direction of that thread.
Background: This past May, we replaced my wife's 2003 325i after 200k fantastic miles. Since our family expanded, and I already had just purchased a family hauler (Audi Q7), she wanted to have the fun car. It was a CPO 2010 135 convertible. It is her everyday driver. Neither of us drive it hard, as the convertible was what she wanted. I'd say I am a conservative driver when I use it, and she is more like an average driver. Not really aggressive, but not as conservative as me.
She loves the car, but has complained about the tire noise. We agreed that when it was time, we wold replace with non run flat tires, as this was the same issue we had when we bought the 325. The tires that came with it were run flats, and we replaced hem with non run flats for what my wife thinks is a quieter ride.
We got our first raw all day this week. Lots of wind, rain, and cold weather. She told me the car did not feel as if it was safe unless she slowed way down, and that we needed to get new tires ASAP.
When I went to get tire size, imagine my surprise when she had different size tires on the rear than on the front. This is where I have some questions.
1) Reading around the forum, the different tire sizes indicate she has the sport package. I also see this is called a staggered set up versus a square set up of 4 same size tires. What are the pros and cons of these two different tires setups? I need to know this as I go over my options.
2) In researching the tires on there now, it appears that they are summer tires. Given that performance driving is not an issue here, my wife would like to go to all season tires. Since neither of us drive it hard, what difference, in any, will we see versus what's in there now?
3) Because of the difference in sizes, and wife's preference for a non run flat tires, I have been unsuccessful in finding a set that meets her criteria and the staggered set up. If I look at a summer/winter set up, I can find some options. If I do this, what will winter tires do the driving experience? Mpg, road noise, ride comfort, etc? We don't really get a ton of snow here, and its flat, so I'm not inclined to to use winter tires. On snowy days, she can always take mine or I can take her to and from work, since her car has such low clearance. But I need more info.
So my options, as far as I can tell, are these:
1) Go with different sets for summer and winter. Aside from having to buy a rack and find storage space for the tires, and getting them switched out twice a year, what other issues does this present? Also, can I get this done at any tire place without messing up the CPO warranty and service plan?
2) Buy a new set of rims for either the front or the rear, and buy a new set of all season tires that meet what she wants. Should I keep the larger rear wheels, or the smaller front wheels? Again, what does tires size do for the ride, even if you are not pushing the car hard? Which is the better way to go in this scenario?
3) Go with different pairs of all seasons for the front and the rear. I have read and been told for years that this is something that should never be done, because it wont handle properly due to the different tread patterns. Again, since the car never goes faster than highway cruising, is it still a safety concern? Would the fact that the pairs would likely wear at different rates cause an issue later?
Any answers anyone can give me would be great, as I would like to get this handled before truly cold weather and winter arrives. Maybe in about 30-45 days?
Thanks.