New Tires for 15" Rims

So I need to buy new tires. Want to keep the car pretty much stock. The car is a '96 328i Convert with 15' rims. The previous owner put 195/60R-15 tires on it. OEM tires size was 205/60-15.

I drive this car a few times a week, not real hard. Sometimes trips to the beach a few hours away.

I have two questions:

1. Do I go with the oem size of 205/60 or maybe a size larger, say 215/60-15?

2. What tire? I am leaning towards the Michelin MXVR but very open to suggestions.

the 215-60-15 will be a wee bit taller, but not much. your best bet would be to see what the tire shop says. 225-50-16 is also an oe tire size as well, and 16" wheels are fairly cheap.

as for the tires themselves, there are multiple options. i say get the one that best fits your driving needs. you don't 'need' to go with say a speed rated tire if you don't go close to 100mph, for instance, and super sticky tires that may last 25k miles may be little overkill.

either way, i always like to get roadhazard insurance on them.




df

Originally Posted by drivinfaster

the 215-60-15 will be a wee bit taller, but not much. your best bet would be to see what the tire shop says. 225-50-16 is also an oe tire size as well, and 16" wheels are fairly cheap.

as for the tires themselves, there are multiple options. i say get the one that best fits your driving needs. you don't 'need' to go with say a speed rated tire if you don't go close to 100mph, for instance, and super sticky tires that may last 25k miles may be little overkill.

either way, i always like to get roadhazard insurance on them.




df

What do you think of these?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/221153216038...84.m1423.l2649

I don't now the offset, but I am certain that some of you old pros will know. They look to be in great shape and for a little bit more than the cost of four new tires I would get 16" rims that are in much better shape than the 15" I have now.

If you guys say they will bolt on and fit without issues then I will make an offer on them.

Ed

$550 + $200 shipping for used (and mismatched) tires with undesirable wheels is a pretty terrible price.

Good lord, I bought a set of those with tires for $60! That's crazy expensive. Usual going rate is $200/set with worn out tires.

i'd check craigslist for wheels....you could pick up a set rather cheap. i paid about 200 for mine. this was without tires, but i already had some anyway, so it wasn't that dig of a deal.


shop around, and iirc, pretty much most e36/e46 16" wheels will fit without any issues with oe size tires.



shop around. that's an insane price...



df

Wow, ok. Thanks for schooling me. But let me make sure I am understanding this, typical pricing on these rims is $200 for a set of four without tires?

depends on the wheels...some guys like them, others not so much.

i guess it all depends on personal taste and the condition of the wheels. a decent set of rubber on *any* set of wheels will increase the cost factor.

i say shop around, and beware of bent wheels. look them over well. there are plenty of places selling them, so you should be able to get a decent deal.

good luck.



df