I considered the S0-3's, but I got a great deal on the Pilots, so it was an easy choice. 
Phat Rubber
Just got some Michelin Pilot Sports to replace the OEM Dunlops. My initial impression was: WOW! What a difference over the OEM tires! I had expected some improvement, but not was really surprised how much better the Pilots are. They transform the feel of the car. The car now feels much more stable and planted, and tracks like on rails. Handling is much more crisp and precise - very responsive. They make a bit of noise at lower speeds, but on the highway, they quiet down a lot. Also, the ride is much smoother than I expected. A little early yet in the season, but I couldn't resist! the Pilots are pricey - but well worth it! :thumb:
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Ah, I see you're not familiar with my Dunlop saga...Mystikal said:You replaced tires on an '02 already?
My car came with Dunlop 2000E's. From the day I drove it the lot, it had a vibration/shudder at around 65mph. I brought it back to the dealer 3 times to have them diagnose and fix this. First time, they road tested with me and said it was "supposed to be this way. Its the SP". The second time they rebalanced the wheels (they said all 4 - but the factory weights were still on 3) and said "one was off". The 3rd time, I dropped the car off for an oil change and to have them look at everything - drive train, suspension, steering rack, etc, in an attempt to isolate this annoying issue. They ended up having the car for 4 days. I got it back - and no change at all. Fed up with the dealer, I went to a local shop that has a Hunter GSP. Even this machine could not find any problem with the wheels/tires, yet the vibration/shudder was getting much worse. I was also getting irregular handling as well. In frustration, I tried shifting the wheels around to see if this would make any difference. My bad - too late I learned that it's not recommended to rotate tires on a BMW (I didn't RTFM). This just made the problem MUCH worse. Researching the Archives here and over on the .org, I read some posts about people having similar issues with their tires, and solved the problem by replacing the tires.
Mind you, most of you know about the ordeal I went thru with my winter setup....so at this point, I could really care less about the *^#@$ Dunlops.
To their credit, the Tirerack has made good on their support of the winter setup. To date they have reimbursed me for all labor charges for getting my winter wheels straightened out (literally). Part of their support was to give me a break on some Summer tires. So, what the heck? If the dealership could find no mechanical problem, a Hunter GSP says the summer wheels are true - then it MUST be the tires. I replaced them, and presto! Problem solved! One of the reasons I went with Michelins is their reputation for quality, reliablility and consistency. Over all this, I wanted the best tire possible (I know S0-3's are great too..), and it was personal preference.
I don't see this as a BMW issue at all. It's a Duncrap one. I just wish the first 10K miles on my car weren't so clouded with all this tire/wheel BS - I would've enjoyed my new car so much more. Oh well, it history now. The car is now running like it should, smooth, smooth, smooth!!
Well, long rant - but you asked!
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