Optimal Tire Pressure?

[brian5]

Originally Posted by mrkbbd

I definitely can, here's two: change the handling of the car to better suit your driving style and better gas mileage

Well, I'm assuming that BMW's recommendations are based on their testing of the best tire pressures for the particular X5's. Which is WAY MORE testing than any one of us will ever do.

How would you change the tire pressures so it would suit your driving style? I'm not talking about if it was to be driven on the track (as X's are not typically used as track cars). I know you mentioned oversteer (in an earlier post) but isn't that more important for a high performance rear wheel drive car? Don't we want the X5's balance to be more neutral?

On the gas mileage option, I'm personally far more interested in road grip than insignificant gas savings. If I wanted to save gas, I would have to change my driving style.

[mrkbbd]

Well I know how I generally enter turns and there are particularly a few turns that I like to go around really fast, so I want my X to be able to be able to take those turns at the fastest speed possible. Furthermore, BMW has the car setup for it to be easy to handle for any driver, and therefore it isn't neutral, that thing will understeer significantly. The other thing is I have tracked a 4.8is in the past, so I guess I'm not the typical suv driver. Oversteer isn't particularly more important in one car versus another, high-power rear drive cars are typically more prone to oversteer due to the power but on virtually every stock car it is nearly impossible to oversteer the car by merely its handling characteristics due to safety precautions the vast majority are intentionally tuned to understeer. The part about what "we" want does not go in line with my point, you can slightly alter the car to cater to your needs / wants. You may enjoy a very neutral car, or a very twitchy car, or a boring car, it's all personal preference and what you're comfortable with.

[brian5]

Originally Posted by mrkbbd

<<snip>>You may enjoy a very neutral car, or a very twitchy car, or a boring car, it's all personal preference and what you're comfortable with.

Interesting response -- you're probably right about the understeer.

I've quoted the last bit. As my son would say, "did you just diss me"?

[mrkbbd]

no, I definitely was not intending any disrespect, it was a collective you not a you personally

[brian5]

Originally Posted by mrkbbd

no, I definitely was not intending any disrespect, it was a collective you not a you personally

I wasn't concerned about it one bit. Was just