214s.... to be or not to be... (UPDATE : TO BE !)

[alexmish]

Hey guys and gals, need your advise and opinion...

Waiting for my 2011 X5 3.5d, but the build will not start until 1st week of July, thus I have some time to make more changes.

The 214s look just awesome on X5 (Say Hello to my 2011X5D... - bimmerfest - BMW Forums to see how they would look like on the same color I've ordered)... However, there are many pros and cons, and I am just can't make up my mind...

Pros:
Looks and overall car stance


Cons:
Summer Tires - need to get something for the winter
Wear Fast - will probably go though at least 2-3 sets during 3-year lease (driving ~13-14K/year)
Steering not as precise

I was thinking of getting them, them swap the tires for Contis DWS, which are all-seasons and have 50K thread life warranty (cost with mounting and balancing and taxes around $1,200). However, they are not run-flats, but I will have a spare in my car


Those who live and drive in NY metro area and use 214s - have you had any pothole-related issues with the tire and rims?

What about those who switches to Contis - what is your experience, especially as tire starts to wear down?

I can get another wheels/tire set for winter/all-seasons, but I dont really want to deal with swapping wheels and storing them (dont have much space)... Besides, 214s look so good, once I put them on, I want to keep them on


P.S. I also tried to find an all-season RFT tires which would fit 214s - no luck so far... That would give me a piece of mind...