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

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...

Have I had????...more like...when you have issues....bent rims, cracked one (no bend amazingly)....but I'm vain enough to continue to bear through the costs of upkeep on 214 wheels & tires...

and before anyone ask's...OEM 214's, Bridgestone Dueler HP RFT's....

It really depends on how you drive, where exactly you drive, etc...I have 90K in 2.5 years with travel on CBX, LIE, BQE, Queens BLVD, even route 17 in upstate NY, etc.....really really bad roads

I gotten lost in your reply (long day for me) :)...

So I take it you had a cracked rim ?

How long did your Bridgestones last, and what do you for the winter?

I drive mostly in NJ (central/north), route 78 between 24 and Holland Tunnel is my commute...

(1) slightly bent rim
(1) cracked rear rim (no bend)

OEM Dunlaps - I think I got 15-19K
Changed to Bridgestone Dueler HP RFT - 1st set got 38K...
2nd set I'm on now - 33K and going..

78 has its places....although much better than the commute to NYC from Rock/Bergen...

Winter time - never changed tires...did a great job (not as good as Blizzaks I presume...but worked in all that blizzard snow we had upto both offices in Long Island and Upstate NY...)

Thanks ! Those bents and cracks - are they results of potholes or something else?

Yeah, 78 is now under construction, especially between GSP and Turnpike, horrible!

I suspect its the bumps, dips and potholes that seem to foreshadow my every move. If its not them, then I guess its the small trolls with big hammers that invade my parking spot at night... :rofl:

I am thinking of getting 214s, but remove Dunlops and store them until end of the lease... In the meantime, mount one of the following:

Contis : Continental ExtremeContact DWS xDrive48i&autoModClar=Sport Package

Michelins : Michelin Latitude Tour HP xDrive48i&autoModClar=Sport Package

Neither of them are Run-Flats (damn!!!), but both are all-seasons and perform quite well during winter times. Contis have longer threadlife (advertised), and even survey have better responses, although someone complained about Contis having softer sidewalls...

Any suggestions/recommendations on this?

sorry for the brief hijack, but how reliabe has your X been over those 90k miles? Did you buy an extended warranty/maintenance plan?

Did you actually drive on the snow itself? We are going skiing couple of times a year to upstate NY, there are some snow-covered paths and small hills to climb... Did you expose your bridgestones to them?

Otherwise, I would need to go for the all-seasons, which are not RFTs...

Speaking of NYC, it's the one city where I've lived that I'd highly recommend going for the tire insurance. It paid for itself a few times over since I value aesthetics and loved the look of the sportier rims over the standard ones.