Tire recommendations for 2015 BMW X5

[TrainingPolicy]

I have a friend with one of these (2017 model ready to go back now that his lease is close to being over). Great car but it absolutely annihilates tires, he opted for sort of warranty deal when he got the optional staggered tires wheel package. Has paid back massively as the big German rips through a set of $1300 Pirellis every 15000 miles and he doesn’t pay a dime. Car isn’t tracked or driven that hard I-10 from Fulshear, TX-Energy corridor and back a few days a week it’s just that bad on rubber.

I have driven the car a couple of times and it is a GREAT SUV, it is night and day compared to my Santa Fe that I own. I was actually kind of getting the itch to get one until I caught wind of the tire fiasco. My relative doesnt drive the car hard at all, but myself? Let's just say I like to lean into the corners. So, tires would not last me long at all.

 

[SeaJay]

The car was not designed to have its tires last long. No matter what you get, they will need to be replaced far sooner than many other cars do.

 

[edyvw]

I will let them know of this option. Do you know where a set of 19" wheels could be purchased that look OEM? Also, the fenders are wide plus they have the extra plastic lip (much like the new mustangs and corvettes) if you know what I am talking about?

Yeah, I was expecting fenders will be wider in M Package. Relative can always run 275 in the back.
Now, is that 5 seater or 7 seater? I am not sure about F15 X5, but 5 seater E70 had space for spare tire under carpet in the trunk. If there is spare tire compartment under carpet, relative can buy donut wheel and tire at BMW. I paid donut wheel at dealership $129 (sam egos on E70 and F15) and I got tire at discount tires for $109, and dealership wanted I think $139 for tire. In that case, relative can ditch RFT's. I had 7 seater and still ditched RFT's and just hauled spare in the trunk.

 

[edyvw]

The car was not designed to have its tires last long. No matter what you get, they will need to be replaced far sooner than many other cars do.

Absolutely NOT true!
My Sienna is wearing tires twice as fast as my X5 did.
1. Staggered set up cannot be rotated, obviously.
2. Most tires in that size are max performance tires. Tires are designed in a way not to last long.

My X5 that had 19" tires was wearing Michelin Premier LTX (not known for longevity) much better than my in laws Honda Pilot does.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

I will let them know of this option. Do you know where a set of 19" wheels could be purchased that look OEM? Also, the fenders are wide plus they have the extra plastic lip (much like the new mustangs and corvettes) if you know what I am talking about?

Check out the Rial X10X wheels on TR.

 

[TrainingPolicy]

Yeah, I was expecting fenders will be wider in M Package. Relative can always run 275 in the back.
Now, is that 5 seater or 7 seater? I am not sure about F15 X5, but 5 seater E70 had space for spare tire under carpet in the trunk. If there is spare tire compartment under carpet, relative can buy donut wheel and tire at BMW. I paid donut wheel at dealership $129 (sam egos on E70 and F15) and I got tire at discount tires for $109, and dealership wanted I think $139 for tire. In that case, relative can ditch RFT's. I had 7 seater and still ditched RFT's and just hauled spare in the trunk.

It is the 5 seater, I will have check to make sure they have the spare compartment in the rear, I honestly hadn't thought of that. I have never had a car that ran RFT but I have always heard most people tend to not like them.

 

[TrainingPolicy]

Check out the Rial X10X wheels on TR.

Those actually look almost identical to the OE wheels. Thank you!

 

[edyvw]

It is the 5 seater, I will have check to make sure they have the spare compartment in the rear, I honestly hadn't thought of that. I have never had a car that ran RFT but I have always heard most people tend to not like them.

So, there is definitely advantage to RFT. But there are different RFT's. Michelin, Continental and Pirelli generally make really good ones. Bridgestone is on par with Antichrist in BMW community. They are just behind in technology period. They improved a bit with Driveguard line (I have them on BMW now and Sienna) but it is average tire. RFT's are good as they are more durable during violent punctures or ripping off tire on something. They will keep vehicle steady.
But,
Theya re harder to fix (still possible), you have 50 miles to drive on them and then that is it. Now, if vehicle is only seeing urban driving, that is fine. Here in the West, I haul spare in my minivan (does not have spare compartment due to AWD) regardless that I have RFT. There is no way I would drive in Utah or Nevada without spare. I am currently in Utah backcountry and good luck finding tire for vehicle like X5 for example.
Also, running regular tires open more options.

 

[Crash Bandicoot]

I do not appreciate the snide remarks about being able to 'afford the car'. No one stated that someone couldn't afford them, I was trying to help them and give them some advice on how to maintain the car the best way without spending an arm and a leg every 12-18 months on tires. They did not ask for help, they were just asking my opinion. That aside, the actual wheels might be larger, but I doubt that since the BMW tech stated that my family member could run a square setup on the vehicle if they preferred. The BMW is a 2015 BMW X5 iDrive35I , I have already stated that the car has a staggered setup, and the specs are above. The car will be driven in the sunny south: no ice, snow, sleet. Just rain and sunshine.

I wouldnt take that comment was as snide or accusatory, affluent people frequently buy ultra high performance cars and don’t realize how quickly wear items go and how expensive they can be to replace. 15-20k on tires for a high performance sports car is not that far out of the realm of normality it’s just harder to eat with something like a daily driver SUV. I would be very interested in hearing what tread life improvements they get going squared or what the tech is promising. I can’t see these things getting much more than 20,000 miles regardless of tire width but would be awesome to know.

 

[Crash Bandicoot]

I have driven the car a couple of times and it is a GREAT SUV, it is night and day compared to my Santa Fe that I own. I was actually kind of getting the itch to get one until I caught wind of the tire fiasco. My relative doesnt drive the car hard at all, but myself? Let's just say I like to lean into the corners. So, tires would not last me long at all.

I wouldn’t even call it a fiasco. You want race car performance/tech in a family hauler you are going to have some expensive compromises. Personally I’d rather go Miata with some sticky tires and track mods and cushy/squishy comfort for the SUV. Big fan of squishy/rolling sofa in an SUV .

 

[edyvw]

I wouldn’t even call it a fiasco. You want race car performance/tech in a family hauler you are going to have some expensive compromises. Personally I’d rather go Miata with some sticky tires and track mods and cushy/squishy comfort for the SUV. Big fan of squishy/rolling sofa in an SUV .

You should see how my Sienna wears out tires, and it is absolute garbage to drive.

 

[Crash Bandicoot]

You should see how my Sienna wears out tires, and it is absolute garbage to drive.

Well that is a fiasco but I do recall renting a Sienna with a six banger and it scooted quite well.

 

[edyvw]

Well that is a fiasco but I do recall renting a Sienna with a six banger and it scooted quite well.

Well yeah it is six banger, it is AWD, and renting might be fine, but try 5,000 miles of road trips during summer. I will make 3,200 miles between 09/15 and 09/16 around CO, UT and NV, and it ain't fun. And my car developed transmission leak somehow on the trip.
You can literally see tires wearing out during trip. This set of Driveguards which are rotated every 5k, do not see winters (I have snow tires/wheels) will last maybe, 20k miles.

 

[George Bynum]

I will make 3,200 miles between 09/15 and 09/16 around CO, UT and NV, and it ain't fun.

I'm sure it's a typo, but somebody's gotta say it ... 1600 miles a DAY!

 

[edyvw]

I'm sure it's a typo, but somebody's gotta say it ... 1600 miles a DAY!

LOL, 09/26.

 

[Crash Bandicoot]

LOL, 09/26.

Yikes, most I’ve ever done is a 1400 miles in one shot in a Penske truck after loading the truck the entire day. Ended up being awake for 40 hours straight. Best shower followed by sleep I’ve ever had.

 

[edyvw]

Yikes, most I’ve ever done is a 1400 miles in one shot in a Penske truck after loading the truck the entire day. Ended up being awake for 40 hours straight. Best shower followed by sleep I’ve ever had.

I did cross country i 2 1/2 days several times, but alone. With kids most I can do now is 500mls.

 

[mightymousetech]

We only use BMW Starspec approved tires. Yes, they are expensive, but you are not likely to damage the transfer case. This often happens when not using approved tires. That is a $7000 repair, and we see it often. It’s a performance SUV, tires are going to be expensive and require frequent replacement. Best thing to do is have it aligned often at the dealer. We know how to set them up to prevent abnormal wear. If not driving aggressively, definitely recommend going square setup. Would recommend using OE rims (look for used) as they are much higher quality than most aftermarket, and these vehicles are extremely sensitive to the exact offset being used. OE wheels also allow a better alignment as we can use the OE adapters that go right to the hub, not a rim clamp. It is also common for the front lower ball joints to go every 30-40k, and that will also affect tire life.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

We only use BMW Starspec approved tires. Yes, they are expensive, but you are not likely to damage the transfer case. This often happens when not using approved tires. That is a $7000 repair, and we see it often. It’s a performance SUV, tires are going to be expensive and require frequent replacement. Best thing to do is have it aligned often at the dealer. We know how to set them up to prevent abnormal wear. If not driving aggressively, definitely recommend going square setup. Would recommend using OE rims (look for used) as they are much higher quality than most aftermarket, and these vehicles are extremely sensitive to the exact offset being used. OE wheels also allow a better alignment as we can use the OE adapters that go right to the hub, not a rim clamp. It is also common for the front lower ball joints to go every 30-40k, and that will also affect tire life.

Why would regular tires damage a transfer case? As long as all tires are the same size, there shouldn't be a problem. I know AWD is sensitive to tire size, but not as sensitive to brand.

Special tires to cover up a glass transfer case says more about BMW than it does about aftermarket tires.

 

[edyvw]

We only use BMW Starspec approved tires. Yes, they are expensive, but you are not likely to damage the transfer case. This often happens when not using approved tires. That is a $7000 repair, and we see it often. It’s a performance SUV, tires are going to be expensive and require frequent replacement. Best thing to do is have it aligned often at the dealer. We know how to set them up to prevent abnormal wear. If not driving aggressively, definitely recommend going square setup. Would recommend using OE rims (look for used) as they are much higher quality than most aftermarket, and these vehicles are extremely sensitive to the exact offset being used. OE wheels also allow a better alignment as we can use the OE adapters that go right to the hub, not a rim clamp. It is also common for the front lower ball joints to go every 30-40k, and that will also affect tire life.

What? My X5 ran OE Bridgestone's, than aftermarket snow Bridgestone's in winter, than OE Bridgestone's, than aftermarket snow bridgestone's, than aftermarket Michelin's, than aftermarket snow Michelins, and transfer case never had a hick up.
Can you imagine, on 328i I put 205/55 R16 instead of 225/45 R17 for winter, with aftermarket Continental's and nothing happened.
So tell me please how many transfer case warranties BMW refused for buying tires elsewhere? They cannot, period!
Or better yet, why would let's say Michelin Pilot PS4S destroy my transfer case on 328 xDrive but Bridgestone DriveGuard won't?