# All Season Tires or Summer Tires



## ne66 (Dec 27, 2009)

I have a 2007 530i with Sport Pkg, and it is time for new tires. I am trying to find a tire which has good tread life, a good ride, without sacrificing too much handling. I live in the Los Angeles area, so there is no need for a tire in ice and snow. How much of a compromise in handling will all season tires be in comparison to summer tires? Do many people get all season tires for tread life only, and not for "all seasons"? Is it recommended to stick with ultra performance/max performance summer tires on a car with the Sport Pkg?


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## ceb1 (Jul 31, 2009)

There are lots of things to consider when you are making this decision:

How do you drive? Aggressive? Normal? Like your Grandma?
Do the temps ever fall below 50 degrees for any length of time?
Might you ever see the occasional snowflake?

If the answer is "aggressive" and the other two answers are "no" then you might want to go with a summer tire based upon your driving style.

If your driving style is "normal" and/or you said yes to either of the questions then a max/high performance all season tire might be right for you.

If your grandmother drives your car then a grand touring tire might be your best bet for long tire life.

Finally, the amount of miles you put on your car may also make a difference. If you don't drive a lot then remember that tires should be swapped out every six years or so regardless of miles.

Figure about 20k miles on a "non-staggered" set of summer performance tires, 35k miles on a set of max performance all seasons and 45k+ on a set of "grand touring" tires.


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## Daedalus34r (Jun 30, 2007)

Go with summer tires, perfect for SoCal driving. They will give you the performance you are looking for, best suited for hot temps. Just research tirerack to find a high performance summer tire with good treadlife. All seasons are innately a compromise suited for all temperatures... but since you are in sunny and warm socal, only tire you need is a summer tire.


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## BWoodson (Oct 14, 2003)

All Seasons have only one real advantage over summer tires, which is that they are useable in snow (and don't lose as much grip in temps below 40 or so). Keeping in mind that even a light snow will totally be miserable with summer tires, and assuming that unless you head for the mountains or go cross country your LA car will never see snow, then you want a summer tire for the improvement in handling.

It's true, some summer tires have much shorter tire life then some all-seasons, but the all seasons I'd recommend for a BMW (even driven by grandma!) would tend to have a normal (shorter) tire life then those million milers that offer no traction. 

The right summer tire will give you better response, better cornering, better braking, and better performance in the rain; often with comparable tire life.

Go to tirerack.com, and invest a few minutes in reading the ratings and the reviews. Pay attention to the performance areas that are most important to you (performance in the wet, tire life, price, noise, handling, whatever) and you'll find the right combination of features for you.

-b.
"B On Track"


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