I have a E39 540, currently fitted with Michelin Pilot Preceda tyres,
235 x 45 on the front and 255 x 40 on the rear - which I now need to replace.
Here in New Zealand Michelin advise they have no 255 x 40 tyres and have no plans to stock them.
I'm not a hard driver, do longer trips, but over hilly terrain, and of course New Zealand is just heading into winter and we get a lot of rain, some ice and occassional snow.
What suggestions are there for good tyres for this car - tyres with low road noise and good grip?
Presumably, these are 17" tires - at least that's what TireRack.Com thinks.
Michelin makes two tires of that size (Pilot Sport A/S - the ideal one for that application - and Pilot Sport PS2). I'm surprised that they aren't available in NZ.
Although they don't do business in NZ (AFAIK), you can use TireRack's website to explore possibilities; it shows 28 sets. tirerack.com.
You could look at a different brand besides Michelin.........Michelins are good tires, but they're not the only ones that are good.
Take a look at TireRack.com and look at their tire comparisons and see what other brands manufacture the sizes you want.....there have to be other brands available in NZ besides Michelins that will be your size.
The TireRack comparisons, surveys and comments from owners should give you a good idea about the tires you're considering. All of the comparisons include ratings of road noise and grip (dry and wet).
I doubt if TireRack can ship tires to NZ and the shipping costs would probably be more than the tire cost. So you're stuck buying your tires in NZ.
I buy tires often for my 330 and have never bought the same brand twice. Not because I didn't like any of them, but I always like to try something different. Just bought some Sumitomo's HTR Z II's, don't know much about them, read articles that people love them and people hate them. Were rated pretty high by TireRack so I thought I'd give them a try. Lots of good info on TireRack!
Enjoy your winter while we (up north) enjoy our summer.
Thanks Tom, and Floyd, for your helpful suggestions. Have checked out TireRack, and have drilled down to a couple of other brands that seem to be quite suitable from the reviews on that site. One amazing thing though, even if freight was as much as the tire cost, and despite the NZ$>US$ conversion rate, it could still be cheaper to import. I'll check prices today.
On my car, a sporty model from another premium German manufacturer, I have the factory fitted Pirelli 6000s. Long-lasting, anyway. 21 000 miles and lots of tread left.
If your size exists in NZ might be worth considering.
Nice 'padding' available from this supplier:
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DAS
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