Best Tires for the BMW 130

Purchased for a BMW 1 series, with the weather getting worse and the rears needed replacing soon. The original fronts were always a little weak by design. Have gone for 1 size increase (the maximum for my wheel size). This has increased the tire height marginally but also increased the footprint. Took car out and about on a usually bumpy road with it raining and in the limited time I have had the tires, there is a definite improvement.

Had the tires on all four wheels for a few weeks now, and had a four wheel alignment done, so I feel I can speak with some insight. Honestly, probably not quite what I expected, given the various test results. Feel, feedback and communication are absolutely top notch. Can't fault them in these respects. What slightly surprises me is that they don't seem all that grippy. Dry grip is OK. Wet grip is slightly weak. Now, I will add one caveat here. The 130i in rare SE spec has two allowable tire size options as standard: either 205/50 17 front and rear, which I've got, or 205/50 17 front and 225/45 17 rear. I'm glad I've got the former, as it allows me to swap tires front to back to extend life. But, if I had wider rears, I would probably have enough grip. However, does this really matter? In a world where car enthusiasts are bemoaning the ever increasing grip levels manufacturers are adding to cars at the expense of balance, poise and adjustabilty, handling limits, and therefore fun, are becoming more and more out of touch at road legal speeds. These tires warn me that I'm reaching the limits well before I actually do. They are a triumph of subjective feel over outright grip. Not one for the max power brigade. But if you understand and appreciate the difference between roadholding (how high the limit) and handling (the nature in which it gets there), these might be for you.

My last car was a Clio 182, and I went from Michelin Pilot Sport 3 (very grippy, but tramlining and not enough warning towards limit) to Continental PremiumContact 2 (less grip, but nicer feel). When I bought the tires for this 130i, I nearly went for the new Michelin Pilot Sport 4, but I chose the Contis instead and saved £50. Next time I might try the Pilot Sport 4. I expect they will grip better, but I have a funny feeling I will prefer the subjective feel of these Contis.

In dry conditions these tires grip well but are noisy and offer little in the way of comfort or feedback. In the wet conditions they can be anything between poor and frighting with a tendency to snap away suddenly, a problem which is exacerbated by bumpy surfaces. Changed them when there was still plenty of tread left as they were ruining the car.

WOW!! ABSOLUTELY WOW!! I CHANGED FROM GOODYEAR RUNFLAT TO THESE NEXEN TYRES AND ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS WOW!! THEY TRANSFORMED THE CAR! AND HANDEL EXCELLENT AT HIGH SPEEDS I HAVE TESTED THEM UPTO 130MPH - (NO ISSUES) GRIP IS AMAZING AND AT £60 PER CORNER FITTED YOU CANNOT COMPLAIN.
REASON FOR CHANGING RUNFLAT IS BECAUSE I WANTED A MORE COMFORTABLE RIDE AND WOW!!