Here at SimpleTire, our team has gone through the catalog and rounded up some of the best BMW M235i xDrive tires, including summer/UHP, all-season, and UHP all-season tires. We ranked them in Best/Great/Good order and used our SimpleScore system to determine a numerical value for the categories of traction, handling, and longevity for each tire. Ready? Let’s go in for a closer look:
1. Kumho Solus TA51A: Best All-Season Tire
Let’s kick this list off with the Kumho Solus TA51A, a premium all-season tire. We won’t lie, here at SimpleTire we’ve been pretty impressed with just about everything from this South Korean tire manufacturer, and the Solus TA51A is no exception. For longevity, the Solus TA51A registers an excellent SimpleScore of 9.6, with its silica-rich tread compound, polyester casing, twin steel belts, and two-ply nylon cap layer. Kumho covers the Solus TA51A from the factory with a 65,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty. With a SimpleScore of 8.4, traction is another real plus with this tire – the Solus TA51A features an asymmetric tread pattern with four wide circumferential grooves to evacuate water and fight a tendency toward hydroplaning, along with a high density of 3D sipes for improved grip in wet or wintry conditions. The 3D chamfered edges of the Solus TA51A’s tread blocks are designed to resist tread squirm and deformation and keep the most rubber in contact with the pavement while cornering, for a SimpleScore of 8.6 for handling.
2. Bridgestone Potenza Sport: Best UHP tire
Next up we come to our pick for a dedicated UHP tire: the Bridgestone Potenza Sport. The Potenza Sport is designed to deliver the best of both worlds: dependable traction and quiet, refined ride quality along with driving dynamics that are spirited and confident on wet or dry pavement. Bridgestone designed the Potenza Sport for great mechanical grip on pavement surfaces, with a silica-rich tread formulation that’s sticky and soft. It’s molded into a performance-oriented tread pattern with a redesigned footprint to put the most rubber possible in contact with the pavement for improved steering response, cornering, and shorter braking distances. Four wide circumferential grooves avoid hydroplaning and boost wet-weather performance by evacuating water through and behind the contact patch. For positive cornering control and wet-weather traction, a network of 3D sipes helps with tread stiffness. A computer-tuned tread pattern cancels certain frequencies and resonances to keep noise levels low on the highway. After we did our calculations, that came out to a SimpleScore of 9.9 for handling and 9.9 for traction. The Potenza Sport does lose some points in the rankings when it comes to longevity, with a SimpleScore of 7.3. Like many UHP tires, the Potenza Sport does not come from Bridgestone with mileage coverage and isn’t a good tire for winter conditions. Tires like this aren’t designed for colder weather, as their softer, stickier tread formulation will stiffen up and lose traction. Like all UHP and summer tires, the Potenza Sport shouldn’t be used if temperatures are below 40-45 degrees F.
3. Continental ContiSportContact 5: Best UHP tire
To get the most out of the handling properties of your BMW M235i, there’s the Continental ContiSportContact 5, an ultra-high-performance tire option. Continental initially partnered with Mercedes for the ContiSportContact 5, designing it to match the performance targets of Mercedes-Benz SLK350 roadsters, with great cornering and braking traction along with lowered rolling resistance. Continental’s Black Chilli tread compound is designed around one-chain and short-chain polymers for shorter braking distances, good heat dissipation, long, even wear, and enhanced adhesion to the road. This tread compound, along with a solid center rib that improves straight-line stability and steering response and a “macro-block” outboard shoulder, adds up to handling that’s good enough to register a SimpleScore of 9.9. Wet-weather grip gets a boost from circumferential grooves and sipes, for a SimpleScore of 9.9 for traction. Longevity is quite respectable with a SimpleScore of 8.6, thanks to the ContiSportContact 5’s twin steel belts and spiral-wrapped polyamide layer. It’s worth noting that the ContiSportContact 5 also helps absorb road noise with ContiSilent Technology, a layer of foam that helps soak up sound waves and vibrations from the road. Like most UHP tires, the ContiSportContact 5 is not designed for colder weather; its softer, stickier tread formulation will stiffen up and lose traction on cold days and it shouldn’t be used if temperatures are below 40-45 degrees F.
While these are the best BMW M235i xDrive tires on the market, there are plenty of other options to consider.
4. Yokohama Advan Neova AD09: Great UHP tire
Now we come to another top-notch UHP tire, the Yokohama Advan Neova AD09. Yokohama brought their motorsports experience to bear with this tire, starting with its sticky performance-oriented tread formulation (like all UHP tires, the Advan Neova AD09 should not be used if temperatures are below 40-45 degrees F as its tread compound will stiffen and lose traction on colder days). It’s designed for sharp, confident cornering and steering response, with a high-turnup sidewall and rigid internal construction for a SimpleScore of 8.4 for handling. A combination of slightly zigzag circumferential grooves, lateral grooves, and large outboard tread blocks enhance grip in wet or dry conditions for a SimpleScore of 7.3 for traction. The Advan Neova AD09 does fall somewhat when it comes to longevity, with a SimpleScore of 7.3 – not surprising since this is a purpose-built UHP tire with no mileage warranty coverage and a softer tread formulation.
5. Falken Azenis FK510: Great UHP tire
We’re going to close out this list with the Falken Azenis FK510, a great deal in an ultra-high-performance tire that far outperforms expectations for its price point. You’ll experience cornering and braking performance that are exacting and confident with a semi-solid center rib, wide shoulder blocks, and lateral notches, for a SimpleScore of 8.7 for handling. Wet and dry-weather grip both get a boost from a set of circumferential grooves and angled grooves, for a traction SimpleScore of 8.8. The Azenis FK510 features an advanced tread compound and undertreated construction with a 4D Nano design, for a SimpleScore of 7.8 for longevity.
Order BMW M235i xDrive Tires Online
Buying tires online can be a stressful process, but it really doesn't need to be. SimpleTire offers a simple approach to finding the tires that are best for you and your BMW M235i xDrive. Select your BMW M235i xDrive below, then tell us a few more things such as year and trim level to determine your tire size. From there, we'll show you tires that fit your vehicle and are the best match based on performance characteristics, but you can also look for the best value tires, tires that are on sale or part of a promo, have the longest tread life, and much more