Car tires are one of the most important parts of maintaining your car. The type of tire you choose will affect performance, fuel economy, and safety, so it’s vital to know what the best options are when you need to replace your tire.
The BMW 3 Series is a 4-door family sedan, but even the lower spec models are approaching 200 bhp, and at the top of the range you have over 500 bhp in the M3. Whichever 3 Series you are driving, the tires need to be correct.
Whatever you use your car for, there will be tires that are best for you. Want the best winter tire if you’re driving in harsh conditions? Or maybe you want the best tire for high performance on track days. Whatever you are looking for, make sure you know which tires are best.
Best 3 Series Tires
The majority of current BMW 3 Series models are sold on 18” or 19” wheels, and tire choices are mostly similar for both diameters. For both tire sizes, we’ll look then for the best tires in the following key categories:
- Best performance tires
- Best all-season tires
- Best winter tires
We can look at what’s available and look for the best options however you choose to use your BMW 3 series. So let’s get started.
Best Performance Tires
Performance tires are designed to offer excellent grip in both the wet and dry, work across a range of temperatures, and last for at least 20,000 miles. A tall order indeed.
We will take a look at test results and our opinions to come up with a top 3 best performance tires for a BMW 3 Series:
Third place: Bridgestone Potenza Sport
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With a long association with Japanese high-performance cars and motorsport, it should be no surprise that Bridgestone manufactures some excellent high-performance tires. The Potenza Sport is their latest offering and features in third place here.
| The Good | The Bad |
| Great handling in dry and wet conditions | Not the most comfortable ride |
| Excellent braking in the wet | High rolling resistance, impacts fuel use |
Overall the Bridgestone Potenza Sport is an excellent performance tire, but the ride is harsher than its competitors. Consider the Potenza Sport if you’re going to be using your 3 Series for a lot of track driving, or if you live near good road surfaces, and the ride won’t be affected too much.
Second Place – Michelin Pilot sport 4S
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Michelin has been at the forefront of tire technology for a long time, and are masters of tires that tick nearly every box. The Pilot Sport 4 S is the latest in a very long line of high-performance road car tires.
| The Good | The Bad |
| Braking in wet conditions is great | Expensive |
| Excellent grip in all weathers | Slight lack of steering feedback |
True to form the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S is in the top tier for most of the categories here. With improved steering feel it could easily have taken the top slot but is still an excellent tire, and will be ideal for most 3 Series owners looking for performance and reliability.
First place – Continental Sport Contact 7
Continental are another manufacturer in the running for the best performance tire, and they have a lot of experience in touring cars to help their development. The latest Sport Contact 7 is an absolutely brilliant performance tire coming in at the top of this group.
| The Good | The Bad |
| Braking performance is the best in class | Comfort levels are worse than the Michelin |
| Handling and feedback is strong | Tire wear can be quicker |
The Continental has some compromise areas, but in the areas, that matter the Sport Contact 7 excels, and it just beats the Pilot Sport 4S as our performance tire of choice for the BMW 3 Series.
Summary
If you want a set of performance tires for your 3 series BMW you have a very wide number of options. There are many other choices than the three above but if you want a guarantee of ability it would be wise not to stray from these.
If it is pure performance then the Continental Sport Contact 7 edges it but with any of the three, you should be very satisfied.
Best All Season Tyres
For most drivers the real focus, when you’re buying a new tire, is the reliability, and how well it works in ‘normal’ conditions. Tires are expensive, and you want a tire that will work all year round, and last a long time, without breaking the bank.
This is where an all-season tire is a great option. Sure, you don’t get the best handling and performance, but you get a tire that works well in almost every condition and will last. So what are the best all-season tires for a BMW 3 Series?
Third Place – Continental All Season Contact
Continental doesn’t just make high-performance tires – the All Season Contact is one of the best tires you can buy for year-long usage, and it works well in almost all conditions. Founded in Germany, it’s no surprise that the Continental All Season range works well in snow and tough mountainside conditions.
| The Good | The Bad |
| Traction and Braking in the snow is excellent | Loud road noise from these tires |
| Dry handling isn’t compromised too much | Dry weather braking isn’t best in class |
The biggest weakness of the All Season Contact is road noise. It’s a problem that you can live with, but it can be irritating on long journeys.
Second Place – Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF2
In second place is the Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF2. This is our first Pirelli tire on our list, and despite the complex name, this is a great option for an all-weather tire on your BMW 3 Series. The Italian company is probably more famous for high-performance tires, but their new All Season range is an excellent choice.
| The Good | The Bad |
| Almost no road noise | Average in snowy conditions |
| Great performance in dry & wet conditions | Braking performance isn’t the best |
The All Season SF2 is focused more on standard daily conditions than the Continental, but it suffers in more extreme scenarios. If you’re expecting to manage snow this probably won’t be your tire of choice, but most owners will find this a solid choice for annual use.
First Place – Michelin Cross Climate 2
In our top spot is the Michelin Cross Climate 2. This is a tire with very few weaknesses, and Michelin has truly delivered the all-season package here. With class-leading performance in dry conditions, and strong in wet or snowy conditions, this is a true all-rounder.
| The Good | The Bad |
| Unparalleled performance in the dry | Expensive |
| Excellent in the wet & snow |
The exceptional performance from the Cross Climate 2 comes at a price. These are expensive tires, and it’s probably worth considering if you need this level of performance. However, for those that want the very best all-season tire on your 3 Series, you can’t go wrong with the Michelin Cross Climate 2.
Summary
All-season tires are some of the most popular options for most drivers, and as a previous 3 Series owner myself, an all-season tire is vital for the difficult months. There are a lot of strong performers in the tire market, but for our picks, you can’t go wrong with any of the choices above.
Best Winter Tires
All-season tires can be a great choice for annual use, but in the trickiest conditions, you can’t beat a winter tire. These tires are specifically designed to handle snow and ice, and although they are fairly average in dry conditions, they are unbeatable in their element.
Because winter tires are specific to certain conditions, most owners swap between these tires and performance options in the dry, to get the best experience all year round. This is a more expensive method than using one set of all-season tires, but if you’re after the best performance in all conditions, this is the way to go.
Third place – Hankook Winter I Cept evo3
An excellent showing for the South Korean manufacturer with their latest winter offering. Rapidly becoming a competitor in the premium tire market, Hankook is well worth considering. The Winter i Cept Evo 3 is a solid choice for your 3 Series, and with many Hankook choices, it doesn’t carry a premium price tag.
| The Good | The Bad |
| Good handling in the wet | A lot of road noise |
| Braking performance is strong |
Road noise is an issue, but this is a common feature with almost every winter tire. If you’re looking for solid performance on a budget, these tires from Hankook are one of your best choices.
Second place – Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
It is no surprise that Michelin is in the running again with winter tires. The Pilot Alpin 5 puts in a very solid performance in nearly all of the measurable categories.
| The Good | The Bad |
| Fantastic performance in the snow | Expensive |
| Low road noise | Wet grip could be better |
Like the Cross Climate 2, this offering from Michelin performs incredibly well in the snow and even wet conditions. For a winter tire, it probably has the least road noise of any we have experienced, but as always with Michelin, this comes at a price.
First place – Continental Winter Contact TS870P
Another first place for Continental, who are quite clearly on top of their game right now. The Winter Contact TS870P has no weak areas and is an excellent choice for a winter-specific tire for your BMW 3 Series.
| The Good | The Bad |
| Snow performance is unbeatable | No real weaknesses |
| Surprisingly strong in dry conditions too |
It’s difficult to find any weaknesses with the Winter Contact – Continental has simply made a fantastic winter tire. It won’t suit every budget but it’s affordable enough, so if you’re looking at winter tires for your 3 Series, this is our pick.
Summary
Winter tires won’t be a factor for most owners, but if you’re expecting difficult conditions with snow and ice, it may be worth investing in a set. All season tires are great for all-around performance, but with rear-wheel-drive options on most 3 Series models, a winter tire is the best pick for heavy snow.
All the tire choices above are great picks, but if we were investing in a set of winter tires, we can’t look past the Continental Winter Contact.
Conclusion
So there you have it, we have looked at the tire choices for a BMW 3 series from pure performance summer tires to winter-specific options.
The market is strong and there are plenty of choices so hopefully, our guide will take a bit of the research time out for you. Choose any of the tires discussed above and you will be getting the best out of your BMW 3 series in the environment you will be using it.
If you’ve enjoyed this article and want to find out more, check out the links below:
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