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Technical Topics Wheels and Tires BMW G21 OEM Pirelli P-Zero RFT vs Michelin PS4S Non-RFT Road Noise

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      07-29-2021, 05:44 AM   #1
radoslavp
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BMW G21 OEM Pirelli P-Zero RFT vs Michelin PS4S Non-RFT Road Noise

Hi fellow BMW owners,

I'm puzzled by the following dilemma and need your opinion.
Being a long time BMW owner I know that going from OEM RFT tires to non-RFT was a day and night difference. Still remember switching my F30 LCI Bridgestone RFTs to Michelin Pilot Sport 4 and couldn't believe the difference.

Recently I bought a late 2020 G21 330i Touring which came from factory with 19 bmw style 793i rims on OEM Pirelli P-Zero RFT tires.
The first thing I thought was - next day I go for Michelin Pilot Sport 4S and swap them.
However when driving the car for the first kilometers I noticed - these tires were really quiet and compliant for my daily driving style, even on high speed German autobahn they felt nice and quiet.

Road noise is my number 1 criteria for a tire, as this is my daily where I also drive my child, so no track days.

I decided to compare specs and get a bit more into the topic.

It turns out that the BMW OEM Pirelli P-Zero specs have noise rating of 68dB where all Michelin Pilot Sport 4S' come with either 71/72dB ratings.

So I'm really not sure now - I know that RFTs are rubbish, but my real life experience as well as technical specifications with the Pirellis shows different?!
I don't want to end up spending hundreds $ on buying Michelin 4S and only have more noisy tires. I already observed several other forum threads in different forums/car brands where owners are complaining of Michelin 4S being on the noisy side.
Performance wise the Pirellis are OK for my driving style.

Looking for your opinions or people that made that exact swap?

Last edited by radoslavp; 07-29-2021 at 07:24 AM..
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      08-02-2021, 03:25 AM   #2
erawamai
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Quote:
Originally Posted by radoslavp View Post
Hi fellow BMW owners,

I'm puzzled by the following dilemma and need your opinion.
Being a long time BMW owner I know that going from OEM RFT tires to non-RFT was a day and night difference. Still remember switching my F30 LCI Bridgestone RFTs to Michelin Pilot Sport 4 and couldn't believe the difference.

Recently I bought a late 2020 G21 330i Touring which came from factory with 19 bmw style 793i rims on OEM Pirelli P-Zero RFT tires.
The first thing I thought was - next day I go for Michelin Pilot Sport 4S and swap them.
However when driving the car for the first kilometers I noticed - these tires were really quiet and compliant for my daily driving style, even on high speed German autobahn they felt nice and quiet.

Road noise is my number 1 criteria for a tire, as this is my daily where I also drive my child, so no track days.

I decided to compare specs and get a bit more into the topic.

It turns out that the BMW OEM Pirelli P-Zero specs have noise rating of 68dB where all Michelin Pilot Sport 4S' come with either 71/72dB ratings.

So I'm really not sure now - I know that RFTs are rubbish, but my real life experience as well as technical specifications with the Pirellis shows different?!
I don't want to end up spending hundreds $ on buying Michelin 4S and only have more noisy tires. I already observed several other forum threads in different forums/car brands where owners are complaining of Michelin 4S being on the noisy side.
Performance wise the Pirellis are OK for my driving style.

Looking for your opinions or people that made that exact swap?
I've found my Pirelli runflats pretty good.

I intend to replace them with the same.
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      08-03-2021, 09:00 AM   #3
Savoir
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The biggest difference for me is the ride quality. I test drove a few g20s with the m-sport package before making my purchase.. all but one had P-zero RTFs, the other had the Michelin ps4s. The ride quality between the two was very noticeable to me on the interstate. There seemed to be much less road vibration and jarring with the ps4s--the P-zeros felt harsh in comparison. I ultimately ended up buying a car with the ps4s and the spare tire kit... the only thing I regret is the fact that you sacrifice TON of trunk space due to the spare tire, which has been an issue on road trips.. I did not notice a marked difference in road noise on my test drives.

If you do not have the spare tire kit, and/or do not need the performance of the ps4s, i'd stick with the RFT.
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      08-04-2021, 05:18 AM   #4
radoslavp
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Savoir View Post
The biggest difference for me is the ride quality. I test drove a few g20s with the m-sport package before making my purchase.. all but one had P-zero RTFs, the other had the Michelin ps4s. The ride quality between the two was very noticeable to me on the interstate. There seemed to be much less road vibration and jarring with the ps4s--the P-zeros felt harsh in comparison. I ultimately ended up buying a car with the ps4s and the spare tire kit... the only thing I regret is the fact that you sacrifice TON of trunk space due to the spare tire, which has been an issue on road trips.. I did not notice a marked difference in road noise on my test drives.

If you do not have the spare tire kit, and/or do not need the performance of the ps4s, i'd stick with the RFT.
Hi Savoir,
Thanks for your feedback!
You are right - the nature of RFT sidewalls will always make them feel harsh in terms of comfort.
My point was that some years ago all BMW RFTs were - harsh and noisy making them absolute trash. Nowadays the situation seem to have improved, as we are only left with the harsh factor.
I will probably stick with the RFTs until they need to be changed, and then go for the Michelin.

Thanks again.
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      08-04-2021, 06:35 AM   #5
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The Pirelli RFT tyres are pretty good imho. I went from 792M with Pirelli rft to 20" with PS4S non-rft. Ride is better but noise is very little difference. Huge grip difference though.
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      08-04-2021, 01:07 PM   #6
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Had the OEM RFTs Pirelli P zero on my previous 4GC (18"s) and now also on my 330e (19"s) too. To your point, for my commute and driving style they are pretty good noise and comfort wise. (I did try the winter tyre version on my 4GC that I would avoid based on noise)
I've read a few threads now with different opinions, but I decided to stick with them. I think the smooth Dutch roads help. Driving across Germany soon at higher motorway speeds so will get to see how they are above 120kmph
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      08-09-2021, 05:42 AM   #7
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To add, just done 1200km from Amsterdam to lake Garda in Italy. Road tire noise does go up quite a bit above 150kmph. Was better on the newer road surfaces on the autobahn at this speed. I was noticing other noises tbh, like the rattle that seems to have developed with regards to the sunroof.
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      08-09-2021, 07:34 AM   #8
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I've just replaced the Bridgestone Turanzas RFTs on the rear (RWD) for Michelin PS4S's non RFTs. I've only gone a very short distance so far, but it already feels delicious and I'm looking forward (not the cost!) of having them on the front as well.
ATS Euromaster are currently got a deal on Michelins (PS4 range, maybe others) in the UK. I think its £50 off four and £25 off two.
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      01-23-2022, 03:21 PM   #9
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Better late than never IMHO! There is a tyre puncture kit you can buy from Amazon for £7.00 and it works a treat! I will be replacing my 2 x rear Bridgestone Turanza's for Michelin PS4S this week as I have only managed to get 5,500 miles out of them from new. Shocking!

I can't wait to get off the run flats to feel the softer cornering and more of a feel from our great British roads! (being sarcastic!)
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