Bridgestone DriveGuard

[Romer]

In my previous Z4's I swapped out the RFTs for Michelin Pilot AS. I don't track the vehicle and not concerned about race track performance. I also don't want to have to swap tires for winter. If it looks like snow I'll drive my Land Cruiser. Living in Colorado it can be 70 and a few hours later 3 inches of snow. Not a lot of snow, but I need to make sure the Z4 can get home if the weather changes while I am at work. Blah Blah Blah, that was to explain why I am interested in All Seasons over performance tires

It looks like the Michelin PPS AS+ is the leading Non RFT all season and folks here seem fairly happy with them

Before I sold my previous Z4, Bridgestone was just coming out with their 3rd gen RFT which was supposed to provide a better ride. The Tire Rack reviews seem pretty good and a big step up from previous RFTs

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests...y.jsp?ttid=187

My 2011 came with brand new Bridgestone DriveGuard's and so far they seem pretty good.

Anyone else running them? Curious about overall performance, winter performance and if you stuck with them or changed them out for a non RFT

[155MPH]

I just picked up a 2014 Z4 sDrive28i 6 speed manual with M Sport Package. It has the Bridgestone Driveguards. I won't be tracking it and I live in NJ. It is not my only car (have an X1 also) and I don't have to worry about driving it in the snow unless like you the weather changes while I am out somewhere. So, with that said, for my back road driving on nice days they seem fine and I don't see the need to swap them out for summer tires that don't work too well below 40 degrees.

[impulsE89]

The All seasons are necessary for Colorado. You can drive from a lower elevation and get into sub 40 degrees just by driving to a higher elevation but you knew that. I do have the Drive Guard lll and I like them. I think BMW tuned the suspension around this type of tire. They have a 460 wear rating, a good speed rating and I think they stick and handle very well in all weather. I have about 22000 miles on them and they look good except for excessive wear caused by too much camber in the back.
I hear so much complaining about RFTs that I just wish I could drive a car with the Michelin non rft side by side with the Driveguards. I hope someone who had the Driveguard third gen. and switched to non-rft chimes in, because I have had two flats with a different vehicle while on pleasure trips and so I prefer RFTs.
I do know for a fact that the 18" wheels with Driveguards ride far better than Michelins on 19" rims which I considered unacceptable.
BTW the DriveGuards are pricey for a 35i

[Deljus]

I went from 19" Michelin PSS (which I loved) to 18" Driveguards, because I'm dailying my Z4 now and can't afford to be caught out in the open with a flat (again). Can't really say much aside from the obvious. The PSS grips SO much better than the Driveguards under heavy acceleration, that I wonder if a stock Z4 with PSS would beat my modded Z4 with Driveguards (from a dig).

I haven't driven in the snow, but the Driveguards are quite stable in heavy rain. I've also had 19" Continental RFT, which were pretty rough, but the 18" Driveguards are significantly smoother. I'll most likely go back to 18" PSS when I get myself a new daily though.

[impulsE89]

Surprised to hear that the Driveguard spins more on hard acceleration. My unmodded car can't do that. Some of the Michelins are very sticky but of course they wear out faster.

[davis449]

Switched my RFT's immediately for PSS's on my previous 135i M Sport (18's) and my current Z4 35i. The RFT's were intolerable as far as ride was concerned on the 1er. That car drove like a brick anyway and RFT's just compounded that issue to no end. The traction issues were horrific considering RFT's suck in general and then you have all that HP on such a short wheel base. PSS's, alone were a massive improvement along with changing to progressive rate Eibach springs from the stock linear ones. The Z4, being equipped with the adaptive suspension, didn't ride nearly as bad on stock 18's with RFT's vs. the 1er. Nevertheless, with stock HP, their lack of traction from a dig or any sort of sudden hard acceleration was unacceptable. I knew I would Dinan tune the car to Stage II before I bought it, so keeping RFT's on it wasn't even an option in my mind. I switched to 19's with PSS (keeping my tire and wheel spec OEM for a Z4 equipped from the factory with 19's). The ride quality is a little better vs. the 18's with RFT's and the traction\overall handling is indisputably better.

I look at RFT's like I do 4x4 off road vehicles. Yeah, they can be handy when you need them, but most of the time, all they're really gonna do is get you further before you get stuck\stranded anyway.

[Romer]

Originally Posted by davis449

I look at RFT's like I do 4x4 off road vehicles. Yeah, they can be handy when you need them, but most of the time, all they're really gonna do is get you further before you get stuck\stranded anyway.

Not a great analogy for me since my other vehicle is a Toyota Land Cruiser. I havent gotten stuck and drive to the top of 13K ft peaks, explored the Rubicon trail, went on a trip through the canyon lands maze that Butch and Sundance use to hide out in. A 4x4 will take you places no other vehicle can go

I do agree on the RFTs in general as I switched my last 2 Z4's away. This thread was about the generation 3 RFT Driveguards. I do notice the rougher ride the last few days of new ownership as I drive through were they are remaking the highway with lots of bumps and changes in road height

Since you brought it up, just some places my Land Cruiser has gone (without getting stuck) that my BMW can't. Two different vehicles for different purposes.

[davis449]

Originally Posted by Romer

Not a great analogy for me since my other vehicle is a Toyota Land Cruiser. I havent gotten stuck and drive to the top of 13K ft peaks, explored the Rubicon trail, went on a trip through the canyon lands maze that Butch and Sundance use to hide out in. A 4x4 will take you places no other vehicle can go

I do agree on the RFTs in general as I switched my last 2 Z4's away. This thread was about the generation 3 RFT Driveguards. I do notice the rougher ride the last few days of new ownership as I drive through were they are remaking the highway with lots of bumps and changes in road height

Since you brought it up, just some places my Land Cruiser has gone (without getting stuck) that my BMW can't. Two different vehicles for different purposes.

Oh, no, I know what I stated was not apples to apples. It was simply the best analogy I could come up with. In the average truck driver's hands, I think my analogy applied as well as anything.

Also, my other vehicle is a 2007 Lexus GX 470 and I am not afraid to USE it, so I am right there with ya, bud. It spent a LONG time in Denver and it saw many, many trips into some hairy stuff both in mine and my father's hands when he was the owner. Now it's mine and down in TX with me. I go overlanding in it whenever I can and we have some gnarly stuff out there in the Hill Country. 109K miles and it runs like I just bought it new. The looks on the jacked up truck haters' faces when I first plowed it through the deep ass sand in it on it's Michelin LTX AT's (not even close to the best AT tire out there, as I am sure you know) with full air at one of our beaches on the coast while three of them were stuck was just priceless. LOTS of hurt egos that day.

I shall return the favor with pics from Big Bend eventually when I get out there on the wilderness roads because I much appreciated yours.

[Romer]

Originally Posted by davis449

Oh, no, I know what I stated was not apples to apples. It was simply the best analogy I could come up with. In the average truck driver's hands, I think my analogy applied as well as anything.

Also, my other vehicle is a 2007 Lexus GX 470 and I am not afraid to USE it, so I am right there with ya, bud. It spent a LONG time in Denver and it saw many, many trips into some hairy stuff both in mine and my father's hands when he was the owner. Now it's mine and down in TX with me. I go overlanding in it whenever I can and we have some gnarly stuff out there in the Hill Country. 109K miles and it runs like I just bought it new. The looks on the jacked up truck haters' faces when I first plowed it through the deep ass sand in it on it's Michelin LTX AT's (not even close to the best AT tire out there, as I am sure you know) with full air at one of our beaches on the coast while three of them were stuck was just priceless. LOTS of hurt egos that day.

I shall return the favor with pics from Big Bend eventually when I get out there on the wilderness roads because I much appreciated yours.

Awesome! Sounds like you have a good balance as well. I agree on the analogy being good generically. Most 4x4 owners drive them to the mall. I really enjoy the balance and being able to walk out to the garage and decide what I am going to drive that day

[Romer]

After several weeks of driving this it does ride hard and trammel. Other than road bumps they seem to ride fine. I'd switch to NON RFTs now, but I have to use my $$ to build another garage on my property so all my toys get a garage space. I'll just have to deal with it for a while, but I do intend to change

[Romer]

No doubt this is a great Run Flat. Right now there is a big highway construction zone on my way to work and the drive is jarring. After a month I decided to go with the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S and the change is huge. Off to get some slime and a tire repair kit