[danimal]

I'm planning to order a 228 Sport Line, but I'm not too excited about the stock Bridgestone Potenza S001 RFTs. They seem to be oriented more toward fuel economy than grip, leading to lowish skidpad results and highish braking distances. The sidewalls are apparently not as stiff as the first-generation RFTs that came on my E90 328i sport, but I have a feeling I'd still end up replacing them with non-RFT's as soon as they wear out, and just keep a Continental ContiComfortKit in the car in case I need to do a roadside repair.

This has me wondering if there is any precedent for having the dealership do a tire swap before delivering a new car to a buyer. The idea would be that the dealership would gain a set of completely unused tires that would be in high demand, and the buyer would get the tires he/she want. The dealership could charge the difference in price between the tires + labor to mount/balance + reasonable profit.

If that is completely unheard of, I wonder how hard it would be to sell a brand new set of Bridgestone RFTs on Craigslist/Ebay, and whether I could recoup at least a reasonable amount of the cost of the new tires.

What do you guys think? Anyone have experience swapping out the tires on a brand new car?

[ska///235i]

I bought a set of M3 wheels for my e90 and was able to sell the tires locally to a m3 owner...if they're reasonable priced they should sell

[MikeG12]

I asked both the dealer and a high volume tire dealer in my area if they would trade out my 228 RFT's. Both said no. Haven't tried Craigslist yet.

[danimal]

Originally Posted by ska325xi

I bought a set of M3 wheels for my e90 and was able to sell the tires locally to a m3 owner...if they're reasonable priced they should sell

Thanks, that's good to know.

[danimal]

Originally Posted by MikeG12

I asked both the dealer and a high volume tire dealer in my area if they would trade out my 228 RFT's. Both said no. Haven't tried Craigslist yet.

That's what I figured...I may check with my dealer, just in case, but I won't get my hopes up.

Thanks.

[MikeG12]

Haven't pushed the car yet since I just got it, but the RFT's don't seem that bad. Not harsh at all and the handling feels OK. I'll probably wear out these then replace them with non-RFT.

[Oyinko]

They are not bad, even for a track day.

I was at laguna seca with them and I can't really complain:

You should not feel the grip difference on a daily basis.

[MikeG12]

Yeah, I wouldn't complain! You and the car were doing really great! These cars are awesome aren't they?

[danimal]

I just talked to my CA, and as expected, he said the dealership can't do a swap. Worth a shot. Anyway, I'll just stick with the stock tires. I really hated the RFTs on my E90, but they've definitely improved that technology. The only thing that bothers me is that the S001's that come with the 228i sport are low rolling resistance and somewhat down on grip from other tires in the class. I guess they'll be adequate for my needs. I better at least get good fuel economy now!

[danimal]

Originally Posted by Oyinko

They are not bad, even for a track day.

I was at laguna seca with them and I can't really complain:

You should not feel the grip difference on a daily basis.

Ahh, taking your car on the track. If there's a better way to shorten the time until you get to replace your tires, I don't know what it is.