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Best Tyres for the BMW E46 3 Series

BMW E46 3 Series drivers have left 65 tyre reviews on Tyre Reviews, covering 1,191,780 miles of real world driving. Every tyre they rated is ranked below, so you can see what actually works on this car.

  • 65owner reviews
  • 1,191,780 milescovered on them
  • 40different tyres rated
  • 71%average tyre score
Most fitted size - 10 reviews 225/45 R17 To scale, mm
Ø 634 225 101 17" 101 All 225/45 R17 data →

The quick answer

The quick answer - BMW E46 3 Series
Season Owners' pick Owner rating Our category test
Summer Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 9.2 Current version: Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 79% from 3 reviews Best Summer Tyres

Highest weighted owner score from BMW E46 3 Series drivers. Full rankings and the evidence behind them below.

The best rated tyres for the BMW E46 3 Series

Rated only by drivers of this car. Each tyre needs at least 3 reviews from the BMW E46 3 Series to be ranked; the order weights a tyre's score by how many reviews back it, so one glowing review cannot top a table.

Summer tyres

The highest rated tyre in the Summer category for the BMW E46 3 Series is the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 - 79% from 3 owner reviews across 83,500 miles. The current tyre in that line is now the Michelin Pilot Sport S 5.

Summer tyres ranked by BMW E46 3 Series owner rating
# Tyre Owner rating Reviews Distance reviewed TR Score
1 Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 Replaced by Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 79% 3 83,500 miles 9.2
2 Michelin Pilot Primacy 78% 3 18,000 miles 7.6
3 Falken FK452 Replaced by Falken Azenis FK520 74% 8 226,650 miles 7.8
4 Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric Replaced by Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 66% 3 3,580 miles 8.9
5 Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3 Replaced by Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 63% 3 90,000 miles 7.6
6 Pirelli P6000 60% 3 116,000 miles 5.1

Want test data as well as owner opinion? Best Summer Tyres →

TR Score is the tyre's overall Tyre Reviews rating out of 10, built from independent test results and every owner review of that tyre - not just the reviews from this car. The owner rating column is this car only.

The best rated tyres that fit the BMW E46 3 Series

The rankings above can only speak for tyres a BMW E46 3 Series driver has already reviewed. These are the highest rated tyres we hold that are actually manufactured in the sizes these drivers run - 225/45 R17, 205/55 R16, 225/40 R18 and 255/35 R18 - whether or not anyone here has fitted them yet. They are ranked on the TR Score, which is built from independent test results and every owner review of that tyre.

Summer tyres

Our highest rated tyre in the Summer category, in this car's sizes, is the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6, at 9.7 out of 10.

Highest rated Summer tyres made in BMW E46 3 Series sizes
# Tyre TR Score Made in BMW E46 3 Series reviews
1 Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 9.7 225/45 R17, 225/40 R18, 255/35 R18 Be the first →
2 Continental SportContact 7 9.7 225/40 R18, 255/35 R18 Be the first →
3 Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo 9.5 All your sizes Be the first →
4 Continental PremiumContact 7 9.5 225/45 R17, 205/55 R16, 225/40 R18 Be the first →
5 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S 9.4 225/45 R17, 225/40 R18, 255/35 R18 Be the first →
6 Michelin Pilot Sport 5 9.4 225/45 R17, 225/40 R18, 255/35 R18 Be the first →

Want test data as well as owner opinion? Best Summer Tyres →

Winter tyres

No BMW E46 3 Series driver has reviewed a tyre in the Winter category yet. Of the ones made in this car's sizes, the Pirelli P Zero Winter 2 is our highest rated, at 9.8 out of 10.

Highest rated Winter tyres made in BMW E46 3 Series sizes
# Tyre TR Score Made in BMW E46 3 Series reviews
1 Pirelli P Zero Winter 2 9.8 255/35 R18 Be the first →
2 Hankook Winter I*cept Evo 4 9.6 225/40 R18, 255/35 R18 Be the first →
3 Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 9.5 225/45 R17, 205/55 R16, 225/40 R18 Be the first →
4 Michelin Alpin 7 9.5 225/45 R17, 205/55 R16 Be the first →
5 Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 9.5 225/40 R18 Be the first →
6 Bridgestone Blizzak 6 9.4 All your sizes Be the first →

Want test data as well as owner opinion? Best Winter Tyres → Test winner: Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3

All Season tyres

No BMW E46 3 Series driver has reviewed a tyre in the All Season category yet. Of the ones made in this car's sizes, the Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF3 is our highest rated, at 9.6 out of 10.

Highest rated All Season tyres made in BMW E46 3 Series sizes
# Tyre TR Score Made in BMW E46 3 Series reviews
1 Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF3 9.6 All your sizes Be the first →
2 Michelin CrossClimate 3 Sport 9.6 225/40 R18 Be the first →
3 Continental AllSeasonContact 2 9.5 All your sizes Be the first →
4 Michelin CrossClimate 3 9.5 All your sizes Be the first →
5 Vredestein Quatrac 9.5 225/45 R17, 205/55 R16, 225/40 R18 Be the first →
6 BFGoodrich Advantage All Season 9.5 225/45 R17, 205/55 R16, 225/40 R18 Be the first →

Want test data as well as owner opinion? Best All Season Tyres → Test winner: Goodyear Vector All Season 4

Fitment comes from each tyre's manufactured size list, and the sizes are the ones drivers reported when they reviewed. Check the size, load index and speed rating on your own doorplate before buying - a size a previous owner ran is not always the size your car left the factory on.

Every tyre reviewed on the BMW E46 3 Series

The complete record, including discontinued tyres and tyres with too few reviews to rank, ordered by the amount of evidence. A further 26 tyres have a single review each; they count toward the totals but are not listed.

All tyres reviewed by BMW E46 3 Series drivers
Tyre Season Owner rating Reviews Distance reviewed
Falken FK452 Replaced by Falken Azenis FK520 Summer 74% 8 226,650 miles
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 Replaced by Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 Summer 79% 3 83,500 miles
Michelin Pilot Primacy Summer 78% 3 18,000 miles
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric Replaced by Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 Summer 66% 3 3,580 miles
Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3 Replaced by Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 Summer 63% 3 90,000 miles
Pirelli P6000 Summer 60% 3 116,000 miles
Goodyear Excellence Replaced by Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 Summer 85% 2 51,000 miles
Barum Bravuris 2 Replaced by Barum Bravuris 3 Summer 85% 2 3,000 miles
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx Summer 80% 2 24,000 miles
Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Run Flat Summer 80% 2 30,000 miles
Falken ZE912 Replaced by Falken ZIEX ZE320 Summer 75% 2 4,000 miles
Dunlop SP Sport 9000 Summer 74% 2 26,000 miles
Uniroyal RainSport Replaced by Uniroyal RainSport 5 Summer 71% 2 2,527 miles
Federal SS595 SUPER STEEL Summer 32% 2 27,000 miles

Tyre sizes BMW E46 3 Series drivers run

The sizes fitted in the reviews on this page. Each one links to the top rated tyres in that size, across every car.

What BMW E46 3 Series drivers say

The most recent owner reviews from this car, in their own words.

76%
Michelin CrossClimate 2 225-45-17 BMW E46 3 Series 30,000 miles March 25, 2026
Very good tires, in my opinion closer to winter tires than summer tires. Ideal for European winter. They wear out quickly in the summer on hot days, I do not recommend them for driving on the autobahn at +30° and speeds of 140-160km/h and they have a hard time with sharp braking on dry surfaces. I suspect that their frame deforms after this and they vibrate.
89%
Sumitomo HTR Z III 225-45-17- BMW E46 3 Series 35,000 miles September 30, 2024
Had these on my BMW e46 318ti staggered fitment. Best tyres I had on that car. Note comments apply to car driven in Australia so no real cold sub-zero weather or snow. I got nearly 40000 km out of them with spirited driving mix of suburban and country. Good feedback and handling car felt really well planted on the road. Fantastic grip in the dry and pretty good in the wet. Road noise was ok nothing to complain about. Wear was ok given I could not rotate the tyres due to staggered fitment. Would have happily bought another set if they were available. The massive side guards really stick out and help protect the rims.
89%
Intertrac TC525 235-55-17-W BMW E46 3 Series 30,000 miles November 21, 2018
30,000 miles on a set of rear tyres fitted to BMW X3 2.0d. Unbelievable durability
31%
Kormoran Runpro B2 225-45-17- BMW E46 3 Series 8,000 miles May 2, 2016
bad wear and shockingly dangerous in the wet , they are fine in the dry nothing special but not bad but when it rains they are a deathtrap
80%
Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 205-55-16-V BMW E46 3 Series 15 miles December 27, 2015
It is a very good tyre and it responds very well in every kind of driving style. It is quiet with plenty of grip and precise steering wheel. The overall driving performance of the car is upgrated, even the acceleration is improved.The wear rate is good in the roads of Greece where the friction factor is low. It is not a race tyre but I suppose it is designed for the roads and not for the race. I own a BMW and I enjoy the spirited style of the car. These tyres never disappointed me whenever I demanded all the potential either from the engine (143ps) or from the handling.
91%
Barum Bravuris 2 205-55-16-W BMW E46 3 Series 2,000 miles April 12, 2012
I'd never heard of these, but my mechanic rated them and told me they were part on continental. I put a pair on the rear of a bmw 3 series touring that i used for genarally everything a bit grubby from fishing, dogs, tip runs and work as i'm a carpenter. I gave £120 for the pair fitted/balanced and Vat. I have just had the front pair replaced with exactly the same tyres and when my missus is up for new tyres these are whats going on, there just value for money, excellent grip and wear, so very safe a sturdy. Nice thread pattern for wet weather, only done about 2000 miles on the rear set but they look untouched and bear in mind these are on a rear wheel drive bmw carrying a bit of weight most days.
80%
Bridgestone Adrenalin RE002 225-45-17-W BMW E46 3 Series 1,000 miles February 3, 2012
Nice handling,very good in dry grip.In the wet condition is far better than my previous tyres (Nitto invo) low aquaplaning feedback.Low road noise when comparing in the range of sporty tyres. The tyres are quite stiff but not that bad...so far so good.
46%
Pirelli P6000 225-45-17- BMW E46 3 Series 5,000 miles April 4, 2011
Bought an E46 330i with these already fitted after years with a 323i / Dunlop combination. At first I thought they were runflats! Uncomfortable and LOTS of road noise, especially on the half worn rears. Grip okay in the dry to be fair, but very snappy and unco-operative in the wet. But damp roads are the worst, where grip is poor and feed back nil. Have NEVER seen the traction control light come on before on a straight damp motorway in a 3rd gear foot to the floor moment! Only saving grace is that the amount of wear after 5000 miles is negligible.

Bitten the bullet and replaced with Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2's. What a transformation. Progress is now calm, planted and I don't get an headache at speeds over 60mph. And roundabouts are no longer negotiated through the side window.
77%
Marangoni Meteo HP 225-45-17- BMW E46 3 Series 200 miles December 2, 2010
The star ratings dont cover how much I love these tyres. My BMW 325 ground to a halt in the slightest snow conditions on normal all round tyres last year. This year on the Meteo's I have not only driven through conditions I would have avoided last year, but have done so with total ease. I deliberately chose thinner tyres for the replacement 16 inch rims for the snow as I figured it would be an improvement over fat tyres like the 18 inch rims wear. I have seen other RWD cars this year struggling like I once did. While with the snowies on I have cruised over the same road with no trouble at all. I havent even needed to switch off the traction control. Snow and slush are no issue. even compacted snow and ice with snow on top hasnt fazed them. If I had to say anything, its that in the wet they were about equal to the sports tyres I normally have on. But in icy cold conditions, in snowm slush and ice, they are a 99.99 percent improvement over the normal tyres. Especially so as they let me not only drive forwards, but they do so with the car in a straight line, last year I was at 45 degrees for the most part and all movement was a struggle at best, and a complete failure at worst. Stopping in snow and ice is amazing compared to my summer rubber and happens so well that you feel like you have to work to make the ABS kick in. One thing that almost caught me out while getting carried away was the way 90 degree turns at too much speed went from under control to the front going wide. It was more my fault than the tyres though and is directly related to my seeing where the line was drawn. Once I understood where the grip went in a tight turn, I adapted and have no complaints from them. The marangonis were without doubt a perfect purchase in terms of being able to use the car whatever the weather conditions. Last year without them was a none starter as the car got stuck fast, this year the snow is only a speed deterrent and not a snow stops play issue. I drive between easy going and average for the most part, and even though I have covered less than 200 miles on them so far (the majority in the snow), I have to say that it has made for an amazing experience. I had never realised what a difference they actually make. Would I recommend them to friends? Yes, and I have done. Would I buy them again? another yes. The only real complaint? It took a while to be sure they were facing the right direction when fitted as they had no directional rotation arrow on the sidewall. Had us headscratching until we worked it out. Otherwise, as near perfect as can be and for the price, even better. One very happy buyer/road user
86%
Pirelli PZero Rosso 245-35-18-W BMW E46 3 Series 1,000 miles November 20, 2010
I'm very happy with the amazing fit on my 318i e46 with Pirelli Pzero Rossos 245/35/18 on the rear and Barum Bravius 2s in the front 225/45/18s ,a good set on my Advanti Racing 18s ! Cheers :)))

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Where this data comes from

Every rating on this page was submitted by a driver through the review form on this site, naming the car, the tyre, the size and the distance covered. Reviews are checked by hand before publication, and the page rebuilds automatically as new ones arrive.

About the TR Score

The Tyre Reviews Score rates each tyre out of 10 using independent test results and the full body of owner reviews, so you can check a car-specific ranking against the wider evidence.

Who does the testing

Every test published as a Tyre Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tyres independently since 2007.

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