Top 10 Best Tires for BMW X5: Buying Guide and Reviews

There is no better car than the X5 that captures BMW’s determination to bring great driving dynamics to every car in their lineup. The X5 was the first SUV that truly captured the enthusiasts’ heart with the car-like dynamics and outstanding straight-line performance, topped with exceptional practicality and utility.

There is no doubt that the BMW X5 is a great car through each generation, despite the fact that today it has a pretty strong competition. However, even the most powerful and capable BMW X5 will be nothing without a good set of tires. To truly capture the signature BMW driving dynamics, but also retain maximum comfort for your family, you’ll need high-quality tires.

Now, each generation of the BMW X5 comes exclusively with large wheels, starting from 18-inches. Tires for these wheels tend to be very expensive, especially if you want the highest-quality tires. Moreover, this means that you can’t make a mistake – paying a lot for tires that don’t perform as you expect is a costly mistake. Besides, the BMW X5 is a vehicle that really asks a lot of the tires due to the heavy body and powerful engines.

To make things even worse, the market is flooded with various tire options. Not only you have to choose between dozens of manufacturers, but also several different tire types. Things can become really messy, especially if you don’t know much about BMW tires. I’ve seen many drivers install tires that absolutely don’t capture their driving style, or don’t work with the weather in the area.

Choosing tires that will work for your driving style and climate conditions is of paramount importance. That way, you can extract the best possible performance from the tires in every condition you encounter, while also retaining maximum comfort. Moreover, if you choose wisely, the tires will last very long, and you won’t need to replace them that often.

I know all of this sounds confusing at first. For that reason, I prepared a detailed article on BMW X5 tires. I created a top 10 list to help you find the best tires for your BMW X5. The list will be divided into several categories – some tires will be better for comfort-oriented drivers, others for enthusiasts. That way, I believe that every X5 owner will be fully covered.

Now, if you don’t know much about all the various types of tires, don’t worry. After the list of tires, you can find a detailed buying guide on BMW X5 tires. In that guide, I will carefully explain all the tires available for the X5 and why some might be better for you than others. There you’ll be able to learn about things like performance ratings of tires, but also how they work in various climates. Moreover, I’ll also talk about run-flat tires. Be sure to check it out. 

So, without further ado, let’s see which ten tires are the best for the BMW X5.

The 10 Best Tires for BMW X5 Available in 2024

1. Bridgestone Dueler H/L 400 RFT

Best Run-Flat Touring Tires for BMW X5

The Dueler H/L is branded as a highway tire, but don’t worry – it will handle everyday tasks just like a touring one. Moreover, this tire is specifically designed for the BMW X5 and has run-flat capabilities.

On the road, the Dueler 400 RFT provides the driver with responsive handling, excellent steering feel, and high levels of grip and traction over dry and wet surfaces. Comfort levels are also amazing for a run-flat-tire.

That said, Bridgestone doesn’t provide any treadwear warranty, while snow traction is worse than we expected.

2. Michelin Latitude Tour HP ZP

Best Run-Flat Touring Tires for BMW X5

The Michelin Latitude Tour HP ZP might be even better than the Bridgestone Dueler 400 RFT in some categories, but it’s also much more expensive.

On the road, the Latitude provides the driver with outstanding overall performance, including responsive and grippy handling, and exceptional stability. Like most Michelin tires, the Latitude works amazingly over dry, wet, and snowy surfaces.

The tire is also very quiet at higher speeds. That said, it becomes noisier as it wears down. On the positive side, Michelin provides a 30,000-mile treadwear warranty, impressive for a run-flat-tire.

3. Pirelli Scorpion Verde All-Season Run Flat

Best Run-Flat Touring Tires for BMW X5

Pirelli is known for its excellent run-flat tires, and the Scorpion Verde isn’t an exception. On the road, this is one of the most responsive touring tires, and one that offers excellent highway stability.

Grip and traction levels are outstanding for the category as well, both over dry, wet, and snowy surfaces.

That said, while the Scorpion Verde All-Season is quiet on the highway, it isn’t as smooth over bumps as the best touring tires. Also, Pirelli doesn’t provide any treadwear warranty.

4. Continental CrossContact LX25 with EcoPlus+ Technology

Best Regular Touring Tires for BMW X5

If you don’t need run-flat tires, the CrossContact LX25 is by far the best choice out there. This tire is outstandingly smooth and quiet, yet it offers exceptional handling and stability over dry, wet, and snowy surfaces. Moreover, the LX25 improves fuel economy by quite a bit.

The only gripe we have is the 70,000-mile treadwear warranty, which, to be honest, is excellent, but lower than some other options.

5. Michelin Premier LTX

Best Regular Touring Tires for BMW X5

The Premier LTX only comes with a 60,000-mile treadwear warranty, which is lower than the class-leading tires. The Premier LTX is also very expensive for a touring tire.

However, you get what you pay for here. Handling and stability are head and shoulders above the competitors, while grip and traction levels are outstanding on dry and wet surfaces.

Moreover, the Premier LTX is supremely quiet and comfortable.

6. Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season Plus II

Best Regular Touring Tires for BMW X5

The non-run-flat version of the Scorpion Verde is already in the second generation, and right now is one of the best all-season touring BMW X5 tires.

The Scorpion Verde performs outstandingly well over dry and wet surfaces, and it even works over light snow. Furthermore, the tire is very responsive and provides the driver with excellent highway stability. Also, the ride is very plush and quiet.

That said, the 65,000-mile treadwear warranty is slightly lower than what the best touring tires offer.

7. Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric SUV-4X4 RunOnFlat

Best Run-Flat Street/Sport Tires for BMW X5

If you want a run-flat tire and want an elevated driving experience, the best option is the Eagle F1 Asymmetric SUV-4X4. This tire not only provides 50 miles of range without pressure, but it also handles amazingly well.

With a set of these tires, you will experience much better responsiveness and precise handling than usual. Moreover, the levels of grip and traction are exceptional over dry surfaces, and very good over wet surfaces.

The Eagle F1 also provides the driver with outstanding highway stability and strong braking. That said, this tire wears faster than I would’ve liked, and it doesn’t come with any treadwear warranty.

8. Bridgestone Dueler H/P Sport

Best Regular Street/Sport Tires for BMW X5

Apart from the high price, the Dueler H/P Sport is the best summer Street/Sport BMW X5 tire. This tire performs outstandingly well in almost every way. The handling is superb, grip and traction levels are very high, steering responsiveness is top-notch, while high-speed stability is outstanding.

Moreover, the Dueler H/P Sport is very quiet and comfortable for a sporty tire, and it has excellent treadlife. Sadly, it doesn’t come with any treadwear warranty.

9. Continental CrossContact UHP

Best Regular Street/Sport Tires for BMW X5

The Continental CrossContact UHP is closely matched to the Bridgestone in terms of performance. On dry pavement, it is slightly worse, but better on wet pavement.

Also, Continental managed to make the ride very plush over larger potholes, which is a positive surprise.

That said, just like the Dueler, the CrossContact UHP doesn’t come with any treadwear warranty. The treadlife is good, though.

10. Bridgestone Blizzak LM-60 RFT

Best Run-Flat Winter Tires for BMW X5

If you want outstanding performance in the winter and don’t want to sacrifice run-flat capabilities, the best BMW X5 option is the Blizzak LM-60 RFT.

This tire crushes the competition over snow, ice, and slush. The Blizzak has outstanding traction over these surfaces, and it provides the shortest braking distances. Moreover, handling on snow and ice is among the best winter tires.

That said, while the Blizzak LM-60 RFT should last for a long time, Bridgestone doesn’t provide any treadwear warranty on it.

What to Look for When Buying the Best Tires for BMW X5

1. You Can Replace the Run-Flat Tires with Regular Ones

Run-flat tires are able to provide you with sufficient traction and grip without any pressure inside. These tires have much stiffer sidewalls, which are able to sustain the whole weight of the vehicle as long as you drive up to 50mph for up to 50 miles. 

There are numerous reasons why BMW installs these tires from the factory, but the single most important one is practicality. In these vehicles, there is no need for a spare tire, space that can be added to the boot capacity.

That said, run-flat tires have some disadvantages. They are heavier, which hinders performance and handling, and they are also stiffer, which makes the ride much worse. Overall, non-run-flat tires will give you better performance and a better ride.

Now, the easiest thing to do is to replace the run-flat tires on your BMW X5 with new ones. The problem is, when you do that, there is not much choice on the market. Apart from the same tires that you already used, there are 2-3 brands that offer run-flat tires in BMW X5 sizes (18-inches and up).

Fortunately, you can install non-run-flat tires on your BMW X5. You will lose the ability to drive with a punctured tire in this case, though, so purchasing tire sealant or a smaller spare tire is a must. On the other hand, you will get much better driving dynamics and much higher levels of comfort.

For those reasons, I will put both run-flat and non-run-flat tires on our list, so you can make the final choice.

2. Touring Tires are the Best Choice for Most BMW X5 Owners

Touring tires come as standard on lower-level BMW X5 models with six-cylinder engines or some hybrid models. These tires are primarily designed for comfort, quietness, lower fuel consumption, and outstanding longevity. That said, some modern models can provide decent overall performance.

But, let’s start with the best thing about these tires – the outstanding treadlife. As their name suggests, touring tires are designed for covering very long distances, and for people that cover a lot of miles annually.

To be able to keep with that much traveling, touring tires are designed to have a very long treadlife. The best models in this category often come with a 70,000-mile treadwear warranty, while some manufacturers even provide an 80,000-mile treadwear warranty.

That said, not all touring tires last that long. The run-flat touring tires that you get on the BMW X5 from the factory usually come with much lower treadlife warranties. In the run-flat category, even the best touring tires only come with 30,000-miles treadwear warranty.

For that reason, we recommend going for normal touring tires and a tire-sealing kit. Standard touring tires are not only more durable, but they are much less expensive to buy in the first place. In our experience, non-run-flat tires last twice as long as run-flat tires, which is not insignificant.

Touring tires are also by far the best choice if you want a comfortable ride. With these tires, your BMW X5 will have the best ride quality, and it will also be the quietest. Nevertheless, run-flat touring tires again trail behind standard touring tires in the ride quality department. As a result of the stiffer sidewalls, run-flat models usually have worse ride quality, especially over larger potholes.

There is one category where run-flat tires are slightly better, and that’s steering feel. The stiffer sidewalls make for a more responsive drive and better stability at higher speeds. Overall, though, touring tires are primarily designed for comfort and won’t work very well on more powerful X5 versions.

Enthusiast drivers will immediately have issues with the lack of responsiveness and especially lack of grip and traction for spirited driving. You will still get completely safe driving experience, both over dry and wet surfaces, just not a particularly enjoyable one.

3. But What If I Want More Responsive Handling? 

If you own a more powerful BMW X5 with a V8 engine or just want a more enjoyable driving experience, the best choice is Street/Sport truck and crossover tires. As their name suggests, these tires are primarily designed for performance and sporty handling rather than comfort.

With a set of Street/Sport tires on your BMW X5, the car will immediately feel more responsive, and you will feel like you have more control. Moreover, these tires provide a much better stability at higher speeds, which is important for drivers that often drive on the highway.

Street/Sport tires also have a much stickier tread compound, which provides outstanding road holding. As a result of the sticky tread, these tires have better traction for hard acceleration, higher grip in the corners, and stronger braking. In other words, you will be able to drive faster through every corner, accelerate more aggressively, and brake much later.

Obviously, Street/Sport tires also have some glaring disadvantages. The biggest disadvantage of these tires is the worse ride quality when compared to touring tires. Street/Sport tires are fine for driving on the highway, but they perform much worse over uneven roads and over larger potholes.

Moreover, Street/Sport tires usually have lower treadwear warranties and worse treadlife than touring tires. Like with touring tires, though, run-flat versions are worse in this category than standard Street/Sport tires.

Finally, Street/Sport tires are usually much more expensive than touring tires. That is especially true for the run-flat models, which are honestly too expensive. Considering the fact that you will need to replace Street/Sport tires more frequently, you will pay much more for tires in the long run when compared to touring tires.

Overall, I recommend Street/Sport tires only for drivers that are really interested in maximum performance. For drivers that only want a safe and reliable drive down the road, crossover/SUV touring tires are a much better solution.

4. Do I Need Off-Road Tires?

The X5 is available with BMW’s excellent X-Drive all-wheel-drive system. The X-Drive system is very intelligent and capable of giving you traction over very slippery surfaces. However, the suspension and the body design of the X5 aren’t really suited for off-road driving.

Unlike real off-road SUV vehicles, the BMW X5 has very small wheel articulation, which means that driving over very uneven surfaces is out of the question. Moreover, the ground clearance of the car is not as large as off-road-focused SUVs.

That being said, if by “off-road” you mean dirt and gravel, then touring tires will do a good job. They aren’t the best choice for these surfaces – all-terrain tires will give you much better traction and stability.

Nevertheless, touring tires will retain the on-road comfort and safe handling that BMW X5 drivers require. All-terrain tires are simply too noisy and lack overall refinement in the handling department. And, honestly, they don’t work at all on the X5.

5. What About the Climate? Does it Make a Difference?

Of course, it does! Apart from choosing tires that suit your driving style, you also need to think about the climate in your area. Each tire is designed to tackle certain conditions – there is no single tire that will work outstandingly well in every weather.

And the reason why that’s the case is the tread compound and rubber compound of the tire. On tires designed for hot weather, the rubber compound is harder and stickier, while on tires designed for very cold weather, the rubber is softer and more pliable.

There is a good reason for that. When the weather becomes too hot, soft tires will become very unresponsive and unstable at higher speeds. On the other hand, hot-weather tires will become too stiff and brittle. When that happens, the tire doesn’t grip the road very well, especially on wet pavement. Moreover, small cracks might appear on the tread, which shortens the longevity of the tire.

In order to make tires more usable in warm and cold weather, each manufacturer offers mostly all-season tires. These tires have a tread compound that’s designed to work in hot and freezing conditions. Moreover, all-season tires have a more prominent tread pattern with a lot of sipes, which makes them usable in light snow. Both touring and Street/Sport tires are available with an all-season compound.

That said, all-season tires are really only adequate over snow. Also, enthusiast drivers will find that they lack in the handling department, especially when compared to summer tires. That said, all-season tires have by far the longest treadlife of any other type.

Summer tires, on the other hand, have a much worse treadlife. The rubber on these tires is stiffer, but the tread is stickier. As a result of that, summer tires offer by far the best grip, traction, braking, and stability in the business. Therefore, most Street/Sport tires come exclusively with a summer tread compound.

Winter tires are obviously the best choice for wintry conditions. These tires have a pliable and soft compound and a very aggressive tread with a lot of sipes. Thanks to that, winter tires work outstandingly well in freezing conditions, and especially over snow, ice, and slush. If you live in areas with very harsh wintry conditions, I strongly recommend purchasing winter tires.

Final Words

As you can see, I put only high-quality tires on my Top 10 list of the best tires for BMW X5. The main reason is the car itself – the BMW X5 is a crossover with outstanding performance. If you put very cheap tires on the X5, you will lose all the qualities of the car. Moreover, very cheap tires aren’t safe over wet surfaces, and they don’t last nearly as long as premium tires. Therefore, I strongly recommend purchasing tires from well-known and reputable manufacturers.