Does anyone have an opinion on either of these tires when it come to replacing the gawd-awful factory Bridgestones on my '04 6MT?

FYI...I got about 14k miles out of my el42s.

 

all depends if you get snow or not...

personally, i prefer the following (not in order):
- Falken Ziex 512
- Pirelli PZero Nero
- Michelin Pilot AS
- Yokohama dB S2

 

I definetly need something that can handle occassional snow.

I've heard both good and bad things about the Falkens. However, too many fellow owners on this site have complained about the tread life and even some vibration issues. I've had vibration issues with the factory Bridgestones for the last 10k miles despite having the dealer balance/rotate the tires twice. I'm hoping the change in tires will take away the problem and not continue it.

I might just bite the bullet and get the Michelins...only bad thing I've heard about them is the price.

 

i am not a big fan of the michelins. they are known to have weaker side walls. they bubble easily when they get pinched. my 17" Falkens handled the snow and rain very well here in NJ.

i only use the Yokos in the summer. i had the same tires in my old 530i. it handled the snow storm very well.

it is very hard to beat the Falken when it comes to the price. i have had them on for over 8,000 miles. i do admit that they get a little louder after 8,000 miles. the yoko dB S2's are the most quiet tires i have ever owned.