In my work parking lot this morning I was looking at a new BMW 745 and was shocked to see that it came with the same crappy Bridgestone EL-42's we've got!

I'm not sure that if I paid $80k+ for a car I would be happy with those lousy tires!

 

Even though they are EL-42's, aren't they a different design? I thought I remembered reading several manufacturers out there use different variations of the EL-42: Infinity, BMW, etc...; however, they aren't identical to our design.

Or am I way off in left field? That's always a strong possibility.

 

j/k!

 

this has been discussed many times .... they are OE on many diffrent cars....

http://www.bridgestonetire.com/tireselector/dpp/sizespecs.asp?passproductid=1018

 

All over it deandorsey!!

Infiniti Q45 and G35
BMW 7 series
Dodge and Chrysler vans
Nissan Altima
Toyota Solara and Sienna
BMW X5
Saturn Vue
Mitsi Endeavor
Honda Odyssey
Lexus LS430

and our beloved TL

 

Call me cynical but I doubt 7 series owners are worried about their EL 42s given how unreliable the vehicle is . I believe it was rated as the most unreliable car in Consumer Reports.

dsc888

 

these did come on the older G35s, Infiniti got smart and switched up, I'm surprised Nissan didn't pull it from the Altima

 

i was just at the Lexus dealership 2 nights ago. the ES 330 has them as well.

 

Damn, this kind of struck me as being unusual??

 

You know, I had potenza's on my camaro, and they were really good tires. I haven't had any trouble with these tires yet, but with all the stuff on this board, I've almost paranoid to the point that I want to replace them, and they seem to be perfectly good tires.

 

Unless you have an extra $800 +, I wouldn't replace them until you have a problem.

 

It's different EL42...

 

Every car in stock form has crappy tires. Its the automakers way of helping the aftermarket business.

 

I don't believe that. Most Hondas come with very good (and expensive) Michelins.

 

I agree. In most cases, the manufacturer is putting on tires with (what they think is) the right mix of performance capabilities and ride quality. In most cases, enthusiasts feel that the performance capabilities are too low and that's why they call them crappy tires.

I actually like the performance and ride quality of the EL-42s for general street use, with two exceptions - the stupid flat spotting and snow use. Other than that, I find they handle well enough and give a pretty smooth/quiet ride. Sure there are better tires out there, especially if you're interested in better handling/traction.

When I had my Prelude, I never found a tire that I liked as much as the OEMs (RE92s) for regular driving, and everyone hated the performance capabilities of those (including myself). I tried better performance tires, but they introduced noise, tracking, and a choppier ride. Sure, they handled crisper and had much better traction in wet/dry, but in 99.9% of my driving, they were "worse".

It's a compromise.