Tires: Tires, michelin pilot sport, michelin xse

Question
I bought a 5 series BMW new in 2000. After about 20000 miles I started to get tire noise and it has progressively got worse. The Dealer tells me that it is normal for the tires that are on the vehicle.
The tires are Michelin XSE 235/45 R17 944.
My question are; is it the manufactures poor tread design? Are there other manufactures with a quieter tire?
I like the profile and would like to keep that look.
Thx in advance for your help.

Answer
Hello, Harry
Most all Michelins have a reputation for noise. Michelin refuses to give up traction and handling for a quieter tire. I have found that if you get any wear on the edges of the front tires you're better off not rotating them. Let the front ones wear out and replace them. The back tires will last twice as long as the front. The XGTH4 by Michelin is real good tire and is cheaper than the MXV4 XSE. You might want to look at the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S. This tire is made with the new tire building process and has great balance and uniformity. It has 3 differant tread compounds for all seasons. It is a little pricy though.

Hope this helps

Jack