I have a 2012 X5 35i Sport, which came with the Dunlop RFTs. At 15k miles, the front tires were completely bald on the outer sides. I decided to replace them with a set of Continental ExtremeContact DWS (non-RFT) and got an alignment at the BMW dealership to be safe. My dealership was able to fill the new tires with Nitrogen at no additional charge, woo-hoo.
After the tires are installed, it feels like I'm driving another vehicle. The road noise has completely vanished and the ride is much more comfortable. The non-RFTs are significantly lighter than the Dunlop RFTs, so I can feel a few HP being freed up due to the reduced unsprung weight. With the stiff RFT sidewalls gone, I can feel a bit more flex but the traded comfort and reduced noise level are worth it. The wet and dry grip feels about the same, but other reviewers are saying these Contis are much better on the snow.
With a combination of an alignment, the car no longer pulls to the left. It's been pulling to the left since the day I bought it up until I got these new tires with an alignment. Either the factory never aligned the X5s or the Dunlop's tread was forcing the vehicle to pull to the left, the world may never know.
Overall, I'm extremely happy with the purchase. The lower replacement cost, reduced noise level, more comfortable ride, more power feel due to less unsprung weight, and longer tread life should make this switch a no brainer for other X5 owners.
BMW: Please stop installing crappy Dunlops on the X5, they’re crap and not worth $500/tire.
Note: Before the service, I pulled all the wheels off the car and power wash the back side of the of wheels. This removes brake dust build up that may cause a poor wheel/tire balance. Also, cleaner wheels = better balance weight adhesion.