oribmw

Can those of you who drive a 550i or 545i with dedicated snow tires report your winter experiences so far in this area. My streets get plowed quickly and I can borrow my wife's SUV during heavier storms if needed.

But how does the car handle during mild snow/ice on short daily commutes with snow tires?

thanks.

SergeyM

I do not think you need snow tires in NYC area. I live in northern NJ, less than 2 miles from GW Bridge. I put snow tires on my 545 on Nov 17. Since then we (my car and I) were not lucky enough to touch any snow. One day there was some snow on the ground for about 2 hours but I was in bed with a cold and missed it. It is funny that I do it every 3 years. Get a new BMW with a sport package, get snows for it, use them one full season, confirm to myself that I do not need them, keep them in my garage for 2 more season and get rid of them after the car is gone (lease over). The only reason why you may want to spend money on snows is to get through your lease (if you are leasing) with one set of tires putting as many miles as possible on snows. Not much fun if you ask me.

DR.Z

Last year my 545i non-sport made it threw the Cleveland winter , we had record snow fall and with just a 80 lb bag of sand in the trunk and the stock all-season tires I was fine never stuck , drove every day.

This year I opted for four snows Dunlap M3's , nice ride , but we have had very little snow to date.
I did get into a snow storm out in the country on Thanksgiving driving home late. A few cars were off the road but the 545i did fine . I had white nuckles , but didn't get stuck.

I wouldn't trust Preformance Tires in the snow, but the All -Seasons worked one year for me.

DR.Z

Oaktree

No issues at all. Braking and handling = good. Accelleration is good, the only thing you won't accelerate faster than is 4wd vehicle - which is expected.

Ray Hull

In upstate NY, I have 17" snows and wheels all around (the set typically lasts me about 4-5 seasons). The HP RFTs would be death; they are never intended for winter service, and say so right in the literature. OTOH, if yours is not a Sport-equipped model, your risk is much lower. The snows handle less well, but are much smoother than the RFTs and are there when you need them.

Sure, if you have a second vehicle that you can use on your fresh-snow-morning commute, that's great. But what about days later in parking lots, driveways, or, a sudden storm during your workday? You're playing odds with Mother Nature, that maybe you can do down there, but not up here.


Cheers from Albany,
Ray Hull

amigo525

i am still on my RF 17 style 122 with sportpackage. So far good. ..i live in Upstate NY. (poughkeepsie)

oribmw

I intend on switching to winter tires....just wondering if the extra torque on the 550i would still get me stuck on snowy/icy days in the NY area winters.

MarkLL

I commute between L.I. and Albany and I am using Bridgestone Blizzaks on 17" wheels during the winter months which haved worked great. They are a big improvement over the Goodyear all season tires that I used on my 2002 540.

OliverB

Winter tires are a far more secure choice from november until march. Of course, on snow or ice, you have more grip. But a winter tire is also better when raining, on roads covered with dead leaves or mud, and, the most important, on dry roads when temperature is under 7?C. In fact, the tire compound contains a lot of silicium.

In cold regions, even with poor snow quantity, it's always worth of it !

Of course in Nordic regions, where people have to ride 3 or 4 months non-stop on snow & ice, they use specific snow tires, high & narrow, sometimes studded.

Don't hesitate : high performance summer tires don't work under 7?C ! (Compound becomes too hard when cold) .

jet190rs

That's what 2nd gear is for.

And you could always throw some sandbags in your trunk to increase traction.

Snow tires feel like crap when there's no snow. Besides, if you get snow tires then you'll have a harder time doing drifts and donuts in fresh powder!