tallers

I have an '04 545 which I drive year round. I just hit 120K miles. I put 17" Blizzaks on it in the winter. I grew up driving rear wheel drive cars (1970's) in upstate NY. The car is fine in the snow assuming you know how to drive in it! Enjoy.

JeRZee XiE60

That's why I bought an Xi so I never have to store it for the winter.

Sparks

I keep a cover on mine in the garage as well...The Chrysler 300 company car gets to taste the salt and snow!

xBMWx

Believe me, the E60 performs a lot better ON snow than it does UNDER it...

porsche911targa

We're no stranger to salt here and I can tell you with the utmost certainty that modern BMWs will not have any sign of rust after 10 years, if you wax and polish religiously during the warm season. How do I know? I usually buy 2-yr. old BMWs, then I drive them for eight years and then I get rid of them. If you are planning on keeping the car for, say, 20 years, then I can see you giving up the pleasure of driving it in the winter, but if you're like the rest of us, you will gain nothing by depriving yourself of the pleasure of driving it. Besides, with all the darn electronics and software and rubber parts, you might be doing the car more harm by just starting it briefly than if you were enjoying it for long drives.

I used to worry about that stuff, but once you get to a certain age you start realizing that life is too darn short and I have sworn that I will never deprive myself of pleasure just for economic reasons. I realized that no matter how good I take care of myself, I may not be alive in the spring, so I might as well keep enjoying the things that make me happy all year long, and that also goes for family and friends.

miguex

Yeah, I respect that but in my case, the life is too short! and we live once! . You never know what will happen tomorrow that is why I am enjoying everything as I can. My car is currently over 140.000 kms in the odometer now!

"If you save a thing for an occasion but you can die tomorrow, that occasion will be in vain." So just enjoy every second of you life and no wait for anything. Like BMW said "JOY is BMW"

bmwroger1

well said bro...couldnt agree with you more....being that i am in the automotive industry and i see these cars that have been driven in the winter and rott to shit. i could never see my e60 like that. it hurts me to much to see my car like that then to drive it in harsh conditions. dont get me wrong when the roads are clear i do take it for little cruises around the block and let it run....being the fact that it is stored i never let it get to the point where it will be harming the vehicle. i keep the tires topped up with air to prevent flat spots, i keep the battery on a trickle charger to prevent dying and i changed the oil before storing and will change the oil again after storage due to moisture when sitting for quite some time. also keep the fluids all clean and topped up, every maintenance aspect has been performed at every interval. oil changes done every three months even with bmw castrol 5w30 synthetic. i never hit 5000k within 3 months but always do it. i keep the fuel topped up always to full and put fuel stabilizer to prevent the gas to rott when stored. wash and wax it once a week and i will never ever let my car be driven when there is snow or salty conditions on the road. but i am very anal about my bimmer. i take care of her and she takes care of me....i am only 19 i will have plenty of time to enjoy her and i know life is short but i would be very happy knowing she was well taken care of and i enjoyed driving it. but if you were to live you life if there was no tomorrow i would be broke and have nothing...i know, i know im all screwed up....

rmcd

When I bought my e60 the amount of money the dealer offered me for my Toyota 4Runner was the same as the cost of a set of 4 snowtires and rims. I decided to keep the 4Runner. So "Precious" spent the winters tucked away safely in the garage. She came out only when it was dry. So I was like you.

I drove the 4Runner for four winters until it finally rotted out this spring. Today, "Precious" has new Michelin's and seems to be handling the winter well.

I also got chewed out by a buddy from Ottawa with a 3 series that the car knows how to handle winter. That was also an influence.

But I miss the 4Runner.

bha7176

I also have mine under a cover in the garage. Its been there since the beginning of December and hasn't been driven or taken outside since. I plan on keeping it there till spring. In the mean time I am driving my 2002 Jeep Liberty Sport which we bought new in Dec 2001 - it has over 153,000 miles on it and still runs like a champ. Nothing drives better in the snow. Wife has an XI and it does amazingly well for her in the snow.

Regarding all the "life is too short" yada yada stuff - yes I agree, but my 550i is also the nicest damn car I've ever owned, or probably will ever own, and I want to keep it nice, clean and with low mileage for no other reason then I want to. Could really give a shit about depreciation, what others think about my philosophy, etc. Its what I want to do just like some of you drive your's all year long. Awesome, I think that's great and I'm glad you enjoy the year round experience.

For me, although I've only had the 550 since September (had a 330XI prior - and I drove that one everywhere, all the time), its like getting a new car every time I drive it after its been "stored" for awhile. Anticipation is much better for me than actual doing. I'm the type of guy who feels the vacation is over the minute I leave for work the day before the vacation starts. It's all about looking forward to something rather than that something happening.

Anyway, that's my perspective on it. Props to those who drive all year and to those who store them. It's an individual decision and neither is right or wrong.

bmwroger1

+ 1 well said bro, couldn't agree with you more... that is exactly how i look at things as well...you hit the nail right on the head...so in the spring both of our 5ers will hit the roads.