So, Central Texas/Ft. Hood got a little bit of the white stuff last night. I was forced to make the 9 mile trek into work in the E60. I am not a stranger to driving in snow (grew up in Ohio) or driving a rear wheel drive car in the snow (96 Mustang GT in College, and also an SRT8 Magnum the last few years). I have never purchased winter tires for any of my cars, but I really wish I had them on the 545i this morning. Even with the little bit of snow on the roads (no snow plows or salt in TX) the handling was less than desired, and scary at some points. Took the SRT8 out to compare, and it had no issues at all. Both cars are running Dunlop Sports with 18's on the 545i and 22's on the Magnum.....similar tread depth remaining.

So, do most of you in minimal snow states run winter tires on your E60 if you are planning on the white stuff? I had to drive the wifes E46 in an Ohio blizzard a few years back and it did pretty well with Hankooks 245/45's.

 

When I first got my E39, the winters in Connecticut had been pretty mild, so I figured I'd try to get away without snows and just stick with the pretty new Yokohamas I had on. On those few days where we got some light snow, I remember the driving was pretty dicey! It only took me a few storms to convince me that having snows was a pretty good idea. I also learned that I needed to buy new ones every time I had put 24,000 miles or so on them, because that little extra thread goes a looooong way!

Looks like this winter isn't done with us yet...

 

I don't run snow tires but after this winter I sure will get a set for next winter. Too many close calls.

 

I am running a new set of Pirelli Sottozero 210 tires and they are just amazing. They grip very well on ice and hard snow and are the best winter tires I've tried so far.

 

I cant see how tires would make that much difference. its still RWD. My 530i was horrible with a few inches of snow on the road. fishtaling, sliding towards the ditches from a stop. I got caught at work and had to drive home. I dont recommend driving an e60 in the snow at all.
Dont say, learn to drive. its the car not the driver....

 

+1 areuretarded i have the stock wheels/tires on and there better then the summer 20's obviously but they still stuck. the lightest push on the throttle in slush snow ice and the car wants to pull sideways winter tires next year

 

Been blasted with snow this winter in NY/NJ. Got a set of Blizzak WS70's... grip is amazing!

 

Tires make a huge difference. We have real winters (cold and snow) from November - April, and I drive my 550i all year round. A couple of times I've been caught in a light snow in the late fall or early spring with my summer tires on and the car is almost undriveable. With the snow tire setup on, I've only had issues on severe ice where only studded tires are going to make a difference. But yes, there is a "learn to drive" component to it all... you just can't drive the same way as you do otherwise when its snowy/slippery - no matter what car you're driving. E60 RWD's are a little more challenging to drive in the winter, but they do just fine with the appropriate setup.

 

+1 The tires do make a huge difference! I live in the DC Metro area and was out in the 1st snowstorm of 2009 taking some friends to the airport at 4am when the streets were covered in snow. It was about 3 to 4 inches of snow on the roads at that. I made it to BWI at normal speed (50 -55) with absolutely no problem, no slipping fishtailing, nada! I was impressed. On the way back down it was worse as there were no plows that had passed through and folks were now going down the center of the road in some places. AWDs and 4x4s were having problems, I was passing them without any problems. My only problem came when I got to my street which was not plowed at all and I could hear the snow along the bottom of the car and had to make my way through it as the snow had accumulated at a level to almost cause the car to bottom out(sport package).

This past ice situation, I was going up and down hills that others were having problems with. If I accelerated too quickly, I got wheel spin for a bit, if I got off the brakes and let the car roll (down hill) or applied a tap of the accelerator to get going (uphill) I was fine. The snow tires are made of an entirely different compound and works better in the cold. I have the Michelin Pilot Alpins which provides decent traction when it is dry as well and not noisy at all on dry pavement. Had some other brand in the past, great in the cold but noisy on dry streets above 40 degrees. Give them a try, they do make a difference.

 

I run winter tires on our 4WD Mercedes. 4WD helps you go, does nothing to help stop or turn. Winter tires are an absolute must if you live in the North; "all season" tires are no season tires. Having said that, I wouldn't spend the money if I still lived in Texas.


Actually with winter tires they go like snowmobiles! Not enough ground clearance for the really deep stuff, and 4WD will win a drag race when the light turns green, but otherwise mine is just fantastic. DSC will let you rotate the car in turns, but won't let you spin.