JayArras

I recently acquired an '07 530xi with brand new Nexen N5000's in P225/50/R17 size. On my E39, I always ran separate summer and winter tires (I live in the Northeast). The Nexen's are touted as high performance all-season radials.

I managed nicely with rear wheel drive and my Bridgestone Blizzaks in the snow, but am unsure about snow driving on all-seasons, even with the all-wheel-drive xi. So my questions are, if you were me, would you 1) get a set of dedicated snows and reserve the Nexens for the summer? 2) not worry, take a chance and see how the xi handles with them in the snow? or 3) ditch the Nexens and get a better all-season tire?

A quick Internet search reveals that those who have these tires seem to think they're "okay" for the price, as long as you're not expecting high performance. I wasn't able to get much feedback from Bimmer owners however. What do you think? Those of you that have an xi, do you run the same tires year-round?

nycmedic86

I have 2 sets of rims that I run, winter i run the stock 17" w all seasons & & spring/summer i run 19" w summer performance. Before I got the 2nd set i was running the all seasons year round

JayArras

So the all seasons give you adequate performance in the winter on your xi?

I like your idea of running 19s with summer performance tires. I'd like to get some fancier rims than the stocks I have.

lawnboy

If xdrive cars are anything like my past subaru, you will be unstoppable with a/s tires and AWD. I wouldnt waste the money buying a seperate set of winters.

NYC530XI

Nexen tires are like the cheapest of the cheap.. I only go with brand name tires personally.

That being said, I ran all-season Contis last winter and had no problems, even in a foot of snow. There is absolutely no need for winters with an XI, as others have said, you will be golden with all-seasons.

jgt

Don't worry about it.
The Nexens are brand new AND you have AWD so I say keep them as your dedicated winter set for now. When the Nexens are done get some snows.
Oh yea start looking into a set of after market wheels and summer tires for the late spring and summer.

I have RWD and ran my OEM Continental All Seasons into the ground, chucked them and bought some Blizzaks. I managed with the all seasons but would honestly not go back since my car is RWD.

nycmedic86

Oh yeah, Your from the NE, you know the snow we get up here lol. I parked mine on a bank of snow/ice last winter with the all seasons and no problem what so ever, Never got stuck. The all wheel drive with all seasons are NASTY in any weather, and 19's with a decent profile you can run it year round(i'm speaking solely from a nyc standpoint with the pot holes and such)

JohnC

I would stick with all seasons. Unless you live in Fargo, snow tires means your car sucks ass in the winter months. It's not worth the trade off. Winter tires are horrible once the snow is cleared from the road. On top of that, they will wear out on blacktop. I just switched from the stock Goodyear RS-A to Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus. It is night and day between the two and even the summer performance is great. I've got to drive through some heavy rains on the interstate so far and no hydroplaning. I would replace the Nexens with the Michelins or the Continental DWS, and then sell the Nexens on Craigslist to offset the cost. Both the Michelin and Continental will out handle most summer tires in the dry. Only the best summer tires will be better.

Brent P

The term "All Season" is a complete misnomer. They should really be called "Three Season" tires. There's no such thing as an all season tire that works well in the winter, regardless of whether you're driving on snow or ice or just on cold pavement. All season tire compounds don't perform well when it gets cold, and the tread patterns aren't much better (but they're at least better than summer tires).

If you want good (and more importantly, 'safe') performance in the winter, get a winter tire (not necessarily a snow tire) that is appropriate for the conditions of the region where you live. Get something like a Michelin Pilot Alpin if your conditions are cold with occasional snow or ice and you want high performance on cold frosty pavement, or get something like a Michelin X-Ice if you see a lot of slick snow and buffed intersections where you live (there are other good brands, but Michelin is my preference).

All-wheel drive will help a vehicle with all-seasons accelerate better, but AWD has zero advantage when cornering or stopping, in fact it can be a detriment for the following reason. 90% of the vehicles I see in the ditch during the winter are AWD because the improved acceleration gives drivers a false sense of security and they fail to realize just how slippery it is or that they have no advantage once they have to corner or brake. Then, when they need to brake or negotiate a curve, it's "Holy Crap!!!" as they sail into the weeds or into the back of another vehicle. I put winter tires on my wife's X3 after too many close calls and she couldn't believe the difference they made.

NYC530XI

I will grant you the fact that ANY winter snow stud/tire will be night and day compared to an all-season, but that doesn't mean all-season is not meant for the snow. For example, my all-seasons are the continental DWS, S being snow. I can attest to the fact that they are more than capable in the snow, and I have driven on Michelin Alpins.

AWD + Snow Tires = overkill in my opinion, especially in the Northeast USA where I live.

In Canada, you have much colder temps, so maybe its a completely different ballgame.

Here, all-seasons are just fine.