Many of you guys on here are used to driving on snow, in England when it snows the country grinds to a halt. I'm a bit worried what my 530D going to behave like,with 275/35 18" Bridgestone S03s, hard dynamic drive, auto and 620nm torque at only 2000 rpm.


Any suggestions.


Gavin

 

If you only get snow once in a while, you should probably park the car on those days. Those tires simply won't be very good and, if you can get moving at all, you run the risk of not stopping and damaging your car.

Now if you get yourself some snow tires, the car will do just fine...

 

Gavin - Jump in your car right now and find out - Its snowing outside ( well it is west of London)

 

See this thread.

 

Just wondering what about cars with Active Steering in snow. Won't the steering be so light? Guess I'll experience when it actually gets to snow here in Wales.

 

I don't think so, since it reacts to SPEED.

 

i use dunlop m3 17" snows and we have a lot of snow in toronto this winter, which is a must.
just like last nite we got dumped 15 cm.
i usually drive with DSC off in winter, the cars slides while making turns, but very predictable and i love it.
rock solid control and perfectly balanced, even for up and down hill in the snow and icy conditons. as physics dictates, therefore extreme caution with lots of room in between cars is exercised. gerenally no problems at all.

i suggest anyone who drives with dsc off pratice in empty snow covered parking lots to gain confidence. after a while the skill becomes innate.
vary your speed and the angle you take corners and turns, it is all about steering and THROTTLE CONTROL , once you get a hang of the balance in control and timing of the gears, you'll appreciate the 50/50 distribution of the e60.
i have to say my manuel tranny is very handy in the icy winter conditions, which gives me a bit of upper hand.

 

I got stuck in mud the other day and only managed to get free once I had disabled the traction control/DSC (which was very difficult as the button operates two systems) to get the wheels to spin. OK its not snow but after that experience I'm not looking forward to snow with 275's! Mean looking tyres though!

 

I got stuck on the Palisades Interstate last night towards NYC. Going uphill there were 50 or so cars stuck and idiots doing 360s trying to stop. I had to get out of my car to direct assholes around me to prevent an accident. Once I got up the hill, I took backroads with no idiots driving 50 mph and parked my car at a friends house till the morning. I had to turn DSC off to get up the hill and my car was barely stuck to the road(530i).

 

This reply was from a previous thread:

"Had E39 540iA and E46 M3 as primary cars for past 6 yrs in Minnesota. Put winter tires on every season and never once got stuck or "scared".

My E60 545i also has winter tires on and I get around just fine.

But if you want/need to rank best to worst in snow/ice, here's my take:
(assuming all have some form of traction control)
1. AWD with winter tires
2. FWD with winter tires
3. RWD with winter tires
4. AWD with all season tires
5. FWD with all season tires
6. RWD with all season tires

So you just have to make your decision based on how important snow driving is in your region. And how much snow *will* you actually get vs. just cold?

If I could get *exactly* what the 545 is now with AWD, I'd probably get that. But since the A6/A8 has some compromises when it comes to the performance side, I opted to the 545 with snows.

To each his own. For me, I have no worries in blizzard conditions (other than other drivers slamming in to me!)."

Now, we need to add the last three categories:

7. AWD with summer tires
8. fWD with summer tires
9. RWD with summer tires - e.g. the 545 sport with 18" wheels

YOU SHOULD NOT DRIVE THIS CAR IN THE SNOW. Honestly, you will be a hazard to yourself and others on the road. The rubber compound in summer tires remains rock hard at freezing temperatures, the tread design will not handle ice, and you will not get any traction at all. You need to get a set of winter tires, and your 545 will handle beautifully. Best would be to go with an inexpensive set of 17" wheels, and the Dunlop M3's for a good compromise of dry and snow handling. If it snows a lot, get Blizzaks or the equivalent. Also you coulc put a couple hundred pound of sandbags in the trunk if you really want good traction.

I have Michelin Pilot Sport A/S on my 545 and it does OK in the snow. Not great, just OK. As the above post states, it's really all about the tires.