Alright. Snowed here in Chicagoland today (yeah.... just in the air) and it reminded me that my newly acquired 2002 BMW 325i has tires that are approaching their demise. Since this car will be my daily driver through the winter, what tires might I want to look at for the upcoming snow/ice on the roads? A flat out snow tire, an all season/weather tire, or something else? I currently have 225 45R 17 tires.
I'm in Minneapolis, so only slightly harsher climate than Chicagoland. I am a big proponant of dedicated snow/winter tires. Not only does it make a big difference in slush and on ice, but the softer rubber also grips better on cold dry roads. My parents have the General Altimax Arctics, which are quite beefy and probably grip the snow best. My GF has Blizzacks, which are really good. And I've been running the Continenental Extreme Winter Contacts, which are the highest reviewed on Tire Rack and don't feel like your driving on Nerf Balls the way the other two brands do. I submit that snow tires are a better investment than AWD car with all seasons. There are videos online that support this idea.
Also, I suggest you get another set of cheap rims on craigslist so you have one set of wheels for summer and one set for winter. This makes it cheaper and easier to swap them when the seasons change.
all season tires suck in the summer and the winter.
summer tires suck in the winter but rock in the summer
snow tires suck in the summer but rock in the winter.
get a dedicated set for the seasons. do not try to run all seasons.
Depends on what your driving conditions are. If you encounter a ton of snow/ice, which I assume is the case in Chicago, then a winter set would be the recommended approach.
Two sets are the ideal, but don't take into account budget or if someone has space to store an extra set of wheels. Also, this is isn't a decade ago when AS tires were crap. They have come a long way in all areas of performance.
The same can be said of snow tires. They are way better than they were in the post.
OP, definitely get a dedicated set of snow tires. I love my pilot alpin 2 tires and my father has had a good experience with the Dunlop winter sports you listed. Both of us driving in Chicago area...
If you are looking for decent wheels pm me as I have a set of style 44 I was planning to use as a snow set, but ended up buying a used set of tires that are already on wheels.
Edit: I'm local and also definitely get something before thanksgiving....snow tires do sell out as they only make a certain amount per season. They aren't like regular tires that are produced year round. I ran into this problem when buying a car in the winter once....
If it's physically impossible to do two sets of wheels, the Continental DWS tires are said to have great performance in the summer and reasonable grip in snow. A 330xi owner I know leaves them on his car all year round, he seems to like them. Anyone considering this decision should look up comparison videos. Also, consider the difference between the cost of potential a collision repair and the cost of an extra set of tires. oh, and then there's the cost of human life.
The DWS sucks in the snow, I have them. It is a travesty that they were even allowed to stamp the S into the tire.
If you shop smart, a set of snows on dedicated wheels can be sourced for the same cost as most peoples insurance deductible should you wreck your car without them. Worth the cost in my opinion.
You're fine with all seasons. I was driving in summers for half the winter once, you just need to know how to drive. I've never had Winter tires, ever. You do not need them if you know how to drive a car.
You're fine with all seasons. I was driving in summers for half the winter once, you just need to know how to drive. I've never had Winter tires, ever. You do not need them if you know how to drive a car.
Yeah, stopping ability, for example, really comes down to the owner's level of skill. That makes sense. Some people are just better than others at holding that brake pedal down in an emergency, and that's really what makes the difference. Surely the proven fact that snow tires stop faster in snow than all-seasons has no bearing on your safety in such a scenario because it's all about knowing how to drive. I used to drive my RWD BMWs with all seasons in the snow. Hell, I even autocrossed one of them on a winter track before deciding to buy winters, but I guess I had to buy them because I'm just not be as skilled as Motobimmer.
I'm looking at initial reviews, surveys, and tests now and at the present moment I like these 3 tires:
Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D
Michelin X-Ice Xi3
General Altimax Arctic
I'm not going to jump out and buy something tomorrow but will be looking over the next month. I'm 48, have driven rear wheel drive cars before and an inline 6 to boot (1976 Mercury Comet) as well as my current 1994 Ford F150. I'm the guy that keeps 5 to 6 car lengths between myself and the car in front and see myself as a defensive driver who also knows when to give it some gas to get out of trouble. However my current tires just don't look good for too many more miles and I don't mind buying another set once winter comes to an end (ummm errrr mid March). So the idea is to keep me safe, the car safe, and those around me safe.
Of the 3, for pure winter stuff, the Michelins are probably the best. (We use the X-Ice on our winter beater here on the lake-effect side of Michigan, across from Chicago.) They aren't cheap. The best part is that they aren't awful on dry roads.
For those who are into Blizzak worship, we found the Michelins to be at least as good in the snow/ice. On dry pavement, there is no comparison: the Michelins are worlds better.
Ran the Dunlops for 2 seasons on another car. They are, by far, the best of the 3 on clear (and, especially, wet) roads and still head and shoulders better than any all-season rubber in the ugly stuff. Probably fit the personality of the e46 the best.
The Generals are single-purpose, and less expensive than the others. Better than the Dunlops in the really bad stuff (but a far cry from the Michelins) and not fun when the roads are dry.
I suggest a dedicated set of wheels: convenience, save the cost of mount/balance every season, and have the option of, potentially, selecting narrower rubber. If so, the cost difference between the good stuff and the merely adequate is fairly small, percentage-wise.
Just have to decide why you want winter rubber. If you need the car to take care of occasional light (under 4 inches) stuff, the Dunlops are probably ideal. If you have to get somewhere and have to traverse bad streets to get to plowed roads, then I'd select the Michelins. If budget is the primary concern, the Generals will represent a big safety improvement over all-season tires.
Can you use studded winter tyres? If you can, then those are best option for winter.
Here in scandinavia we use studded quality winter tyres like Nokian hakkapelitta 7:
And if not studded.. then choose Hakkapelitta R2 friction type winter wheel.
Those are absolutely best non-studded winter tyres which you can buy.
Can you use studded winter tyres? If you can, then those are best option for winter.
Here in scandinavia we use studded quality winter tyres like Nokian hakkapelitta 7:
Hakkapeliitta 7 is last year model, now there is Hakkapeliitta 8, I just bought those:woot:
I think Hakkapeliitta 8 is currently best winter tire in the world http://youtu.be/oAMQQ8VXT_I
Unfortunately in our area (Illinois - U.S.) we cannot use studded tires or chains. They would most likely cause 1 more pothole... added on to the 1,000,001 we already have.
Okay, then i recommend Hakkapelitta R2 friction type snow tyres + another set of alloys for winter use
There is plenty of Nokian dealers in the IL state :
We have every autumn current year studded and studless winter tyres test in the largest car magazines here. And nokian hakkapelitta+ hakkapelitta R2 are always in the top 3.
I personally am going to be rocking homemade Continental slicks like I did last winter and slip and slide through the snow and get stuck at every hill and cringe when I hear snow is coming.
Yes. Yes they are. One of those things that people will shoot down all day until they actually try it, then they can't do without it and they come to the dark side.
People get hung up on 4WD/AWD, but when it comes to stopping, it doesn't matter how many wheels you're driving.
My Dad taught me.... there's only four things touching the road on a car, and they're all tires.
Its going to all depend on your budget. I ran Cont. DWS on a scion Tc and it plowed through deep snow 2 winters with no problem, I really like them and plan on getting them for the 325xi when these tires wear out.
As for snow or summer or both. Your the only one that can make that call. Winter tires will be the best in snow and ice. Nothing esle will even come close.
But in PA we can get tons of snow or just a few really bad days. I figured running all season gets me through just fine.
One plus on getting winter tires is most people can get many seasons out of them if you don't put them on to early and don't leave them on to long afte rmost the snow is over.
Hello BMW Experts!
I have Conti DWS tires for 3 season use, and have used them in the first snow & last snow a few times. They are pretty bad in snow, just like all the AS tire I've tried have been.
But summer tires can be scarey in temps below ~ 40f, especially in the rain. The AS tires are way better in such conditions.
Now I'm using Ice Xi2 snows, which are pretty good in the snow & also don't feel like marshmellows in the dry (my friend crashed his Subaru because the Blizzack snows couldn't do adequate evasive maneuvers in the dry).
I would consider the Xi3, Conti snow (not sure how these are in the dry), and the Hakka for real snow safety & ability.
Blizzaks you can't go wrong with. They've been the benchmark for quite some time now.
Continental ExtremeWinterContact scored very well
The new Michelin X-Ice Xi3 also scored very well - #1 this year
Continental ExtremeContact DWS is the best of the all-season tires, with a 50,000 mile tread warranty and snow performance comparable to lower-end snow tires, they're pretty darn good. You really do get the best of both worlds with them - great summer performance and great winter performance for places that see mild to moderate amounts of snow.
I've run Blizzaks on my car for 12 winters. Currently running LM25's. I have them (4 of them - one for each corner) mounted on steel wheels. Living in metro dc so we don't get much snow but we do get "dustings of snow" frequently. I highly recommend these tires. JMVHO YMMV
Get performance snow tires. I suggest Michelin pilot alpins. It is completely flat in chicago and you don't need studless snow tires...that's overkill, imho. and studless snow tires suck ass on dry pavement, which is what you'll be driving on 9 out of every 10 winter days. the only issue with all seasons is that they get pretty hard in extremely cold temperatures. and you have plenty of cold days there.
Another vote for a dedicated set of winter wheels. At the end of the day, I want to minimize my stopping distance when it gets hairy, and no all-season comes close to any of the big-name studless tires. You'll find the Blizzaks to be very soft, but they offer great bad-weather performance. Haven't tried any of the others yet, but they all look like very solid options.
Definitely look at craigslist before forking over hundreds for a set. I ended up finding a set of 3 for $60, and bought the 4th tire for $100. Snow tires are better when they are thick. I am running 225/55/16. Which is a common tire in my area.
you always see Bimmer and Merc get stuck first on Bad weather news reports here! After a set of Winter wheels myself, but I'm not sure if my 328 can support the boggo Style 45's
Continental DWS extreme contact all day everyday for all seasons, great in snow, rain, and dry, had em for a year now. in NYC we get the worst of both heat, rain and snow, trust me when i tell you these tires are amazing and quite comfortable. DWS for the win. i was doing deliveries during a snow storm
snow tires are not needed at all, def shouldnt be riding with summer tires in snow, but i never got stuck with the continentals. if your a good driver then you should have no problem in snow.
Well, I guess you weren't driving during the day-after-xmas snow storm we had almost 3 yrs ago that dumped about 2 ft on us, shutting down the city for days. My Xi2 snows got me down from the Adirondacks via an unplowed Taconic parkway, to within 3 blocks of my house in Brklyn during the worst of the storm before I got stuck, run off the road by some slacker on AS tires. And I don't have an 'xi', just 2-wheel drive. I got home at ~ 4a. Glad I didn't have my DWS Contis on then!
Pauly99 what you going with? I've run dedicated snows as well as All-Seasons through the winter. You take your chances on how bad the weather is going to be any given year. I love dedicated snow tires on when there is actual snow on the ground for weeks at a time, but the past couple years in the NE have been mild. So AS are fine otherwise IMO. One thing I hate though is running snows from November to April on dry roads.
I just ordered Kumho Solus KH21, which are All Weather not All Season tires. They perform well in the snow. I had them on my Accord before and they were quite alright.
i was in the last snow storm driving on the whitestone expressway doing 40 mph with no issues in a foot or more of unplowed snow. adirondacks is a completley different scenario . if your gonna go ahead and drive through **** like that a rwd e46 is not a good option. mine is rwd and im a good driver i get through snow storms with no problems.
... adirondacks is a completley different scenario . if your gonna go ahead and drive through **** like that a rwd e46 is not a good option. mine is rwd and im a good driver i get through snow storms with no problems.
RWD with 4 snow tires is fine in the snow. If I can't go forward with RWD, then I certainly can't stop in a decent distance, even with 4WD (exception: going up some steep driveways). The biggest prob with this car in the snow is the factory sport springs, which put the car a bit low for snow.
Even in Brklyn, I've seen too many drivers who think AS tires work in the snow, then they wind up stuck or scared to drive. No need for that nonsense!
The margin of error in the snow is so much smaller than in the dry or wet. Safe is safe is good. Save the ultra fast & fun driving for the good weather seasons & proper tires.
For all of my (long) driving life, I have gone out whenever I could when it snows, and sought out snowy roads, because it is so much fun (and pretty too)! In the old days, I put a few cement blocks in my trunk because otherwise I couldn't keep up with my Brothers Saab 96 or my friends (original style) beetles. I don't recommend that now (if you crash with them in the car...bad), and since the E46 is 50/50 in weight distribution it isn't needed really. Maybe a few sacks of sand though.
Now if I could only fix my DSC before winter....
Murf
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