winter tires?

[Ricky Bobby]

Originally Posted by ukrcan

Great point on using downshifting when trying to stop on a slippery road... but i am not sure i agree with your point about automatics...I use downshifting a lot when i break during winter using my automatic transmission and it works as well as a manual (maybe not as well but very close). transmission in our cars, when in manual mode, allows to keep RPMs high enough for car to brake. If a transmission does not have a manual mode - than you are screwed, i agree

It was more of a generic blanket statement about automatics, as besides the "enthusiasts" on the boards, I doubt very highly that many normal drivers do a single thing when driving in the snow, besides start the car and put it in "D", lol.

Using your X in manual mode in snow is very smart and although you may not be able to slip clutch, etc in order to modulate throttle, its better than being in full auto mode!

[X5SND]

Originally Posted by jsoto

It's going to be a interesting experiment how well the Latitudes on 20"s staggard are in snow...I've never ran all season till this year.

I've always ran summers and snows but with the mindset of selling the X, I went with all-seasons setup for a easier sell...

Besides, aside from the brief stints when we get big snow, the roads I take are fairly clear, and I hated driving on gummy bears for the rest of the winter season when it was just cold with no snow..So if it's bad enough, I generally avoid being on the roads, as there are too many drivers who think they are invincible on a SUV.

Winter tires aren't just for snow or ice. An "all season" tire will become less pliable as the ol'mercury drops off. Winter tire compounds are made up of materials that remain soft in colder temperatures to maintain maximum grip in cold weather.

Statements like that really stike a nerve as I was rear ended by someone who was on 'all-season' tires in -30....you might as well drive on hockey pucks, because they offer about the same amounts of grip.

[ukrcan]

Originally Posted by Ricky Bobby

It was more of a generic blanket statement about automatics, as besides the "enthusiasts" on the boards, I doubt very highly that many normal drivers do a single thing when driving in the snow, besides start the car and put it in "D", lol.

Using your X in manual mode in snow is very smart and although you may not be able to slip clutch, etc in order to modulate throttle, its better than being in full auto mode!

Agreed

[racingbmwm3]

Originally Posted by Ricky Bobby

1) Always keep the rpm's higher than you would if it wasn't snowing

How do you go higher than redline without destructing the engine?

[jsoto]

Originally Posted by X5SND

Winter tires aren't just for snow or ice. An "all season" tire will become less pliable as the ol'mercury drops off. Winter tire compounds are made up of materials that remain soft in colder temperatures to maintain maximum grip in cold weather.

Statements like that really stike a nerve as I was rear ended by someone who was on 'all-season' tires in -30....you might as well drive on hockey pucks, because they offer about the same amounts of grip.

Different Strokes - different folks. It never get's that cold out in my part of town...

[racingbmwm3]

The general consensus between tires manufacturers is that standard tires get too hard below 45degrees and don't offer the same level of traction that they do above that temperature. So, it doesn't have to be -30c to need winter tires. And if you happen to have extreme summers like Pilot Super Sports, they have big warnings on them to avoid driving in temperatures below 45degrees for that reason.

[Qsilver7]

With a good set of snow tires...traction, stability, and stopping is much different on slick driven over snow like in this video. They must be on serious summer only tires to be sliding/slipping like this on just this little bit of slick snow:

BMW x5 summer tyres on snow - YouTube

[racingbmwm3]

Love it

[ProfessorX5]

Odd... a few years ago in the US, all-season really meant all-season. Back when I had a ford explorer, a set of goodyear tracker all-seasons let me do 50mph in a foot of snow during a blizzard in '06... now, all-seasons suck. Guess I better fork over the cash and get winters. :P

[Qsilver7]

A lot of Continental DWSs owners say good things about their light snow abilities. If you live in a relatively temperate climate that gets an occasional light snow...and you rather deal with just one set of wheels/tires...you might want to consider these tires (or look into them to see if it something that fits your needs).

They rank at the top of the list on TireRacks Surveys of Ultra High All Season Tires: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/survey...jsp?type=UHPAS