New Guy, just bought an X5 - Winter Help :)

machine · #1 11-26-2010, 04:57 PM

Hi all,

I just bought a 2011 x5 35d

Should be taking delivery of it very soon. I ordered the sport package with the optional 20's (style 214 Y Spoke) which will be horrible in the snow.

I was wondering what a good winter setup would be. I have already really stretched by budget on this truck so I dont want to spend more then I have to.

I was looking at putting Michelin Alpins on the wheels and going back to summer tires in the summer but the rear wheels would have to be stretched. I am not a fan of this for both curbing and other pitfalls of stretching a tire.

Other option is to get Pirelli tires that will fit but cost a fortune.

What should I do?

BMWOO7 · #2 11-26-2010, 05:19 PM

Personally, I'd see how it goes, obviously depending on the type of driving you do.

Two winters ago, I had a TrailBlazer SS AWD 400HP with stock 255/50/20's on it and drove through some of the deepest Chicago winter snow you could imagine, 20 miles one way to work and back.

My X5 has the 255/50/19's on it, so I'm just going to to like I did before, and take my time and should be all good, although I know yours will have the 315's out back so you might just need to take it a little slow.

Personally, I never once had an issue with my AWD SS with 400HP, and I love to play in the snow.

The BMW X5 with it's advanced XDrive I'm sure is just going to be even better.

Just my thoughts if you want to save some $$$ and you can control yourself in the snow...

BMWOO7 · #3 11-26-2010, 05:29 PM

Couple pics of my '08 TrailBlazer SS AWD. I really wish I would have kept this vehicle...

machine · #4 11-26-2010, 05:19 PM

update -> just stumbled on the Continental ExtremeContact DWS all season tire.

We dont get very much snow in Vancouver, would these all seasons with the x5 be good?

Its the most cost effective option $900 for 4 tires.

JCL · #5 11-27-2010, 12:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by machine

update -> just stumbled on the Continental ExtremeContact DWS all season tire.

We dont get very much snow in Vancouver, would these all seasons with the x5 be good?

Its the most cost effective option $900 for 4 tires.

Vancouver BC? Or Washington?

Winter tires aren't about the depth of the snow. They are about the temperature, and the appropriate rubber compound for that temperature. Summer tires are soft, and will go very hard and slippery, when it is cold. You don't need snow to have problems. AWD helps you go, it doesn't help you steer or stop, and more accidents are caused by not being able to steer and stop, than by not being able to go.

Recommend you get a set of smaller winter wheels, and dedicated winter tires. That is what I did. Your truck deserves them.

conedoctor · #6 12-01-2010, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCL

Vancouver BC? Or Washington?

Winter tires aren't about the depth of the snow. They are about the temperature, and the appropriate rubber compound for that temperature. Summer tires are soft, and will go very hard and slippery, when it is cold. You don't need snow to have problems. AWD helps you go, it doesn't help you steer or stop, and more accidents are caused by not being able to steer and stop, than by not being able to go.

Recommend you get a set of smaller winter wheels, and dedicated winter tires. That is what I did. Your truck deserves them.

If you could just get this through to people, Im new to this forum but I have said the same thing 1 million times.

Why is it that the only part of your whole car that touches the ground is the part that nobody cares about, all the driver aids in the world can't do anything if the tire will not grip.

You would not wear runners skating so why should your car?

Smaller wheels and winter tires all the way and studded if you can, the sound of studs is way better than the sound of hitting a pole.

JCL · #7 12-01-2010, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by conedoctor

If you could just get this through to people. I'm new to this forum but I have said the same thing 1 million times.

Why is it that the only part of your whole car that touches the ground is the part that nobody cares about. All the driver aids in the world can't do anything if the tire will not grip.

You would not wear runners skating so why should your car?

Smaller wheels and winter tires all the way and studded if you can, the sound of studs is way better than the sound of hitting a pole.

I think we should blame the tire companies (who came up with the no-season/all-season concept) and years of consumer conditioning. I think it first started when radials became popular. Radials had much better traction than bias ply tires, and people believed that if you had radials, you didn't need winter tires. False assumption, but the fact that radials were much more expensive probably helped the myth along. Anyway, that is when I remember customers started saying that they were just going to run the same tires all season. Also, we didn't have traction aids then, other than Detroit Lockers and sandbags in the trunk; stability control, ABS, etc, were still to come along, so if you didn't have the right tires you were usually in the ditch pretty quickly. Those without proper tires had Darwin Award experiences, or close to it.

So now we have a generation of drivers who believe that winter tires are an optional extra, even in climates that get close to freezing. They even go to the mountains with summer tires ("but I am just going on the weekends for a ski trip.....") and think it is normal. And the computer traction aids just let them get further into trouble before they let go, and so we don't just get people sliding slowly off the crown of the road, instead we have major accidents with innappropriate tires as a cause.

What gets me are the number of people who don't think they need winter tires because they have AWD. We didn't put winter tires on our X3 last year, we just didn't drive it when conditions were bad. However, my 535 needed to commute to work every day. I have Dunlop Wintersport M3s, 17", on dedicated wheels. I made it up a very long and steep hill to home one night in a snowstorm, going around many stuck cars. Three of us made it to the top. One was a Dodge Power Wagon. One was a Jeep, some type of CJ or similar, with narrow tires. And my 535i with the MSport airdam, pushing snow. Great fun, but I did push a fog light out of the air dam when I broke through the plow windrow into my driveway. Good rubber and RWD trumps AWD, but not many believe it. And, you have the added benefit of being able to stop.

Anyway, I think changing society will be a slow process. Laws that require tires with the snowflake symbol for certain seasons are a good idea, IMO. I think Quebec has the right idea, and I expect those laws to spread across Canada. Not sure about the Northern US though, it may turn into a freedom issue.

Richard in NC · #8 12-01-2010, 07:54 PM

Yes it is amazing how many AWD vehicles end up in ditches because people think they are invincible with their new SUVs.

I am in a quandry with my X5. Knowing that Charlotte might get 1-2 snows a year and 1-2 ice storms, I know I need better tires than the performance 19s I have. I don't really have an option to stay home and miss work on those days. Plus I'll be traveling to WV at times and don't want slightly bad weather to stop me. I am sure winters is what I should get. I would get "performance" winters since I don't need ultimate deep snow traction.

I want 20s but do I give up on that and just get winters on 18s or 19s or do I get winters for the 19s and get 20s with new summer performance tires next spring? My 19s would only have 4600 miles when they are switched out.

Thoughts?

LeMansX5 · #9 12-05-2010, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCL

Vancouver BC? Or Washington?

Winter tires aren't about the depth of the snow. They are about the temperature, and the appropriate rubber compound for that temperature. Summer tires are soft, and will go very hard and slippery, when it is cold. You don't need snow to have problems. AWD helps you go, it doesn't help you steer or stop, and more accidents are caused by not being able to steer and stop, than by not being able to go.

Recommend you get a set of smaller winter wheels, and dedicated winter tires. That is what I did. Your truck deserves them.

Well said.

Penguin · #10 12-05-2010, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCL

AWD helps you go, it doesn't help you steer or stop, and more accidents are caused by not being able to steer and stop, than by not being able to go.

I think that AWD actually gets some drivers into trouble...

The AWD gives much better "go" and, as a result, some drivers don't realize how slick the road is until they try to stop. Without AWD, you know pretty fast how slippery things are when your real wheels slip when you try to take off from a stop, i.e., AWD gives some drivers inappropriate confidence on slippery roads, particularly if it is their first AWD or 4WD vehicle.