WTF winter driving
 

Hey guys,
We had a huge snowfall here, in Calgary Alberta Canada, a week ago and I had the X5 out. (Keep in mind I've only had it since the end of August)
I assumed with the awd that the x5 would be a great winter vehicle. Anyways, driving to work. I would stop in traffic and be parked there for a few seconds. And then my X's nose would start to slide towards other cars. I would end up being on a skewed angle in the middle of my lane looking like a dickhead who couldn't drive in snow. I have lots of winter driving experience and have never had a winter accident. Anyways, is it my tires that are crap and causing this or what the heck. the tires are all in great shape and are all seasons. Just curious if the X isnt' as good in winter driving as i had hoped...?!

Whether you accelerate or decelerate, the law of Physics says that what holds you down is the rubber.

Having said that, nothing beats a set of winter tires.

I went from a 325xi with a set of all season tires to a x5 with all season tires and set of winter tires. The x5 did not handle as good as the 325xi in the snow with all season tires. All around traction was not as good I'm not sure why if it was just a weight and balance thing or what. I threw the winter tires on and was absolutely amazed. Snow mine as well have been dry pavement. It handles like a freaking dream. I'd recommend getting a set of winter tires and wheels. It sounds like a lot of money but think of it like this. With where you live, winter tires are good for 6 months out of the year or more. Get a cheap set of wheels and you'll just be doubling the time that tires last so it really is not costing you anything if you plan on owning the vehicle more than a few years or if your All season already have some wear anyways.

Yeah, I am looking at picking up a set of rims and winter tires.
I have a set to go look at tonight after work if they don't sell before then.

I was on my way to buy a set last week, show up at the guys house to pay for them, call him and he says 'oh sorry, my wife is in the back alley selling them right now'. I wasn't pleased! 18" BMW rims with near new winter tires for $850! damn damn damn! haha

Ditto...ditto...ditto. The first thing I purchased for my X was a set of 4 Michelin Latitude X-Ice xi2 (snow/ice) winter tires. Can't say enough good things about them...just as those that may have some of the other brands (Hakkas/Nokian/Blizzaks/Graspics/etc).

When temps drop below 45° F (7° C) the rubber compound of summer & all season tires harden...thus loosing their ability to grip. The modern engineering that goes into winter tires...the rubber compound stays soft and pliable when ambient temps turn cool or drop to below freezing...thus continuing to give the tire traction and stability. This works not just for taking off...but also for braking and turning...which is the reason for getting 4 winter tires instead of just mounting them on the drive wheels. If one axle has traction and the other doesn't...then you end up like a pendulum...the one axle is spinning out of control...eventually taking the other axle with it if the momentum is great enough.

If you go to a site like http://www.tirerack.com/winter/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=122&currentpage=123 ...they have some great info about winter tires and the types that are available for the kind of winter conditions where you live.

thanks
i just did a review on the tires i'm supposed to look at tonight Michelin Latitude Alpin, and another person where I live reviewed them and said they are pretty crappy. Might have to keep looking then

sorry, i'm running on very little sleep.
Car is completely stopped. Few seconds later, the car slides with brakes engaged, on the slightest incline

I have had both blizzaks and X-ices on smaller cars. This year I am going with Blizzaks for the X5.

Having NO Season tires on something as heavy as this will cause problems. And AWD doesn't make a difference if you are sliding while at a stop.

I had a set of Blizzak last winter and it drive like a dream. My is not X-Drive and I have no issue with the Snow here.

In my experience, Craigslist-type sellers are some of the most inconsiderate people out there. Not sure if most of them are just trying to hedge their bets or what, but I've had some really stupid/awkward/time-wasting situations that could have been avoided by a simple text or call.

I drove my X through last winter with a less-than-new set of Continental ExtremeContact DWS on and it was a beast. Very little sliding, and it carved right through fresh snow up to 4-5" inches with no problems. If I lived in Calgary, I'd probably get a dedicated winter set, but in most environments further south, IMO the ExtremeContacts should work just fine coupled with the X's all-wheel drive.

To answer original poster's question....The E53 SUCK in the snow. You would think an AWD SUV would be good. It's not until the Idrive they became pretty good.

The only thing you can do is put hard core winter tires like Bizzacks and buy separate rims. Then its ok.

It's like a hot chick.....if sex is good you over look things like dinner being made when they are stay at home mothers :D

If your a girl reading this just reverse the chick to dude :D

I like the way it looks so I put up with it :p:

If the vehicle is sliding after you come to a stop it has nothing to do with they type of vehicle and whether it has AWD or not. The only factors are the contact patch and the weight of the vehicle.

All season tires should be called No Season tires as they aren't really that good for any particular season, especially winter.

No, the E53 with the wrong tires suck in the snow. Any vehicle with the wrong tires suck in the snow. With a proper set of winter tires the E53 is very reliable in the snow. I had zero issues with mine in the winter using Nokian Hakkapeliitta winter tires and it ran circles around most vehicles.

The Michelin Latitude Alpin is a different tire than the Latitude X-Ice xi2. The Alpin is a "performance" winter tire...which means it's going to give up some deep snow and icy conditions for better handling in the dry/cold & mostly plowed roads. The X-Ice xi2 is a studless snow & ice tire...which does better in deep snow/ice/sleet.

When shopping for winter tires (any tire really)...make sure that you are comparing apples to apples. The winter tire category has multiple types of tires for various conditions. Just as you wouldn't want to use a great summer tire in a location that will be below freezing for half the year...the times that its cold...the tires will suck big time.

Some are performance winter tires, some are snow/ice winter tires, some are ice tires...then you have the studded & non-studded. Make sure you look in the category that fits the conditions and location you'll be driving.

Good luck. :)

We have Nokian WR G2 all weather (not all season) tires on the X5 and it's great on snow. I happen to have a set of 17" bare alloys sitting in the garage doing nothing. PM if interested.

Oh, and aside from some slush, there wasn't snow on the roads last week...

Will throw some brigestone blizzak's on my 20's (315/275) this winter
We don't get much snow here

Im running a square setup of Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT 255/55 R18s and they have been fantastic in the snow and ice here in Winnipeg. Only had one "moment" when I tried to defy to laws of physics :rolleyes: but came out ok. I believe the Goodyears are the most highly rated tires (for studless winter tires) on Tire Rack, for what it's worth.

Good luck with your search!

God.
I've called 4 different shops now, including tirerack and I keep getting different answers regarding the staggered fitment. Some say I can use the stock front size on all 4 corners and others say I must use a different rear size because of the rear rim width. Not sure what the heck to do or who to believe. Kind of frustrating to be honest. And $1500+ isn't too exciting either :P

Good to know. That's what I have on...this will be my first winter with the X5, and they don't like to do much to the roads here until it stops snowing.

My Continentals have probably about 4K on them...

The highlighted statement in your quote above is true...you CAN use the same size tires on all four corners...but if you have staggered wheels...then you need to use staggered tires. It all depends on what wheels you have...and we don't know which wheels you have.

Help us help you better...what size wheel are you thinking of mounting winter tires to? If all 4 wheels are the same size (17"/18"/19"?) then mount the same size tires on all 4 wheels. If you are mounting them on a staggered set of wheels (fronts are narrower than the rear)...then you'll also need a staggered set of winter tires.

You can look at the tire pressure label on the driver's door jamb for the BMW recommended tire sizes. The non staggered 17" & 18" tires are all the same on all 4 corners. The staggered 19" & 20" wheels have different sized rear tires (due to the wheels being wider). But if you have 19" & 20" wheels that are all the same size...then you'd run the same size tire on all 4 corners.

You can also google for a tire size calculator and you can see what the recommended tire size is for a wheel rim's width. For instance, one of my favorite tire size calculator is: Tire Size Calculator - Tire & Wheel Plus Sizing

Again, if you input the front tire size...look for the recommended wheel width...if your rear wheel is wider than the recommendation...then I would NOT try to stretch a narrow tire on a wide wheel. It will also change the overall diameter of the tire and if the difference is greater than 3% (+/-) than the other axle...you could cause unwanted issues with DSC & xDrive or DSC-X (can't remember your model year).

I run a staggered set of 20" wheels (275/40/20 fr + 315/35/20 rear) in the spring/summer/fall...and a square set of 18" wheels (235/60/18 all 4 corners) in the winter.

DBag84 (interesting name by the way) DEFINITELY buy dedicated winter tires for this beast and you'll see a difference.
BUT do NOT buy snow tires. we need an ICE tire around here.
whats the difference? SIPES. you can get sipes put into a normal new winter tire, but a lot of winter tires already have them from factory and are considered an ice tire as the ruber sipes open up and act as a suction cup (more or less) to the ground instead of just a rubber block driving over ice/snow/cold ground. Yes these tires may wear a bit faster, but nothing you'd really care about once you start driving with this confidence level. you can justify the fact that you will only get 3 seasons instead of 4 out of an ice tire.
Nokian Hakaplettiaaergaerga (seriously does anyone know how to actually spell this) are amazing tires and well worth the $1400 from Kal tire.
Nokian AW tires are also sensations from friend reviews as well as internet reviews.
OR buy some used ice tires from Kijiji. great tires and wheels always on there. some on there NOW to be honest.
look for a nice square set-up of 18"x8.5". the tires available for these wheels are endless.
when looking for tires, do not type in "BMW", type in 255 55 18 and you'll see a million sales on Kijiji and then choose a good set of ICE tires.
next set (next year) wil be the Nokian Hak... STUDDED. they make a vehicle perform on ice like nothing else.

That's alot of info
Currently I have 285/45R19 on the rear and 255/50R19 on the front.
I haven't found any cheap rims so I am thinking I might just use the same rims for front and rear and just buy new winter tires. Again, some shops said I can use a 255/50R19 for winters on all 4s, and some shops said I cannot because the rear rim is a weird size :dunno:

Thanks
I've been keeping my eyes on Kijiji but like I said, the whole staggered/non-staggered/rear rim size is throwing me for a loop.
Kal tire quoted me $1984 all in for Nokian Hakunamatatas STUDDED and then Nitto somethings for $1677 non-studded.
Fountain Tire quoted me around $1400 for Dunlop Grandtek SJ6

what about these?
BMW X5 winter TUREN rims with Himalaya Snow studded tires | tires, rims | Calgary | Kijiji
or
255 /55 /18 Pirelli Scorpion Run Flate Winter and Ice tires | tires, rims | Calgary | Kijiji

I have staggered 19 and I found Hancook makes the ONLY all season tire for my truck. I have to tell you they are not good in the snow. I took off the stock 17 or 19 inch ugly rims and I'm going to put snows on them because the all seasons suck.

I did not follow all your posts so I don't know what size tires you have. Your much better off buying used cheap 17 or 18 inch BMW rims and putting on just snow tires. The only problem with most snow only tires is they don't want you to use them over 50 degrees or they wear right out.

You have staggered wheels. You cannot run a square tire setup. The shops don't know if you have a square setup or not.

Tirerack has nothing that'll work for you in original size, not to mention I would run staggered snow tires anyway. I'd highly suggest you find some 18's like you posted and get snow tires for them.

yeah I am talking to Tiresbyweb.com right now and they are saying the Nokian Hakkaplatttas 7s only come in run-flat for my front size. and they are not run-flat for my rears.
wow, what an ordeal
EDIT:
Awesome. Talked to BMW and all their recommended tires do not come in my staggered fitment. Looks like new rims it is. FML

So for this, what size of rims should i be looking for which will give me the most tire size options? 18" by what?

should i buy these, and pikcup separate winter tires?
*** X5 BMW Black MATTE OEM 18" Wheels/Rims...$750 OBO*** | tires, rims | Calgary | Kijiji

or these, but get new winter tires as i have read that these are garbage (guy says he'll give these to me for $600)
Bmw X5 Winter Tires and Rims 18" Tunerworks- Great deal $700. | tires, rims | Calgary | Kijiji

The $600 wheelset is for e70. They will not be good for your e53.
You should be able to find a good winter set ready to go. Getting rims and tires and then install and balance on top it's more expensive.

Call Bav Auto 800.535.2002 in there catalogue they sell D Force wheels that looks factory for $115 and they will mount and balance a set of Hakkapeliitta snow tires.

They may even have Take Off wheels you can use for just snows.

something to keep in mind as well - most aftermarket wheels do not have the appropriate load rating for the rear axle of the X5. It's a personal choice to use whatever you want, but it was important to me when I was shopping for winter wheels last year.

I couldn't locate any oem X5 wheels locally and was on a tight timeline so I purchased aftermarket wheels. My first order through 1010tires.com was actually cancelled by them as the wheels I had picked didn't meet the load rating of the X, from there on in I was very carefull picking which ones to buy. It might not matter to you if you are not going to be towing a trailer or loading up the X5 with a ton of stuff, but I was, along with my family to drive across the country.

I ended up purchasing a set through Tire Rack, 18x8.5 square with the Goodyears I had mentioned earlier in this thread. After living through the worst winter in Winnipeg in the last 100+ years, I can say those tires are amazing!

I would also recommend either 17s or 18s to get a taller sidewall because you never know when you may bump into an unseen curb or who-knows-what in the snow.

Good luck!

Clockwork already answer this: 255 55 18

Sorry, i meant rim width. like 8"? 7.5"?

8.5

get rid of the all seasons on these vehicle if you will be driving in snow, I did and put winters on what a big difference in traction. these vehicles are heavy and you need good winter tires .

Here again, you have multiple options...and a tire size calculator comes in handy if you'd like to see alternative sizes versus the recommended 255/55/18.

A wheel with the widths you mention in the quote..the BMW recommended 255/55/18 works great...but you could also run a slightly narrower & taller 235/60/18 (like I did) which stays within the 3% range of overall rolling diameter/circumference.

I went with a taller tire due to the amount of pavement heaving & potholes that occur from the multple freeze//thaw cycles where I live.. But the tire size yoou select can be narrowed down once you lock inn on the actual wheel size you end up with.