Winter car vs Sports car?

[128ibmw]

I have a BMW 128i with winter tires and all season tires. I live in Canada with harsh winters with lots of snow. Should my second car be a x drive like a used X1 or 328xi (and use 128i for summers) or a used z4 (use 128i as a winter car)?

[champignon]

My suggestion would be to move somewhere with better weather!

:-)

[swagon]

All-season tires are not good enough for your harsh winters. Just sayin

[zx10guy]

I've learned that all season tires are tires that don't anything particularly well. Not good with snow. And not good in the dry.

I say if you want a fun car, then get the Z4 and keep your 128i for Winter driving. I used to have a daily beater and a garage queen. But with my 135i, it's my daily driver now. I've gone through the Winters here in Washington DC without any issues. Granted we don't get as much snow as you all up north. But we do get ice which is about as bad as it gets. I've never had any issues within reason when I ventured out. The only problem to be concerned about is ground clearance and how deep the snow is. But with your other choices for Winter cars, they're not that much better than your 128i.

[anglocanadian]

I use my 135i all year , i have a set of winter tire and rims and have had no problems.
My wifes car is a mini countryman All4 which is highly capable in the winter.

[Matticus91]

Guys he said he has all-seasons AND winter tires.

Personally, I'd keep the 128 as my summer car and get a little x1 with x-drive for the winters. Canadian winters are no joke. As capable as the 128 can be with a solid set of rubber/studs, I still think it's better to have the ground clearance.

[Enoe Ulbeht]

I use my 128i convertible throughout the year in Michigan. I did the same with my Mazdaspeed3 before ( The Bimmer is a bit better in snow than the Mazda actually) . With a set of good winter tires I never have any problems. In most cases I have found that winter tires are more important than AWD.

I suppose if you live in some remote area that does not get plowed you may need something with clearance. But the x1 may not be a good choice then.

[champignon]

Originally Posted by Matticus91

Canadian winters are no joke.

But Canadians are much more polite, so instead of cursing, flipping the bird at other drivers, and dropping F bombs when the driving gets gnarly, they say "eh?"

This results in less skidding, and less need for an X1.

[Lucky1]

Where in Canada do you live? Here in Toronto everyone drives their 1ers of both model types year round with winters. My 128i has seen winter all of the eight years I've owned her. She's fine in all but the deepest snow and moderate snow covered hills. Beyond that it gets dicy and yes I've been stuck twice but they were relatively extreme situations.

Now if you're further north and see more snowfall you could see some challenges as you would with any low to the ground, RWD car.

Also what kind of winter tires do you have? Hopefully a make and model that is really known for good deep snow traction and not a "performance winter" kind that might not fare as well.

[Matticus91]

Originally Posted by champignon

But Canadians are much more polite, so instead of cursing, flipping the bird at other drivers, and dropping F bombs when the driving gets gnarly, they say "eh?"

This results in less skidding, and less need for an X1.

Originally Posted by Lucky1

Where in Canada do you live? Here in Toronto everyone drives their 1ers of both model types year round with winters. My 128i has seen winter all of the eight years I've owned her. She's fine in all but the deepest snow and moderate snow covered hills. Beyond that it gets dicy and yes I've been stuck twice but they were relatively extreme situations.

Now if you're further north and see more snowfall you could see some challenges as you would with any low to the ground, RWD car.

Also what kind of winter tires do you have? Hopefully a make and model that is really known for good deep snow traction and not a "performance winter" kind that might not fare as well.

My friends north of Montreal have had to invest in winter cars due to their sports cars being too low. Traction and other drivers are less commonly the issue. But a bottomed-out car means traction doesn't matter.

[Simsims]

keep the 128 as your winter car, and buy a Z4ish for the summer!

the best winter car i had was a 135. Absolutely fantastic in the snow (except when stuck) if you like driving on the limits. Good snow tires = very safe, except the ride height might get you stuck.

AWD & etc aren't safer, just easier to accelerate out of a pile of snow.

[AFE712]

Try it in the snow before investing. I went in a snow-storm with mine without problem, so I don't want 2 cars. But if you want a Z4, I don't see how a 128 could be a winter car. I would go with a front drive or a Subaru if i wanted 2 cars.

[Olgeezer1]

I guess it depends on your demands for a winter car. For me all I'm looking at is reliable transportation and any front drive, small import/domestic with snow tires will do the trick nicely for a few thousand dollars. Had a Honda Civic, now a Toyota. Cheap and reliable and keeps your BMW salt free, extending its life indefinitely.