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[studio5]

Since I am only planning to keep the car for about three years, I probably will find it just easier to have one set of wheels. But, you can chime in and tell me your thoughts:

I am debating whether I should go with the Winter Performance tires to get me through the cold winter for 4 or 5 months. We get some snow here in Maryland, but not enough to warrant getting snow tires when the roads are usually dry. Or should I simply get all-season tires?

My thinking is for the kind of driver I am, I may just be content with the Michelin Pilot Sports A/S, which is what I had on my previous BMW for 3 years. I did have to replace the tires, due to bad cords after 25,000 miles. Maybe the Pirelli PZero Nero as an alternative choice?

Remember....I want to stick with one set of wheels to get me through the winter and summer and I do realize I will have to make two trips to the tire store to swap tires. Possibly use the Bridgestone summer tires for warm weather and use the Sottozero or Alipina for winter? And I don't want to downsize from 18" to 17", as I am pretty sure the car will drop a bit and the tires will be awfully close to the fender.

Any suggestions? Thanks.

[Dackelone]

You NEED winters AND summers. No two ways about it. Even in the metro DC area.. if you plan on driving your car when there is snow outside... get an extra set of snow tires & wheels. Not just for the snow... but when the temps are under 40' F the high performance tirs can get damm scarry when its cold outside. The first accident you avoid... and snows will have paid for themselves!

You need two sets of tires. Snows and summers. All seasons just won't cut it.

Dackel

[miiipilot]

i am here in Cleveland, OH and went with the Pilot A/S Plus instead of dedicated snows.

I think A/S will be fine. How many days are the roads snow covered and barely passable??? Our road crews are pretty darn good. Even after the big snow storms last week, the roads were dry each morning. With the exception of a few side streets. But A/S tires can get through that.

my .02,
miiipilot

[Hairy]

I've had both dedicated snow tires and all season..... after due consideration, I'll stick with the all seasons. There are only a few days per year that the roads are snow covered. On dry roads the snow tires feel like you're driving on marshmallows. The few day that snows would be required, I'll just sleep in..

[studio5]

That's my thinking as well too. And I really hate to have to buy another set of wheels. It would be nice though, but for now, it looks like I'll be going the all-season route. Now, it is just a matter of deciding between the PZero Nero or the Pilot Sport A/S Plus.

I previously had the Michelin tires on my 330 and they rode nicely, but wore out faster than expected. Maybe they are supposed to last that long?

[IDBMW]

I would go for a winter set of wheels, tires and TPMS then have summer only setup as well. If you’re looking to swap winter and summer tires on the same wheel you have two tire change outs and balance a year, you have to take your car in twice and possibly get a wheel or your car damaged. Do the math and you would find out you pay for the extra wheels in three years of tire change outs. Also if you go to a 17’ winter setup the tires are not as expensive as 18”. Then when you get rid of the car you can sell the wheels/tires and recoup some of your money. You also get much better control in each season with season specific tires. Oh, and one other thing, I would bet that you will be back to the tire shop for balance issues a few times with all that tire swapping so more chance for damage. Good luck!

[JimmyT]

I feel your pain at wanting a solution for a car you only intend on keeping for 3 years. I am in the same boat, and chose to go with Conti extreme contact DWS on a 17" wheel from tirerack. The whole package was less that $1200 delivered, and has improved the ride of my car. I intend to run these ties 8 months out of the year, and use the stock wheels with run flats for the summer months. Bottom line, I feel much more secure in the current driving conditions with the all seasons and would recommend this solution if you have driving conditions similar to mine

[studio5]

Originally Posted by JimmyT

I feel your pain at wanting a solution for a car you only intend on keeping for 3 years. I am in the same boat, and chose to go with Conti extreme contact DWS on a 17" wheel from tirerack. The whole package was less that $1200 delivered, and has improved the ride of my car. I intend to run these ties 8 months out of the year, and use the stock wheels with run flats for the summer months. Bottom line, I feel much more secure in the current driving conditions with the all seasons and would recommend this solution if you have driving conditions similar to mine

Are your stock wheels also 17"? If so, then I can understand your riding the Conti for 8 months and using your summer tires for the remaining 4 months.

In my case, I have the nice 18" M-wheels with the car and I would hate to just let it sit in the garage for 5-6 months or so. Why not use them all year round? So, from my point of view, getting all-season tires is probably the way to go and sell the original Bridgestone tires on Craigslist.

I am not a track guy and don't drive aggressively. All-season tires will probably serve me well for my purposes.

[ptack]

If you're going to have 2 sets of tires, there is no point to having one of them as All Seasons. A winter tire will be superior in every way and you won't be screwed if the storm hits while you're at work.

[ND40oz]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

You NEED winters AND summers. No two ways about it. Even in the metro DC area.. if you plan on driving your car when there is snow outside... get an extra set of snow tires & wheels. Not just for the snow... but when the temps are under 40' F the high performance tirs can get damm scarry when its cold outside. The first accident you avoid... and snows will have paid for themselves!

You need two sets of tires. Snows and summers. All seasons just won't cut it.

Dackel

Uh no, I always ran all seasons in both Baltimore and Denver and haven't had any issues. The whole point of an all season is to perform well in all conditions, including when it's below 40F/5C. Maryland does a decent job clearing the roads when they have the occasional snowfall, it's not like he's going to be driving in 2 feet of it for months straight. If you're not worried about all out summer performance an all season is a perfect compromise to run year round in an area where you don't have snow accumulation. Store your runflats and throw them back on when you trade or sell it. Plenty of good all season options in the 225/40/18 and 255/35/18 sizes.

[JimmyT]

Originally Posted by studio5

Are your stock wheels also 17"? If so, then I can understand your riding the Conti for 8 months and using your summer tires for the remaining 4 months.

In my case, I have the nice 18" M-wheels with the car and I would hate to just let it sit in the garage for 5-6 months or so. Why not use them all year round? So, from my point of view, getting all-season tires is probably the way to go and sell the original Bridgestone tires on Craigslist.

I am not a track guy and don't drive aggressively. All-season tires will probably serve me well for my purposes.

I went with 215/45/17 all season tires in a square setup with 17x8 wheels. My stock M rims are stacked lovingly in the garage until summer. I thought of going with all seasons on stock rims, but was worried about hydroplaning issues with the 245 series tires out back. Now I have the performance I need in the excessive rain season I have experienced so far in the Puget Sound, and on my winter/all-season set up I like a higher profile tire to put more rubber between the rim and the curb. In the end, I have a different set of wheels and tires for the winter months at a price point that was only $150-200 more than just replacing new runflats with a complete rim and tire package. If I were dead set on getting rid of the car in 36 months, I would go with the All Season tire on stock rims solution, but I'm not there yet. My opinion and .2 cents worth.

[Elsabor67]

Originally Posted by ND40oz

Uh no, I always ran all seasons in both Baltimore and Denver and haven't had any issues. The whole point of an all season is to perform well in all conditions, including when it's below 40F/5C. Maryland does a decent job clearing the roads when they have the occasional snowfall, it's not like he's going to be driving in 2 feet of it for months straight. If you're not worried about all out summer performance an all season is a perfect compromise to run year round in an area where you don't have snow accumulation. Store your runflats and throw them back on when you trade or sell it. Plenty of good all season options in the 225/40/18 and 255/35/18 sizes.

I disagree. Last year I had A/S +1 stock size (225/255) on my car and I wound up not being able to drive it because of grip even though it was supposed to be a "bigger" contact patch from tire to ground. This year I ran the recommended BMW winter specific setup and have had no problems whatsoever. A/S tires are meant to perform in a variety of conditions, but when those conditions get to an extreme, they lose their capability to handle in those conditions.

Also, installation of 17" rims & tires on the 135i will not make the tires closer to the fender wells as it is sort of a smaller tire compared to the stock 18" tires (at least when I put mine side by side) and I am running H&R SS springs.

Ultimately its your choice, and depending on how you drive and how your car's alignment is setup, is how long they'll last. That was another - from the tires I purchased.

Best of luck.

[ND40oz]

Originally Posted by Elsabor67

I disagree. Last year I had A/S +1 stock size (225/255) on my car and I wound up not being able to drive it because of grip even though it was supposed to be a "bigger" contact patch from tire to ground. This year I ran the recommended BMW winter specific setup and have had no problems whatsoever. A/S tires are meant to perform in a variety of conditions, but when those conditions get to an extreme, they lose their capability to handle in those conditions.

What all season were you running? Maryland isn't known for it's extreme weather either, I've run the Pilot Sport A/S, the Supersport A/S and Avid Envigors in 1 or 2 inches of snow/slush without any issues.

[KingOfJericho]

All seasons are the swiss army knife of the tire world. Sure, you can carve a turkey and open a wine bottle but never as well as if you used a carving knife and a real bottle opener.

[new128]

Here's my opinion (which you can discount immediately, as I suggest )
Stop asking people on a forum what you should do ! Only YOU know what you should do. Nobody else knows your driving requirements in snow. Nobody else knows your snow-driving ability, etc., etc.
Here's a general decision questionaire:
1) When it snows, can you go to work later, after roads are cleared?
2) If it snows during the day, are you allowed to leave work early?
3) Can you work at home on a snow day, so you don't have to go to work at all?
4) How often do you make longer trips, where it starts out not snowing, but might snow on your way back?
5) How do you rate your driving ability in snow?
6) How many days do you normally get snow and are the roads generally cleared by the time you have to go to work?
7) Can you easily afford 4 snow tires, on separate wheels? If yes, go for it. (A YES here trumps all other questions) Many forum entires don't seem to understand that not everyone can throw money at their car. But, changing snow tires, on the same wheels, twice a year can get costly and a pain.

I don't know how many times I have seen forum entries saying that the only answer is summer tires and 4 snow tires, on separate wheels. And for them, maybe that is the answer. But, what did people do years ago when there were no all-season tires and everyone drove a hugh car, with rear-wheel drive? They put 2 snow tires on the rear and got around fine. Its called "being careful" and driving intelligently in the snow. (My father had to get up early every moring, before the snow plows cleared the road, and get to work. I can't remember him every having an accident - he knew to be careful)

In your case, all-seasons, and selling the original summers sound like the right answer (oops, was that an opiniion )

Knowing how to drive in snow is a better defense than knowing what is the best setup. (People have been driving on all-season tires for many years, so AS tires must work for most people.) And no setup is going to avoid someone, who doesn't know how to drive in snow, from running into you - no matter what their setup !

[ptack]

Originally Posted by ND40oz

Uh no, I always ran all seasons in both Baltimore and Denver and haven't had any issues. The whole point of an all season is to perform well in all conditions, including when it's below 40F/5C. Maryland does a decent job clearing the roads when they have the occasional snowfall, it's not like he's going to be driving in 2 feet of it for months straight. If you're not worried about all out summer performance an all season is a perfect compromise to run year round in an area where you don't have snow accumulation. Store your runflats and throw them back on when you trade or sell it. Plenty of good all season options in the 225/40/18 and 255/35/18 sizes.

Yes, they "perform", but I wouldn't say "well" if there is any snow on the road. Furthermore, that semi-performance will become zip as the tread wears down even half way. People may think they are saving money with all seasons on a rwd BMW, but they don't often realize is that they may only get half the tread life out an all season if they want to drive safetly in snow.

[Tom K.]

I agree with new128.

Prior to semi-retiring, I did the semi annual changeover for more than a decade (SHO & E46) before switching to all-seasons - Conti DWS on my 128i and Potenza EL42 on my daily driver E91 wagon. The Bridgestones did ok with last week's 3" snow and have been more than satisfactory on both dry and wet roads.

Tom

[Elsabor67]

Originally Posted by ND40oz

What all season were you running? Maryland isn't known for it's extreme weather either, I've run the Pilot Sport A/S, the Supersport A/S and Avid Envigors in 1 or 2 inches of snow/slush without any issues.

Yokohama Advan s4's. Good tires but tread life was dissapointing. And I never tracked them or anything (I keep a set of track tires for when I go). Went through the rear tires like butter.

1-2 inches is not bad, but when you get slammed with 6-8 overnight and constantly like we did here last year and this year.....

Germans rarely even sell A/S tires. It's either Summer or Winter here.

[ND40oz]

Originally Posted by Elsabor67

Yokohama Advan s4's. Good tires but tread life was dissapointing. And I never tracked them or anything (I keep a set of track tires for when I go). Went through the rear tires like butter.

1-2 inches is not bad, but when you get slammed with 6-8 overnight and constantly like we did here last year and this year.....

Germans rarely even sell A/S tires. It's either Summer or Winter here.

Yeah, we don't get A/S's here in England either, just order mine through tire rack to the APO, usually only takes just over a week. Honda couldn't even get me tires in my size, told me to bring my own and they'd put them on. Then they couldn't MOT the MDX either, it was too wide for the 4 post lift, had to go somewhere with a pit.

Either way, we're talking about MD here, they've had 2 huge snowstorms in the past 10 years (last year and 2003) where they got more then a couple inches and things pretty much shut down. Other then that, you may be lucky to get a few inches and it get's cleared quickly, your biggest issue is getting out of the neighborhood.

[KingOfJericho]

/\ That

[Thaddy]

Originally Posted by maxnix

"All season" is a marketing euphemism for compromised summer performance tire and not very good winter tire.

Your choice.

It's not a marketing euphemism at all. It's a tire designed to perform in all seasons. They were never meant to compete with dedicated summer or winter tires. You have a severe hatred for all-seasons, but they serve a purpose for a large majority of consumers.

I ran all-seasons on my WRX for two very bad winters and they worked fine. However, I would never do the same with a RWD 135i. These cars need dedicated winter tires.

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by Elsabor67

Germans rarely even sell A/S tires. It's either Summer or Winter here.

THAT is bc they have a law over here in Germany that says... it is up to you what kind of tires you put on your car... BUT... IF you are in an accident AND it is 7' C or colder outside... YOU will be charged with that accident (EVEN IF it was not your fault!). AND... your insurance company may not cover your accident damage at all!

When it is colder than 7' C in Germany... you MUST HAVE "M+S" tires AND that tire must have the "snow flake" symbol.

All season tires are Ok only IF they have that "M+S" and the "snow flake" symbol. But as you know... A/S tires are a big comprimise and really do not work in deep or new snow.

That is why most every German (I know) drives in winter time with winter tires. Only us "dumb" Americans would think to drive with summers or a/s tires.

The Germans also have some cute "other winter time laws" like... IF you don't clean off the snow off your car(from the roof and side windows)... that can now be a 80 euro fine(ticket) and one point on your lic(in Flennsburg or Mannheim for us Ami's ).

IF you only clean off a small snow hole on your windsheild... that is a big no no. That is even more expensive fine.

When the polizei stop you in winter time they can ask you to show them your snow brush/ice scraper, washer fluid for winter time (blue alcohol stuff) and something else which escapes my mind right now. IF you don't have these things they can fine you too.

Ofcourse the Polizei will also check other stuff like your drivers lic, registration, first aid kit (& exp date!), warning triangle and warning vest(has to be inside the car near the driver). You MUST have all of that stuff too.


Dackel