Well I've made my mind up... The Pirelli Sottozero winter wheel package offered by BMW is really not suitable for northern climates. Maybe they are OK for moderate climates with colder winter temperatures and minimal snow.
I've driven in icy, heavy wet snow, snow packed and light 6-8" of snow covered roads and I don't find the sottozero's any better than a good all season tire. The lack of aggressive tread block on the sottozero's may improve clear surface performance but it makes for a mediocre "snow" tire. I think I'll switch over to Blizzaks at my first opportunity. I wish I had this knowledge before I dropped the cash... Hopefully this helps others who live in the snow belts that may be considering the factory offerings.
I figured the x3 with winter rubber would be like a cat on carpet but it's more like giraffe on rollerskates.
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