Quote:
Originally Posted by Oilverland
I am in Eastern WA and while I would disagree with one reply that we get 100+" of snow per year (it did happen in 1996 but that was a rare year), snow tires are considerably more effective than all season. There's also a new class of 4 season tires called "all weather". Have a look at info and reviews on Tire Rack and Consumer Reports websites. Ignore Amazon reviews, they are merely opinions.
You can in fact use 17" wheels, as I did on my 35i. They are cheaper and lighter and the corresponding tires are cheaper. Consider getting not-run-flat tires and a compressor and some sealant. I run not-run-flats year round. Ride better, lighter, cheaper. I found a chart somewhere online that lists all the allowed sizes - getting the correct offset is important. Then get a tire size that has the same outside diameter as you OEM tires. Tire Rack, and good retailers can help you with all this.
The BMW AWD system is sufficient for snow. It's biased to the rear so there's some occasional slip there until it engages the front. Doesn't compare to e.g. Jeep Quadradrive II, but as I said, BMW xDrive is sufficient.
Edit: I discourage studded tires. They are noisy and bad for roads. Thus I prefer studless winter tires. Again, Tire Rack and Consumer Reports have info.
|
I have no idea where I got the 100+ from; it’s been about 5 years since I looked up that stat and clearly memory didn’t serve me well. I was off by more than 2x. I grew up there, but have lived in Portland for the last 8 years...maybe the 08/09 snowfall was on my mind...
On topic, I’m a fan of the dedicated snow tire setup. Sizing down is a great move, and I’m not sure why you’d really want studded tires given the advancements in snow tires the past 10-15 years.