[spta97]

I have not put a ton of miles on my winters (or the X3m) but I figured I would share my impressions thus far. Please share your experiences as well:

Summary:
Increased winter performance without sacrificing much in dry performance.

Details::
- Road Noise: Maybe a slight increase over the summers, but insignificant.

- Ride Quality: initially I had them at 38 PSI. The ride was less firm but felt too squishy. At 42 PSI they feel like my OEM 21”s (which I like) and handle better.

- Cold Performance: Here is where they shine vs the summers. I no longer get slippage when taking off after reversing out of my driveway. The summers would slip with barely any throttle when cold. And I’m talking 40 - 50 degrees, not super frigid.

- Dry Performance: I’m not pushing them but I have to admit they handle very well in dry conditions. I had a particularly aggressive turn today (full steering wheel lock) and they just barely started to slip.

- Wet Performance: No complaints thus far. The cold/wet conditions seem to be no issue for this tire. Feels sure footed.

- Snow Performance : We had a minor snow event recently. I found the tires did well getting traction on fresh snow, but was able to cause a skid (ABS kicked in) on 1” of slush in a parking lot during moderate braking at low speed. I also replicated the same on my street by aggressively engaging the brakes in fresh snow. It stopped, but took quite a bit longer than I expected. Kicking out the back end was no issue as well but that could be the rear bias of the AWD and 505 HP.

Overall I am happy with the performance but I was expecting better snow traction from a dedicated winter tire on AWD. I expected they would grip as well in the snow as in the dry - though my expectations could be unrealistic. Not sure since it’s been over 20 years since I ran a dedicated winter tire.

Please also share impressions if you are running another winter tire (I.e, Yokohama Blue Earth, Michelin Latitude Alpin LA2, etc) - there appears to be very few choices.

Edited to add - I’m happy I spent the money on dedicated winter wheels and tires. It has instilled a feeling of confidence and increased the conditions within I can drive my X3M.

[Shrugged]

Great writeup - thanks for posting this.

Now if it were only possible to somehow find the tires in stock!

I'm picking up my X3MC this morning. Have Discount Tire working getting scorpion winters for me, but they have to be shipped from different stores from all over the country. Even tire rack is out! I guess mid-season is a tough time to buy.

[heavyD^2]

I have the cold weather package that comes with these tires and I have to say I'm somewhat disappointed in the snow traction as it's not as good as PA4's that I had on my M2 and that was a performance winter tire.

[spta97]

Originally Posted by Shrugged

Great writeup - thanks for posting this.

Now if it were only possible to somehow find the tires in stock!

I'm picking up my X3MC this morning. Have Discount Tire working getting scorpion winters for me, but they have to be shipped from different stores from all over the country. Even tire rack is out! I guess mid-season is a tough time to buy.

Glad I could help!

Discount tire didn’t have them when I ordered but tire rack did. So I got my wheels from discount and the tires/TPMS from tire rack.

I think it’s like trying to buy a winter coat in the winter

[spta97]

Originally Posted by heavyD^2

I have the cold weather package that comes with these tires and I have to say I'm somewhat disappointed in the snow traction as it's not as good as PA4's that I had on my M2 and that was a performance winter tire.

The only other dedicated winter tire I had was a studded Gislaved Nord Frost on a Chevy Spectrum FWD back in the 80s or 90s.

That thing was UNSTOPPABLE in the snow and ice as a result of the Swedish (?) tire.

The Nordic countries understand snow the best I’ve seem.

That said, could it be the Scorpion lacks in snow performance so it does not lose sports performance in dry conditions?

If that’s the case, I’ll deal with the trade off as it doesn’t snow often around me and when it does it is cleared by the next day.

How were the PA4s in the dry?

[BOGX4M]

I have also Pirelli Scorpion.

I agree with all you said and I would add the car is more comfortable with the winter tires!

[spta97]

Originally Posted by BOGX4M

I have also Pirelli Scorpion.

I agree with all you said and I would add the car is more comfortable with the winter tires!

What PSI are you running?

I prefer the feeling of stock, hence the higher pressure.

[AMWilliamsGT]

While I had my car in for the RIS, I had them swap out the Conti's for Scorpion Zero AS tires in the 265f/295r combo. So far, I'm really noticing the better cold weather traction, as we've been in the 20's and 30's this week. I haven't had the chance to test them yet in any rain/snow, and I haven't pushed them hard in the dry either. I would agree with your assessment above - slightly more road noise but also a bit more comfy. I am still fiddling with pressures. My service department sent it back at the stock 33/38 pressures, which felt very sloppy, and I did not like. I'm running 37/42 right now, but will probably continue to tweak a bit to get closer to the stock feel of the Conti's.

[spta97]

Originally Posted by AMWilliamsGT

While I had my car in for the RIS, I had them swap out the Conti's for Scorpion Zero AS tires in the 265f/295r combo. So far, I'm really noticing the better cold weather traction, as we've been in the 20's and 30's this week. I haven't had the chance to test them yet in any rain/snow, and I haven't pushed them hard in the dry either. I would agree with your assessment above - slightly more road noise but also a bit more comfy. I am still fiddling with pressures. My service department sent it back at the stock 33/38 pressures, which felt very sloppy, and I did not like. I'm running 37/42 right now, but will probably continue to tweak a bit to get closer to the stock feel of the Conti's.

Curious to hear your snow experience.

I would not want to go down in snow performance from what the Scorpions provide, but definitely an advantage to not changing tires.

[AMWilliamsGT]

Originally Posted by spta97

Curious to hear your snow experience.

I would not want to go down in snow performance from what the Scorpions provide, but definitely an advantage to not changing tires.

Given the schizophrenic weather here in TN, we could get some snow tomorrow or none this entire winter, but as soon as we do, I will report back. Hell, it was nearly 70 degrees late last week and barely crested 30 early this week. It does look like I'll get to check out the wet traction this afternoon, as it's been raining all day.

Given the moderate climate we have here and minimal snow, AS setups usually work the best for me. I won't be tracking the X3MC, and I really enjoy having a balance of dry/wet/snow performance without having to swap between a dedicated summer/winter set. I ran Michelin PSAS 3+ on my 550i, and I loved them.

[spta97]

Originally Posted by AMWilliamsGT

Given the schizophrenic weather here in TN, we could get some snow tomorrow or none this entire winter, but as soon as we do, I will report back. Hell, it was nearly 70 degrees late last week and barely crested 30 early this week. It does look like I'll get to check out the wet traction this afternoon, as it's been raining all day.

Given the moderate climate we have here and minimal snow, AS setups usually work the best for me. I won't be tracking the X3MC, and I really enjoy having a balance of dry/wet/snow performance without having to swap between a dedicated summer/winter set. I ran Michelin PSAS 3+ on my 550i, and I loved them.

NY seems to be turning into that. Some years we get a ton of snow, others we get none.

It was 65 degrees a few days ago then dropped to 20.

Regardless, the summer tires are crap in the cold!

Looking forward to your impressions.

[heavyD^2]

Originally Posted by spta97

The only other dedicated winter tire I had was a studded Gislaved Nord Frost on a Chevy Spectrum FWD back in the 80s or 90s.

That thing was UNSTOPPABLE in the snow and ice as a result of the Swedish (?) tire.

The Nordic countries understand snow the best I’ve seem.

That said, could it be the Scorpion lacks in snow performance so it does not lose sports performance in dry conditions?

If that’s the case, I’ll deal with the trade off as it doesn’t snow often around me and when it does it is cleared by the next day.

How were the PA4s in the dry?

PA4's were fantastic in the dry. Not really that far off of a sporty all-season tire. It could be that I didn't have enough KM's on these tires when it was snowy and they weren't broken in enough. Right now it's dry so I will pay more attention next time it snows as by now the oils/lubricants on the tires should have worn off.

[spta97]

Originally Posted by heavyD^2

PA4's were fantastic in the dry. Not really that far off of a sporty all-season tire. It could be that I didn't have enough KM's on these tires when it was snowy and they weren't broken in enough. Right now it's dry so I will pay more attention next time it snows as by now the oils/lubricants on the tires should have worn off.

Good point on the release agents. I’ll keep an eye if they improve and we get snow.

[jlee]

did anyone buy the factory recommended snow tire package? about to put the order in

[spta97]

Originally Posted by jlee

did anyone buy the factory recommended snow tire package? about to put the order in

A few people here have (one posted above).

These are the same tires in that package. The only down side vs after market wheels is the price (or style if you don’t like them). The $4k was too rich for my blood. My purchase was about $2.2k installed.

You can’t go wrong with it if you are ok with my summary (and the price) which people seem to agree with.

[bonwit904]

Originally Posted by spta97

I have not put a ton of miles on my winters (or the X3m) but I figured I would share my impressions thus far. Please share your experiences as well:

Summary:
Increased winter performance without sacrificing much in dry performance.

Details::
- Road morning Noise: Maybe a slight increase over the summers, but insignificant.

- Ride Quality: initially I had them at 38 PSI. The ride was less firm but felt too squishy. At 42 PSI they feel like my OEM 21”s (which I like) and handle better.

- Cold Performance: Here is where they shine vs the summers. I no longer get slippage when taking off after reversing out of my driveway. The summers would slip with barely any throttle when cold. And I’m talking 40 - 50 degrees, not super frigid.

- Dry Performance: I’m not pushing them but I have to admit they handle very well in dry conditions. I had a particularly aggressive turn today (full steering wheel lock) and they just barely started to slip.

- Wet Performance: No complaints thus far. The cold/wet conditions seem to be no issue for this tire. Feels sure footed.

- Snow Performance : We had a minor snow event recently. I found the tires did well getting traction on fresh snow, but was able to cause a skid (ABS kicked in) on 1” of slush in a parking lot during moderate braking at low speed. I also replicated the same on my street by aggressively engaging the brakes in fresh snow. It stopped, but took quite a bit longer than I expected. Kicking out the back end was no issue as well but that could be the rear bias of the AWD and 505 HP.

Overall I am happy with the performance but I was expecting better snow traction from a dedicated winter tire on AWD. I expected they would grip as well in the snow as in the dry - though my expectations could be unrealistic. Not sure since it’s been over 20 years since I ran a dedicated winter tire.

Please also share impressions if you are running another winter tire (I.e, Yokohama Blue Earth, Michelin Latitude Alpin LA2, etc) - there appears to be very few choices.

Edited to add - I’m happy I spent the money on dedicated winter wheels and tires. It has instilled a feeling of confidence and treating increased the conditions within I can drive my X3M.

Good review. I have these tires as well, and last weekend I drove in the snow with them (1-2"), on a combination of side streets and highways. In once instance I was on a major highway and for about 10 miles the road was completely snowed over — I was very impressed with the snow performance, I had great control of the car, ABS barely engaged and only when I applied too much throttle did I get any wheel spin at all. The tires provide a lot of confidence that they are up to the task of handling some very challenging conditions.

[spta97]

Originally Posted by bonwit904

Good review. I have these tires as well, and last weekend I drove in the snow with them (1-2"), on a combination of side streets and highways. In once instance I was on a major highway and for about 10 miles the road was completely snowed over — I was very impressed with the snow performance, I had great control of the car, ABS barely engaged and only when I applied too much throttle did I get any wheel spin at all. The tires provide a lot of confidence that they are up to the task of handling some very challenging conditions.

That’s great to hear. I’ve only had one experience in snow but look forward to more.

As I plan to keep my X3MC for many years, I’m sure they will get some good snow use.

[Parzy21]

I'm in CO and the scorpions have performed magically in the snow with the X3MC. We've had 15" so far this month and it's been rock solid. Little slip in thick slush but i was roaring through 11" of snow like it was no big deal last week. Very impressed thus far.

[noushy]

Originally Posted by spta97

I have not put a ton of miles on my winters (or the X3m) but I figured I would share my impressions thus far. Please share your experiences as well:

Summary:
Increased winter performance without sacrificing much in dry performance.

Details::
- Road Noise: Maybe a slight increase over the summers, but insignificant.

- Ride Quality: initially I had them at 38 PSI. The ride was less firm but felt too squishy. At 42 PSI they feel like my OEM 21”s (which I like) and handle better.

- Cold Performance: Here is where they shine vs the summers. I no longer get slippage when taking off after reversing out of my driveway. The summers would slip with barely any throttle when cold. And I’m talking 40 - 50 degrees, not super frigid.

- Dry Performance: I’m not pushing them but I have to admit they handle very well in dry conditions. I had a particularly aggressive turn today (full steering wheel lock) and they just barely started to slip.

- Wet Performance: No complaints thus far. The cold/wet conditions seem to be no issue for this tire. Feels sure footed.

- Snow Performance : We had a minor snow event recently. I found the tires did well getting traction on fresh snow, but was able to cause a skid (ABS kicked in) on 1” of slush in a parking lot during moderate braking at low speed. I also replicated the same on my street by aggressively engaging the brakes in fresh snow. It stopped, but took quite a bit longer than I expected. Kicking out the back end was no issue as well but that could be the rear bias of the AWD and 505 HP.

Overall I am happy with the performance but I was expecting better snow traction from a dedicated winter tire on AWD. I expected they would grip as well in the snow as in the dry - though my expectations could be unrealistic. Not sure since it’s been over 20 years since I ran a dedicated winter tire.

Please also share impressions if you are running another winter tire (I.e, Yokohama Blue Earth, Michelin Latitude Alpin LA2, etc) - there appears to be very few choices.

Edited to add - I’m happy I spent the money on dedicated winter wheels and tires. It has instilled a feeling of confidence and increased the conditions within I can drive my X3M.

I have had these on all my performance SUVs, including the X3M, my previous X5M and our Msport X5 50i. The write up is accurate, if but missing that they do wear out kinda fast. Expect no more than 15000 miles overall and for me that means two sets over a lease.

Noushy

[spta97]

Originally Posted by noushy

I have had these on all my performance SUVs, including the X3M, my previous X5M and our Msport X5 50i. The write up is accurate, if but missing that they do wear out kinda fast. Expect no more than 15000 miles overall and for me that means two sets over a lease.

Noushy

Ah crap! 15k?

I would have expected about 10k more but I guess time will tell.

I don’t drive as much as I used to but that still sucks.

[Miko M]

New shoes have arrived

Will mount tonight

[Miko M]

Done, took me 1/2 hour to do it
Cold only 7F