[KC 07]

Anyone out there have an opinion on the M235xi or the M240xi in snow? Also, anyone with these cars have an issue w/ ground clearance in snowy conditions? I have an M240xi on order. Curious what folks in the snow belt have experienced ... quality of all-wheel drive performance and ground clearance in the winter ??? I live in eastern PA, so snow is not that big of an issue ... may be an issue 4-5 times in a winter. Like to hear what M235xi and M240xi owners have to say.

[Joe240]

Love my 240xi. I have 19s with 235/35f and 265/30r with the MP front splitter/spoiler. I haven't had any issues with the snow clearance wise, but I take precautions to avoid the large clumps that fall from cars. I got hit by heavy snow like 2 days ago here in Germany and the ass end slid a bit when going (15mph?) around a turn but the roads weren't clear, maybe half inch on the ground, and I'm on DWS06 all season tires. Pretty sure if I was on narrower tires and actual snow tires, there would've been no issues. As far as the transfer of power with the awd it works pretty good. Was leaving a movie last night with some snow on the ground, open parking lot thought I'd test it out and gave some gas leaving my parking spot. Ass end started to slide out and then TC kicked in and stopped it, but the car kept going where I was aiming so it felt like it moved the power forward to straighten out like it was supposed to. But like any car, drive slow with snow on the ground.

[Topdown240]

So far so good. Obviously ground clearance isn't great, but for this first winter with my M240 I'm trying the stock all season Pirellis, square setup. Traction hasn't been an issue even on hills, but stopping and cornering aren't what you would get with winter tires. I may still stick with the all seasons of another year. The all wheel system is a very good one though, if that's the question.

[KC 07]

Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like Joe240 and Topdown240 love their M240xi and that the vehicle operates well in the snow for an all well drive car when called upon. It appears as if the ground clearance is 5.5" inches at the low point up front (physical measurment). BMW Genius spec says that the ground clearance is 5.1" inches, however, that location is somewhere under the car and not the front end. If anyone else has a POV ... love to hear your thoughts on performance in the snow and front end ground clearance?

[nike001]

I drove a RWD 235 all last winter in NEPA... lowered on H&R springs and went up numerous mountain-driveways with no issue. An AWD 235 should have zero issues.

[aerobod]

Although I haven't received the M240i that is on order yet, I have driven RWD BMWs for the past 17 years through snowy winters here in Canada. The 135i I have at the moment is basically the same ground clearance. There are only 2 things to watch out for:
1. The ice balls that drop out of larger vehicle wheel wells - have had to repair a couple of the engine shields over the years after hitting them on the highway in the dark, normally just requires a soldering iron to plastic weld the cracks back together.
2. In deeply rutted and re-frozen side streets that haven't seen a snow plough, drive on the peaks and not the troughs of the ruts.

The 2007 Z4M I had had lower ground clearance than the M240i, I drove that for 6 winters without getting stuck, you can see the depth of snow the wheels have cut through is more than the ground clearance:

[Shovelman]

230i RWD is surprisingly good in snow. The traction control is amazing and the all season tires are good. AWD should be excellent as long as it's not deep.

Some days are Subaru days.

[Deutsche-Broke]

Originally Posted by aerobod

Although I haven't received the M240i that is on order yet, I have driven RWD BMWs for the past 17 years through snowy winters here in Canada. The 135i I have at the moment is basically the same ground clearance. There are only 2 things to watch out for:
1. The ice balls that drop out of larger vehicle wheel wells - have had to repair a couple of the engine shields over the years after hitting them on the highway in the dark, normally just requires a soldering iron to plastic weld the cracks back together.
2. In deeply rutted and re-frozen side streets that haven't seen a snow plough, drive on the peaks and not the troughs of the ruts.

I can't agree with this more..

My 1 series was, "best in class" in the snow and ice with the M235 a very close second, if not better in some circumstances.

It obviously has issues with deep, unplowed or snow. *derr*.. But with decent winter tires, it's pretty bulletproof..

I've had many occasions with 4 to 6" of fresh snow and it actually takes effort to make the chassis misbehave.. The "nannytronics" do a great job of making sure you get to work so you can make the next payment.

Coming from a couple of FWD Hondas and 4 wheel drive SUV type thingys, this RWD with good Winter tires is hands down the most stable I've driven on ice and snow. Just avoid the ruts as you don't know how deep they are going to get. That and clean off the ice and snow from the side panels behind the tires. It can re-freeze and become an issue and cause damage.

It's strange to actually look forward to some snow for the commute, but it's mostly because it's 5 AM before anyone else is on the road and I can turn off DSC and "play" a bit..

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by Shovelman

230i RWD is surprisingly good in snow. The traction control is amazing and the all season tires are good. AWD should be excellent as long as it's not deep.

Some days are Subaru days.

Completely agree on the Subaru...and still be orange!

[Deutsche-Broke]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

Completely agree on the Subaru...and still be orange!

Really love the pair.. That's perfect...

[morphomeman]

My 235x is great in the winter on Long Island, with dedicated 17" wheels and snows. We get about 3 big snowfalls a year and the deepest I encounter is in my driveway, which is quite long and usually not plowed till after the storm has passed.
I would not venture onto unplowed roads in deep snow in any vehicle besides a snowmobile, but I grew up in the depths of Quebec.

[KC 07]

Question - Why dedicated snows given the all wheel drive and living on Long Island, NY? Did you like your traction and performance with the all-wheel drive system or are you snow tire supporter.

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by KC 07

Question - Why dedicated snows given the all wheel drive and living on Long Island, NY? Did you like your traction and performance with the all-wheel drive system or are you snow tire supporter.

The all wheel drive system has zero traction. No vehicle has traction. Tires have traction. Traction occurs at the contact patch and is wholly dependent on the capability of the tire. Given a hypothetical zero traction tire, the car will not move any further if four wheels are powered versus two. And, AWD does nothing to help with braking/turning in the event someone else loses control and enters your path. Dedicated winter tires are a rational choice in his area, given the winters, to be able to confidently go (a convenience), but more importantly turn/stop when necessary, perhaps unexpectedly, to prevent/reduce harm to people and property. All season tires are significantly less capable to provide all three aspects of go, stop, and turn on snow/ice.

[evilalien]

To add slightly to Sportstick, temperature and rubber compound play a key role. If the temp for a good portion of the year gets much lower than freezing you should be on winter rubber. Anything less than 7C, you shouldn't be on summer rubber.

AWD + winters also help with control in adverse conditions in that the traction can be applied to apply power and re-vector the vehicle away from trouble. It isn't just about stopping and turning, it is also about being able to apply power in a controlled manner. The tires are critical.

[Kolyan2k]

I find AWD useless in Boston area, even with traveling to NH/ME ski resorts. Never had any traction or snow issues on RWD. Audi A4 was my last AWD car, now if there is a choice I pick RWD

[Kolyan2k]

Originally Posted by evilalien

To add slightly to Sportstick, temperature and rubber compound play a key role. If the temp for a good portion of the year gets much lower than freezing you should be on winter rubber. Anything less than 7C, you shouldn't be on summer rubber.

AWD + winters also help with control in adverse conditions in that the traction can be applied to apply power and re-vector the vehicle away from trouble. It isn't just about stopping and turning, it is also about being able to apply power in a controlled manner. The tires are critical.

Power is already applied in controlled manner with DSC

[E90 87ss]

The 235 is my first AWD car... I would say acceleration in inclement weather is improved significantly, but that's about it. I drove from Toronto back to NJ during a minor snowstorm and in parts of NY and PA the roads were terrible. I got through it, but would not do it again without snow tires. Braking, cornering, and acceleration will be greatly improved if you run a good set of snow tires and there is no way around it. Also as far as ground clearance, it's not an issue since the car really isn't that low.

Next car will be RWD though, miss going sideways. AWD is nice, but not fun. RWD + winters are just fine for me. Hope my opinion helps.

[Solarphil]

235 RWD. I made the run from Washington State to New Mexico in winter just after I purchased her, and hit ice throughout Idaho, 2-3" fresh snow in Utah.

In Utah on a 4 lane, everyone was playing follow-the-leader in the slow lane due to the snow. I played along because the car was still less than 6 months old, until traffic started packing up and I realized remaining in the conga line was more dangerous due to the idiots behind me, so I pulled out into the untraveled fast lane. I soon realized I could make better, safer time in unplowed snow than the SUVs on all-seasons in the other lane.

I had just put on snow tires in preparation for the trip, and they made all the difference. Highly recommended.

[Deutsche-Broke]

Originally Posted by Solarphil

235 RWD. I made the run from Washington State to New Mexico in winter just after I purchased her, and hit ice throughout Idaho, 2-3" fresh snow in Utah.

In Utah on a 4 lane, everyone was playing follow-the-leader in the slow lane due to the snow. I played along because the car was still less than 6 months old, until traffic started packing up and I realized remaining in the conga line was more dangerous due to the idiots behind me, so I pulled out into the untraveled fast lane. I soon realized I could make better, safer time in unplowed snow than the SUVs on all-seasons in the other lane.

I had just put on snow tires in preparation for the trip, and they made all the difference. Highly recommended.

Exactly... I wish I had learned the snow tire lesson earlier.. Won't ever be without them again..

Sportstick has always provided good information on this sort of thing.. Perhaps put off the cat back system a few months and try a set of real Winter tires instead.. It's really worth it..

[morphomeman]

There is the added benefit of the smaller rims/fatter tires in the winter if you swap out the whole set. We get terrible potholes around here towards spring and they eat up my regular rims and tires (which is why I bought insurance).
Also, you can run true summer tires on your 18" rims rather than all-season if you have snows for the winter. Summer tires are dangerous below about 40 degrees F.

[isthar]

[isthar]

Originally Posted by Kolyan2k

I find AWD useless in Boston area, even with traveling to NH/ME ski resorts. Never had any traction or snow issues on RWD. Audi A4 was my last AWD car, now if there is a choice I pick RWD

I find my AWD in the Boston area useful to get my 4.0 0-60 times

I run square, winter tires on my AWD. Zero issues as you can imagine. With the usual caveats as discussed, AWD helps get off the line and get out of the snow, it's not helping you stay the course when turning or braking - that's what my Blizzaks are doing

Clearance wise, etc. the car is low, yes, so you can ram everything you could with a high SUV... but in moderate snow I take my car right out to practice (and I try to do it before plows sand and salt and make a mess of what should be beautiful white roads)