RWD and snow tires

Legal Bill · 01-04-2016, 10:25 AM

Hello. I'm about to order an M235I RWD with manual. I have an E90 330I RWD that I use year round with snow tires in the winter. In fact, almost every car I have owned in my long life has been RWD and I have used snow tires in the winter. I was wondering if any of you here have a RWD M235 that you use year round and how it has handled in the snow. Also, what tires have worked well for you. I may keep my current snow tires and just get new wheels for my M235 unless there is some preferred set up.

minestro · 01-04-2016, 01:33 PM

Hi,
I have a RWD M235i and I am driving on Alutec 17 inch wheels (square setup) with Bridgestone Blizzak WS80. It handles awesome in the snow and ice. I would definitely recommend these tires. FYI, I do not have the LSD, which some people suggest to get for better snow traction and track time.

Legal Bill · 01-07-2016, 10:03 AM

Thank you Minestro. Good to hear form someone from Massachusetts. You have real world experience with our particular brand of winter weather.

EEBreh · 01-08-2016, 04:09 PM

I have an M235i and I had to take 90 West to holyoke during that brief period of snow we had a week ago. I have XICE tires and I was pretty unimpressed with them but the tires were 3 psi low in the front and 6 low in the rear. I can write back in a month or two about my overall impressions if you would like.

Legal Bill · 01-11-2016, 12:27 PM

That would be great.

invntx · 01-11-2016, 10:02 PM

I live in Cleveland and have the same Bridgestone Blizzak 225 square tires on my M235 RWD with LSD as I did with a like setup on my previous 135i. These tires are great and give very good traction in mild snow conditions. Using the summer tires or even all season tires on these cars is impossible in any bad winter road condition in my opinion.

krhodes1 · 01-15-2016, 10:45 PM

I'm in Maine, also with a stickshift M235i - bought 225/40-18 Falken Eurowinters and am very happy with them so far. Very good in snow, decent on dry pavement, if a bit loud at high speed. Cheap, at ~$95/ea. Have them on MSW Type 65s. Got the tires from DiscountTireDirect, the wheels and sensors from TireRack.

If I hadn't gotten such a screaming deal on them, I probably would have gone with 17s, and if I lived in Boston doubly so. But we don't have anything like the potholes up here, just frost heaves. Frost heaves don't damage wheels usually, just your skull.

I will also add that EcoPro mode works GREAT in the snow!

mfourn20 · 01-17-2016, 07:01 AM

I have a rwd m sport 228i with a manual. Its my daily. I use general altimax arctics on a slightly narrower square setup with cheap chinese wheels. Didn't get stuck onceast year. Fantastic chassis in the snow.

BillD1953 · 01-17-2016, 08:44 AM

great topic.
I have a 228i 6MT "bare boned" beingbuilt now due at the dealership next month.
The 228i is a "2nd" car for fun but will be looking for winter tire and wheel options.

Legal Bill · 01-21-2016, 08:18 AM

The Tire Rack seems to have a lot of good choices for winter wheels, but I was disappointed that the selections I really liked were sold out for the season. I guess everyone else liked them too. I'm not sure when my car will arrive. Probably some time in March. So I'll need to get something for the remainder of the winter, unless we are blessed with an early spring to go along with the VERY long fall we enjoyed this year.

Legal Bill · 03-16-2016, 01:55 PM

So I ended up getting a square set of Koseis. 16 x 8s. they currently have my snow tires on them and they look and run great. I will try some autocross and track days with my car, and if I enjoy it, I'll also use these wheels for track tires. They are a good bit lighter than the stock wheels.

01-04-2016, 10:25 AM	#1
Legal Bill Second Lieutenant 59 Rep 204 Posts Drives: 2006 330i Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Canton, MA iTrader: (0)	RWD and snow tires Hello. I'm about to order an M235I RWD with manual. I have an E90 330I RWD that I use year round with snow tires in the winter. In fact, almost every car I have owned in my long life has been RWD and I have used snow tires in the winter. I was wondering if any of you here have a RWD M235 that you use year round and how it has handled in the snow. Also, what tires have worked well for you. I may keep my current snow tires and just get new wheels for my M235 unless there is some preferred set up.
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01-04-2016, 01:33 PM	#2
minestro Private 4 Rep 58 Posts Drives: BMW X2 Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Beverly, MA iTrader: (1)	Hi, I have a RWD M235i and I am driving on Alutec 17 inch wheels (square setup) with Bridgestone Blizzak WS80. It handles awesome in the snow and ice. I would definitely recommend these tires. FYI, I do not have the LSD, which some people suggest to get for better snow traction and track time.
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01-07-2016, 10:03 AM	#3
Legal Bill Second Lieutenant 59 Rep 204 Posts Drives: 2006 330i Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Canton, MA iTrader: (0)	Thank you Minestro. Good to hear form someone from Massachusetts. You have real world experience with our particular brand of winter weather.
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01-08-2016, 04:09 PM	#4
EEBreh Second Lieutenant 123 Rep 241 Posts Drives: "M" 235i Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: US iTrader: (0)	I have an M235i and I had to take 90 West to holyoke during that brief period of snow we had a week ago. I have XICE tires and I was pretty unimpressed with them but the tires were 3 psi low in the front and 6 low in the rear. I can write back in a month or two about my overall impressions if you would like.
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01-11-2016, 12:27 PM	#5
Legal Bill Second Lieutenant 59 Rep 204 Posts Drives: 2006 330i Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Canton, MA iTrader: (0)	That would be great.
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01-11-2016, 10:02 PM	#6
invntx New Member 0 Rep 6 Posts Drives: 2015 M235i Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Cleveland, OH iTrader: (0)	I live in Cleveland and have the same Bridgestone Blizzak 225 square tires on my M235 RWD with LSD as I did with a like setup on my previous 135i. These tires are great and give very good traction in mild snow conditions. Using the summer tires or even all season tires on these cars is impossible in any bad winter road condition in my opinion.
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01-15-2016, 10:45 PM	#7
krhodes1 Colonel 1587 Rep 2,596 Posts Drives: 2011 328i Wagon Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Westbrook, Maine, Port Charlotte, Florida iTrader: (1) Garage List 2011 128i [10.00] 2011 BMW 328i Touring [10.00]	I'm in Maine, also with a stickshift M235i - bought 225/40-18 Falken Eurowinters and am very happy with them so far. Very good in snow, decent on dry pavement, if a bit loud at high speed. Cheap, at ~$95/ea. Have them on MSW Type 65s. Got the tires from DiscountTireDirect, the wheels and sensors from TireRack. If I hadn't gotten such a screaming deal on them, I probably would have gone with 17s, and if I lived in Boston doubly so. But we don't have anything like the potholes up here, just frost heaves. Frost heaves don't damage wheels usually, just your skull. I will also add that EcoPro mode works GREAT in the snow! __________________ '11 328! Touring - Tasman on Chestnut, 6spd manual, factory upside-down "i" option '11 128i Convertible - Space Gray on Savannah Beige, 6spd manual, also '14 Mercedes-Benz E350 wagon, '95 Land Rover Discovery, '74 Triumph Spitfire
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01-17-2016, 07:01 AM	#8
mfourn20 First Lieutenant 53 Rep 321 Posts Drives: 228i M Sport Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Warwick, RI USA iTrader: (0)	I have a rwd m sport 228i with a manual. Its my daily. I use general altimax arctics on a slightly narrower square setup with cheap chinese wheels. Didn't get stuck onceast year. Fantastic chassis in the snow.
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01-17-2016, 08:44 AM	#9
BillD1953 Lieutenant 235 Rep 424 Posts Drives: 2018 X3 M40i Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Portsmouth NH iTrader: (0)	great topic. I have a 228i 6MT "bare boned" beingbuilt now due at the dealership next month. The 228i is a "2nd" car for fun but will be looking for winter tire and wheel options.
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01-21-2016, 08:18 AM	#10
Legal Bill Second Lieutenant 59 Rep 204 Posts Drives: 2006 330i Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Canton, MA iTrader: (0)	The Tire Rack seems to have a lot of good choices for winter wheels, but I was disappointed that the selections I really liked were sold out for the season. I guess everyone else liked them too. I'm not sure when my car will arrive. Probably some time in March. So I'll need to get something for the remainder of the winter, unless we are blessed with an early spring to go along with the VERY long fall we enjoyed this year.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-16-2016, 01:55 PM	#11
Legal Bill Second Lieutenant 59 Rep 204 Posts Drives: 2006 330i Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Canton, MA iTrader: (0)	So I ended up getting a square set of Koseis. 16 x 8s. they currently have my snow tires on them and they look and run great. I will try some autocross and track days with my car, and if I enjoy it, I'll also use these wheels for track tires. They are a good bit lighter than the stock wheels.
	Appreciate 0 Quote