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      10-19-2019, 05:36 PM   #1
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Anyone Regret Retaining Summer Tires During Winter?

Greetings all,

As the title states, does anyone regret having retained OEM performance summer tires (Michelin Pilot Super Sports) w/225/18 & 245/18, during the winter months, especially those living in areas where temps dip below freezing???

I posted here, as opposed to the Wheel/Tire Section, in order to receive a larger response pool.

I ask, because I know that I am rationalizing having AWD/X-Drive on my car, knowing that summer tires don't perform well with temps dipping below 40 degrees or so. This is especially true with high performance cars with OEM Ultra High Performance (UHP) tires.

I don't want to go the winter/summer tire exchange route, so if I purchase new tires, I would get UHP A/S tires...

I'm looking for real world driving experiences with anyone who drives an X-Drive 2 Series, and has retained the summer performance tires during the winter months. What are/were your experiences???

TYIA/Cheers,

B
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      10-19-2019, 05:57 PM   #2
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Have rwd 235 and ran first two or three winters on the Pilot summer tire. I also have the six speed I mention this because the manual transmission may not apply power to the rear wheels as delicately as an automatic.

Living outside Baltimore so we get winter temps in the teens on many winter mornings.

Never had an issue with cracking tread, something I read about with Corvettes and some of their Goodyear tires.

On dry pavement in very cold conditions I never had any issues. On black ice I had one slide that surprised me, rear stepped out a few feet in a slow turn. In freezing rain I would just concentrate and drive cautiously, increase my braking distances and try to be very smooth.

This winter I plan on using the Michelin summer 4S throughout the cold months. If need be I'll leave the 235 at home and walk.

On new summer tires I'd been able to power myself through a few millimeters of fresh snow and had to shovel my driveway to get into it since any snow covered incline was very difficult to pass unless I had speed.

Last winter I had my Michelin Pilot A/S 3+ slide backward after parking as I was walking to my house. Tread was definitely a few thousand miles from showing the wear bars at that point.

Had been looking at a winter set of wheels and tires this winter (before deciding on running summer) one thing is I really didn't like the look of most of the aftermarket wheels, the Apex wheel I was interested in was on backorder till December. Secondly I didn't want a set of spare wheels and tires sitting in storage.

Last edited by overcoil; 10-19-2019 at 06:05 PM..
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      10-19-2019, 06:21 PM   #3
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TY, SS!
This kind of info is exactly what I was looking for. Appreciate your insight!
Our weather (Cincy) mirrors B-Moe's weather. I used to live in Rockville, MD, so I can relate with your winter driving experiences. Go TERPS!!!

My sentiments exactly with having to store extra wheels and tires, or worse yet, damaging rims with the required exchange of winter/summer tires, every year. I just experienced this with my wife's Macan. I had to purchase new A/S tires after only 30k miles. My rims have some visible nicks from the tire exchange. Annoying! However, I would never file a complaint, because it is just not worth it. I'm OCD enough as it is. Can't let every little thing bother you...

At the end of the day, and as you also relay in your response email, common sense must prevail when operating a vehicle in inclement weather...

Have a super remaining weekend. Thanks again...

Cheers/BB
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      10-19-2019, 06:56 PM   #4
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Driving summer tires in winter is foolish and dangerous. Even if perfectly dry outside the compound is not meant for cold, gets hard and slick. Bad for the tires and bad for handling. I once got caught in April with summer tires on a random cold day and slid sideways across my parking lot - pavement was perfectly dry.

Getting winter wheels and tires doesn't actually cost you much, your summers will last twice as long and you'll be safe year round.
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      10-19-2019, 07:54 PM   #5
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Not sure I can add much to this discussion but here it goes...

Ben, not sure where you are in OH; however as a native of Cleveland, I remember snow to the roof (perhaps our house was only 3 feet high...I was a little spud) when I was a kid prior to our families trek east to SE PA. This said, I would take a RWD BMW with a V8 and snow tires over any AWD BMW with summer tires. There is a ton of data on this site regarding All-Season versus Snow, as well as many opinions; however if you want to see performance visually on Summer / All Season and Snow and Ice rated tires, Tire Rack has some really cool videos they did on the Ice Rink at Notre Dame University showing the differences in grip. It is really interesting and a real eye opener! Summer tires are not designed for snow or cold weather use, period.

In addition, I lived in Upstate NY (around Syracuse) until about 8 years ago, and my Audi S4 with snow tires was a monster in the snow; it was also a lot of fun with the Conti DW UHP tires in the summer. I changed tires every 6 months; wore out the lug bolts and had to replace them (I had for 15 years). Since I typically was on call 24/7, I would not have had it any other way regarding tires.

Bottom line is nothing beats proper Snow and Ice (with the little mountain emblem) rated rubber in the snow. Now, that I have said this, I did spend one winter recently (2017/18) driving my 550I (6M) with Continental DWS UHP All-Season tires doing my 100 mile RT commute here in Connecticut. It worked fine but it definitely was not as good as having snow rated tires. ScottSinger said it best; it forced me to remember how to drive smooth; which is always the way to go. I am glad I did it, as it reminded me how to drive more effectively; but I did have a couple of white knuckle drives as I pushed the limits of adhesion.

I will have HP Snows on my M235 this winter. Good luck with your decision.
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      10-20-2019, 01:11 AM   #6
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The coldest it gets here in the winter is maybe one week of 40s (at night). MP4S year round!
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      10-20-2019, 08:27 AM   #7
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SE North Carolina here - summer tires all year (non-runflat), as we rarely have snow/ice, although we do get some below-freezing temps now and then. We don't "commute", though, and are able to avoid driving in "iffy" conditions.
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      10-20-2019, 09:57 AM   #8
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Do yourself a favor and get a set of high performance snows such as Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4's, a 2nd set of rims, enjoy yourself this winter while upgrading your level of control and safety to yourself and everyone around you.
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      10-20-2019, 10:10 AM   #9
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Look on Craigslist for BMW wheels & tires. There are generally available at very good prices as people trade cars and have no use of the snow tires & wheels that don't fit their new car. Just be sure to check the fit on your car before final purchase.

Probably will see mostly used 8J x 17 ET34 rims since that was standard for 3 and 4-series, but this will work on a 230 or 240, but extend outward a few mm over stock. That what I'm using for winter.
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      10-20-2019, 10:19 PM   #10
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Summer tires on an AWD car in freezing temps is a horrible idea. I learned this lesson years ago in a Subaru WRX when I lived in North Carolina and decided to take a drive for fun in the middle of a rare blizzard and basically ice skated right through a 4-way stop sign. I wasn't going fast at all either, and I was lucky I didn't hit anyone or get stuck. I grew up in the Midwest, so I know how to drive in the snow. The mistake I made was not even being aware at the time that my Subaru came with summer tires. It was new and every car I had ever owned before had All-Season tires, so I just had the noob ignorance to believe AWD would trump tire compound. NOPE. Don't be a fool like I was!
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      10-21-2019, 08:28 AM   #11
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We got an inch of snow in October once when I still had my summer tires on my WRX. It was super dangerous on any unplowed surfaces. The stopping distance was 10X what it would have been with even all-seasons. Don't be caught out in the snow on summer tires.
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      10-21-2019, 08:51 AM   #12
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Ohio isn't known for balmy weather so unless you work from home, I don't see this as a realistic option. But if you're very disciplined, and don't drive if there's snow or ice on the ground, and get an Uber home (not worth your safety), then yes it's possible, although not recommended, and not worth the inconvenience, IMHO.

I've had to reposition my RWD sports car with ultra-high performance summer tires in a light snow, and could barely get up my driveway, there was so much tire spinning. And I was only going 5 mph. If you're doing 50 and apply a little too much power in a corner or hit an icy patch, it's over. Even all-seasons will slide around a lot in snow, I don't consider them safe. Winter tires = passing AWD vehicles during a snowstorm, the difference is that dramatic. RWD vs. AWD is not part of the safety argument here, I don't have a problem with some wheelspin when moving from a stop, I have a problem when I hit the brakes and I slide through the stop sign. "All wheel DRIVE" doesn't help you stop because 4 wheel drive multiplied by 0 traction still (4x0=0) means no traction. 2 wheel drive x 4 winter tires w/traction = 2 if you're accelerating, 8 if you're stopping...math doesn't quite add up but you get the idea.

Lastly, a set of used BMW wheels and winter tires is $600-1000. A set of new wheels and tires is $1500. Your insurance deductible is probably $500-1000 and if you crash your car or hit someone else from lack of traction, depending on how much the claim costs the insurance company, they'll get their money back by increasing your premium $300-1000 for the next few years. Now winter tires seem cheap right?

Last edited by wt888; 10-21-2019 at 09:02 AM..
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      10-21-2019, 09:02 AM   #13
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I'm in Louisville and switch out summer for winter in around Thanksgiving and back again in early April. Yes it's a hassle, but well worth it. This is the first car I have ever owned with summer performance tires and they are great in the summer but not good when in gets cold, or worse yet icy or snowy. I purchased 17" winter wheels with Michelin X ice winters which are a little higher profile and besides being "stickier" in the winter, they make handling the inevitable winter potholes much easier to navigate.
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      10-21-2019, 09:10 AM   #14
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How about running winters in summer? I see lazy people do this all time ..wear them out very quick.
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      10-21-2019, 09:27 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kothar View Post
How about running winters in summer? I see lazy people do this all time ..wear them out very quick.
yeah, they get real soft and handling gets really vague. my brother in law does this all the time. crazy if you ask me.
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      10-21-2019, 09:34 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bensanford View Post
Look on Craigslist for BMW wheels & tires. There are generally available at very good prices as people trade cars and have no use of the snow tires & wheels that don't fit their new car. Just be sure to check the fit on your car before final purchase.

Probably will see mostly used 8J x 17 ET34 rims since that was standard for 3 and 4-series, but this will work on a 230 or 240, but extend outward a few mm over stock. That what I'm using for winter.
do you have pics of these size wheels on your 2-series?

you're right in that they are widely available on CL, and i've considered pulling the trigger for a winter set. assume you're running 225/50 tires?

the online calculator seems to indicate no clearance issues, but i've been reluctant to buy any of these wheels until i confirmed with someone who's running them without issues.

https://www.willtheyfit.com/index.ph...h=8&offset2=34

thanks!
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      10-21-2019, 10:23 AM   #17
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Can we run a square setup on the xdrive models or is it recommended to run 225 / 245 front and rear to preserve the awd system. I just got the car and am quickly realizing the summers aren't oriented for even fall weather
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      10-21-2019, 11:21 AM   #18
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Do you have a US equivalent to the UK official BMW wheel configurator?

https://www.bmw.co.uk/en/topics/owne...figurator.html

If so, that is a good starting-point for getting an idea of what is 'mainstream'/'standard' fitment.

For some reason, while the UK site has the M235i xDrive as an option, it doesn't show the M240i xDrive. Since we can't get the M2xxi in xDrive form here, you'd expect it to either show the xDrive options for both models, or neither.
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      10-21-2019, 11:26 AM   #19
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Put it this way:

In Germany / Denmark, if you get into a car accident in the winter and they find you have summer tires on they will most likely put you 100% at fault regardless of the circumstances.
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      10-21-2019, 11:33 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BEM-S4 View Post
Driving summer tires in winter is foolish and dangerous. Even if perfectly dry outside the compound is not meant for cold, gets hard and slick. Bad for the tires and bad for handling. I once got caught in April with summer tires on a random cold day and slid sideways across my parking lot - pavement was perfectly dry.

Getting winter wheels and tires doesn't actually cost you much, your summers will last twice as long and you'll be safe year round.
This post says it all.

The summer compound turns into a tricycle tire in the winter. I prefer having the best of both worlds, two sets of wheels/tires does just that.
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      10-21-2019, 11:35 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by happyjack View Post
do you have pics of these size wheels on your 2-series?

you're right in that they are widely available on CL, and i've considered pulling the trigger for a winter set. assume you're running 225/50 tires?

the online calculator seems to indicate no clearance issues, but i've been reluctant to buy any of these wheels until i confirmed with someone who's running them without issues.

https://www.willtheyfit.com/index.ph...h=8&offset2=34

thanks!
I've ran the Type 159 BMW E90 wheels on my 2 series for 5 winters. 17x8 ET 34. They look flush and don't poke at all. 225/45/17 tires.
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      10-21-2019, 11:58 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BenDiem View Post
My sentiments exactly with having to store extra wheels and tires, or worse yet, damaging rims with the required exchange of winter/summer tires, every year. I just experienced this with my wife's Macan. I had to purchase new A/S tires after only 30k miles. My rims have some visible nicks from the tire exchange. Annoying! However, I would never file a complaint, because it is just not worth it. I'm OCD enough as it is. Can't let every little thing bother you...
I've had Performance Alignment on Mosteller mount three sets for me and haven't had any issues with rims getting nicked. They might be worth a try if you haven't yet found a satisfactory shop to mount your tires. They also have a Hunter Road Force balance machine.
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