Winter tyres...

[X5LAW]

To change or not to change?

If so, when do you change?

Do you change 4 or fronts or rears?

I had an ML a couple of years back and two winter tyres on the front did a power of good in the snow. I was very impressed with the added grip and wondered if the X5 might need the added help.

Your thoughts?

Apologies if this has been covered before.

[X5Sport]

Always all 4.  Not good to have a mix on a perm 4WD car IMHO.  Different grip due to temperature performance.  Summers go 'off' as winters come 'on' at around 7C.  I would not want to test the fragility of the BMW transmission - it did come off the Range Rover after all and they weren't the most reliable back then.

I change to winters when the average overnight temp falls to around 7C and the day temps around 12C and we get regular frosts at night.

[X5LAW]

But it's not perm 4wd is it? It's Awd which is not really the same, unless I'm mistaken...?

[kkx5]

Depends... up to 2004 (well end of 2003) its fixed AWD 40:60, 2004 up till today Variable x-drive AWD. Tyres, always 4 winters or 4 summers.

[X5LAW]

Thanks both

[Moments]

I have a sport with Michelin Diamaris 19" tyres. They are awful in snow!
I change to 17" 235 Michelin MXV4 M+S, which are all season, in the winter. These are much better despite not being full winter tyres, and a good compromise in the absence of very cold weather.
I will probably get full winter tyres but the problem - if it is a problem - is that my tyre consumption is remarkably light so I don't think it will be this winter.

[X5LAW]

I've gone for Pirelli scorpion ice & snow all round on my staggered 19s. Just going to get them fitted and hope they do the job. Cheaper than buying a set of 17" rims and I still have 4 good tyres come March/April

[X5Sport]

They will.  I have the same in my X6 and they have been fine through three winters.  Will be getting them fitted again shortly (mine are stored by BMW).

Richard

[Horizon]

[quote="X5LAW"]
I've gone for Pirelli scorpion ice & snow all round on my staggered 19s. Just going to get them fitted and hope they do the job. Cheaper than buying a set of 17" rims and I still have 4 good tyres come March/April
[/quote]

I ran VReds wintrac extreme winter tyres on my e53 in the same sizes as my summers on 19,s. It would go anywhere without even flickering the traction control light, unless you went silly of course . £650 to buy for a set of four from Tyremen, then £10 a corner to have them swapped. I even left them on all year as I was only doing 5k a year.

[Don Coffey]

[quote="X5LAW"]
But it's not perm 4wd is it? It's Awd which is not really the same, unless I'm mistaken...?
[/quote]
It's still full time 4 wheel drive.  The X drive system allows the power to move forward on backwards as well as left and right to where ever the best grip is achieved.

Don

[X5LAW]

First impressions:

Different sound but feels and sounds better.. Had that slight witting sound before wich I suspected was trams wind up. Seems better now with quality tyres matched and all same depth. Going the cockermouth so will be fair tested 240 miles round trip tomorrow. Thanks for getting me on track.

[cooa99]

What are the tyre sizes you got?.

I am thinking of buying winter tyres(and maybe alloys)  for mine as well.

As moments said, the diamaris are absolutely crap in winter,  No joke my Golf MKIV TDI  even handles better in winter of its summer tyres!

So I have a big dilemma which is either to buy new 19" tyres to swap on my existing wheels OR buy complete set of 17" or 18" Alloys + tyres.

It does not help when the missus has almost taken over my shed with her junk making it almost impossible to store wheels ... i will have to buy A garden storage box

[fenj66]

im suprised to hear some of the reports re diamaris tyres in winter, mine has 19's and for the last 5 winters have managed snow and ice in devons hills without any problems whatsoever considering their a summer tyre, i certainly dont feel the need to change to specific winters with these on. of course, i do drive more cautiously in snow and ice anyway.

[cooa99]

I found that the diamaris handled well when there is lots of snow, But was a nightmare on compacted snow.

About  4yrs ago when the snow was really bad down in London and snow was compacted, every time I pressed the brakes(with car still in drive) ..... the rear of the car just slides to the side, it was really scary.

Really silly question my X5 had 255/50 R19 in front and 285/45 R19 in the back, .... Is that what they call staggered set?

[Horizon]

[quote="cooa99"]



Really silly question my X5 had 255/50 R19 in front and 285/45 R19 in the back, .... Is that what they call staggered set?
[/quote]
Yes