How much difference do Winter tyres make to X5?

davyk31 · Post by **davyk31** » Thu Aug 25, 2011 12:11 pm

Just asking who has actual experience of how much improvement there is in bad weather by fitting a good set of winter tyres.

I have an E70 X5 which was frightening last year. Traction to get moving was not a problem but it was frightening at low speed on icy roads where it just slid on at very low speed. My wife mostly drives it and was very scared of it. She had big issues turning in the school carpark where it just wanted to slide on towards other cars etc despite her going at a snails pace and all other normal school run front wheel drive cars had no issues. I have a set of genuine 19" wheels purchased from Ebay and am considering Vredstein Wintracs but at Â£700 for a set they aren't cheap. Car is used mostly around town so not needing to plough down snow filled lanes or anything but guess last years extreme weather causes a few worries for this winter. On one hand I reckon get the tyres and on the other hand I'm thinking its a lot of cash.

So anyone who has fitted them does it transform the vehicle. To my mind its hard to see it will at the low speed, stopping and turning problems I have described as its still a very heavy car.

pvr · Post by **pvr** » Thu Aug 25, 2011 12:26 pm

They will transform. I did the same on my car and even on a very small slope of my drive, the X5 would slide all over the place.

With the winter tyres, it is just great as they just grip on the ice. Town or not, the ice is the same as you found out and the handling of the car will be transformed. Braking is no longer the "hope and see" situation, it just works.

AW8 · Post by **AW8** » Thu Aug 25, 2011 1:18 pm

Another (more compromising to ultimate winter & summer ultimate summer performance), option would be to fit a tyre that is more friendly to all season work. If I don't manage to source dedicated winter rims & tyres then I will maybe consider something like General Grabber Tyres to replace my 19" Diamaris when they eventually need changing. Nowhere near being a substitute for dedicated snow &/or winter tyres but likely to be better in snow than my Diamaris & may also improve abilities everyday in circ's...... such as driving on sand or wet grass.

davyk31 · Post by **davyk31** » Thu Aug 25, 2011 1:51 pm

I have already sourced a set of 19" wheels to replace my 20" over winter so going with one type of tyre all year round wouldn't make a lot of sense for me. Sounds like a good set of winter tyres will perform much better in the ice which was the most alarming situation last year. I really couldn't understand why it was so bad, even turning inot roads, stopping etc all at very low speed it just wanted to slowly slide on in a staight line ususally towards someone else who was thinking why dont they just stop.

What make of tyres were you using pvr?

pvr · Post by **pvr** » Thu Aug 25, 2011 2:00 pm

Avon tyres, very happy with them and the could get the car up pure ice hills. No experience with other makes though.

Avtar · Post by **Avtar** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 4:19 pm

Found a significant difference with winter tyres. The car was like a 2 ton sleigh on 20"s and the 19"s with Pirelli Scorpion Ice & Snow were great. One day there was a big snow downfall, everyone around me was at a snails pace and I was moving swiftly and safely with the winters on.

CondorX5 · Post by **CondorX5** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 7:57 pm

I can absolutely guarantee they will transform the X into a mean, snow and ice-beating machine. Seriously, (I do go on a bit about winter tyres as the regulars will tell you!!) the difference is fantastic. I have run Vredestein Wintracs for several years and absolutely would never drive an X in winter conditions without them, ever again. My E53 4.8is has a set of OEM BMW 18" wheels for winter (brakes too big for the 17" wheels) with Vredies and the performance is absolutely brilliant - car runs like its on rails, superb traction, really secure, left a number of Land Rover products stuck (those who thought that 22" low profile performance tyres were a great idea - NOT!!!). I travelled 1000s of miles across country in the worst of weather these past two winters in the X - first in my old X, a 3.0i that I fitted 17" BMW wheels on, with Vredies - Wintracs again. The 4.8 can't do 17"s, so a lucky 3.0d driver bought them when I upgraded. First thing I did was source winter wheels and tyres for the 4.8.

I've checked the official BMW Winter tyre brochure for the recommended winter wheel combos for an E70: - There is an 18" and a 19" combo recommended - , with Cross spoke style 177 wheels (18") or Y spoke 211 wheels (19") being the official recommendation - 255/55R18 tyres or 255/50R19 . Offsets are 8.5J x 18 or 9J x 19. No staggered set ups, same all round.

The huge rear summer tyres (over 12 inches wide!!) are somewhat like sleds, with absolutely no traction in icy conditions - no matter how good and expensive the car, the winter handling will only ever be as good as the tyres. And potentially lifesaving!! Vredies are good value compared to the normal summer rubber and perform at their best from 7 degrees downwards. I would always go for the smallest and thinnest winter tyre set up recommended for the car as this will perform the best in the worst weather.

All weather tyres just don't do it for me - not really great in winter and not what you want in summer - I'd go for the winter set everytime.

If you search for winter tyre threads on here there is quite a bit of info, a lot of it me banging on about how fantastic winter tyres are (and how pvr ended up with Avons instead of Vredies becuase he dawdled in ordering

) I think there may be a photo of my 4.8 with its little 18" wheels on here too...... the ride is very comfortable despite the lack of street cred and hey, there's no street cred when you're upside down in a ditch

davyk31 · Post by **davyk31** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 8:32 pm

Thanks for all the replies guys. My winter wheels are genuine BMW 19" wheels so they are staggered. That made me think I need 255 front and 285 rear as the rears are wider. Anyone fitted 255 to rears with wider wheels?

CondorX5 · Post by **CondorX5** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 8:37 pm

I think you can do 255/50R19 all round - staggered set ups are not recommended for winter wheels and would also be unnecessary extra expense. There is a LOT of info on winter tyres on BMW Land - a dedicated sub forum if I recollect, and a BMW wheel /tyre guru named Ollie who knows all the appropriate sizes, offsets, what wheels and tyres will fit what model etc. Worth a read as well.

pvr · Post by **pvr** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 9:41 pm

[quote=""CondorX5""]and how pvr ended up with Avons instead of Vredies becuase he dawdled in ordering

) [/quote]

Memory of an elephant ...

ITBarbie · Post by **ITBarbie** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 11:01 pm

I didn't know you don't need staggered on the 19's

Been looking at winter tyres today. Camskill have the Verdestein's in at the moment. Did look at Avons which are cheaper somewhat but they haven't got stock for another 4 weeks. Been on eBay today to look at a poss spare set of rims to put them on but nothing up of interest. Either way sounds like lots of cash

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pvr · Post by **pvr** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 11:09 pm

Regretted selling your 17" wheels?

ITBarbie · Post by **ITBarbie** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 11:22 pm

[quote=""pvr""]Regretted selling your 17" wheels?

[/quote]

Yeah thanks for that!!!! I can even get a set now for what I sold them for

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pvr · Post by **pvr** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 11:30 pm

Just thought I would remind you

Waka · Post by **Waka** » Mon Aug 29, 2011 11:05 am

While I'm sure that winter tyres will make a huge to difference to driving on the snow...last winter I changed my (barely legal) Michelin Diamaris tyres for brand new Toyo Proxes and the difference was phenomenal.

So for South Coast drivers like me

new tyres will be enough.

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