XSeries-forum

As I have already mentioned in my newbie post- I am considering the x5 as a winter/daily car as I may be moving jobs to a rural /snowy location and think the z4 may struggle!
Is the x5 really any good in snow (UK snow I know isnt that baad but the new school is on high ground and can be pretty bad) Am i going to be ok on noraml tyres? Thanks

the z will still be my sunny day car tho!

Depends what it comes with bought used.

Michelin Diamaris fitted to most and whilst fine in summer and in wet not regaeded as best in snow.

I drove Sussex to Suffolk in quite heavy snow in mine whilst it was shod with Diamaris & no major probs other than ironically it taking me an hour to get off my drive before the journey !

Those that have fitted dedicated winter rims with snow/winter tyres have been very happy. You can swap to winter tyres for the colder months or like others buy a 2nd set of rims used & fit winter rubber. Folk running winter rims tends to use 17" & 18" wheels though I have read of someone happy with snow tyres on their factory 20's. Bear in mind 4.6is and 4.8is need min size of 18" to clear the bigger, ( & more expensive to replace), brakes.

Keen not to resurrect the debate but on our old site there was historical debate re pros & cons of narrower tyres in snow. Majority seem to advocate narrower tyres cut through better.

Whilst fairly knowedgable re such things I stress my comments are on back of comments from others & my own research. I am yet to own a set of dedicated winter/snow tyres, (on any car).

It's all about the tyres...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXuhfwY74b8

W.

The X5 can be 'interesting' in deep snow but a lot more controllable than a rear wheel drive BMW. Our E46 thinks nothing of swapping ends in snow. Probably because it's an M Sport and has such wide tyres. The only deep snow I've seen around these parts was no problem for the X as long as I drove sensibly and used the brakes as gently as possibly. Stopping the car can be the fun part!! The standard tyres are not really suitable, but at more than £2k a set for OEM snow tyre and wheel sets (which our local Dealer will not 'Hotel' for us as they have no space) I've not bothered yet. We're also lucky we have a gritting station 400m away so they always grit past us, which takes all the fun away.

At the risk of being called boring and predictable, I'd advocate the second set of rims for dedicated winter tyres - change when the temp is consistently below 7 degrees C and back to summer rubber around Easter time. For me, its Vredestein Wintrac Extremes, they were just fantastic last winter, but major tyre manufacturers all do good winter tyres. The longer you leave it, though, the less likely you are to find decent prices for tyres or rims, or indeed, any stock at all!!!!

Looks like its on its way!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weath ... itain.html

I've just gone with a brand new set of Toyo Proxes ST tyres all round on the 4.8

I did look into buying a set of 19s for winter and then a set of Vredsteins but with the total cost I just couldn't justify it. Over the last winter period I only got stuck once in the M5 on PS2 tyres (which are a proper summer tyre), so my thinking is that an X5 with decent all round tyres should be fine.

Obviously I have just jinxed myself now....

I have 19" Michelins on my X5 and had no problems getting through some quite deep snow last year 'up North'. It pulled away up inclines where my previous rear wheel cars could not cope. The only problem I found was trying to stop on snow or ice . It did not like that at all and I had to break very carefully and allow plenty of time to stop.

Graeme.

[quote=""Raj""]I've just gone with a brand new set of Toyo Proxes ST tyres all round on the 4.8[/quote]

How are you getting on with the Toyo's?

I am just looking to replace all 4 on my 4.8 and was considering these.......

Owen

Don't know if they come in such mahoosive sizes but my better half had 'Uniroyal Rainsports' on her last car(not an X). Whilst she didn't go to work I did and used her car and it was outstanding in Ice and snow whereas the X was driveable on the 'Diamaris' but not fun.

Hi I've had Toyo's fitted since I've had the car and have had no problems what so ever, great on a run down to Spain in the summer and considering the width they are good in the snow, as long as you take it easy with the braking (same as all tyres really, I have worked in Siberia and even with studded tyres you still have to respect the roads). I wouldn't swap very happy and a good price.

X5 4.8is Le Mans Blue
Intravee, Reverse camera, DVD headrests, PlayStation (when I get round to fitting it, along with a media console)