Motoring Discussion > BMW - Should I buy winter wheels/tyres? Miscellaneous
Thread Author: legacylad Replies: 15
View Threaded 

New Fri 2 Jul 10 18:09 
 BMW - Should I buy winter wheels/tyres? - legacylad
When I bought my '04 330Ci earlier this year I was going to buy a set of the above this summer. One of my two part time jobs is accessible by train, with excellent connecting times for my work hours, and the other job is a 20 minute walk away. Lucky me!
I think a major part of my decision to buy a 'winter set' was to prove that I could get around in snowy conditions. In reality, this mind set was just childish & immature given the risks of driving in snowy & icy conditions in rural North Yorks.
Methink the £500 it would cost me would be better spent elsewhere. Please could any of you good people out there confirm this.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Fri 2 Jul 10 18:26 
 BMW - Should I buy winter wheels/tyres? - Skoda
It's not childish at all LL. I justified the expense in that i didn't want to be piloting 2 tons of metal into a person all because i'd set off in conditions my tyres were tosh for.

Leave the car at home is a good option, i'm not suggesting it's not.

With winter tyres on (and a bit of common sense) grip is not an issue in snow (fresh or old), slush or heavy melt water. Clearance is an issue first.

I bought my tyres from mytyres.co.uk and thoroughly recommend them. Camskill are another one who get rave reviews but no first hand experience.

Black circles are rarely competitive on price these days i find, maybe it's just my sizes :-(


Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Fri 2 Jul 10 18:30 
 BMW - Should I buy winter wheels/tyres? - jc2
Irrespective of what you put on yours,someone else's two tons can hit you.
Reply to this message | Report message
      1  
New Sat 3 Jul 10 08:33 
 BMW - Should I buy winter wheels/tyres? - L'escargot
>> .........
>> ............. 2 tons of metal

1.5 tons is nearer the mark for a 330Ci.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sat 3 Jul 10 08:43 
 BMW - Should I buy winter wheels/tyres? - Zero
Probably has half a ton of RSJ's in it to stiffen it up.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sat 3 Jul 10 11:14 
 BMW - Should I buy winter wheels/tyres? - corax
>> >> .........
>> >> ............. 2 tons of metal
>>
>> 1.5 tons is nearer the mark for a 330Ci.

I think CraigP has a 7 series.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Fri 2 Jul 10 18:32 
 BMW - Should I buy winter wheels/tyres? - Tooslow
Depends. Is it going to snow this winter? You could get some of those Autosocks (sox?) things,

Enjoying the summer are you :-) I'm off to the leafy part of NY around Leyburn tomorrow.

JH
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Fri 2 Jul 10 18:35 
 BMW - Should I buy winter wheels/tyres? - madf
Well BMWs on summer tyres are undrivable in snow.

Will they be any better on winter tyres?

And on ice, it makes no difference..

Hire a decent FWD car..
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Fri 2 Jul 10 18:44 
 BMW - Should I buy winter wheels/tyres? - Old Navy
You can buy and fit the best winter tyres you can find, but when the BMW in front of you on summer tyres blocks the road even an X5 on snow tyres goes nowhere.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Fri 2 Jul 10 19:00 
 BMW - Should I buy winter wheels/tyres? - Bigtee
In europe they fit winter tyres i think they have no choice insurance or something so yes do it £500.00 is nothing you own the bmw they cost much more.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Fri 2 Jul 10 19:25 
 BMW - Should I buy winter wheels/tyres? - Zero
I have been driving in the UK for 37 years. I have never needed winter tyres, nor had an accident caused by the lack of them.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Fri 2 Jul 10 20:43 
 BMW - Should I buy winter wheels/tyres? - -
Ows about keeping a beady eye on that auction site for a handy set of alloys, might even find a set of winters lurking there too over time.

If you decide to go with the winters keep checking Camskills and Mytyres for your size, sooner or later a bargain price will come up during the summer/autumn.

Actually got a better idea, treat yourself to a set of Vredestein Quatrac 3's, all season with the snowflake symbol, tread half winter half summer...good compromise?
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sat 3 Jul 10 09:37 
 BMW - Should I buy winter wheels/tyres? - Iffy
....keep checking mytyres for....

Very, er, 'mixed' reviews for Mytyres here:

www.reviewcentre.com/reviews98702.html

These things are always hard to weigh up, but there does seem to be a fair number of people who were left feeling, if you'll pardon the pun, let down.

Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sat 3 Jul 10 10:43 
 BMW - Should I buy winter wheels/tyres? - smokie
Been OK for me on a number of occasions...
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sat 3 Jul 10 12:11 
 BMW - Should I buy winter wheels/tyres? - Boxsterboy
From the OP, it sounds like he doesn't actually NEED winter tyres. We drive to the alps at least once a year, and so winter tyres are a necessity. Having bought them, I might as well get my moneys worth, so I put them on at Christmas and take them off at the end of March.

They make the world of difference to grip whether we put them on the rear drive Merc or the front drive C8. If you think you are going to drive in snowy conditions they are an essential, in my opinion. Yes, you still have to drive round stranded X5s and the like whose wide 'performance' tyres won't perform in conditions like snow (remember the X6 on Top Gear?). But it sounds like the OP can get by without.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Sat 3 Jul 10 13:48 
 BMW - Should I buy winter wheels/tyres? - -
>> Been OK for me on a number of occasions...
>>

Me too, Mytyres and Camskills.

Incidentally for those considering Vredestein Quatracs, the set of Quatrac 2's on my daughters thrashed and abused 106 has now covered just over 40K after several rotations and will be replaced very soon, now down to 3mm.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Sat 3 Jul 10 at 13:50
Reply to this message | Report message
       
Latest Forum Posts