[wbmorey]

Picking up a 2014 335i (MT, RWD) this Tuesday. I live in NJ and I believe the car came from california, so it has summer performance tires on it (bridgestone run-flats). The dealer (who drives an older M3) tells me that as long as I don't drive in the snow, the summer times will be OK in the winter. While I can avoid driving in the snow (I live at the beach, it does not snow as much here as the mainland), I will be driving this car in sub-40 degree temperatures for probably 5 months straight.

Can people please opine on whether or not summer performance tires are a good idea during those months or should I switch them out for all season or winter/snow tires?

I have been driving an F-150 for 8 years, so I am buying the car to drive and do want the performance all year.

Thanks! I pumped to be joining the family and these forums have been a great resource so far!

[bmwauug]

Originally Posted by wbmorey

Picking up a 2014 335i (MT, RWD) this Tuesday. I live in NJ and I believe the car came from california, so it has summer performance tires on it (bridgestone run-flats). The dealer (who drives an older M3) tells me that as long as I don't drive in the snow, the summer times will be OK in the winter. While I can avoid driving in the snow (I live at the beach, it does not snow as much here as the mainland), I will be driving this car in sub-40 degree temperatures for probably 5 months straight.

Can people please opine on whether or not summer performance tires are a good idea during those months or should I switch them out for all season or winter/snow tires?

I have been driving an F-150 for 8 years, so I am buying the car to drive and do want the performance all year.

Thanks! I pumped to be joining the family and these forums have been a great resource so far!

You do not want to use summer tires in the winter. Period. Cold temps make summer tires hockey pucks.

[Polo08816]

Originally Posted by wbmorey

Picking up a 2014 335i (MT, RWD) this Tuesday. I live in NJ and I believe the car came from california, so it has summer performance tires on it (bridgestone run-flats). The dealer (who drives an older M3) tells me that as long as I don't drive in the snow, the summer times will be OK in the winter. While I can avoid driving in the snow (I live at the beach, it does not snow as much here as the mainland), I will be driving this car in sub-40 degree temperatures for probably 5 months straight.

Can people please opine on whether or not summer performance tires are a good idea during those months or should I switch them out for all season or winter/snow tires?

I have been driving an F-150 for 8 years, so I am buying the car to drive and do want the performance all year.

Thanks! I pumped to be joining the family and these forums have been a great resource so far!

$800 for winter tires.... or cost of car for at fault no traction wreck?

[Bassthe1st]

Originally Posted by wbmorey

Picking up a 2014 335i (MT, RWD) this Tuesday. I live in NJ and I believe the car came from california, so it has summer performance tires on it (bridgestone run-flats). The dealer (who drives an older M3) tells me that as long as I don't drive in the snow, the summer times will be OK in the winter. While I can avoid driving in the snow (I live at the beach, it does not snow as much here as the mainland), I will be driving this car in sub-40 degree temperatures for probably 5 months straight.

Can people please opine on whether or not summer performance tires are a good idea during those months or should I switch them out for all season or winter/snow tires?

I have been driving an F-150 for 8 years, so I am buying the car to drive and do want the performance all year.

Thanks! I pumped to be joining the family and these forums have been a great resource so far!

I pretty sure you should not use summer tires below 32°F, snow or not. They become like plastic at those temps. Winter tire is the way to go, but go with the high performance kind. They really are all seasons that perform better at low temp.

[midwest 340xi 6sp]

Originally Posted by bmwauug

You do not want to use summer tires in the winter. Period. Cold temps make summer tires hockey pucks.

This is all you need to know OP....Its not just the snow, its the cold. Driving summer rubber in the winter puts you and your fellow drivers on the road at serious risk...

[EJL]

I'm also in NJ. When I put on my summers this year the temp dropped below 40 unexpectedly, and I definitely could feel a difference in traction, even with x-drive.

[shivaswrath]

Just buy a winter set, better safer than sorry....

[stormlv]

I agree with the previous posters...
Winter tires are not just for snow. I actually don't understand why you guys call them snow tires? I've seen it plenty of times on the Volvo US forums as well :|

Anyway, as soon as the temperature drops below 7C (44F) you should switch to winter tires, regardless of whether or not there's snow on the road. As previously stated, the summer rubber becomes hard at those temperatures and you lose a lot of traction with them.

All tires are made to operate in a specific range of temperatures. Too cold or too hot and you'll lose grip.

[xG35c]

You'll be fine on dry cold roads, just dial it down a notch which people tend to do in winter anyway.
But also know that if you are caught in a snow storm you will have amazingly poor traction!

[Diesel power]

Like other posters have said. Summer tires grip comes from a combination of tread design and rubber composition. The summer composition grip drops off drastically after 40 degrees F.

[chrisny]

Originally Posted by Bassthe1st

I pretty sure you should not use summer tires below 32F, snow or not. They become like plastic at those temps. Winter tire is the way to go, but go with the high performance kind. They really are all seasons that perform better at low temp.

^this. And +1 to all the others except the one lonely vote for using SUMMER tires in the WINTER. It's not a gray area or marketing ploy, they're entirely different tires, for good reason. Even some all-seasons are absolute crap in cold temps, they get too hard to be worth a damn even in light snow.

[BEAR-AvHistory]

Any snow on the ground & the summer tires are dead ducks. They will be OK in the cold but not as good as in warmer weather.

[carzaddict]

i will reiterate everyones post........DO NOT drive in snow with summers

[junkyjunky]

Great advice from the dealer...not.

Besides the obvious safety issues folks have mentioned above, you have to consider the impact to wear and tear on the summer tires which are designed to operate at sub 7C/44F.

[Alan_NJ]

Being in NJ I usually just run slicks in the winter.
I mean if Im going to slide, I may as well slide big!

[bimmer_335]

get all season tires. Conti DWS is a good one. I've used it for years and its amazing.

[billiebob]

I have the same summer tires on my 328 in Hoboken.
I picked up a set of BrIdgestone 17 inch all seasons with wheels and tpms from a no line 328 on the forum for 700 bucks and those are my winter tires. They worked fine last year and I'll give it another go this year.

[Babo335]

RWD and summer tires is a receipt for disaster. Get yourself a good set of winter tires and you will be glad you did on the first winter storm.

[Roundown]

get a winter set up, you'll save the tread on your expensive summer tires (which will wear quicker in winter). Over a few seasons, you'll recoup the cost.

[Bassthe1st]

Originally Posted by cSurf

get a winter set up, you'll save the tread on your expensive summer tires (which will wear quicker in winter). Over a few seasons, you'll recoup the cost.

You got it all wrong. The summer tires won't wear in winter because they will just glide like skates on ice.

[Roundown]

Originally Posted by Bassthe1st

You got it all wrong. The summer tires won't wear in winter because they will just glide like skates on ice.

They won't tack out like winter tires would in the heat, but a cold summer tire will break traction more frequently and accelerate uneven wear.