11-19-2012, 04:22 PM | #1 |
Captain
194
Rep 656
Posts |
Winter tyres in mild weather?
After all the forum debate about tyre choice, I am thinking of investing in some winter tyres to maximise benefits of xdrive. However, I have read a few articles, one from CAR in particular, highlighting the potential dangers of using winter tyres in mild conditions going as far to say they 'pray for snow' as it can be scary if too mild.
I know it is an individual opinion, but has anyone any experience of being caught out on winter tyres because it is 'too mild'? I live in the (slightly) warmer south so perhaps xdrive on all seasons is the way forward? |
11-19-2012, 05:14 PM | #2 |
Major General
3489
Rep 9,709
Posts |
Why do journalists always have to scare monger?
I drove a car on winter tyres on a hot summers day. Was a little squirmy like driving in the wet, but it would have to be a very 'mild' day in winter to feel dangerous. Unless he was using those ultra winter tyres that they use in the nordics? |
Appreciate
0
|
11-19-2012, 05:27 PM | #3 | |
Major
25
Rep 1,197
Posts |
Quote:
Maybe if you live down country lanes where it never gets gritted and you're in a standard RWD 3 series with an auto box then maybe ... otherwise it's a con.
__________________
"Sleeper 335D xDrive M Sport" Glacier Silver / Black
ZMS | ZNP | ZVI | 2VF | 2VL | 3AG | 494 | 6NS | 8TH |
|
Appreciate
0
|
11-20-2012, 03:11 AM | #5 | |
Live for today tomorrow never comes
1989
Rep 9,498
Posts |
Quote:
__________________
Live for now, life is too short.
2021 LCI M5 Marina Bay Blue/ Smoked White Leather |
|
Appreciate
0
|
11-20-2012, 03:26 AM | #6 |
Major
25
Rep 1,197
Posts |
The reality is that is you get caught doing an emergency stop on the Motorway in the dry, you will probably die if you've got Winter tyres one because they're rubbish (I exaggerate a teeny bit but you get my point)Stick to summers unless you genuinely cannot drive your car when it snows and you absolutely must (in which case, why don't you have a 4x4?). It's simple logic that winter tyres are worse than summer tyres all the time, unless it's snowed. And it never snows any more. To each their own, of course, but living on an island in the gulf stream means we just don't get cold enough for long enough to warrant them IMO
Watch me eat my words now as we descend into an ice age
__________________
"Sleeper 335D xDrive M Sport" Glacier Silver / Black
ZMS | ZNP | ZVI | 2VF | 2VL | 3AG | 494 | 6NS | 8TH |
Appreciate
0
|
11-20-2012, 03:54 AM | #7 | |
Lieutenant General
6659
Rep 15,858
Posts |
Quote:
I run a winter set and have used them up to 14C without any issues whatsoever. Of course they feel slightly different as the temperature warms up, they are a tool designed for lower temperatures, you just drive accordingly, and by that I don't mean you have to nanny them around. You have to weigh up the reasons you fit them, and it isn't just for the days we have snow. Cold nights, ice pockets, black ice which is the worst for catching folks out. Winter tyres give you the maximum safety in those conditions, better chance to brake and control your car. I've been saved from the ditch, when the car in front went out of control on black ice. I had to brake on black ice in the bend, worst conditions possible... but the tyres gripped and hauled be down with a very small amount of twitch to the car. Same morning another car wasn't so lucky, went off the road into the trees. My winter tyres paid for themselves in that one event, let alone the other times when I know I was running much safer than many cars around me. BTW, a RWD car with winter tyres is a safer car to drive in snow/ice conditions than AWD on All-season. That is well documented in tests. It isn't just the traction grip we want, but car control and braking. We run an X3 xDrive, (summer tyres) and a VW 4-motion (All season), and a VW Transporter FWD on winter tyres. My RWD BMW and the Transporter are the better vehicles for traction and definitely for stopping. I'll add just don't expect to drive a car the same way (in all conditions) as you would a car on summer tyres in warm dry conditions. If we try and compare to that, then we might get a distorted opinion on what winter tyres are really all about. xDrive in itself is no real solution for the worst of weather, we still get AWD vehicles in the ditches up here, as there is the feeling because you can get going all is OK, forgetting we have to stop as well. Only tyres assist us in that function. HighlandPete |
|
Appreciate
0
|
11-20-2012, 04:25 AM | #8 |
Major
25
Rep 1,197
Posts |
There's no substitute for a good driver And you live in Scotlandville where it actually gets cold for more than 5 hours a year
__________________
"Sleeper 335D xDrive M Sport" Glacier Silver / Black
ZMS | ZNP | ZVI | 2VF | 2VL | 3AG | 494 | 6NS | 8TH |
Appreciate
0
|
11-20-2012, 04:55 AM | #9 | |
Live for today tomorrow never comes
1989
Rep 9,498
Posts |
Quote:
These tyres are "V" speed rated thats 149MPH.
__________________
Live for now, life is too short.
2021 LCI M5 Marina Bay Blue/ Smoked White Leather Last edited by JOHNBMWM5; 11-20-2012 at 05:05 AM.. |
|
Appreciate
0
|
11-20-2012, 05:02 AM | #10 | |
Private First Class
23
Rep 111
Posts |
Quote:
First time for winter tyres but always got stuck with a manual 320D M Sport, now a 330d M Sport Auto is going to be worse IMO, time will tell I guess. |
|
Appreciate
0
|
11-20-2012, 05:03 AM | #11 |
Lieutenant General
6659
Rep 15,858
Posts |
Agree, but that is where it really does go pear shaped when conditions deteriorate. Watching the antics in snow on the TV for the past few winters, really shows most drivers have no idea of how a car works, let alone how to modulate the controls for poor conditions.
Even tyre condition is in question. Was speaking with a friend the other day, who I'd give a bit of credit for understanding the basics of motoring. Happened to mention about tyre tread depth, and driving the winter months. He hadn't ever thought that having decent tread depth through the winter months was a factor in safer motoring. How many drivers feel all is fine, as long as they have tyres with a legal minimum tread depth? It is a factor that scares me if I'm on the motorway, the cars around on that wet day, driving the same high speeds in heavy weather and standing water, as they would on a warm dry day. How many give consideration to how the car would brake in an emergency? Concerns me knowing some will have tyres down to the legal limit and some with even less tread across the tyres. Hard to even define the 'good' driver, when even driving craft skills are compromised by poor vehicle condition. It is one reason to think a bit more laterally than some of the tests we read on tyre performance. Mostly tested on new srubbed in tyres, give a different picture than in the real world, over the life of the tyre. Many don't even understand the "3mm" advice for tyre safety. Of more value would be comparisons of part worn tyres, with typical shoulder wear, a mix of tread depths front to rear, wide and narrow tyre sections, and braking in the worst of conditions. Would be harder to interpret the results with understanding, and not so eye-catching in the headlines. HighlandPete |
Appreciate
0
|
11-20-2012, 05:06 AM | #12 |
Major
25
Rep 1,197
Posts |
Indeedy. I was rather perturbed by the 2mm rule on my lease I've never driven tyres with 2mm on them! And now, for the sake of £300 per tyre, I've got to drive to what I would consider dangerous levels at 2mm before the lease company will change them
__________________
"Sleeper 335D xDrive M Sport" Glacier Silver / Black
ZMS | ZNP | ZVI | 2VF | 2VL | 3AG | 494 | 6NS | 8TH |
Appreciate
0
|
11-20-2012, 05:13 AM | #13 | |
Live for today tomorrow never comes
1989
Rep 9,498
Posts |
Quote:
They call norfolk the "one headlight county" for obvious reasons, were are the boys in blue on these occasions!!!!!!! Speeding is the only interest they seem to respond to round here.
__________________
Live for now, life is too short.
2021 LCI M5 Marina Bay Blue/ Smoked White Leather |
|
Appreciate
0
|
11-20-2012, 05:14 AM | #14 |
Live for today tomorrow never comes
1989
Rep 9,498
Posts |
Surely you have some "legal argument" there.
__________________
Live for now, life is too short.
2021 LCI M5 Marina Bay Blue/ Smoked White Leather |
Appreciate
0
|
11-20-2012, 05:22 AM | #15 | |
Lieutenant General
6659
Rep 15,858
Posts |
Quote:
HighlandPete |
|
Appreciate
0
|
11-20-2012, 05:24 AM | #16 |
Major
25
Rep 1,197
Posts |
I doubt it. It's above legal requirements and so what is my case?
What is at fault here is the law, not the lease company
__________________
"Sleeper 335D xDrive M Sport" Glacier Silver / Black
ZMS | ZNP | ZVI | 2VF | 2VL | 3AG | 494 | 6NS | 8TH |
Appreciate
0
|
11-20-2012, 05:30 AM | #17 | |
Live for today tomorrow never comes
1989
Rep 9,498
Posts |
Quote:
I check new tyre depths when I get my cars and few are more than 8mm, some less!!!.
__________________
Live for now, life is too short.
2021 LCI M5 Marina Bay Blue/ Smoked White Leather |
|
Appreciate
0
|
11-20-2012, 05:38 AM | #18 | |
Lieutenant General
6659
Rep 15,858
Posts |
Quote:
Ran Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme on the 330d, suited that car well, no issues at all in any conditions. Their only weakness (if you can call it that) was deep standing water, could sense they worked hard to displace water and you verged on aqua-planing on the really deep stuff. But I am talking about really bad standing water along some of the edges of our highland roads. But to be fair and put it in perspective, a half worn summer tyre would be worse for aqua-planing in those conditions. HighlandPete |
|
Appreciate
0
|
11-20-2012, 06:03 AM | #19 |
Brigadier General
2811
Rep 4,935
Posts
Drives: 340i MPPSK
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Sussex, N.Yorks, UK
|
Being entirely cynical, there's nothing to stop a lease company introducing a policy that says "In the interests of road safety, tyres can be replaced when the tread depth is under 3mm". However, what their policy actually says is...
"In the interests of keeping operating costs to a minimum wherever possible, tyres should be replaced only when the tread depth is approaching the legal minimum and is below 2mm, regardless of any argument that a 3mm limit would actually be safer."
__________________
Life is a state of mind |
Appreciate
0
|
11-20-2012, 08:06 AM | #20 |
Brigadier General
349
Rep 3,022
Posts |
Conti's view is you can run winters all year around and should do soif you can't find a way to swap.
http://www.conti-online.com/generato...ter-tyres.html The OEM 330d Bridgestone's turn to Flintstones in the cold winter not my idea of fun!
__________________
M2 Arrived!
Family 5er |
Appreciate
0
|
11-20-2012, 08:15 AM | #21 | ||
Brigadier General
349
Rep 3,022
Posts |
Quote:
The m135i comes with ultra-high performance winter tyres (like the Summers) : Continental Winter Contact TS830P SSR Runflat tyes. What I am not looking forward to is Runflats on the 1er and a non staggered 205 setup.
__________________
M2 Arrived!
Family 5er |
||
Appreciate
0
|
11-20-2012, 11:58 AM | #22 | |
Major General
3489
Rep 9,709
Posts |
Quote:
|
|
Appreciate
0
|
Post Reply |
Bookmarks |
|
|