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      08-15-2018, 05:44 AM   #29
Rich9600
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Drives: i4 M50
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: UK

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tengocity View Post
I've run both a square 225 width set of winters on my 335d and also a staggered set 225/255.

I actually don't think it made much difference. The xdrive meant the lack of rear width was never an issue for traction.

If I had a 330d sdrive id definitely prefer 255 rears though. Might not be quite so good in deep snow, but plenty good enough, and much better in non-snowy conditions.
This makes a lot of sense.

6 pot Diesel torque through 225 rears isn't ideal. However, if you bought a 330d SE sDrive you'd have this configuration all year round.

When I had my square winters on my 330d sDrive I found the back end was a bit skittish. But, not in any way terrible. It was actually quite entertaining... Though, it would occasionally step out unexpectedly.

On my 340i the same wheels and tyres are more predictable. Running 100Nm less torque may be helpful here. Also, the petrol power delivery and LCI suspension revisions seem to help.

Overall, I quite like the handling balance of the square setup. It feels more balanced and nimble than the induced understeer of a staggered setup.

During normal driving in poor conditions there is decent enough traction, given you'd be daft to press on hard. However, the negatives for me occur on better days when you can't use the performance of the more powerful sDrive models.

I'm running Pirelli Sottozero's, which may not be the best winter tyre in normal conditions. Though, when I've had either lots of standing water, icy roads or snow they have impressed.

It seems to me that as soon as I fit my winters, my car is compromised. However, the change between a good day and a poor day is not that great.

I sometimes wonder if staggered all seasons may be the best performance compromise for normal British conditions. As long as you run summers in 'summer'.
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