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      11-23-2011, 10:11 AM   #1
oceanis
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Drives: X1 S18dSE
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Dublin Ireland

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Winter Tyre Revelation

It's still a sub-tropical(!) 15 degrees in Dublin, but I got the winter wheels on last week -Pirelli Sottozero 225/50s on 17" non-RFT. They haven't had to do their wintry thing yet, but at current temperatures the difference in the car's handling is amazing!
Much quieter, less stiff steering, better ride, and much better handing - now just like my old 3-series! http://e84.xbimmers.com/forums/image...es/thumbup.gif

It's interesting that the areas where there has been great improvement are those where the X1 has attracted some criticism in reviews. The only downsides are slight oversteer in tight manoevring, and perhaps a slight decrease in mpg - though it's a bit early to be sure. Which leads to a question. Have BMW and tyre manufacturers gone too far in trying to eke out the last few percentage points in fuel consumption at the expense of general driiveability? I would be interested to hear other people's experience on the winters, and also, thinking ahead, whether anyone has had similar improvements with different summer tyres.
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