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      01-09-2016, 11:11 AM   #1
blackhole
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Winter rims & tires

This is my first winter with my car. I considered installing winter tires on the staggered OEM 18" M355-style wheels, and then buying a new set of wheels in the spring for the summer tires. Then I discovered that there is a very limited selection of winter tires available in the OEM sizes (225/45R18 (front) and 255/40R18 (rear)).

So, the best compromise was to buy a set of four Borbet 7.5"x17" wheels with 32mm offset for both front and rear, along with some Pirelli Sottozero II 225/50R17 tires.

Total cost was quite reasonable at €900 including installation. I shopped around at 1/2 dozen places and this was €250 cheaper than the next best option I found.

The car is dirty because the roads are all wet. The original BMW center caps fit nicely and look sharp. I also like the matte gray/titanium color.

We got a small dump of snow the day after I had them installed. Happy to say they perform very well in snowy and icy conditions. I read lots of good comments about these tires, and decided to go with the non-run flat version.





Last edited by blackhole; 01-09-2016 at 02:43 PM..
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      01-09-2016, 03:36 PM   #2
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I just put a set of Pirelli Sottozeros on my X1 as well. We got snow and ice the very next day and as expected they are so much better than the Eagles.

I ended up picking up a refurbished set of standard 17" X1 wheels to put them on.

I finally got sold on winter tires when after more than 20 years in Colorado I decided to put them on our Camry 2 years ago. I wish I had done this years ago and will continue to do so as long as we are in Colorado (or another cold weather area).
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      01-10-2016, 02:25 AM   #3
blackhole
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Yes, I'm from Canada where studded snow tires are very common, and I used them for many years. But studded tires aren't allowed here in Germany (and German law fictates that thou shalt have winter-certified tires during the colder months).

Advancements in tire technology in the last ~10 years has proven that even studless winter tires can be pretty amazing. In the last decade, on various vehicles I've used Michelin X-Ice and Bridgestone Blizzaks (both are fantastic). Hoping these Pirellis will compare (although winter in Germany is nothing like winter in Canada).
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      01-10-2016, 02:10 PM   #4
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i have for winter this:



RH-Nbu Race 8,5*18 ET 35 all rims and tires Dunlop WinterSport 5D. Snow in my city is cca only 10 days, complet price cca 1.750€
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      01-18-2016, 05:38 PM   #5
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Blizzaks here; the tires and car perform wonderfully in lousy conditions.
The winters don't have the grip that the all seasons do, and I have to curb my inner hooligan when driving on dry road.
Moon
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      01-19-2016, 12:40 AM   #6
vstolpner
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I'm starting to look back at getting a dedicated winter set and I'm stuck between a couple options, hoping you guys can lend a hand.

On my last ride I had Blizzak WS60's and loved them, but found that my setup was restricted by not covering cold fall very well (other set was performance summers).

I'm now debating between full on winter set like the Blizzak WS80's or Nokian's. Or perhaps something more performance winters like the Pirelli's or something similar.

I do live in Canada and on occasion have to go over snowed in overpasses.

Appreciate your guy's input
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      01-19-2016, 08:01 AM   #7
improvius
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Dunlop Winter Sports have been pretty good for me, but I haven't tested them in deep snow. They're great for moderate snow through cold + wet conditions, though.
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      01-19-2016, 12:01 PM   #8
blackhole
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These new Pirellis are great for the comparatively easy winters in Berlin. But having grown up on the East coast of Canada, I can tell you I'd prefer the Blizzaks for winter there.

There's always a trade-off, you just need to be willing to make a compromise. The Pirellis are definitely more sporty, but decent in mildly slippery conditions with just a few cms of snow. The Blizzaks will be less sporty, but are great in Canadian winters.
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      01-20-2016, 03:28 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vstolpner View Post
I'm starting to look back at getting a dedicated winter set and I'm stuck between a couple options, hoping you guys can lend a hand.

On my last ride I had Blizzak WS60's and loved them, but found that my setup was restricted by not covering cold fall very well (other set was performance summers).

I'm now debating between full on winter set like the Blizzak WS80's or Nokian's. Or perhaps something more performance winters like the Pirelli's or something similar.

I do live in Canada and on occasion have to go over snowed in overpasses.

Appreciate your guy's input
Look at the Michelin Ice-X, that is what we went with. Not quite as "aggressive" as the Blizzak and Nokia but more aggressive than the Pirelli.
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      09-06-2016, 10:28 AM   #10
vstolpner
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Has anyone tried the Continental Wintercontact SI?
Seems like a new tire and reviews comparatively with Blizzak's

I'm now debating between a set of winter tires or stick with all seasons (M+S) and throw a set of chains in the trunk for winter trips.
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      09-06-2016, 10:42 AM   #11
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Just my 2 cents: Get general altimax arctic tires, unless your going to spend the big bucks and upgrade to nokian hakkapeliitta, your getting pretty much the same tire across the board.
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      09-06-2016, 07:58 PM   #12
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The bottom line is that when it comes to ice & snow even the cheapest winter tire will blow away an all-season tire, so anything beyond that really is more a question of what you are looking for in the tire.
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      09-06-2016, 08:56 PM   #13
vstolpner
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I don't want to spend more than I have to, but if I'm going to spend money on tires then I don't want anything in the "good enough" category. Which leaves me wondering between the Blizzak WS80's or perhaps something not so extreme which will continue to handle great in dry conditions and when the temperature get above freezing.

The winters here aren't bad at all and I'm sure my current tires will handle them just fine. Only concern is traveling via overpasses to the interior for a ski vacation where there is always a chance of severe weather.
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      09-07-2016, 08:14 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vstolpner View Post
perhaps something not so extreme which will continue to handle great in dry conditions and when the temperature get above freezing.
You can't have your cake and eat it too if your looking for a dedicated winter tire. Any severe winter rated tire is going to get eaten up with aggressive driving above ~40-50 degree's.

Then your going to compromise with an all season, which pared with xdrive honestly I don't see as being that terrible.

It's a bit off a toss up. I always run a dedicated winter tire, but mainly for extra sidewall on potholes (i step down to 17's), keep my summer wheels free of salt, we have a large period of time the temp does not get above freezing, and the off chance (live in the city) that the roads are bad.

However, I've never owned an AWD car before so this is going to be new territory for myself. But again my reasons my be different than yours.
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      09-07-2016, 09:25 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kiloTHREE View Post
You can't have your cake and eat it too if your looking for a dedicated winter tire. Any severe winter rated tire is going to get eaten up with aggressive driving above ~40-50 degree's.
Even winter tires as a catagory are a trade off. More aggressive treads do great on snow and ice but poorly on clear winter roads. Selection really depends on what winter conditions you normally see and picking the right trade-off.
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      09-07-2016, 09:54 AM   #16
vstolpner
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Quote:
Originally Posted by themishmosh View Post
Even winter tires as a catagory are a trade off. More aggressive treads do great on snow and ice but poorly on clear winter roads. Selection really depends on what winter conditions you normally see and picking the right trade-off.
That's what I'm debating. If I go to a winter tire I want it to be good in the dry, wet, and severe snow. I wouldn't drive it aggressively (my last set lasted me five years and was still good when I sold the car), i just want to make sure that in my most common conditions (I.e. dry and wet) the tire will be able to stop as fast as possible in an emergency situation.

Of course the alternative is to continue with my M+S all seasons (Goodyear Assurance Tripletread) and just throw in a set of chains for when things go really bad. Really, this is what majority of people driving the overpasses so.
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      09-07-2016, 12:07 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vstolpner View Post
That's what I'm debating. If I go to a winter tire I want it to be good in the dry, wet, and severe snow. I wouldn't drive it aggressively (my last set lasted me five years and was still good when I sold the car), i just want to make sure that in my most common conditions (I.e. dry and wet) the tire will be able to stop as fast as possible in an emergency situation.

Of course the alternative is to continue with my M+S all seasons (Goodyear Assurance Tripletread) and just throw in a set of chains for when things go really bad. Really, this is what majority of people driving the overpasses so.

I had a set of Michelin x-ice tires on a Genesis Coupe, and ended up using them almost a complete summer in Massachusetts. They didn't get eaten up. I couldn't rotate them, but I ended up putting about 30k miles on those tires. I don't particularly drive easy, either.

I replaced them with blizzack tires, and i prefer the x-ice. Much, much quieter. Performance in snow was about the same.
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      09-07-2016, 01:19 PM   #18
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Here's an interesting read for you to compare trade offs:
performance a/s vs a/s vs. performance winter vs. winter.

http://www.caranddriver.com/comparis...mparison-tests

Look at the chart for each tire and note the stopping distances for snow/wet/dry. There are some big differences. For instance, in dry, the winter tire stops 30ft longer than the best--that is HUGE. But in snow, the winter tire stops 40 ft shorter!!!
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      09-07-2016, 03:45 PM   #19
vstolpner
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Quote:
Originally Posted by themishmosh View Post
Here's an interesting read for you to compare trade offs:
performance a/s vs a/s vs. performance winter vs. winter.

http://www.caranddriver.com/comparis...mparison-tests

Look at the chart for each tire and note the stopping distances for snow/wet/dry. There are some big differences. For instance, in dry, the winter tire stops 30ft longer than the best--that is HUGE. But in snow, the winter tire stops 40 ft shorter!!!
I'll take a look into that, I think that's exactly what I was looking for.
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      10-10-2016, 03:00 PM   #20
themishmosh
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Interesting read:

http://www.apa.ca/wintertire_reviews.asp
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      10-11-2016, 09:21 AM   #21
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I went with Blizzak WS80 at Costco. Non RFT, cheap here in Canada, best rated. can't go wrong.
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      10-11-2016, 09:46 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 4llr View Post
I went with Blizzak WS80 at Costco. Non RFT, cheap here in Canada, best rated. can't go wrong.
Are snow's mandatory up there?
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