Tested my beast in snow today

[E90potentialbuyer]

I have Pirelli SottoZero's. Had about 8-10" of snow on the ground and still snowing. Wanted to see how does the car do in heavy snow. Short answer - on unplowed roads: not good at all and got stuck.

I slowed at the exit of my building's parking garage and the car got stuck. That was a mistake to slow down. Got out and scrubbed out some snow from the bottom and the car moved again but stuck again moment it hit the road. I backed it up. Snow plow truck happened to be there at that time and plowed the road. Car was fine then and took it back it from the entrance on other side of the building.

Lesson - use the Volvo XC90 or MDX in this weather.

[nynd]

Car is super low so won't take much snow to lift you and get you stuck. All that power on the back end probably doesn't help much either.

[M6-Coupe]

Did you try MDM to get traction?

[E90potentialbuyer]

I had to get into MDM to get the car moving. On the plowed road (but still a frozen 2-3" snow base), car moved ok. On unplowed it was not driveable.

I have comp package so the car is a bit lower.

I don't think too much power in back is an issue - it's actually good. Helped me get unstuck. Also when stuck, putting in reverse and modulating the throttle gets the car out pretty quickly. But when on the road, I just had to feather it and it was fine - can't drive like a hooligan.

Must confess - I took out the car to do some slides but the snow was just too much.


Are there snap on snow chains available for M5? Tire sock? I'm tempted to buy them if anyone has a suggestion.

[RPiM5]

I learned last year that the M5 definitely has way too much torque to manage traction in snow gracefully even with snow tires. It's even worse if your engine is tuned. I found it best to run with DSC OFF and manually feather the throttle to get the best traction. Was able to move through about 8 inches of snow with this method without getting stuck. V

[Bluehorseshoe]

Sorry to hear that. My baby is in the shop and I have a 328xi loaner. I took it out twice today and my road in unplowed. I just got back from my last joy ride and that car went through well over a foot of snow without any hesitation. It was a blast trying to get it sideways (wish I could turn off something but didn't spend the time to figure it out). I still can't believe how good that thing handled in the snow. Used the paddles. Had more fun with that today on unplowed roads than I've had in my M5 in a long time. Need to drive it harder or get to a track. Be safe out there fellas.

[momos750]

Originally Posted by E90potentialbuyer

I had to get into MDM to get the car moving. On the plowed road (but still a frozen 2-3" snow base), car moved ok. On unplowed it was not driveable.

I have comp package so the car is a bit lower.

I don't think too much power in back is an issue - it's actually good. Helped me get unstuck. Also when stuck, putting in reverse and modulating the throttle gets the car out pretty quickly. But when on the road, I just had to feather it and it was fine - can't drive like a hooligan.

Must confess - I took out the car to do some slides but the snow was just too much.


Are there snap on snow chains available for M5? Tire sock? I'm tempted to buy them if anyone has a suggestion.

I would look into something like this. I don't see our size for the rear but maybe they could make them.
Priced reasonably and easy to install.

http://www.flextrax.com/mycustompage0134.htm

[E90potentialbuyer]

Ok take 2. Going out again now that roads are semi plowed. Let's see.

[E90potentialbuyer]

And success! The beast was a total snow cat. Very controlled and composed. Took it on a pretty bad road and with gentle feathering she did just fine. Quite a lot of snow buildup in the mesh grille in from chin. Cleaned that up. Kept TC on and no issues. Worst road was about 8-10" deep.

[nynd]

Remember there is also an oil cooler underneath the front end - keep that sucker clean as well.

[E90potentialbuyer]

Originally Posted by nynd

Remember there is also an oil cooler underneath the front end - keep that sucker clean as well.

Good call. I used a brush and brushed off everything. No damage to the car.

[NightM]

pics vids ?.

[E90potentialbuyer]

Originally Posted by F10M5Manual

pics vids ?.

Sorry no vids / pics. Not big into go pro though I have one.

It was my first time in snow with the beast. First time I went out, I made the mistake of driving it like I drive my xc90 (smooth and gentle). With M5, have to beast it in a rut and not come to a hard stop. If it's 8-10" of snow and I stopped, I had to back and forth the car to get it unstuck. Instead, if I slowed down (on the turns) to maybe 3-5 mph but just kept going, no issues. Also if I stop, I have learnt how to unstuck it in deep snow. Bit of a different driving style. It was pretty safe and overall feeling of "not being freaked out" was pretty much the same as driving other sedans. A vehicle with high ground clearance and AWD is going to better in snow no doubt. But I was pleasantly surprised how capable M5 felt.

If I had a driveway with a steep gradient (living on hill etc), this would be a huge problem as IMO no amount of throttle modulation will get it up to the driveway if there is 8"+ of snow.

[WCH]

Originally Posted by E90potentialbuyer

If I had a driveway with a steep gradient (living on hill etc), this would be a huge problem as IMO no amount of throttle modulation will get it up to the driveway if there is 8"+ of snow.

Yup. This ultimately made me move to a X5M since I couldn't reliably get up my steep driveway even with snow tires (Nokian) when there was more than 2 inches of unplowed snow. On level ground, never had a problem.

[johntomferg]

M5 vs the Tennessee Snow:
An underwhelming feat of how I summited the 1 inch of snow packed ice to transition out of the garage and onto the cleared driveway.
I walked out into the garage on a chilly morning in late January. All the time knowing that this garage was on the side of the house that does not see the sun lick upon the retractable doors in winter. Carefully, I planned my exit ensuring that my seatbelt was locked and that no airbag malfunction light was illuminated. Placing the key fob in the central holder, I glided my finger along the smooth button feeling the tactile ridges that spelled out "Engine Start". Moments later, with a motion I have performed so many times in the past, I depressed the button and a symphony of controlled explosions came from under the hook. The beast was awake!
With a rush of adrenaline and childlike anticipation, I shifted the M5's DCT into drive. A tap of the gas and slight woosh of the turbo precluded the momentum rush as the car lumbered forward at a snails pace. The soft crunch of tires in snow invaded the cabin like a thief in the night rummaging through the silverware drawer. The Sottozeros were relentless at gripping the frozen tundra for traction as made my way out of the garage. Moments later, now fully on the ice bank and clear of the doors, I deftly turned the wheel to the left taking the M5 to the high friction goodness that awaited just beyond the snow and ice pack.
The front tires slid down onto the cold exposed concrete and then I knew I had made it. Minutes of anticipation, seconds of planning, and a shimmer of inspiration from reading the perils of other M5 owners earlier that very morning all came together in a glorious elation. I believed that only my sheer will and determination coupled with the M5's engineering and the Pirelli Sottozero's cold weather stickiness could have been achieved such an exciting outcome. Looking back, I could see that lesser cars and tires, like my wife's convertible F-type shod in P-Zeros, simply had to remain behind to look on from the warm garage, dreaming of the day when they too could emerge into the sunlight.
All was once again right with the world, but sadly only the temporary tracks in the white void would remain to tell of the events of that morning.

[WCH]

Very eloquently stated.

It's all relative. That would barely considered snow where I am. However, even that amount dictates winter tires.

[johntomferg]

Originally Posted by WCH

That would barely considered snow where I am. .

Agreed, it is snow by technicality only. Just wanting to have some fun this morning. Hopefully, it brings smiles to others out there along the east coast.

[E90potentialbuyer]

Originally Posted by johntomferg

Agreed, it is snow by technicality only. Just wanting to have some fun this morning. Hopefully, it brings smiles to others out there along the east coast.

Well said John! It definitely made me chuckle!