All Season Tires or Not

[YanoM5]

Hi All,

With winter approaching and my tires about worn and I wanted to get your opinions on what tires I should get next.

I live in Washington and this is my first rear wheel drive car. In the area I live in, the past 2 years it snowed and actually stuck was maybe 4 days out of 365 days. Then of course you have rain and black Ice.

Should I get an All Season tire? Stick with a summer tires? This is my daily driver and I don't plan on getting another set of rims and tires. I also don't race everyday lol. I may check my 1/4 once a year.

You're input would be great.

Thanks!

[Used2be]

I don't drive the M5 in the Michigan winter, but I did get caught out about 10 miles from home one December. Started snowing and the temperature dropped quickly. I was on stock Michelin PSS and I barely made it home! I felt like I was going to slide off the road and turns were ridiculous. I put on my emergency flashers while I was driving so others would know to go around, I was driving so slow.

The stock performance tires turn to stone or something, don't work well in the cold, and even worse in snow and cold. Others with more experience at this can guide you, but don't consider using the performance tire in your winter.

[core22]

All-seasons will get harder when in very cold weather - not as bad as a summer setup would, but not ideal. Winter sets are designed for that and will provide better traction - crucial with the power our cars put down.

There are a ton of reviews and comparisons online between winters vs all-seasons - Tire Rack, Popular Mechanics, etc.

[YanoM5]

Thanks for the input so far. Average temperature here is 45 degrees in the winter.

[M5_Brandoe]

I would def stay away from summer and all season tires in the cold. Grab a pair of snow tires, new or used. It will save you from getting stranded out there.

[Revms1]

Definitely get a set of snow tires for temps below 45 degrees. Easier if you have a second set of wheels so you can use the summer tires from spring thru fall and the snow tires in winter. Lots of reviews on tirerack but general consensus is all season tires are not the best in 4 season climates.

[GladiatorOwner]

Buy a set of pirelli sottos and put them on in Dec and change them out in March.

[ykjones]

Originally Posted by YanoM5

Hi All,

With winter approaching and my tires about worn and I wanted to get your opinions on what tires I should get next.

I live in Washington and this is my first rear wheel drive car. In the area I live in, the past 2 years it snowed and actually stuck was maybe 4 days out of 365 days. Then of course you have rain and black Ice.

Should I get an All Season tire? Stick with a summer tires? This is my daily driver and I don't plan on getting another set of rims and tires. I also don't race everyday lol. I may check my 1/4 once a year.

You're input would be great.

Thanks!

I'm in the same exact situation and I'm in WA too (Vancouver). What area are you in? I got brand new Michelin Pilot Sport 4S's over the summer but those will not cut it with the winter we got last year. I'm planing on dedicated winter tires for this winter and will start my research soon.

[YanoM5]

Originally Posted by ykjones

I'm in the same exact situation and I'm in WA too (Vancouver). What area are you in? I got brand new Michelin Pilot Sport 4S's over the summer but those will not cut it with the winter we got last year. I'm planing on dedicated winter tires for this winter and will start my research soon.

HI! I'm in Bremerton/Silverdale. We don't get a lot of snow out here. That's why I was thinking an all season tire. Granted when I was in Alaska I had all wheel drive, but I always ran an all season tire and it did fine.

I just don't know if having an A/S tire with rear wheel drive wont be the same.

[Revms1]

When I had my 13 335 xdrive with Michelin A/S 3's compared to my M5 with snow tires, there's more traction on my M5 with snow tires. You would think the xdrive would've been better but nope. Snow tires aren't just for snow, they're meant for temps under 45 degrees and their tire compound gets softer as it gets colder which is why you have more grip. Summer and All season tires start getting hard when the temps get colder which is why they lose their grip.

[YanoM5]

Originally Posted by Revms1

When I had my 13 335 xdrive with Michelin A/S 3's compared to my M5 with snow tires, there's more traction on my M5 with snow tires. You would think the xdrive would've been better but nope. Snow tires aren't just for snow, they're meant for temps under 45 degrees and their tire compound gets softer as it gets colder which is why you have more grip. Summer and All season tires start getting hard when the temps get colder which is why they lose their grip.

I'm wondering if buying snow tires for only 4 days of snow out the year is worth it though. I truly only worry about the freezing days, which I can't remember how many they have here in my area. On the really bad snow days I can drive my wife to work and borrow her car.

[Revms1]

Originally Posted by YanoM5

I'm wondering if buying snow tires for only 4 days of snow out the year is worth it though. I truly only worry about the freezing days, which I can't remember how many they have here in my area. On the really bad snow days I can drive my wife to work and borrow her car.

I would suggest to use your wife's car when it snows, but you will still need to drive very carefully as the stock tires on the m5 are summer only which basically useless in cold temperatures. When I ordered my snow tires they were back ordered for awhile and I was sliding around because the temps in NY were 35-40 degrees. I had to borrow my fathers SUV cause it was getting ridiculous driving around and sliding everywhere.

[YanoM5]

Originally Posted by Revms1

I would suggest to use your wife's car when it snows, but you will still need to drive very carefully as the stock tires on the m5 are summer only which basically useless in cold temperatures. When I ordered my snow tires they were back ordered for awhile and I was sliding around because the temps in NY were 35-40 degrees. I had to borrow my fathers SUV cause it was getting ridiculous driving around and sliding everywhere.

If you had all season tires though I'm sure it would be better. I think I might go this route. I don't mind sacrificing summer performance for year round tire.

[JMD]

Forget the AS tires on an F10 M5,....get yourself a BMW with X/Drive as a WDD,...Winter Daily Driver!

[///3dkn]

When I had my E90 M3, I had continental DWS on 219M wheels and they rode really well for Washington weather.

I might do the same for the M5 with 345M wheels. Not sure if they make them for the sizes I want though.

[DRiFT_645]

It’s not about snow necessarily. The cold temps necessitate a tire that is still soft and provides traction on cold temps. Definetly get winter tires for the M5.

[YanoM5]

My research has gotten my frustrated. It looks like they don't offer a true OEM tire size for our rims. I went on tire rack and they don't have a winter or all season in 295/265/35/20.

Question. They do make a 285/255, but will that even work on my OEM 343 wheels? Sigh looks like, I'll just get another set of summer tires, brave the winter. Or I'll have to buy 2 sets of tires and 1 set of rims. Unless I can find a 295/265 tire size to fit the OEM's.

[shrinkboy]

I'd recommend looking at the 19" wheels that BMW offers with the winter wheel/tire package. You'll have no trouble finding winter tires on sizes to fit, plus you won't have to re-mount your summer tires. It's not cheap, but seems simpler.

[M5_Brandoe]

Originally Posted by YanoM5

My research has gotten my frustrated. It looks like they don't offer a true OEM tire size for our rims. I went on tire rack and they don't have a winter or all season in 295/265/35/20.

Question. They do make a 285/255, but will that even work on my OEM 343 wheels? Sigh looks like, I'll just get another set of summer tires, brave the winter. Or I'll have to buy 2 sets of tires and 1 set of rims. Unless I can find a 295/265 tire size to fit the OEM's.

255/285 will fit on 343 wheels. I ran pirelli scottozero in those sizes.

[YanoM5]

Originally Posted by M5_Brandoe

255/285 will fit on 343 wheels. I ran pirelli scottozero in those sizes.

Thanks.

[GladiatorOwner]

Originally Posted by M5_Brandoe

255/285 will fit on 343 wheels. I ran pirelli scottozero in those sizes.

I'm doing this in a few months. This works perfectly.

[Revms1]

I ran 265’s all around cause when I needed them they didn’t have 295 or 285 snow tires in stock. No issues on 343’s, back has a slight stretch but nothing crazy