well, it doesnt snow much in portland, oregon but when it does it is a real event. a nice ice glaze started the day followed by a few inches of powder. having grown up in boston and spent many winters driving to vermont for skiing, i have a good deal of expereince with hazardous winter road conditions. i have also owned 2 saabs and one audi quattro over the years. my first saab which i bought new in 1984 was a 900 turbo. now- THAT was a great snow car. the weight distribution with the front wheel drive made it like a tank in any kind of slippery conditions. i dont need bmws marketing info about the x-drive to tell me what a good snow car is. the e61 handles like a dream in this bad weather. i have all seasons (not runflats) and they are totally great. if i lived in an area with lots of snow.ice i would defintely get some kind of winter tires. not needed here though. the x-drive is very capable and oustide of my washer fluid jets freezing, the car is a double thumbs up in winter conditions. AND it sure beats those goofy SUVS for practicality, looks and sophistocation.