This upcoming Chicago winter is going to be my first as a bimmer owner. Until my new baby, I’ve always driven FWD without problems. Even though most of my driving is on expressways and tollways (Ike mostly), Chicago winters can be brutal so I'm a little worried about making the transition to RWD. At the risk of being somewhat repetitive to other posts, I still have to ask . . . What is the conventional wisdom around Chicago with respect to snow tires? More specifically, given my particular e90 (below), would you recommend snow tires?
[e90, RWD, automatic trans, 16” run-flat all seasons, non-sport package, no Active Steering]
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| Reply » Chicago owners: Winter advice? |
I live just north of Toronto in a snow belt area and I used 15" Nokkian Snow Tires on the original BMW Rims with my 1999 E36 Cab Automatic. (I had 17" alloys for the summer)
I was surprised how well the car handled the snow and slush.
It was way better then my 4 X 4 Dodge Dakota Pickup.
I would not hesitate to drive my E90 in the winter, but only with dedicated snow tires.
I probably won't be driving it this winter in the snow as I am planning on taking it to Florida, but if I was, I would buy 17" Dunlop M3's with dedicated wheels, probably M5 replica's
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| Reply » Chicago owners: Winter advice? |
Lawgirl,
I don't currently own an E90 but have owned 2 3-series in the past. I live in the Western Suburbs of Chicago but spend a lot of time in Chicago. While the snow removal works quite well on the major streets, the side streets will always be a challenge with a RWD setup and all season tires. I would HIGHLY recommend you invest in a dedicated set of snows and wheels. This will be the best $800 you will ever spend. Check tirerack.com. In my opinion, there is no choice.
I'm leaning toward the XI myself...will decide next year how I like the driving experience.
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| Reply » Chicago owners: Winter advice? |
Living in Buffalo (want to talk about brutal winter), I would definately agree that you will need a set of snow tires for the car. Talking with a number of people around here, you could probally get away with the standard A/S for the first winter (when the tires are fresh), but after that you will definately need a set of snows.
I went with the XI version personally.. I have one now and I'm able to get through the winter with only a set of A/S, bet everyone that I know (and according to the CA at the dealership) put snows on for the RWD cars. It's worth the money.
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| Reply » Chicago owners: Winter advice? |
Get blizzak tires and all snow will be ok. 
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| Reply » Chicago owners: Winter advice? |
Quote: Lawgirl,
I don't currently own an E90 but have owned 2 3-series in the past. I live in the Western Suburbs of Chicago but spend a lot of time in Chicago. While the snow removal works quite well on the major streets, the side streets will always be a challenge with a RWD setup and all season tires. I would HIGHLY recommend you invest in a dedicated set of snows and wheels. This will be the best $800 you will ever spend. Check tirerack.com. In my opinion, there is no choice.
I'm leaning toward the XI myself...will decide next year how I like the driving experience. |  Snows are a necessity if you drive through snow. Personally, I've taken the other option and bought a cheap used truck to sacrifice to the salt.
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Chicago owners: Winter advice?