BMW * winter tyres
Discussion
Hi all,
I know there have been a lot of posts about the importance of sticking to * tyres but this seems to be for summer / standard tyres.
Does this apply to winters? I can’t see any * tyres for my X5? Am I going to going to create any problems fitting new winter tyres to my existing wheels. Pirelli seem to be the preferred brand.
Any advice welcome please.
I know there have been a lot of posts about the importance of sticking to * tyres but this seems to be for summer / standard tyres.
Does this apply to winters? I can’t see any * tyres for my X5? Am I going to going to create any problems fitting new winter tyres to my existing wheels. Pirelli seem to be the preferred brand.
Any advice welcome please.
The '*' designation addresses the issue that when you make tyres for fitting to a car manufacturer's vehicle in their factory, you usually apply extra-high quality levels compared to the same tyre for aftermarket retailers like QuiKfit etc. In some cases, car manufacturers will send representatives to the tyre factory to monitor and check the whole process and the product quality. Even cosmetic flaws will get a tyre rejected. They're ruthless in rejecting anything but the best.
So an owner will ask "How do I get a tyre as good as the ones fitted to the car at the factory?" and for BMW, this is the '*' tyre. To get a '*' rating the quality control will be the same as for tyres fitted to new build cars.
Is the difference between a '*' version and non-'*' version significant? Personally, having worked for Pirelli, I'd say 'not really' and that it's more of a slight difference in the number of faulty tyres per 1,000. Of course, all other things being equal, why not go for a '*' as it's guaranteed to be slightly less likely to be faulty. But I wouldn't pay a premium and I certainly wouldn't choose a '*' tyre I thought was inferior to a different, non-'*' equivalent.
The other problem is that the '*' designation lags behind new tyre models. So for my winters on my M235i all that BMW offer in '*' designation is the Pirelli WInter Sottozero Serie-II, but not the (relatively) newer Winter Sottozero S3. The Serie-II is a great winter tyre for a performance car and is particularly good in warmer conditions, but the S3 has the edge in snow, at the cost of not being quite as good in warmer conditions. I had the Serie-II on my previous 330d xDrive Touring, but for my M235i I wanted the S3 for my winter trips to the Alps (330BHP RWD in the snow can be a handful) so I went for the S3. I wasn't troubled it lacked the '*' designation.
Finally, don't confuse the '*' designation with the 'is this tyre the right size?' question. When you get a tyre from BMW they're certifying that the whole package - wheel and tyre - is absolutely right for your specific VIN. Some independent wheel retailers will happily sell you a wheel and tyre that's way outside the car manufacturer's 'certified' specs'. And on forums like this all sorts of people will tell you a bizarre size of wheel/tyre 'will work fine' when it's way outside anything the manufacturer has tested. So always check with your garage exactly what combinations of wheel ({x}J x {y} ET {z}) and tyre aaa/bb-c-{y} are certified for your specific VIN and only choose to fit that combination. You also should find the details on your vehicle's door plate (where the PSIs are listed) although it can be tricky to interpret (see note +).
For SUVs and performance cars the problem can be that your wheels are also important. Inasmuch as while you may be able to fit a winter tyre to them, the usual practice is to also swap for a narrower/less diameter wheel (and narrower tyre) as well (e.g. 20" wheels go down to 19" and 8" wide goes down to 7.5" or 7"). This is for two reasons (i) narrower tyres are less prone to aquaplaning (which is a Good Thing in a typical British winter) and (ii) you may not be able to fit conventional chains to the wider summer wheels/tyres because there's not enough anterior space - the chains may be too close to the suspension/brake pipes.
If you don't want to have to buy and store a separate set of winter wheels as well as tyres, then you could ust fit winter tyres and do what I do and use one of the front-fitting chains. Chains like the Spikes Spider EASY don't have any anterior chain to them - they fit to the front of the wheel and then wrap only around the tread, not behind. They're expensive (mine were £300) but most have the merit of fitting a wider range of wheel sizes so are more likely to transfer to your next car or another one in your garage.
An upside of the smaller wheels is usually a softer ride. On my previous Audi, I actually preferred the smaller winter wheels in terms of ride and didn't look forward to the much harsher ride the bigger summer wheels gave. You may find the same with your X5 although a lot of it is personal preference.
[+ e.g. my M235i summer rear wheels are 8Jx18 or 8" wide by 18" diameter carrying 245/35-R-18 tyres (245mm wide). But in the manual and if you ask the garage, the winter sizes can only be 7" or 7½" wide and 17" diameter which is 7Jx17 or 7.5Jx17 and the corresponding tyres are 20mm narrower at 225/45-R-17 ]
So an owner will ask "How do I get a tyre as good as the ones fitted to the car at the factory?" and for BMW, this is the '*' tyre. To get a '*' rating the quality control will be the same as for tyres fitted to new build cars.
Is the difference between a '*' version and non-'*' version significant? Personally, having worked for Pirelli, I'd say 'not really' and that it's more of a slight difference in the number of faulty tyres per 1,000. Of course, all other things being equal, why not go for a '*' as it's guaranteed to be slightly less likely to be faulty. But I wouldn't pay a premium and I certainly wouldn't choose a '*' tyre I thought was inferior to a different, non-'*' equivalent.
The other problem is that the '*' designation lags behind new tyre models. So for my winters on my M235i all that BMW offer in '*' designation is the Pirelli WInter Sottozero Serie-II, but not the (relatively) newer Winter Sottozero S3. The Serie-II is a great winter tyre for a performance car and is particularly good in warmer conditions, but the S3 has the edge in snow, at the cost of not being quite as good in warmer conditions. I had the Serie-II on my previous 330d xDrive Touring, but for my M235i I wanted the S3 for my winter trips to the Alps (330BHP RWD in the snow can be a handful) so I went for the S3. I wasn't troubled it lacked the '*' designation.
Finally, don't confuse the '*' designation with the 'is this tyre the right size?' question. When you get a tyre from BMW they're certifying that the whole package - wheel and tyre - is absolutely right for your specific VIN. Some independent wheel retailers will happily sell you a wheel and tyre that's way outside the car manufacturer's 'certified' specs'. And on forums like this all sorts of people will tell you a bizarre size of wheel/tyre 'will work fine' when it's way outside anything the manufacturer has tested. So always check with your garage exactly what combinations of wheel ({x}J x {y} ET {z}) and tyre aaa/bb-c-{y} are certified for your specific VIN and only choose to fit that combination. You also should find the details on your vehicle's door plate (where the PSIs are listed) although it can be tricky to interpret (see note +).
For SUVs and performance cars the problem can be that your wheels are also important. Inasmuch as while you may be able to fit a winter tyre to them, the usual practice is to also swap for a narrower/less diameter wheel (and narrower tyre) as well (e.g. 20" wheels go down to 19" and 8" wide goes down to 7.5" or 7"). This is for two reasons (i) narrower tyres are less prone to aquaplaning (which is a Good Thing in a typical British winter) and (ii) you may not be able to fit conventional chains to the wider summer wheels/tyres because there's not enough anterior space - the chains may be too close to the suspension/brake pipes.
If you don't want to have to buy and store a separate set of winter wheels as well as tyres, then you could ust fit winter tyres and do what I do and use one of the front-fitting chains. Chains like the Spikes Spider EASY don't have any anterior chain to them - they fit to the front of the wheel and then wrap only around the tread, not behind. They're expensive (mine were £300) but most have the merit of fitting a wider range of wheel sizes so are more likely to transfer to your next car or another one in your garage.
An upside of the smaller wheels is usually a softer ride. On my previous Audi, I actually preferred the smaller winter wheels in terms of ride and didn't look forward to the much harsher ride the bigger summer wheels gave. You may find the same with your X5 although a lot of it is personal preference.
[+ e.g. my M235i summer rear wheels are 8Jx18 or 8" wide by 18" diameter carrying 245/35-R-18 tyres (245mm wide). But in the manual and if you ask the garage, the winter sizes can only be 7" or 7½" wide and 17" diameter which is 7Jx17 or 7.5Jx17 and the corresponding tyres are 20mm narrower at 225/45-R-17 ]
Edited by msej449 on Wednesday 29th August 01:03
That's a really helpful post msej449 (and timely for me as I'm currently going through the same process.
I've just picked up a 2016 335D F34, currently set up with staggered 19" 8J and 9J, running 225/45 and 255/40
I spend most of my weekends in the Highlands, so usually run winter tyres for much of the year. I have some 225/45 19 M+S tyres in the garage, but I'm not sure whether I can fit them.
My door card says that the only M+S tyres I can fit are 225/50 18.
I suppose my question is this, will I need to bite the bullet and buy some new rims (4 x 8J) and 225/50 18 tyres...or could I run the tyres I I currently have on my existing rim set up?
Any idea what the impact would be to (a) the car and (b) my warranty? I've sent three emails to BMW and not had a reply, so getting a little frustrated!
I know 19's won't be as good in the snow as 18's but the cost difference is huge at the moment.
I've just picked up a 2016 335D F34, currently set up with staggered 19" 8J and 9J, running 225/45 and 255/40
I spend most of my weekends in the Highlands, so usually run winter tyres for much of the year. I have some 225/45 19 M+S tyres in the garage, but I'm not sure whether I can fit them.
My door card says that the only M+S tyres I can fit are 225/50 18.
I suppose my question is this, will I need to bite the bullet and buy some new rims (4 x 8J) and 225/50 18 tyres...or could I run the tyres I I currently have on my existing rim set up?
Any idea what the impact would be to (a) the car and (b) my warranty? I've sent three emails to BMW and not had a reply, so getting a little frustrated!
I know 19's won't be as good in the snow as 18's but the cost difference is huge at the moment.
The only 'proper' advice I can give is to follow the BMW guide for you specific car, which, as I expected, is smaller wheels and smaller tyres for a winter setup.
There are alternatives, but what may be the best next step is to contact your dealer and ask them to quote for a set for you. This gives you a baseline cost and wheel/tyre spec. My dealer did this on the 330d Touring and the price wasn't exorbitant (I think they had a promotion on) and they also stored the unused set for free, so I opted for that. Then you can use this as a basis for comparison.
The next option is to go to an independent (I have a good one near me who I trust) and see what they'd quote for the same sizes. Make sure the tyre is comparable as well i.e. a premium tyre (some Google searching will probably help). First get them to quote the full wheel + tyre as specified by BMW. The last car, this is what I opted for, in part because this car is a long-term purchase so I'll be using them for a few years, and in part because BMW didn't offer the Pirelli Sottozero S3 I wanted. [Note: if you have M Performance brakes or similar, then you may be restricted on the type of wheel you can fit. This is the case with my M235i and most M Sport models. These brakes are bigger than standard and will foul some of the standard wheels.]
Then get them to quote just the tyre on you summer wheels. That leaves you with three options of
1. BMW-supplied Full Winter wheels+tyres (using the BMW Service Dept. Spec')
2. Independent Full Winter Wheels + Tyres (ditto) and
3. Independent Winter tyres to match your summer wheels.
With 3. the pros are obviously it's cheaper and there are no wheels to store, while the cons are that repeatedly switching tyres off/on the wheels can cause damage to both wheels and tyres; you're not getting the reduced aquaplaning of the smaller tyres; and you may find limited or no winter tyres in your summer sizes.
If you need to fit chains then that's a separate question: you can always get front-fitting ones if you stick with the summer tyres. Remember the rolling radius is always (or should always) remain the same so the gap between the tyre tread and the wheelarch should be consistent. Chains are only a problem if you don't get front-fitting ones and have chain component flying 'round the inside surface of the tyre. The advantage of [1] and [2] is that the wheel/tyre size allows for conventional chains i.e. extra space behind the wheel for the chains.
I've always let my insurer know I've fitted the winter setup and it's never been a problem nor produced any premium hike.
You're going to have to make the final choice as to which of these three options you go for. Just make sure you've OK'd what you've plan to fit ith your insurer before you buy.
There are alternatives, but what may be the best next step is to contact your dealer and ask them to quote for a set for you. This gives you a baseline cost and wheel/tyre spec. My dealer did this on the 330d Touring and the price wasn't exorbitant (I think they had a promotion on) and they also stored the unused set for free, so I opted for that. Then you can use this as a basis for comparison.
The next option is to go to an independent (I have a good one near me who I trust) and see what they'd quote for the same sizes. Make sure the tyre is comparable as well i.e. a premium tyre (some Google searching will probably help). First get them to quote the full wheel + tyre as specified by BMW. The last car, this is what I opted for, in part because this car is a long-term purchase so I'll be using them for a few years, and in part because BMW didn't offer the Pirelli Sottozero S3 I wanted. [Note: if you have M Performance brakes or similar, then you may be restricted on the type of wheel you can fit. This is the case with my M235i and most M Sport models. These brakes are bigger than standard and will foul some of the standard wheels.]
Then get them to quote just the tyre on you summer wheels. That leaves you with three options of
1. BMW-supplied Full Winter wheels+tyres (using the BMW Service Dept. Spec')
2. Independent Full Winter Wheels + Tyres (ditto) and
3. Independent Winter tyres to match your summer wheels.
With 3. the pros are obviously it's cheaper and there are no wheels to store, while the cons are that repeatedly switching tyres off/on the wheels can cause damage to both wheels and tyres; you're not getting the reduced aquaplaning of the smaller tyres; and you may find limited or no winter tyres in your summer sizes.
If you need to fit chains then that's a separate question: you can always get front-fitting ones if you stick with the summer tyres. Remember the rolling radius is always (or should always) remain the same so the gap between the tyre tread and the wheelarch should be consistent. Chains are only a problem if you don't get front-fitting ones and have chain component flying 'round the inside surface of the tyre. The advantage of [1] and [2] is that the wheel/tyre size allows for conventional chains i.e. extra space behind the wheel for the chains.
I've always let my insurer know I've fitted the winter setup and it's never been a problem nor produced any premium hike.
You're going to have to make the final choice as to which of these three options you go for. Just make sure you've OK'd what you've plan to fit ith your insurer before you buy.
@baconfries: I know I didn't answer your question about whether you can re-use your other tyres. There is usually some leeway about the tyre width than can be fitted to any specific wheel width. Obviously, they have to be the same wheel diameter (as they are - 19") and you'd think that the 225s would fit the 8J wheels just the same. But the 9J are 1" or 24mm wider than the 8J. Would this matter?
For me, it's too far outside the 'envelope' of 'certified' sizes to be comfortable.
Trouble is that the tyre width (225mm) is only an indirect indicator of the much more important bead width. What you won't know is the nominal bead width - that's the width from the bead of the tyre (the inner flange of rubber that sits on the wheel) on one side to the other side - it should correspond to the 'J' size of the wheel. This isn't marked on the tyre. It has some leeway but only up to a point. If it's mis-matched to the wheel the tyre will eventually come off.
But if you go to a reputable fitter and he says differently, I'd always defer to the expert, because he's taking on the liability if he's wrong. He will also have access to more data on the tyre, such as the bead width. As a typical forum poster I have to beware giving advice when I have no liability about the consequences …. !
For me, it's too far outside the 'envelope' of 'certified' sizes to be comfortable.
Trouble is that the tyre width (225mm) is only an indirect indicator of the much more important bead width. What you won't know is the nominal bead width - that's the width from the bead of the tyre (the inner flange of rubber that sits on the wheel) on one side to the other side - it should correspond to the 'J' size of the wheel. This isn't marked on the tyre. It has some leeway but only up to a point. If it's mis-matched to the wheel the tyre will eventually come off.
But if you go to a reputable fitter and he says differently, I'd always defer to the expert, because he's taking on the liability if he's wrong. He will also have access to more data on the tyre, such as the bead width. As a typical forum poster I have to beware giving advice when I have no liability about the consequences …. !
Edited by msej449 on Wednesday 29th August 23:46
This is all hugely helpful and insightful, thanks for taking the time to put it together.
I think that given everything I've read and the points you make above, I'll just bite the bullet and pick up some 18" 8J rims and 225/50 tyres. Avoids any issues with either BMW or my insurers. I finally got a quote back from BMW for winters in rim styles 400M, 405M and 658. They're all coming in at £2k complete. I'll just take the same spec and find a used/refurbed set of rims and stick some new TPMS and tyres on. Should bring it in just over half of what BMW are quoting and I'm not too fussed about new v used rims for a set of winter wheels.
I think that given everything I've read and the points you make above, I'll just bite the bullet and pick up some 18" 8J rims and 225/50 tyres. Avoids any issues with either BMW or my insurers. I finally got a quote back from BMW for winters in rim styles 400M, 405M and 658. They're all coming in at £2k complete. I'll just take the same spec and find a used/refurbed set of rims and stick some new TPMS and tyres on. Should bring it in just over half of what BMW are quoting and I'm not too fussed about new v used rims for a set of winter wheels.
rayyan171 said:
X5's hate non star marked tyres. It is a recipe for disaster to use non-star marked tyres, especially with the X5 due to its AWD system. Well documented topic, over on xDrivers there is much more talk about it.
Hi Rayyan. Agreed that it makes scary reading but my question was specific to winter tyres, there only seems to be one * marked option made by Pirelli on the 20” wheels and it is mega expensive. I guess BMW expect people to buy new wheels and tyres to get the * approved winter tyres.
msej449 said:
The '*' designation addresses the issue that when you make tyres for fitting to a car manufacturer's vehicle in their factory, you usually apply extra-high quality levels compared to the same tyre for aftermarket retailers like QuiKfit etc. In some cases, car manufacturers will send representatives to the tyre factory to monitor and check the whole process and the product quality. Even cosmetic flaws will get a tyre rejected. They're ruthless in rejecting anything but the best.
So an owner will ask "How do I get a tyre as good as the ones fitted to the car at the factory?" and for BMW, this is the '*' tyre. To get a '*' rating the quality control will be the same as for tyres fitted to new build cars.
Is the difference between a '*' version and non-'*' version significant? Personally, having worked for Pirelli, I'd say 'not really' and that it's more of a slight difference in the number of faulty tyres per 1,000. Of course, all other things being equal, why not go for a '*' as it's guaranteed to be slightly less likely to be faulty. But I wouldn't pay a premium and I certainly wouldn't choose a '*' tyre I thought was inferior to a different, non-'*' equivalent.
The other problem is that the '*' designation lags behind new tyre models. So for my winters on my M235i all that BMW offer in '*' designation is the Pirelli WInter Sottozero Serie-II, but not the (relatively) newer Winter Sottozero S3. The Serie-II is a great winter tyre for a performance car and is particularly good in warmer conditions, but the S3 has the edge in snow, at the cost of not being quite as good in warmer conditions. I had the Serie-II on my previous 330d xDrive Touring, but for my M235i I wanted the S3 for my winter trips to the Alps (330BHP RWD in the snow can be a handful) so I went for the S3. I wasn't troubled it lacked the '*' designation.
Finally, don't confuse the '*' designation with the 'is this tyre the right size?' question. When you get a tyre from BMW they're certifying that the whole package - wheel and tyre - is absolutely right for your specific VIN. Some independent wheel retailers will happily sell you a wheel and tyre that's way outside the car manufacturer's 'certified' specs'. And on forums like this all sorts of people will tell you a bizarre size of wheel/tyre 'will work fine' when it's way outside anything the manufacturer has tested. So always check with your garage exactly what combinations of wheel ({x}J x {y} ET {z}) and tyre aaa/bb-c-{y} are certified for your specific VIN and only choose to fit that combination. You also should find the details on your vehicle's door plate (where the PSIs are listed) although it can be tricky to interpret (see note +).
For SUVs and performance cars the problem can be that your wheels are also important. Inasmuch as while you may be able to fit a winter tyre to them, the usual practice is to also swap for a narrower/less diameter wheel (and narrower tyre) as well (e.g. 20" wheels go down to 19" and 8" wide goes down to 7.5" or 7"). This is for two reasons (i) narrower tyres are less prone to aquaplaning (which is a Good Thing in a typical British winter) and (ii) you may not be able to fit conventional chains to the wider summer wheels/tyres because there's not enough anterior space - the chains may be too close to the suspension/brake pipes.
If you don't want to have to buy and store a separate set of winter wheels as well as tyres, then you could ust fit winter tyres and do what I do and use one of the front-fitting chains. Chains like the Spikes Spider EASY don't have any anterior chain to them - they fit to the front of the wheel and then wrap only around the tread, not behind. They're expensive (mine were £300) but most have the merit of fitting a wider range of wheel sizes so are more likely to transfer to your next car or another one in your garage.
An upside of the smaller wheels is usually a softer ride. On my previous Audi, I actually preferred the smaller winter wheels in terms of ride and didn't look forward to the much harsher ride the bigger summer wheels gave. You may find the same with your X5 although a lot of it is personal preference.
[+ e.g. my M235i summer rear wheels are 8Jx18 or 8" wide by 18" diameter carrying 245/35-R-18 tyres (245mm wide). But in the manual and if you ask the garage, the winter sizes can only be 7" or 7½" wide and 17" diameter which is 7Jx17 or 7.5Jx17 and the corresponding tyres are 20mm narrower at 225/45-R-17 ]
Thank you msej449. Appreciate you taking the time and sharing your knowledge. Just what the forum should be about (IMO). So an owner will ask "How do I get a tyre as good as the ones fitted to the car at the factory?" and for BMW, this is the '*' tyre. To get a '*' rating the quality control will be the same as for tyres fitted to new build cars.
Is the difference between a '*' version and non-'*' version significant? Personally, having worked for Pirelli, I'd say 'not really' and that it's more of a slight difference in the number of faulty tyres per 1,000. Of course, all other things being equal, why not go for a '*' as it's guaranteed to be slightly less likely to be faulty. But I wouldn't pay a premium and I certainly wouldn't choose a '*' tyre I thought was inferior to a different, non-'*' equivalent.
The other problem is that the '*' designation lags behind new tyre models. So for my winters on my M235i all that BMW offer in '*' designation is the Pirelli WInter Sottozero Serie-II, but not the (relatively) newer Winter Sottozero S3. The Serie-II is a great winter tyre for a performance car and is particularly good in warmer conditions, but the S3 has the edge in snow, at the cost of not being quite as good in warmer conditions. I had the Serie-II on my previous 330d xDrive Touring, but for my M235i I wanted the S3 for my winter trips to the Alps (330BHP RWD in the snow can be a handful) so I went for the S3. I wasn't troubled it lacked the '*' designation.
Finally, don't confuse the '*' designation with the 'is this tyre the right size?' question. When you get a tyre from BMW they're certifying that the whole package - wheel and tyre - is absolutely right for your specific VIN. Some independent wheel retailers will happily sell you a wheel and tyre that's way outside the car manufacturer's 'certified' specs'. And on forums like this all sorts of people will tell you a bizarre size of wheel/tyre 'will work fine' when it's way outside anything the manufacturer has tested. So always check with your garage exactly what combinations of wheel ({x}J x {y} ET {z}) and tyre aaa/bb-c-{y} are certified for your specific VIN and only choose to fit that combination. You also should find the details on your vehicle's door plate (where the PSIs are listed) although it can be tricky to interpret (see note +).
For SUVs and performance cars the problem can be that your wheels are also important. Inasmuch as while you may be able to fit a winter tyre to them, the usual practice is to also swap for a narrower/less diameter wheel (and narrower tyre) as well (e.g. 20" wheels go down to 19" and 8" wide goes down to 7.5" or 7"). This is for two reasons (i) narrower tyres are less prone to aquaplaning (which is a Good Thing in a typical British winter) and (ii) you may not be able to fit conventional chains to the wider summer wheels/tyres because there's not enough anterior space - the chains may be too close to the suspension/brake pipes.
If you don't want to have to buy and store a separate set of winter wheels as well as tyres, then you could ust fit winter tyres and do what I do and use one of the front-fitting chains. Chains like the Spikes Spider EASY don't have any anterior chain to them - they fit to the front of the wheel and then wrap only around the tread, not behind. They're expensive (mine were £300) but most have the merit of fitting a wider range of wheel sizes so are more likely to transfer to your next car or another one in your garage.
An upside of the smaller wheels is usually a softer ride. On my previous Audi, I actually preferred the smaller winter wheels in terms of ride and didn't look forward to the much harsher ride the bigger summer wheels gave. You may find the same with your X5 although a lot of it is personal preference.
[+ e.g. my M235i summer rear wheels are 8Jx18 or 8" wide by 18" diameter carrying 245/35-R-18 tyres (245mm wide). But in the manual and if you ask the garage, the winter sizes can only be 7" or 7½" wide and 17" diameter which is 7Jx17 or 7.5Jx17 and the corresponding tyres are 20mm narrower at 225/45-R-17 ]
Edited by msej449 on Wednesday 29th August 01:03
I am likely to get the Pirelli * winter tyres in the 20” size as car is brand new so will keep for a good few years.
Will update everyone when I get them on.
Mitch16 said:
rayyan171 said:
X5's hate non star marked tyres. It is a recipe for disaster to use non-star marked tyres, especially with the X5 due to its AWD system. Well documented topic, over on xDrivers there is much more talk about it.
Hi Rayyan. Agreed that it makes scary reading but my question was specific to winter tyres, there only seems to be one * marked option made by Pirelli on the 20” wheels and it is mega expensive. I guess BMW expect people to buy new wheels and tyres to get the * approved winter tyres.
The set of alloys can be bought from eBay or a breaker, for much cheaper. Tyres can be bought independently. The dealer stings you for £2k for tyres alone!
I'm not sure if it's the same in the UK but here in Switzerland BMW launch a set of promotions early in September for Winter tyres. Given the timing I'd be enquiring if something similar was coming up.
An option for the wheels is to ask the dealer if they have any second hand ones. For the i3 I got a set at about 1/2 price. A friend got a similar deal on winters for his Porsche 991. For the 340 I bought the cheapest 17" wheels when the promotion came up - I prefer them to the 19" the car came with.
I don't think you need to worry about chains with winter tyres on an X5. After 15 years in Switzerland with AWD cars I've never needed to fit them and last winter I had plenty of experience driving over the mountain pass which is between me and Zurich airport in the early hours during a snowstorm. The only thing that has ever stopped me is road closure due to avalanches.
An option for the wheels is to ask the dealer if they have any second hand ones. For the i3 I got a set at about 1/2 price. A friend got a similar deal on winters for his Porsche 991. For the 340 I bought the cheapest 17" wheels when the promotion came up - I prefer them to the 19" the car came with.
I don't think you need to worry about chains with winter tyres on an X5. After 15 years in Switzerland with AWD cars I've never needed to fit them and last winter I had plenty of experience driving over the mountain pass which is between me and Zurich airport in the early hours during a snowstorm. The only thing that has ever stopped me is road closure due to avalanches.
baconfries said:
That's a really helpful post msej449 (and timely for me as I'm currently going through the same process.
I've just picked up a 2016 335D F34, currently set up with staggered 19" 8J and 9J, running 225/45 and 255/40
I spend most of my weekends in the Highlands, so usually run winter tyres for much of the year. I have some 225/45 19 M+S tyres in the garage, but I'm not sure whether I can fit them.
My door card says that the only M+S tyres I can fit are 225/50 18.
I suppose my question is this, will I need to bite the bullet and buy some new rims (4 x 8J) and 225/50 18 tyres...or could I run the tyres I I currently have on my existing rim set up?
Any idea what the impact would be to (a) the car and (b) my warranty? I've sent three emails to BMW and not had a reply, so getting a little frustrated!
I know 19's won't be as good in the snow as 18's but the cost difference is huge at the moment.
225/45/19 seem to be too narrow for the 9J wheels, 8.5J being the max recommend size, or even better 7.5-8J. Found the info on a tyre site 1010tires.I've just picked up a 2016 335D F34, currently set up with staggered 19" 8J and 9J, running 225/45 and 255/40
I spend most of my weekends in the Highlands, so usually run winter tyres for much of the year. I have some 225/45 19 M+S tyres in the garage, but I'm not sure whether I can fit them.
My door card says that the only M+S tyres I can fit are 225/50 18.
I suppose my question is this, will I need to bite the bullet and buy some new rims (4 x 8J) and 225/50 18 tyres...or could I run the tyres I I currently have on my existing rim set up?
Any idea what the impact would be to (a) the car and (b) my warranty? I've sent three emails to BMW and not had a reply, so getting a little frustrated!
I know 19's won't be as good in the snow as 18's but the cost difference is huge at the moment.
Mitch16 said:
Hi Rayyan. Agreed that it makes scary reading but my question was specific to winter tyres, there only seems to be one * marked option made by Pirelli on the 20” wheels and it is mega expensive.
I guess BMW expect people to buy new wheels and tyres to get the * approved winter tyres.
You're much better off getting a set of genuine BMW 19" wheels with winter tyres - a square set up at that (same size front and rear).I guess BMW expect people to buy new wheels and tyres to get the * approved winter tyres.
Swapping tyres on your 20's will be a pain for your tyre fitter and not do your tyres any good either, and you'll probably get a set of 19's (wheels and tyres) for similar cost to a set of 20" tyres alone.
I also forgot to mention: read the manual re. driving in snow and use the recommended traction setting. On both my xDrive 330d and RWD M235i, when driving on snow, sand, gravel etc. the Manual tells me to press the car-with-wobbly-lines button and TRACTION will appear on the instrument display. This biases the electronics to maximise traction and stop wheelspin. As soon as I'm back on smooth tarmac or similar, the manual says to press the button again, and this sets the traction controls back to normal. It's worth giving this a try-out on a straight road at low speed just to be familiar with the process, rather than see snow up ahead on the road and have to ask your passenger to dig out the manual and read out the instructions before you hit it.
Also, in my manual, the instructions are very badly translated from the German. It really isn't clear, in part because of all the acronyms used. Really, the car-with-wobbly-lines button might as well have a snowflake symbol on it and then it'd be more meaningful. Except that it applies just as much to gravel and sand, I suppose, so they've opted to reflect what pressing the button actually does (which is to make the car more prone to rear oversteer slides at speed - but then you won't be driving it at speed in the snow).
It' a bit of a waste of money to have winter wheels and tyres and then not use the right traction setting when you hit the snow. Of course, the tyres will still be very useful but it doesn't cost anything to read up on this beforehand and get the best out of the whole setup.
Also, in my manual, the instructions are very badly translated from the German. It really isn't clear, in part because of all the acronyms used. Really, the car-with-wobbly-lines button might as well have a snowflake symbol on it and then it'd be more meaningful. Except that it applies just as much to gravel and sand, I suppose, so they've opted to reflect what pressing the button actually does (which is to make the car more prone to rear oversteer slides at speed - but then you won't be driving it at speed in the snow).
It' a bit of a waste of money to have winter wheels and tyres and then not use the right traction setting when you hit the snow. Of course, the tyres will still be very useful but it doesn't cost anything to read up on this beforehand and get the best out of the whole setup.
Edited by msej449 on Sunday 16th September 15:34
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