Winter Tyres Service

[Stitch]

A friend has just told me and I have had it confirmed by my local dealer that BMW has introduced a service whereby they will provide you with a set of wheels if you buy winter tyres from them and they will store the tyres that you are ot using. I think that this is pretty much standard practice in the Fatherland and following last winter's weather (and lost of embarrassed X drivers) they have introduced the serivce to Blighty.

Anyone using the service?

[Roger645]

I saw a winter tyre attached to an advertising display today but didn't take any notice. I'm back there on wednesday and see what it says. I doubt the service will be cheap!

[DSM2]

Don't think that's quite the service on offer. They are offering sets of wheels and tyres, starting at £600 for a 1er, so you pay for the wheels as well. Some dealers also charge for fitting and storing.

I won't be using this service on my Z4 but will be putting winter tyres on my VW for the first time on any car. Don't have spare rims but do have tyre changer and balancer and the tyres (Hankook icebears) sit in the garage as I type!!

[Mr E Driver]

BMW winter tyre package

[rastamanblues]

Out of curiosity I actually rang the local dealer today to find out how much I set of winter wheels + tyres would set me back.

£1700 odd! (It was for an E90 335D). ALOT more than the 'from £600' it quoted in the quaterly mailshot magazine.

Yes I know I imagine a slight issue would be front brake clearance, so they would have to be 17's, but I wish they actually put proper pricing up, that is easily viewable without all the hastle of having to ring around dealers.

Edited by rastamanblues on Monday 22 November 20:43

[mekondelta]

I tried this and could only find one dealer in Gatwick who would store them and that was 250GBP for 2 years! So they're being stored elsewhere right now.

Most dealers don't offer the service. I have the steel/RFT combination and TBH, BMW are way expensive compared to the open market although now I have them I'm happy with what I have.

[Stitch]

Mr E Driver said:

BMW winter tyre package

Is this going to link to one of those really amusing "let me google that for you" web pages?

Mr E Driver you really are a card!

[Jonny TVR]

Do winter tyres help that much in the snow and ice? for these kind of costs would it not be a better idea to buy an old 4x4??

[Magnus Barelegs]

Jonny TVR said:

Do winter tyres help that much in the snow and ice?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drOtBWhGxks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlYEMH10Z4s&fea...

Edited by Magnus Barelegs on Wednesday 24th November 12:38

[Magnus Barelegs]

I'm having a right palavour getting runflat winter tyres.
Every local tyre shop I've tried says you can't get them.
Which is rubbish, loads of people make them.
Looks like I'll have to buy online and get one of the 'doubting Thomas' garages to fit them.

[Jonny TVR]

Magnus Barelegs said:

Jonny TVR said:

Do winter tyres help that much in the snow and ice?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drOtBWhGxks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlYEMH10Z4s&fea...

Edited by Magnus Barelegs on Wednesday 24th November 12:38

That was very good thanks and certainly answers my question

[Mr E Driver]

Magnus Barelegs said:

I'm having a right palavour getting runflat winter tyres.
Every local tyre shop I've tried says you can't get them.
Which is rubbish, loads of people make them.
Looks like I'll have to buy online and get one of the 'doubting Thomas' garages to fit them.

When I bought mine, (18") the tyre place had a big problem getting tyres and I have ended up with Pirelli r/flats on the front and proper Kumho tyres on the back. Car drives fine.

[Silver993tt]

On my E91 330D (2009), I bought a set of 17" wheels fitted with winter ryres. It's much easier to get 17" winters than 18" (and they cost less), especially if you also stick to 225s all round instead of the standard 18x265 rears. They work a treat in cold wet conditions and the occasional snowy roads, particularly since the rears are narrower than the standard tyres.

[Mr E Driver]

I tried to get 17" but they were fetching stupid money on Fleecebay then I saw some 18" SE wheels for a reasonable price and bought them. The big problem was finding 18" winters and I could not get 4 from the same manufacturer.

[Guyr]

Jonny TVR said:

for these kind of costs would it not be a better idea to buy an old 4x4??

4x4s have no more cornering or braking ability than 2wd in snow/ice, they just have more traction to get them going.

My set of 4 new steel wheels with winter tyres for my 320d cost me £440 delivered to my house, I couldn't buy/tax/insure a 4x4 for that amount of money.

[Jonny TVR]

Guyr said:

Jonny TVR said:

for these kind of costs would it not be a better idea to buy an old 4x4??

4x4s have no more cornering or braking ability than 2wd in snow/ice, they just have more traction to get them going.

My set of 4 new steel wheels with winter tyres for my 320d cost me £440 delivered to my house, I couldn't buy/tax/insure a 4x4 for that amount of money.

Good point but I think a set of winters for mine might be expensive. Its an F10 5 series with 19 inch wheels. I'll get some prices though.

[Silver993tt]

Jonny TVR said:

Guyr said:

Jonny TVR said:

for these kind of costs would it not be a better idea to buy an old 4x4??

4x4s have no more cornering or braking ability than 2wd in snow/ice, they just have more traction to get them going.

My set of 4 new steel wheels with winter tyres for my 320d cost me £440 delivered to my house, I couldn't buy/tax/insure a 4x4 for that amount of money.

Good point but I think a set of winters for mine might be expensive. Its an F10 5 series with 19 inch wheels. I'll get some prices though.

Just get 17" wheels and use higher profile winter tyres, that's what I did and it works very well.

Edited by Silver993tt on Thursday 25th November 07:47

[Inverness]

rastamanblues said:

Out of curiosity I actually rang the local dealer today to find out how much I set of winter wheels + tyres would set me back.

£1700 odd! (It was for an E90 335D). ALOT more than the 'from £600' it quoted in the quaterly mailshot magazine.

Yes I know I imagine a slight issue would be front brake clearance, so they would have to be 17's, but I wish they actually put proper pricing up, that is easily viewable without all the hastle of having to ring around dealers.

Edited by rastamanblues on Monday 22 November 20:43

We have E91 M Sport 330d and we've just paid £1,420 all in for new wheels and winter tyres,this includes fitting and either storing the current wheels for the winter or delivering them back to our house. This was from Copper's (BMW Tunbridge Wells), ask for Dan in Parts if your intresrted.

[Inverness]

Magnus Barelegs said:

I'm having a right palavour getting runflat winter tyres.
Every local tyre shop I've tried says you can't get them.
Which is rubbish, loads of people make them.
Looks like I'll have to buy online and get one of the 'doubting Thomas' garages to fit them.

This is all true, I tried to just get winter tyres for our 18inch M Sport wheels but there are none in the country, with Michelin quoting 20th December and on the Conti intra web site, on the home page it states do not Order winter tyres as none will be available untill 2011!