Can you get away with H rated for winter...

[schnell525]

or do you need to go with V?

found some cheaper snows that are H...but will H's sidewall be too mushy for a 535xi?

i'm not going to be buzzing 100 mph in a snow storm, but don't want to kill the handling with a softer sidewall, especially if the car is designed for V.

thanks for your input.

[athen]

or do you need to go with V?

found some cheaper snows that are H...but will H's sidewall be too mushy for a 535xi?

i'm not going to be buzzing 100 mph in a snow storm, but don't want to kill the handling with a softer sidewall, especially if the car is designed for V.

thanks for your input.

So you are convinced that a tire that can operate at sustained speeds of 135 mph somehow will not be able to cope with the handling capability of a 5 Series in WINTER Driving?

[calpalmer]

My thought as well. Drive within the tire's capability always. Hard to believe they wouldn't be just fine and feel okay.

Cal

[skylolow]

H should be fine for winter driving.

[Bethesda E39]

Q would be better on snow/ice...if you keep your speed down.

[Fahrer]

Even S rated is ok if you do not go above 112 mph. Auto companies simply equip tires that match the top speed of the car. For the US VW, Audi and MB electronically limit the cars to 130 mph. So for US cars they can equip with H rated. BMW goes with 150 mph limit so, in principle, they equip with V rated tires. An engineer wold say match the tire to the top speed but if you do not go that fast lower speed ratings are OK. Bye the way, in Germany you "must" use winter tires in the winter ( all season are no longer accepted). These tires are often lower speed rated and, with rentals, there will be a sticker on the instrument panel indicating the top speed of the tires.

[Bethesda E39]

schnell525:
Why don't you go with a set of proper winter rims and tires (go to Tirerack.com). Then you can select the best size tire for your car, and not compromise handling and safety in winter.
H-rated tires (if you are driving in snow/ice frequently) won't impress you. They're still pretty hard and lack the features that a true winter tire (Q-rated) like Blizzak or Arctic Alpin can offer.

I have run Blizzaks on my car in Canada...and I gotta say: when it's -30 and you're driving through snow and ice (at highway speeds), a true winter tire is the ONLY way to go.
A Q-rated tire is safe up to 100MPH (sustained speeds). Are you really going to be driving faster than that....constantly?

I think you need 2 sets of wheels: Summer performance, and winter performance.

Just my opinion....

[athen]

Even S rated is ok if you do not go above 112 mph. Auto companies simply equip tires that match the top speed of the car. For the US VW, Audi and MB electronically limit the cars to 130 mph. So for US cars they can equip with H rated. BMW goes with 150 mph limit so, in principle, they equip with V rated tires. An engineer wold say match the tire to the top speed but if you do not go that fast lower speed ratings are OK. Bye the way, in Germany you "must" use winter tires in the winter ( all season are no longer accepted). These tires are often lower speed rated and, with rentals, there will be a sticker on the instrument panel indicating the top speed of the tires.

My understanding of the German law is that winter tire/ tire chain fitments are only mandatory in mountainous regions.

As a former State Prosecutor, I would advise anyone driving at dry pavement freeway speeds on Illinois highways coated with 3"+ of snow , dedicated winter tires or not, to expect an arrest for reckless driving.

In Driver's Ed. we are all taught to adapt our driving habits for inclement weather. I never heard of driver education where you are taught to buy special tires to be able to drive at dry pavement speeds on icy or snow packed roads.

[schnell525]

Thanks for the input guys. I've had Hakka's before, and they do great in heavy snow. I've had Dunlop Wintersport M3s which were fine H rated on my heavy pig Audi A6 quattro. I'm going to a mix of highway driving that takes me through a few climates. Heavy lake effect snow that is "greasy." Powdery snow when you get farther from the lakes. Lower mountains 2-3K feet that could be icy or rainy, then coastal atlantic. I can leave home at 10 degrees and it will be 50 in MD. That's why I'm leaning towards an H or V. I'll have to check out the sidewalls and the load ratings. Some driving might be in crap, other in decent weather through the twisties in the mountains. I'm not planning on doing anything other than regular interstate driving, but am not going to cheapen out on tires--not one of the things that I do in life.

I'm not going to buy an extra set of wheels + sensors...car will be gone in a little over 2 years.

[midwest bmw]

Well, I'm not sure about H ratings or not -- but let me share this pov..

I bought a set of Blizzak WS's for my E36 328 and hated em..They were way too soft and mushy...Absolutely ruined the driving experience of the car. Couldn't wait to get them off in the Spring.

I'd never buy them again..

On the other hand, I absolutely loved the Blizzak LM22's I had em on my E39 540i...Would buy them again in a hearbeat.

Buyer beware -- There are different Blizzaks (that are probably different rated rubber) and if you choose the wrong one for your driving taste, you could find yourself very unhappy

[Fahrer]

My understanding of the German law is that winter tire/ tire chain fitments are only mandatory in mountainous regions.

As a former State Prosecutor, I would advise anyone driving at dry pavement freeway speeds on Illinois highways coated with 3"+ of snow , dedicated winter tires or not, to expect an arrest for reckless driving.

In Driver's Ed. we are all taught to adapt our driving habits for inclement weather. I never heard of driver education where you are taught to buy special tires to be able to drive at dry pavement speeds on icy or snow packed roads.

Three years ago while I was living in Germany, the rules were changed and all sason tires were not acceptable for driving in the winter months. This really has very little to do with snow and more to do with the lower winter temperatures ( even though it does not get as cold as the NE in most of Germany). Most of Germany gets very little snow and what does come down rarely accumulates because it is simply too warm. The southern, more mountainous regions can have accumulations but the rules are country-wide.

This change was really great for the tire manufacturers!:)

[JSpira]

My understanding of the German law is that winter tire/ tire chain fitments are only mandatory in mountainous regions.


Unfortunately, your understanding of German law is incorrect.

German law requires cars to have winter tires fitted when driving in wintry conditions. All-season tires, namely those with an M+S marking, are considered acceptable (although I wouldn't consider them acceptable).

If it's winter and the weather is clear, winter tires are not mandated. But most people switch over to proper winter tires regardless.

I hear regularly hear radio commercials on German radio starting at some point in November along the lines of ,,your XXXX dealer has the winter tires your car needs...`` (varies based on which dealer or marque group is advertising of course but there is always a series of commercials for your BMW Händler).

[athen]

Unfortunately, your understanding of German law is incorrect.

German law requires cars to have winter tires fitted when driving in wintry conditions. All-season tires, namely those with an M+S marking, are considered acceptable (although I wouldn't consider them acceptable).

If it's winter and the weather is clear, winter tires are not mandated. But most people switch over to proper winter tires regardless.

I hear regularly hear radio commercials on German radio starting at some point in November along the lines of ,,your XXXX dealer has the winter tires your car needs...`` (varies based on which dealer or marque group is advertising of course but there is always a series of commercials for your BMW Händler).


Well now I'm confused because I just spoke with a supervisor at Sixt Rental (a German car rental firm) about requirements for a car rental in Germany this winter. While they RECOMMEND fitment of winter tires on their winter rentals in Germany they are not mandated by law (this according to Sixt).

Even the SIXT website RECOMMENDS winter tire fitment as an option. Common sense dictates that if it winter tires were mandated across the board, all cars offered for rental in Germany during the winter season would be required to be fitted with winter tires ab initio.

[JSpira]

Well now I'm confused because I just spoke with a supervisor at Sixt Rental (a German car rental firm) about requirements for a car rental in Germany this winter. While they RECOMMEND fitment of winter tires on their winter rentals in Germany they are not mandated by law (this according to Sixt).

Even the SIXT website RECOMMENDS winter tire fitment as an option. Common sense dictates that if it winter tires were mandated across the board, all cars offered for rental in Germany during the winter season would be required to be fitted with winter tires ab initio.

No contradiction. Winter tires (M+S rating at the very least) are required in wintry conditions.

I would bet many of Sixt's cars have All Season tires to begin with plus there is no requirement to have winter tires on when you are not driving in wintry conditions.

Of course common sense dictates that tomorrow's weather could be different than today's so...

[athen]

No contradiction. Winter tires (M+S rating at the very least) are required in wintry conditions.

I would bet many of Sixt's cars have All Season tires to begin with plus there is no requirement to have winter tires on when you are not driving in wintry conditions.

Of course common sense dictates that tomorrow's weather could be different than today's so...

No reasonable renter of a car would be willing to swap tires from day to day.
And Sixt states that it will honor all insurance claims for injury/ property damage regardless whether the customer opts for winter tires

So the real issue is, under German law, what constitutes wintry weather REQUIRING winter tires. Is is a major snow event producing 1/3+ meter of snow in a day?

I realize that due to the Alpine climate, in most German cities after snow falls, snow will melt. Here in the U.S. Upper Midwest snow events are followed by near 0 F temperatures. Therefore if snow isn't physically removed during and following a major snow event it stays on the ground for months without melting. It would be irrelevant what type of tire your car was equipped with if the snow is higher than the clearance of the car.

That is why we have much more snow removal equipment at our disposal. Storms of comparable intensity that paralyze Western European airports typically have minor impact on an O'Hare. Here in Chicago a considerable portion of homeowners have either gas powered snow throwers or a private plowing service to cope with our tundra-like conditions. Do Frankfurters or Muncheners have those same conditions and requirements? Of course not.

While we have more INTENSE winter weather here in our Northern populous regions, we are more accustomed to it . We have snow removal infrastructure in place that keeps up with our driving needs.

We flatlanders do quite well here with A/S tires, thank you.