Moving to Cold weather climate

So I'm about to accept an offer to relocate to Calgary from Houston. With a proper set of snow tires, would I be able to keep my 535i or should I just bite the bullet and sell my car and get something more practicable in the winters here. Any input appreciated.

Not sure on the snow differences between here (being Wisconsin) and Calgary, but I get by with snow tires on a 550i. The biggest problem with large snowfalls is not traction, rather ground clearance.

And the first winter is going to shock you.

Assuming it's an oil-patch related move...

I've lived in the Calgary area for 48 years and drove RWD cars exclusively from the '80s until 2007 when the AWD bug bit me (first with an Infiniti). Good winter tires and you'll be fine. Nokian R, Michelin Xi3 or the like would be the trick. Don't really need 'snow' tires per se, ice tires are your friend here. We don't typically get deep snow, but when we do the city is loathe to plow side streets for ages, so clearance can become an issue, not that I've ever been badly troubled by it.

One bonus (if you can call it that) about Calgary winters is periodic warm spells called Chinooks. Temperature can go from -30C to +15C or more in a few hours. And if you're a migraine sufferer, watch out - they're accompanied by extreme low pressure which plays havoc for those so afflicted.

Thanks for the info. The move won't happen until March 1 at the earliest. Sounds like a set of winter tires will do the trick. I'll be living downtown so hopefully the streets aren't going to be too bad.

Do you have the cold weather package on your car (heated seats & steering wheel)? Great options if you have them since they get nice and toasty before the car operating temp gets warmed up and the heater kicks in.

^indeed. 4 heated seats and a heated steering wheel is a nice thing to have.

Maybe a 4WD winter beater would be a good solution. You can always use something to haul junk and it may be better when the snow gets deep.

^good lord, why? Saddle yourself with a POS to drive half the year? Another vehicle to buy, insure, maintain, park? And if the OP is going to be living downtown, most likely will have underground parking. Extra stalls aren't necessarily available or cheap either.

07 550i here in MN. Get by just perfectly on winter tires.

Winter tires are a must. The car becomes a tank.
You might want to check out Transport Canada if there are any restrictions on importing your car since it is fairly new.
Otherwise, you should be good to go.
GL

speaking as a Calgarian. all you need is a good set of snow tires and it will perform good on ice as well(Blizzark, Nokian or i'm currently using Kumho). If you don't want 2 set of tires. highly suggest look into Nokian WR2(all weather tires), they are pricey but good for all year around with decent performance. Most important is drive with common sense.

don't waste $$$ to get a beater. vehicle mean to be driven unless you are driving something is not usable like a Lambo or something similar. just wash it often as we use chemical salt and gravel(be prepare crack windshield).
go check out RIV see the requirement in order to register as Canadian vehicle.

hope all these info helps and hope you have winter package on your 5.

You could always just get an xi or one of the BMW SUVs!

If you are a sensible driver, a good set of winter tires will be fine on the 535i.
On the other hand, if you are an impatient/aggressive driver, 4wd is a necessary in snow.

If you've never driven in real snow :-) practice. Over-confidence and/or aggressive driving is what will get you in to trouble in the snow.

Originally Posted by pcy

If you are a sensible driver, a good set of winter tires will be fine on the 535i.
On the other hand, if you are an impatient/aggressive driver, 4wd is a necessary in snow.

If you've never driven in real snow :-) practice. Over-confidence and/or aggressive driving is what will get you in to trouble in the snow.

Xi doubles the number of driving wheels but it doesn't double the number for braking and steering...