Will snow tires help?

Hey Everybody!

Kind of new here. I just ordered my first bimmer last week...

2004 330 CI

Orient Blue

Gray Leather

Premium Package

Sports Package

Xenon Lights

Heated Seats

18" Style 71 Rims

I've had a smile on my face since last week and can't wait to pick up my car sometime in late November. In the mean time I was looking for snow tires and have been getting a lot of comments from my friends and coworkers. They say that snow tires won't do anything for the 330Ci because it has too much power and that I should of bought an SUV instead. Would it be a waste of my money to buy snow tires and rims? Note: I live in New Jersey and must show up to work when it snows. I'm interested in hearing about other people's experience with snow tires.

Also If they are worth it, where could I find inexpensive 17" rims for my car?

Look forward to all of your comments.

Originally Posted by Johnny_Hotcakes

Hey Everybody!

Kind of new here. I just ordered my first bimmer last week...

2004 330 CI

Orient Blue

Gray Leather

Premium Package

Sports Package

Xenon Lights

Heated Seats

18" Style 71 Rims

I've had a smile on my face since last week and can't wait to pick up my car sometime in late November. In the mean time I was looking for snow tires and have been getting a lot of comments from my friends and coworkers. They say that snow tires won't do anything for the 330Ci because it has too much power and that I should of bought an SUV instead. Would it be a waste of my money to buy snow tires and rims? Note: I live in New Jersey and must show up to work when it snows. I'm interested in hearing about other people's experience with snow tires.

Also If they are worth it, where could I find inexpensive 17" rims for my car?

Look forward to all of your comments.

I recommend Toyo SnowProx S950. I put them on my 2002 330i and when they wear out, I won't trade them in for anything but another identical set!

Snow tires make a WORLD of difference. A RWD car on snows is generally better than a FWD or AWD car on all seasons, IMHO.

I lived in Hoboken and got caught out in my C36 in a light dusting of snow once. The Expedia's turned in to racing slicks. All the electronic elves in the world won't help if the tires can't bite. If you're going to drive the car in the winter, you're going to need real winter tires. And depending on where you live in NJ, the 18"s are going to get destroyed by the roads. I went through three 17" AMG wheels on the M-B at $500 a pop because the plows leave craters in the roads.

Originally Posted by Johnny_Hotcakes

I've had a smile on my face since last week and can't wait to pick up my car sometime in late November. In the mean time I was looking for snow tires and have been getting a lot of comments from my friends and coworkers. They say that snow tires won't do anything for the 330Ci because it has too much power and that I should of bought an SUV instead. Would it be a waste of my money to buy snow tires and rims? Note: I live in New Jersey and must show up to work when it snows. I'm interested in hearing about other people's experience with snow tires. [/left]

Also If they are worth it, where could I find inexpensive 17" rims for my car?

Look forward to all of your comments.

Tire Rack has a number of wheel and tire packages. Sage advice from others who know more than I do say pick the narrowest tire possible for the best traction in snow. The Ital Type 5 wheels are the only 16" wheels that will fit the 330i (according to Tire Rack). I have Bridgestone LM22's mounted on mine; not only are they good snow but also quite a bit better in rain than the stock tires.

I also seem to remember reading a Car and Driver editorial by Chubby Wubby (the Editor) where he said he had a Audi TT AWD with "summer" tires on it. It was useless and despite the AWD, I think he got stuck. Change to snows and all of a sudden he has a WRC car.

Snow tires are awesome in the snow. Your confidence and ability to control your car will be greatly enhanced. Mind you, you shouldn't get overconfident. But drive prudently in the snow and you will be amazed how much better they are than summer or all-season tires.

One of the cars I've had the most fun in the snow was a 84 Mazda RX-7 with an LSD and Hakkaapeliita's. (Nokian snow tires, which are Finnish, and amazing) That car was so much fun in the snow it was ridiculous. Braked well, turned well and also had a reasonable amount of forward traction... plus you could alter the cornering attitude of the car at will by just squeezing the gas.

But if you'd have put that thing on summer tires, it'd have been totally useless in the snow.

It's all about the tires.

Buy them, because the price is worth any potential deductable/headache if you wreck your car in the snow because you couldn't stop on your summer tires.

And if you buy them, don't be too slow to put them on in the winter, nor too quick to take them off in the spring for the same reason.

Don"t hesitate to use snows!!! Someone posted on another site that because of ABS you should go all 4 corners. Probably a good idea, have you considered studded snows?
Have a mild winter! I'm hoping for one!
-Mel

Originally Posted by racerdave

Buy them, because the price is worth any potential deductable/headache if you wreck your car in the snow because you couldn't stop on your summer tires.

So true! I moved to MD a bunch of years ago and didn't get a chance to buy snow tires to replace my California issue all-seasons on my FWD Totyota before the first snowfall. I made it 2 blocks from my house, did a left turn from a stop light and never came out. Hit the curb and mangled the front right half shaft and CV joint. Luckily, I wasn't going all that fast and there was basically nobody else on the road.

Get the snows!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by Johnny_Hotcakes

...In the mean time I was looking for snow tires and have been getting a lot of comments from my friends and coworkers. They say that snow tires won't do anything for the 330Ci because it has too much power and that I should of bought an SUV instead. Would it be a waste of my money to buy snow tires and rims?

No hard feelings, but your friends and coworkers are the kind of ignorant fools I want to beat over the head with a stupid stick! That said, they are in no way correct.

A 330Ci (or 330i in my case) does not have too much power for winter driving. Yes, I would get snow tires, and yes they will make a world of difference. I put a set of Toyo Garit HT snow tires on 16" AT Italia Type 5 wheels (a BMW replica, and one of the only 16" wheels that will fit a 330.) I would highly recommend both the Toyo Garits and the AT Italia wheels.

There are a couple advantages to the 16" wheel. A) It looks better than a steelie (IMO), B) It is narrower, which is better for snow traction, C) the higher profile tire give you more rubber between the wheel and the potholes that are ever so prevalent here in the northeast.

Last winter, which was a fairly bad winter in these parts, saw lots of driving in the snow. My RWD 330i with the aforementioned setup handled better in the snow than my previous car did... a FWD Passat, also with snow tires!

I have a 330Ci with M72 18' wheels. When we got our first large snowfall last year I couldn't move 10 feet from the driveway. Tirerack came to the rescue with 17" Miglia and Blizzak LM-22. It was like night and day. The car handles beautifully and I never had a bit of problem getting around for the rest of the winter. Like Nick said above, a rwd car equipped with proper tires will out handle a fwd.
Get some snow tires/rims and enjoy your new car.

Your friends have absolutely no clue what they are talking about. Proper snow tires on your 330i will make an unbelievable difference. Even I was surprised at how well my car handles with snow tires.

Originally Posted by Johnny_Hotcakes

...
In the mean time I was looking for snow tires and have been getting a lot of comments from my friends and coworkers. They say that snow tires won't do anything for the 330Ci because it has too much power and that I should of bought an SUV instead.

They're clueless, and I'm being nice already.

The only advantage an SUV (w/ 4WD or AWD) has over a winter-tire-equipped 330Ci is better acceleration (and that just gets you in trouble faster). The 330 will simply out-corner and out-brake the SUV. The traction control on the car works great in the snow. Don't mind the "too much power" nonsense.

BTW remember to get narrower winter tires (205 is best, some people find 225 ok too). Wider tires just float through the snow (similar to hydroplaning) b/c the vehicle weight is distributed over a larger area.

Originally Posted by Jspeed

The only advantage an SUV (w/ 4WD or AWD) has over a winter-tire-equipped 330Ci is better acceleration (and that just gets you in trouble faster).

That's not the only advantage of the SUV... Most (but not all) SUVs have much greater ground clearance than a 3er. So if you run in to that big pile of snow running down the center of the street, the SUV will generally clear it or have an easier time getting over it.

They're like night and day.

My car was better than most 4x4s with ASC and Michelin Arctic Alpins

Originally Posted by operknockity

That's not the only advantage of the SUV... Most (but not all) SUVs have much greater ground clearance than a 3er. So if you run in to that big pile of snow running down the center of the street, the SUV will generally clear it or have an easier time getting over it.

Yes, that is correct. However, my post was focusing on the three aspects of a car's dynamics: accelerating, turning, and braking.

To echo everyone else on the board -- get the snows!!!

My friend and I have snow setups and they have worked great for us in the past couple of years (we are both NYC -- NJ area).. I used Dunlop M2's and he uses Blizzak LM22's. Both are good tires. I'm currently considering buying the next set, and I'm thinking between LM22's and new Dunlop M3's. Probably will get M3's due to lower cost.

Thanks everybody. You have all been helpful. I will definitely go out and get snow tires.


One more question though, someone said that the Italia Style 5 are the only 16" wheels that fit the 330 CI with sports package.


Do any of the BMW 16" factory wheels fit the 330?

I saw a couple of 16's on ebay, but don't know if they would fit.

Originally Posted by rumatt

I'm pretty sure they don't fit. Everyone says that the tirerack 16 is the only one that fits. It was specially made to get around the rotors or something.

They are designed to clear the larger calipers on the 330 sport package.

I use the Tire Rack supplied special 16" rims, and Michelin Arctic Alpins on my XI for wintertime. I think you could get 17" BMW steel rims (they clear the brakes) but then you need 17" snow tires. I wanted the narrowest tire, so I got the alloy rims. They look halfway decent, too. You'd need hubcaps for the 17" steelies, sometimes they are hard to find.

Originally Posted by Johnny_Hotcakes

Thanks everybody. You have all been helpful. I will definitely go out and get snow tires.


One more question though, someone said that the Italia Style 5 are the only 16" wheels that fit the 330 CI with sports package.


Do any of the BMW 16" factory wheels fit the 330?

I saw a couple of 16's on ebay, but don't know if they would fit.

Don't mess around with eBay - call Tire Rack and order the Ital Type 5's and the tire of your choice. I paid less than a thousand for the package with LM22s. Look in CCA's Roundel, Bimmer or (heaven forbid) Road & Track for their ad.

Originally Posted by rumatt

I'm pretty sure they don't fit. Everyone says that the tirerack 16 is the only one that fits. It was specially made to get around the rotors or something.

I don't think that the AT Italia Type 5's and the couple other 16" wheels were made specifically for fitting over BMW 330 brakes. I think it just happens that these particular wheels have large enough inside diameters that they will fit. And for that I am glad, because I think I like the look of my snow wheels (Type 5's) on my car better than the stock 68M's.