Winter Tires and Recent Munich Snow

Just a heads up to any of you taking delivery soon. Munich has been very snowy/icy. There is an 80% chance of snow on my entire delivery day. I orginally planned to drive to the tire depot (maybe I was the only crazy person that planned this). However after looking at the forecast and speaking with the folks over at EDWINTERTIRES, I added the 90 Euro BMW Welt delivery option.

Originally Posted by afshawnt

Just a heads up to any of you taking delivery soon. Munich has been very snowy/icy. There is an 80% chance of snow on my entire delivery day. I orginally planned to drive to the tire depot (maybe I was the only crazy person that planned this). However after looking at the forecast and speaking with the folks over at EDWINTERTIRES, I added the 90 Euro BMW Welt delivery option.

Thanks, I'm thinking about that option now too. I'm picking up a 535i on the 7th...Suppose to be just cloudy that day. But who knows...

I guess I took a chance, but I just got home from an ED for a RWD X1. The car has the sport package which includes 18" run flat tires. The tires are 225/45/18 Pirelli M+S P7 All Season tires. I made no arrangements for winter tires, opting instead to run around in the all season tires. It did, indeed, snow almost every day I was in Germany and yet I had zero trouble whatsoever. Not even as much as a single traction loss. We even did Garmisch, Mittenwald, and Fussen on two separate occasions where there was "Heavy Snow" according to weather forecasts. In every case the car drove perfectly. Not trying to sway anyone's decision to go for winter tires, but I wouldnt worry much about driving from Welt to the winter tire rental location on any sort of tires. They keep the roads in the city very heavily salted so you encounter no ice or snow accumulating on road surfaces.

Pro tip: Bring a wash mit in your luggage with plans to either pack it wet or pitch it after use. My car has filthy (from soil and salt on the roads) and today at drop off they requested that I go wash it. I didn't have a mit, so I did my best with the pressure hose. I was not about to put a brush to her.

Good advice on the wash mit. I will have the m-sport with performance tires also. I did what you did last year with my 1er. This year we plan on doing a lot more driving and in the mountains. I decided that 90 euro would also save me 1 hr and not worry.

I just hope the winter wheels aren't too hideous. Those 18" M-sport wheels would have looked great in my photo ops

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Bimmer App

Originally Posted by afshawnt

I just hope the winter wheels aren't too hideous. Those 18" M-sport wheels would have looked great in my photo ops

90% of the wheels we are using this year are BMW originals. Although of course not 18", I believe your car will also have BMW originals.

Originally Posted by john lance

90% of the wheels we are using this year are BMW originals. Although of course not 18", I believe your car will also have BMW originals.

Thanks again John. Your services are really appreciated.

Originally Posted by conceyted

Not trying to sway anyone's decision to go for winter tires, but I wouldnt worry much about driving from Welt to the winter tire rental location on any sort of tires.

There's a HUGE difference between summer tires and all-season tires in the cold and snow. My E30 goes through snow on all-seasons up to the point of pushing snow. My E46, with summer tires, can't handle a 1/4" of snow on my almost flat driveway. If it happens to be snowing while trying to do the drive, it'd be dangerous.

If I was taking delivery of an all-season tire equipped car in winter, I wouldn't bother with winter tires. With summer tires, however, I'd pay the extra for them to be swapped pre-delivery - its hard to forecast the weather accurately more than a few days out. (Personally, I prefer Europe in the warmer seasons).

Originally Posted by afshawnt

Thanks again John. Your services are really appreciated.

His services are also outstanding. I returned my winter tires today, and his staff was quick, efficient, and very friendly. We all had a laugh about my inability to "top her out" due to the inclimate weather.

I give them

Originally Posted by AggieKnight

His services are also outstanding. I returned my winter tires today, and his staff was quick, efficient, and very friendly. We all had a laugh about my inability to "top her out" due to the inclimate weather.

I give them

Your kind comments are much appreciated, thank you!

+1 for John and his winter tire service. The 90 euro delivery and install at the Welt is well worth it and the swap out back to stock is very fast.

Originally Posted by cwsqbm

There's a HUGE difference between summer tires and all-season tires in the cold and snow. My E30 goes through snow on all-seasons up to the point of pushing snow. My E46, with summer tires, can't handle a 1/4" of snow on my almost flat driveway. If it happens to be snowing while trying to do the drive, it'd be dangerous.

If I was taking delivery of an all-season tire equipped car in winter, I wouldn't bother with winter tires. With summer tires, however, I'd pay the extra for them to be swapped pre-delivery - its hard to forecast the weather accurately more than a few days out. (Personally, I prefer Europe in the warmer seasons).

Good point. I am just now noticing that conceyted's tires are all-seasons. The M-Sport Line that I'll be picking up is supposed to have performance.

Regardless, I can't wait to get my X1 out there and have some fun

Originally Posted by afshawnt

Good point. I am just now noticing that conceyted's tires are all-seasons. The M-Sport Line that I'll be picking up is supposed to have performance.

Regardless, I can't wait to get my X1 out there and have some fun

On second thought, I agree with cwsqbm. I should have stressed that my X1 came with All Season tires.

Also worth noting: many X1 M-Sports with 18" are reported to be coming with the same Pirelli Cinturato P7 tires that my X1 Sport with 18" has.

Originally Posted by conceyted

On second thought, I agree with cwsqbm. I should have stressed that my X1 came with All Season tires.

Also worth noting: many X1 M-Sports with 18" are reported to be coming with the same Pirelli Cinturato P7 tires that my X1 Sport with 18" has.

BTW, I am like an anxious little kid waiting for my delivery next week...I hope you post more pics of your trip!

Originally Posted by afshawnt

BTW, I am like an anxious little kid waiting for my delivery next week...I hope you post more pics of your trip!

This isn't the thread to do it, so I won't here, but check my 12 hour compliance thread (http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=660707) and I will throw up a link to more pictures.

Great point about the huge difference between "all season" and "summer performance."

When I picked up my M3 cabrio earlier this year, I had the winter tires delivered/installed for delivery (and I most certainly agree with all the fantastic comments on ED winter tires service) and drove around with zero problems.

However, the extremely short drive from their drop-off depot to the airport with the factory tires reinstalled was extremely treacherous even in just some light/medium slush-- it was unbelievably hard to handle and I almost pulled over on the highway (and definitely should have) in fear of wrecking.

So, if you car comes with summer high performance tires, my personal opinion, don't be foolish and risk it.

I'm picking my m5 up on 1/8. I did winter tires but am I still going to regret it and have trouble getting around?

I'm in Munich now in a Sixt rental. I originally reserved a BMW 1 series but after seeing the conditiions here elected to take a front drive A3 diesel instead. Up until yesterday the conditions in Germany allowed safe motoring with M+S tires on the Audi, but especially today the roads were treacherous and driving the little oil burner was difficult. I'm used to snow and ice (Montana style ) but the roads today looked like a bumper car rink.

A 6cyl X1 with AWD and M+S might have been okay, but today M+S with front wheel drive wasn't cutting it.

Great :/

Originally Posted by A*aron

I'm picking my m5 up on 1/8. I did winter tires but am I still going to regret it and have trouble getting around?

I wouldn't lose hope yet at all. With true snow tires (not M+S rated all-seasons) I bet-- barring really horrific conditions-- you'll be fine in your nice, heavy, M5. Sure you may have to change things around a bit on your itinerary, but I bet you'll be fine and have a great time.

Originally Posted by Jon90

I wouldn't lose hope yet at all. With true snow tires (not M+S rated all-seasons) I bet-- barring really horrific conditions-- you'll be fine in your nice, heavy, M5. Sure you may have to change things around a bit on your itinerary, but I bet you'll be fine and have a great time.

Agreed; my old 550 with snow tires could go just about anywhere in the Montana winter. Last year we did a 750 ED in December/January with Jon's snow rubber and I was amazed how much traction we had, including trips through the alps and ski locations. No problem with real winter tires.

UPDATE: Clear skies this morning... the efficient München road crews worked their magic with salt and plows overnight; the roads are clear