e92 (RWD) snow performance question

musa · 06-20-2017, 02:07 AM

I've moved to East Lyme Connecticut from Seattle for work that will extend to 2 winters. We hardly get any snow in Seattle area but what I saw in East Lyme in my prior visits during winter scares the hell out of me. Will my E92 rear wheel drive be fine in snow as long as I have good snow tires in all four wheels? This is my only car.

Thank you!

david in germany · 06-20-2017, 02:22 AM

With proper snow tires your car will outdo most 4x4. Make sure you do not mess with the DTC settings and let the car do the thinking and you will good to go.

bloppitybloop · 06-20-2017, 06:17 AM

Yea, you'll be just fine. You'll be amazed at how effective snow tires are.

YoungBlood · 06-20-2017, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by david in germany

With proper snow tires your car will outdo most 4x4. Make sure you do not mess with the DTC settings and let the car do the thinking and you will good to go.

that's untrue, but good snow tires make the car liveable at least

SmellyGreek · 06-20-2017, 08:37 AM

As others have said, invest in good snow tires. Better to get 17s with narrow widths for cutting through the snow. It'll be driveable in most conditions. The worst conditions I find are when it is very icy, not when there is snow on the ground. On bad ice the distribution of torque across 4 wheels is most critical. Otherwise the snows can provide traction.

YoungBlood · 06-20-2017, 09:05 AM

if you've ever owned an awd car, or even a rwd car with a limited slip and snow tires, you'll be disappointed by the e92 in the snow. It's all about knowing how to drive it though. good luck!

musa · 06-20-2017, 11:06 PM

Thank you for your reassurance everyone! Next bazooka question - what is the recommended snow tires for 17 inch wheels?

Dkhan22 · 06-20-2017, 11:33 PM

Good snow tires, you'll get by. I did 17s and the skinner the better for traction. I think I did 245 rear and 225 front.

YoungBlood · 06-20-2017, 11:38 PM

I run 225 square and wish I had wider rear

Jklad · 06-21-2017, 08:04 AM

You'll be fine with snow tires and rwd. I drive in Chicago winters with 18in blizzaks and have no issues, unless the snow get packed a little to high. Take the others advise and get smaller/skinner tires/wheels, but make sure what you buy can still clear the brakes.

Kevin39 · 06-21-2017, 08:17 AM

I went 17x7.5 with 225/45 square blizzak WS80s with no issues at all. If you hit a drift or the snow is so deep that it gets packed up under the car to the point that there's no weight on the tires, you're gonna get stuck regardless of being RWD or AWD. I'm still at the stock ride height too.

Antetokounmpo · 06-21-2017, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YoungBlood

I run 225 square and wish I had wider rear

So you can have less grip in the snow?

musa · 06-21-2017, 08:38 PM

Ok, so I found a complete set of style 285 for $100 each. They're 17x8 factory wheels http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...89#36116783631

I also found full set of factory style 159 for $450 http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...41#36116775597

I prefer the 285's. Those should clear the brakes of my 335i coupe sports, right? I'm thinking of fitting them with Blizzak WS80 225/45R17. They seem to have excellent reviews.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

Unknown_Car · 06-21-2017, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by musa

Ok, so I found a complete set of style 285 for $100 each. They're 17x8 factory wheels http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...89#36116783631

Those should clear the brakes of my 335i coupe, right? I'm thinking of fitting them with Blizzak WS80 225/45R17. They seem to have excellent reviews.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

Go this way and don't look back. Blizzack is the second best winter tire that I know, only Nokian can beat it.

musa · 06-21-2017, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roma_335i

Go this way and don't look back. Blizzack is the second best winter tire that I know, only Nokian can beat it.

Which Nokian winter tire?

V8bait · 06-22-2017, 12:05 AM

You'll generally want to single press DTC for getting going in the snow, once moving turn it back off. My NT555 did pretty bad the few snows they saw but got me around fine. Experience in the snow helps..

oggeZ · 06-22-2017, 12:39 AM

I run Nokian Hakkapelitta 8 on my rwd e92. It works fine in the snow but I wouldn't relay on it on unploughed roads. My old fwd Saab 9-5 were a tank in snow compare to the 335, even with the unstudded Hakkapelitta R.

Unknown_Car · 06-22-2017, 05:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by musa

Which Nokian winter tire?

Hakkapeliitta r2 are really good.

06-20-2017, 02:07 AM	#1
musa Captain 422 Rep 900 Posts Drives: F86, E92, E53, E39. Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Bellevue, WA iTrader: (0)	e92 (RWD) snow performance question I've moved to East Lyme Connecticut from Seattle for work that will extend to 2 winters. We hardly get any snow in Seattle area but what I saw in East Lyme in my prior visits during winter scares the hell out of me. Will my E92 rear wheel drive be fine in snow as long as I have good snow tires in all four wheels? This is my only car. Thank you!
	Appreciate 0 Tweet Quote

06-20-2017, 02:22 AM	#2
david in germany Lieutenant Colonel 729 Rep 1,815 Posts Drives: 118i, 335i and 328i Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Mannheim Germany iTrader: (2)	With proper snow tires your car will outdo most 4x4. Make sure you do not mess with the DTC settings and let the car do the thinking and you will good to go. __________________ 2009 118i Monaco Blue "Maximillion" 2009 335i Saphire Black M Sport "Leopold" Cobb stage 2 aggressive tune, Mishimoto FMIC, Cobb charge pipe, Cobb catted down pipes, Forge diverter valves, BMS inlets and DCI, Cyba scoops and M Individual Audio retrofit and M3 gauge cluster retrofit. 2011 328i Titan Silver M Sport "Franzel" <--Wife's car
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-20-2017, 08:37 AM	#5
SmellyGreek Second Lieutenant 25 Rep 234 Posts Drives: Estoril Blue F22 M235i Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Medford, MA iTrader: (2) Garage List 2015 BMW M235i [0.00] 2007 BMW E92 335i [0.00]	As others have said, invest in good snow tires. Better to get 17s with narrow widths for cutting through the snow. It'll be driveable in most conditions. The worst conditions I find are when it is very icy, not when there is snow on the ground. On bad ice the distribution of torque across 4 wheels is most critical. Otherwise the snows can provide traction.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-20-2017, 09:05 AM	#6
YoungBlood LongDongSilver 274 Rep 706 Posts Drives: e90 335i Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Utah iTrader: (2)	if you've ever owned an awd car, or even a rwd car with a limited slip and snow tires, you'll be disappointed by the e92 in the snow. It's all about knowing how to drive it though. good luck! __________________ N54 E90 6AT: 3" Pipes that go down, Thing that cools the inter, PE Mod, DCI, ST XTA, Whiteline bushings, Aodhan, and lotsa corn-juice
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-20-2017, 11:06 PM	#7
musa Captain 422 Rep 900 Posts Drives: F86, E92, E53, E39. Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Bellevue, WA iTrader: (0)	Thank you for your reassurance everyone! Next bazooka question - what is the recommended snow tires for 17 inch wheels?
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-20-2017, 06:17 AM	#3
bloppitybloop Major 392 Rep 1,371 Posts Drives: 2007 335i Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Wisconsin iTrader: (1)	Yea, you'll be just fine. You'll be amazed at how effective snow tires are.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-20-2017, 11:33 PM	#8
Dkhan22 First Lieutenant 62 Rep 317 Posts Drives: 335i Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: nj iTrader: (4)	Good snow tires, you'll get by. I did 17s and the skinner the better for traction. I think I did 245 rear and 225 front.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-20-2017, 11:38 PM	#9
YoungBlood LongDongSilver 274 Rep 706 Posts Drives: e90 335i Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Utah iTrader: (2)	I run 225 square and wish I had wider rear
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-21-2017, 08:04 AM	#10
Jklad Lieutenant Colonel 421 Rep 1,643 Posts Drives: 2007 335i Coupe Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Palatine, IL iTrader: (0)	You'll be fine with snow tires and rwd. I drive in Chicago winters with 18in blizzaks and have no issues, unless the snow get packed a little to high. Take the others advise and get smaller/skinner tires/wheels, but make sure what you buy can still clear the brakes. __________________ 2007 E92 335i MT
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-21-2017, 08:17 AM	#11
Kevin39 Lieutenant 164 Rep 411 Posts Drives: 2011 E90 N55 Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Indiana iTrader: (0)	I went 17x7.5 with 225/45 square blizzak WS80s with no issues at all. If you hit a drift or the snow is so deep that it gets packed up under the car to the point that there's no weight on the tires, you're gonna get stuck regardless of being RWD or AWD. I'm still at the stock ride height too.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-21-2017, 08:38 PM	#13
musa Captain 422 Rep 900 Posts Drives: F86, E92, E53, E39. Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Bellevue, WA iTrader: (0)	Ok, so I found a complete set of style 285 for $100 each. They're 17x8 factory wheels http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...89#36116783631 I also found full set of factory style 159 for $450 http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...41#36116775597 I prefer the 285's. Those should clear the brakes of my 335i coupe sports, right? I'm thinking of fitting them with Blizzak WS80 225/45R17. They seem to have excellent reviews. Thoughts? Thanks!
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-22-2017, 12:05 AM	#16
V8bait Lieutenant 406 Rep 574 Posts Drives: e92 335i 6mt Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Houston iTrader: (1)	You'll generally want to single press DTC for getting going in the snow, once moving turn it back off. My NT555 did pretty bad the few snows they saw but got me around fine. Experience in the snow helps..
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-22-2017, 12:39 AM	#17
oggeZ New Member 9 Rep 9 Posts Drives: 335i Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Stockholm iTrader: (0)	I run Nokian Hakkapelitta 8 on my rwd e92. It works fine in the snow but I wouldn't relay on it on unploughed roads. My old fwd Saab 9-5 were a tank in snow compare to the 335, even with the unstudded Hakkapelitta R.
	Appreciate 0 Quote