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[galahad05]

My buddy has an '08 M3. His PS2s wore out in about 9k miles.

He decided to switch out to all-seasons. Reason: the latest-generation max-performance all-seasons are as good as the last-generation UHP summers. He got that info from tirerack. He really really didn't want to go the winter/summer tire route. He got tired of that with his last car (an e46 330ci).

So, he bought the max performance all-seasons and had them put on...and he's loving them.

He does note that they cost him a little bit of turn-in as compared to the original tires.

[chowser51]

i went and got a set of 16" rial salernos from tire rack when they were on sale, i think it was like $60 each. and threw a set of firestone winterforce on them (the cheapest winter tire available at the time as well), so my car drives just fine in the snow.
granted, it's also an xi. for summer, i have 18" wheels with continental DWS all-season tires (just in case i get lazy and don't get the snow tires on fast enough).

you can look at the different wheels on tire rack, they have an option, show what it looks like on the car.

[roundle]

Originally Posted by kcgman

+1. I was thinking the same thing.

They're not that bad in the snow. With decent snow tires, they're fine.

One thing to keep in mind about Germany: It is the law to use snow tires and carry chains through the winter. Even with my Netherlands license plate, if I cross the border in to Germany with my Summer Tires this time of the year, I risk getting a ticket. Moreover, if I am in an accident, or am the cause of an accident, and do not have winter tires, it might be seen as (criminal) negligence.

[1Sleeper]

So 2 or 3 pages of pissing match/arguing, 2 or so of insulting the OP and 1 page or so of actual advice for the OP. Seems about right. Perhaps Germany etc. took out the decision making process and made it the law specifically because so many people dont know better or make decisions like "I am a great driver and I have this sweet BMW, I dont need snow tires" that ultimately can put others at risk. Thats not how we roll in the US apparently. I guess the moral of the story is be careful when it snows.

[pits200]

I was thinking about something. Do you think all BMW owners who are not xi know that they are rwd??

Why do I have a feeling that not all of them know their cars are not rwd. I bet at least 25% of owners don't know.

[John 070]

Originally Posted by pits200

I was thinking about something. Do you think all BMW owners who are not xi know that they are rwd??

Why do I have a feeling that not all of them know their cars are not rwd. I bet at least 25% of owners don't know.

Wouldn't they be kind of oblivious to reality if that were the case? Although we do have a friend whose wife who asked how come their Cadillac STS gets completely stuck everytime it snows, and she wasn't kidding. She said it happened at Short Hills and it was very embarassing.

I told her to look if there is the number 4 on her trunk, if not, then the car is RWD--I meant in seriously, not facetiously.

[ChasVS]

Originally Posted by 1Sleeper

I guess the moral of the story is be careful when it snows.

The moral of the story is some people just insist on being stupid. And in the USA they are FREE to do so. Now with the benefit of the internet, they can share that stupidity with the rest of us!

[captainaudio]

Originally Posted by John 070

Wouldn't they be kind of oblivious to reality if that were the case? Although we do have a friend whose wife who asked how come their Cadillac STS gets completely stuck everytime it snows, and she wasn't kidding. She said it happened at Short Hills and it was very embarassing.

I told her to look if there is the number 4 on her trunk, if not, then the car is RWD--I meant in seriously, not facetiously.

Not everyone is car savvy or has knowledge of how cars works. I had a friend, who has been driving a variety of cars including Acura, Mercedes, etc. for many years, ask me what front wheel drive and rear wheel drive meant. I am sure that there are a lot of drivers on the road who have no idea what a differential or a transmission does. These are people who view a car as transportation, and lets face it, that is the primary purpose of a car. I think that given a choice between a car that isn't fun to drive or no car at all most of us would settle for the boring car because we need a car to get around.

CA

[nogard13]

Originally Posted by Castel

HAHAHA Funny... I'm pretty sure I saw the first post in this thread about a guy sharing how he was driving on snow with summer tires and got stuck on the way up a hill and had to back up in reverse. This is the people I'm concerned with...

After this experience he also mentioned BMW should've told him not to use summer tires on snow. Get this, summer tires on snow; the phrase is almost self-explanatory.

First, I never wrote that BMW should tell me not to use summer tires in the snow. Read the thread again if you have to.

Secondly, I never drove a car with summer tires on it until I got the 325i. Prior to that, I always had either All Seasons or dedicated Winter tires (I had a pair of winter tires when I had my RX-7). I was always in control whenever I drove in snowy conditions (and, believe me, Spokane gets tons of snow). I'm not the guy that speeds or takes corners aggressively when the conditions aren't right. I would take my car into the mountains on snowboarding trips and never once got stuck, even on the steepest of passes.

Since I'd never had summer tires on a car, I never knew they would perform that poorly. I always assumed they wouldn't be great, but never thought they'd leave me stuck on a hill that is less inclined than my driveway. I have now learned that lesson.

For those who say "why drive a BMW if you can't afford winter tires?", I can afford them. However, I am not into wasting money if I don't have to. For the conditions I drive in here in North Carolina, there is no need for winter tires when a good pair of All Seasons will do just fine. Again, I can afford them, but I'm not about to spend money if I consider it to not be essential.

[kcgman]

Originally Posted by ragingclue

I don't even know what your point of this post was, but if you can refute any of my statements with actual facts, I'd be glad to hear you out. I can support my side of every argument there with facts. You can't, so you throw in a silly sarcastic (and completely unfunny even in the driest sense of the word "humor") comment about horizontal stripes on our flag (might want to check on the wives' tale about horizontal stripes too, because you're incorrect again). But you knew that already, didn't you?

If you have anything useful or correct to add please do. Or keep spouting unsupported nonsense; it's your choice. It's a free country, right?

Originally Posted by ragingclue

How is it "U.S. hating stuff"? I consider myself just as patriotic as anyone here, but to be so aloof as to think our country is not falling behind is naieve. Our educational system is absolute crap, there's no sense of resposibility, we have redefined laziness, and no one wants to do shit about it because we're just too damned ignorant or apathetic. One of the mediums that got us to where we are is the sense that it's easier to cater to the lazy individual than to expect the individual to be responsible. This is exactly what you were doing. If people really do give a shit about this country, they should be speaking out and being active about these trends which are killing us all as a whole, not sitting there and chalking every negative connotation up to me being a "U.S. hater".

The one thing I think you are correct about is that my comment about horizontal stripes was both silly and sarcastic. I was pretty amused that in one breath you could ask, “How is it ‘U.S. hating stuff?’” and then in the next breath rage against the U.S. educational system and Americans ignorance, apathy, lack of responsibility and work ethic. Your experience is different than mine.

Originally Posted by ragingclue

Our educational system is absolute crap

Millions of school children attend school and are better off for having the opportunity to do so. It’s true that the U.S. educational system provides an uneven level of quality, but there are some schools that are exceptional and the vast majority of schools are at least adequate to the task they’ve been assigned. I’ve included a link to an article that speaks directly to the point you made: “Five Myths About U.S. Kids Outclassed by the Rest of the World” http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...011901360.html

Originally Posted by ragingclue

there's no sense of resposibility

Most Americans are responsible. They hold down jobs in order to provide for themselves and their families. And, in the majority of cases, Americans also exhibit a sense of responsibility that extends beyond their immediate families. Approximately three out of every four Americans give to charity, and they do so to the tune of over well over $200 billion a year. On the whole, Americans are hardly disengaged and lazy. Most are busy (perhaps even overscheduled) and doing the best that they can to maintain jobs and some semblance of a family life. And still, many make the time to involve themselves in their children’s schools and recreation leagues, local churches and charities – and most do so without calling attention to their involvement. http://www.american.com/archive/2008...tion-of-givers

Originally Posted by ragingclue

we have redefined laziness

Perhaps you have “redefined laziness” because it is a fact that Americans work more than the citizens of most other industrialized countries do. http://www.forbes.com/2008/05/21/lab...countries.html

Originally Posted by ragingclue

and no one wants to do shit about it because we're just too damned ignorant or apathetic.

I don’t think there’s a single American that doesn’t think that there’s room for improvement in our country, but you’ll also find a wide divergence of opinion on what improvements are needed. You’ll also find that in many cases that one person’s idea of an improvement is another person’s idea of a step backwards. That creates a situation in which "improvements" become exceedingly difficult to make.

I'm content to end my contribution to this particular thread jack but look forward to reading the facts you have if you are still inclined to post them.

[kcgman]

Originally Posted by captainaudio

Wow. That must have been one really tall snowplow.