[elbandito]

I need to replace my tires soon. I have the 315 21inch performance tires and wanted an all season; the only ones I could find available are the pirelli verde. Anyone have experience with them and how they handle in the snow? I’m in the NE and expect a decent amount of time where I’ll likely need to drive in snow conditions.

I’m between getting a winter tire set vs. getting the all seasons. My worry is that the 315s are too wide.

[jontron]

Curious about this as well.

Looks like you can get the correct sizing for the staggered 741M setup on tire rack now. But you have to add the sizes to your cart manually. They don't come up if you just enter your vehicle info.

[ST3]

Originally Posted by elbandito

I need to replace my tires soon. I have the 315 21inch performance tires and wanted an all season; the only ones I could find available are the pirelli verde. Anyone have experience with them and how they handle in the snow? I'm in the NE and expect a decent amount of time where I'll likely need to drive in snow conditions.

I'm between getting a winter tire set vs. getting the all seasons. My worry is that the 315s are too wide.

Get a second set of wheels ( 19 or 20in) and dedicated snow tires (more for operating temps than actual snow). Keep performance tires on in the summer and swap each season.

Can't recommend this highly enough. When you go to trade in/sell the winter set will hold value nicely and you can sell independently.

[elbandito]

Originally Posted by ST3

Get a second set of wheels ( 19 or 20in) and dedicated snow tires (more for operating temps than actual snow). Keep performance tires on in the summer and swap each season.

Can't recommend this highly enough. When you go to trade in/sell the winter set will hold value nicely and you can sell independently.

I appreciate the suggestion. I’m considering it and 50/50. What’s pulling me away from doing what you’re saying is I guess the inconvenience of needing to switch them out seasonally

NY winters + commute can get bad and so I’m trying to find what could be a good balance

[ST3]

Originally Posted by elbandito

I appreciate the suggestion. I’m considering it and 50/50. What’s pulling me away from doing what you’re saying is I guess the inconvenience of needing to switch them out seasonally

NY winters + commute can get bad and so I’m trying to find what could be a good balance

I'm in CT and have enough room in my garage to do the swap in less than an hour. All you need is some room and a floor jack. Another bonus is the satisfaction of cleaning the wheels inside and out plus a different "look" for your vehicle twice each year. There are some really cool wheel options out there in the 19/20" ranges…

[Qsilver7]

Should you go with a dedicated set of snow tires…I doubt you’d ever look back at using all seasons in winter if you live where late fall/winter/early spring can have any of the following: snow/ice/rain/freezing rain/sleet/dry & temps consistently below 45°F. The rubber compound of all season tires still harden when temps are consistently below 45°F which means stopping distances increase and road grip (turning) is reduced. You’d be amazed at how much more confident winter driving can be with a set of dedicated winter tires.

TIP: if you purchase your dedicated winter tires from some of the national tire chains (like Discount Tire/Americas Tire)..they do free seasonal changes…along with free balancing. The only “inconvenience” is storing them & loading them up seasonally to have DT/AT mount them seasonally.

They also grind off any rust & crusty stuff that can build up from road salts etc on the hubs and back of the wheels. Plus they bag them and load them back up so all you have to do when you get home is unload and store them.

When I was younger (I’ve been using a set of dedicated winter wheels/tires since 2003) I used to do the changeover myself. But as a “matured”…I gave in to letting those with “younger backs” do the switchover….and best of all…its all free…all I have to do is make an appointment…load ‘em up…drive to Discount Tire and hand them my keys. They check the tire’s tread depth, car’s mileage, unload the wheels/tires, check the balance, swap the wheels, torque to spec, bag the wheels they took off and load them in the vehicle, hand me my keys…and I say “thanks, see you in 6 months”.

[ST3]

I second everything Qsilver said about the tires. As for the changeover and getting older I'd agree, as I'm past the double nickel, however, I've had so many bad experiences with dealerships and tire places dinging up my wheels that I try to limit that as much as possible. It's definitely the way to go as long as you are not as picky as I am…

[LOFT]

Just want to throw in my two cents.

We own three cars; two of which we switch out into dedicated snows for our Canadian winters. These two vehicles, which are not my X5 45e, are the work horses that we take out when serious snow hits, and priorities like work, force us to hit the roads.

We pay for storage of the off season tires and the garage does the change over each spring and fall. We are past the age of lifting 40 lb tires into the trunk of the cars from the garage or basement.

Having said the above, it's a small nuisance and additional cost to carry 8 wheels and tires for two cars.

Where are am I going with this? If you have the option a "beater car" with good snows, I would hesitate to buy full snows and OEM rims for your X5. Let it rest safely in the garage during the worst storms...other than than that your All-Seasons and AWD will get you through the light to medium stuff.

Now, if you have a country weekend retreat in ski country and you want the BMW for this...snows are a great decision. So it depends on your circumstances.

Hope this helps.

[Flying Ace]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

Should you go with a dedicated set of snow tires…I doubt you’d ever look back at using all seasons in winter if you live where late fall/winter/early spring can have any of the following: snow/ice/rain/freezing rain/sleet/dry & temps consistently below 45°F. The rubber compound of all season tires still harden when temps are consistently below 45°F which means stopping distances increase and road grip (turning) is reduced. You’d be amazed at how much more confident winter driving can be with a set of dedicated winter tires.

TIP: if you purchase your dedicated winter tires from some of the national tire chains (like Discount Tire/Americas Tire)..the do free seasonal changes…along with free balancing. The only “inconvenience” is storing them & loading them up seasonally to have DT/AT mount them seasonally.

They also grind off any rust & crusty stuff that can build up from road salts etc on the hubs and back of the wheels. Plus they bag them and load them back up so all you have to do when you get home is unload and store them.

When I was younger (I’ve been using a set of dedicated winter wheels/tires since 2003) I used to do the changeover myself. But as a “matured”…I gave in to letting those with “younger backs” do the switchover….and best of all…its all free…all I have to do is make an appointment…load ‘em up…drive to Discount Tire and hand them my keys. They check the tire’s tread depth, car’s mileage, unload the wheels/tires, check the balance, swap the wheels, torque to spec, bag the wheels they took off and load them in the vehicle, hand me my keys…and I say “thanks, see you in 6 months”.

Thanks for the tip on America's Tire. Does the free seasonal change include mounting and balancing or only for bolt/unbolt in dedicated wheels?


Also FYI, America's Tire offers free patch work as well. Do not have to purchase the tires from them either. And I mean a proper patch, not one of them sealant + plug.

Same here, since 2004, I've had dedicated set of winter tires, but bc I only owned 1 performance car that needed to run year round. I only started using all-seasons once I owned an X5 as the large staggered 315 size was a huge hassle to store and transport. Four 20 inch tires does not fit in the trunk of an X5 ( I have kids seats to prevent a fold down). I do have experience with DTA bagging them cleanup to ensure easy transport home.

If DTA offers free mounting, then that shifts the incentive towards winters for me again. However, I only go up the mountains 3x a year and avoid it on actual snowy days

[Flying Ace]

Originally Posted by LOFT

Just want to throw in my two cents.

We own three cars; two of which we switch out into dedicated snows for our Canadian winters. These two vehicles, which are not my X5 45e, are the work horses that we take out when serious snow hits, and priorities like work, force us to hit the roads.

We pay for storage of the off season tires and the garage does the change over each spring and fall. We are past the age of lifting 40 lb tires into the trunk of the cars from the garage or basement.

Having said the above, it's a small nuisance and additional cost to carry 8 wheels and tires for two cars.

Where are am I going with this? If you have the option a "beater car" with good snows, I would hesitate to buy full snows and OEM rims for your X5. Let it rest safely in the garage during the worst storms...other than than that your All-Seasons and AWD will get you through the light to medium stuff.

Now, if you have a country weekend retreat in ski country and you want the BMW for this...snows are a great decision. So it depends on your circumstances.

Hope this helps.

but going up to the snow in the 45e IS the full ownership experience!

It's one of the rare cars out there that offers PHEV and AWD. I have to say, it's pretty boss to show up at a winter sports area where every AWD car is a gas guzzling 15 year old beater or a $100k Range Rover Sport knowing I only spent $56k (after incentives and credits) on a car like the X5.

[Keithwand]

I had a 2016 X 5 S Drive as I live in Florida.
I did spend one winter back in Michigan and changed the runflats to continental DWS all seasons on my 20 inch staggered wheels.
Absolutely 0 issues with snow or ice.
Maybe because I grew up with a rear wheel drive cars.
My 2022 X5 is also rear drive.

[elbandito]

I think you all have sold me on getting a winter set. Any suggestions on which rim / tire set to get?

[Al Pinã]

I'll play the role of counter point then.

I had a 2015 X5 35d with the Scorpion Verde's on it and over the course of 4 Chicago winters and several winter road-trips I've never had a problem.

The last winter I had it was particularly bad with several storms dropping many feet of snow at a time and I was able to make it down totally unplowed roads with 2+ feet of fresh snow without issue. I also took a November trip up to Duluth, MN and was all through the frozen wilderness and was never even close to getting stuck.

Worst thing that happened was knocking a hole in the plastic undercarriage protector going down a hard-packed two track alley.

Just my two cents!

[jad03060]

I've been running winter tires since about 1970 when I got my first vehicle. I ended up getting some OEM takeoff wheels and bought some Nokian R3 winter tires (19") which cost me about $2500 at the time (2-years ago). In every vehicle I've owned, there has been an efficiency penalty when switching to winter tires until I got these Nokians. Another benefit with this series is that the sidewalls have an aramid fiber sidewall and a warranty against tears or damage to them that I hope I never need to exercise, but the strength is a plus. My philosophy is the right tool for the job. You can remove a nut with pliers, but it isn't the best tool for the job...same with selecting tires. An all-weather tire is not optimized for winter use. There are different classes of winter tires, too. The R3 is considered a northern European design that sees more snow, packed snow, and ice than some other versions of winter tires, so you may not need that.

[walkday]

If you have decided on all-season tires, the best option is to go up one size. I put on Michelin Primacy Tour A/S 315/40 rear and 275/45 front on my 741m staggered rims. No rubbing even on the lowest air suspension setting. They are not run-flats, so I also added a good tire kit in the trunk for minor repairs. The 45e doesn't have space for a spare tire.

[jad03060]

A taller, narrower tire works better in snow and slush...thus, a minus 1 sizing tends to give better performance when the weather gets nasty. It's also less likely to be damaged if you hit a pothole that was full of slush you didn't see.
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiret...tory%20options.

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by Flying Ace

Thanks for the tip on America's Tire. Does the free seasonal change include mounting and balancing or only for bolt/unbolt in dedicated wheels?

I have dedicated wheels/tires...so my experience is just the simple wheel swap...which they balance (for free, too) before mounting.

I will have to recommend calling your local DT/AT store (or other national tire chain store) to inquire if they do "free" seasonal changes and what it all entails. I would hate to give out false information.

I'm sure some of them may also offer storage (probably for a fee).

[Flying Ace]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

I have dedicated wheels/tires...so my experience is just the simple wheel swap...which they balance (for free, too) before mounting.

I will have to recommend calling your local DT/AT store (or other national tire chain store) to inquire if they do "free" seasonal changes and what it all entails. I would hate to give out false information.

I'm sure some of them may also offer storage (probably for a fee).

Thanks, and I wouldn't mind paying for storage.

[kgelfen360]

Originally Posted by walkday

If you have decided on all-season tires, the best option is to go up one size. I put on Michelin Primacy Tour A/S 315/40 rear and 275/45 front on my 741m staggered rims. No rubbing even on the lowest air suspension setting. They are not run-flats, so I also added a good tire kit in the trunk for minor repairs. The 45e doesn't have space for a spare tire.

I am very interested in this option. How's the performance? I have same setup staggered 21s

[walkday]

Originally Posted by kgelfen360

I am very interested in this option. How's the performance? I have same setup staggered 21s

advantage:
- significantly quieter than the runflats
- Improved ride quality, which could mean longer suspension life
- Longer tread life than regular Continental Summer/Performance
- Reduce the chance of rim damage

shortcoming:
- Requires tire kit or spare tire
- Lower grip than continental summer/performance

I was worried about the steering feel but didn't notice any difference. I am happy with my choice.

Also, the rear 741m rim is 10.5J x 21. You can put 285 or 295 on it, instead of 315. 305 is rare I think. Obviously, you will lose some grips and have a better gas/ev mileage.

[mnx5er]

Originally Posted by walkday

If you have decided on all-season tires, the best option is to go up one size. I put on Michelin Primacy Tour A/S 315/40 rear and 275/45 front on my 741m staggered rims. No rubbing even on the lowest air suspension setting. They are not run-flats, so I also added a good tire kit in the trunk for minor repairs. The 45e doesn't have space for a spare tire.

I'm not the brightest on tire math. I want all seasons on the 21s. Like your setup. How does this impact the ride and does it impact is speedometer at all? Thanks much

[AGONXF30]

Originally Posted by walkday

If you have decided on all-season tires, the best option is to go up one size. I put on Michelin Primacy Tour A/S 315/40 rear and 275/45 front on my 741m staggered rims. No rubbing even on the lowest air suspension setting. They are not run-flats, so I also added a good tire kit in the trunk for minor repairs. The 45e doesn't have space for a spare tire.

As asked above, what is the MPH impact on this set up. The 275/40R21 and 315/35R21 are nearly identical in diameter, but the 275/45R21 and 315/40R21 are a bit off, not by much.