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BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

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#21846 of 30156 DJocks by shipo Feb 09, 2003 (10:36 am)
Don't sweat it; with the winter tires that you have mounted, you will be amazed at how stable you car is, sans a weighted trunk. After all, why would you want to mess up the perfect balance your car already has? Now, your 1984 Monte Carlo was another matter; less than optimal weight distribution, no traction control and tires that have NO WHERE NEAR the grip of your current winter tires. The fact of the matter is, with only a 4” snow fall, you will only have to deal with a couple of inches of slush and stuff, at worst, and at best, some well plowed roads with just a little new accumulation on them. Trust me, after you get home tomorrow, you will be singing the praises of you 330i and its tires.   Last Friday, we got nailed here in the Boston area, and on the route that my wife drove home from work, she encountered several local surface streets that had yet to be plowed. Her comment was, “Your BMW was so easy to drive that I couldn’t even tell that there was snow on the roads”, this from a girl who grew up in California, and never even drove on snow until she was 36.   Best Regards, Shipo
#21848 of 30156 kd by leenelsonmd Feb 09, 2003 (12:01 pm)
That video was great.   Truthful too. They were taking it pretty easy on the car IMO. The M3 loves to be driven sideways.
#21849 of 30156 Tort Reform & Weight Distribution by riez Feb 09, 2003 (1:08 pm)
nkeen... A huge reason BMW keeps speed limiter down (mph-wise) in many USA-models is LEGAL LIABILITY. American legal system is too pro-plaintiff. European systems discourage class action suits, often limit junk science & pro-plaintiff "expert" (i.e., paid for by the plaintiff) testimony, usually force loser to pay (so that alone is a huge disincentive to frivolous suits), often limit non-economic damages, sometimes don't have juries at all or don't let trial lawyers cherry-pick venue (which court to sue in) and individual jury members (by removing those jurors they think won't see the case their way, which tends to remove above average free thinking intelligent people from most product liability jury pools). US system not only adds billions in costs to consumers but often has adverse impact on the products we can buy.   Check out a decent legal reference looking for BMW cases. You should be able to find the infamous mid-1990s case involving the paint job. US Supreme court did modify the damages but BMW still ended up with huge legal bills and costs all because one guy didn't like the paint job. He found a less-than fully bright jury (nothin' new in USA) and milked the system. We ended up paying for it.   djocks... shipo is absolutely correct. You have to keep in mind that most BMWs have near 50/50 weight distribution. Throwing weight in the trunk will add a rear bias. I don't think adding a small amount of weight will upset the balance (and will slightly improve traction), but I would not recommend adding much. I haven't added any for my wife's 323ia. Keys to winter driving are good winter tires and good driver skills. One without the other won't cut it. So drive carefully, even if you have winter tires.
#21850 of 30156 mschukar by hgeyer Feb 09, 2003 (1:23 pm)
'Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?'   - Robert Browing
#21851 of 30156 Some answers by brave1heart Feb 09, 2003 (2:21 pm)
Yes, an A4 Quattro with snow tires will be much better in every respect except for braking.   An A4 Quattro with good all-season tires like the Dunlop SP5000 would have done much better too. On the other hand, there are much better snow tires than the light-duty Dunlop M2s that I've been using. Unfortunately, they would be limited to 99 mph.   No weight in the trunk!! While it may improve traction a bit, it will make the car tail-happy and a lot more likely to spin 180 degrees while cornering.
#21852 of 30156 shipo, brave1heart and riez by djocks Feb 09, 2003 (2:34 pm)
Thanks for the tips. I am going to go at w/o bothering with weight in the trunk. I got the sport package but the funds were dry when considering different wheels. So I have the stock gorgeous sport wheels with the snows on them. You have to remember I am more concerned with keeping the car in great shape right now than my own health so to say I am going to take it easy would be an understatement.   by the way, shipo why you gotta pounce on the old monte? J/K... I had some great days in old girl. Those were the days!
#21853 of 30156 DJocks by shipo Feb 09, 2003 (7:35 pm)
Hey man, I also had some great times in my 1969 Plymouth Sport Suburban Station Wagon, complete with the fake wood grain sides and LOTS of rust. Of course there was always the 9' of flat floor space with the second AND third rows of the seats folded flat... That said, if I had to choose between "Old Bessie" and my 530i, I am afraid that Bessie would lose.   Best Regards, Shipo
#21854 of 30156 Will high performance A/S tires work all year? by heaterjohn Feb 10, 2003 (7:49 am)
For a 325i with sports package, i.e. with 17" 225/45 tires, can I swap these tires out for Sumitomo HTR+ tires (same rating but all-season), and run them all year long. I live in the Philadelphia suburbs where we usually get light snow a few days in winter . I read 2 reviews at Tirerack.com & these tires came out looking really good!! Also, how does the 325i perform under wet conditions. Most reviews test under DRY conditions!!   Also, how does the handling of the 325i with the 17" tires hold up in wet conditions? All the reviews usually consider driving in dry conditions!
#21855 of 30156 325i in the snow by efxx Feb 10, 2003 (9:32 am)
I finally got to drive my 325ia in some real snow last Friday and I was impressed. I have the stock 16" all season tires. I drove out of an unplowed parking lot w/ approximately 7 inches of snow w/ no problem. The DSC light indicator on the dash blinked a few times indicating the system was doing its thing. The ABS/DSC can certainly be felt though when intentionally trying to execute a power slide Fortunately we got the powdered stuff because I think if the snow had more water content then the undercarriage would've gotten a beaten on some of the side roads due to the car's low clearance.   I was initially concerned about getting a 325i because I drove a 2000 525i (rental) in the snow and it wasn't fairing too well. I don't recall what kind of tires the 525i had which could in part explain its poor behavior on the snow, let alone its rwd setup.

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