About to buy an i3. Will it be ok in winter driving?

[erea77]

I just picked these up from Walmart for $19/each after seeing them on another post. I think they'll be great.

 

[Boxbrownie]

Also consider wear and efficiency, since the Nokians are softer they will wear quicker and affect driving (battery) efficiency.

Have you a link to the information regarding the Nokians being softer, I am interested between the two?

 

[jadnashuanh]

Winter tires, unlike summer or all-season, do not have the US federal wear rating on them. So, any comparison on longevity would be subjective, and uncontrolled. FWIW, the R2's were designed as low-rolling resistance, eco tires, so should be similar to the Blizzaks in economy. SOrt of depends on if the ice and snow grip improvement is worth the investment. In the comparison test, the R2's were the easiest to control in lousy conditions, too.

In my case, I got a deal on the OEM versions when I bought my car, so did not look hard at the alternatives. When it comes time to replace them, I'll probably go with the R2's. I don't think you'll go wrong with either set.

 

[Boxbrownie]

Over here there are several more tyre options for i3 winter use, the Nokian has the better traction and rolling resistance rating (and the quietest) according to EU official testing ratings.

And only a Pound more expensive each corner.....win, win.

 

[brorob]

Also consider wear and efficiency, since the Nokians are softer they will wear quicker and affect driving (battery) efficiency.

Have you a link to the information regarding the Nokians being softer, I am interested between the two?

Here is a link to the article. The R2 tires have better rolling resistance than I remember reading but they do state that it wears quicker because of the softer compound. I think either would be fine in winter. I had my first experience driving on glazed ice roads yesterday and the all season tires performed ok. Winter tires would have been key though because I had the back end of the car kick out a few times when slowing down. That wasn't a good feeling at all, may post something about that experience.
http://insideevs.com/bmw-i3-winter-tire-review-bridgestone-blizzak-lm-500-vs-nokian-hakkapeliitta-r2/

 

[jadnashuanh]

It is not uncommon for the drive wheels to wear more than the undriven wheels. WHat the article did not say is what the wear was (would have been) on the Bridgestones after a season. There's more to tire wear than how soft it is. The indication that the Nokian had significantly better rolling resistance implies that the tread does not squirm, which is a factor in overall wear as well as road feel.

Personally, it is not as much about the amount of snow, it's the existence of black ice or marginal road surfaces where traction is paramount. The Nokian wins here. Hard to say if the energy savings is really much, but it might be an offset to the wear factor. Only instrumented, careful testing would show that. That being said, I have not had issues with my Bridgestones, but I actually don't put all that many miles on and have the luxury of timing my comings and goings to after the majority of the road cleanup for the most part.

 

[Boxbrownie]

Ok, sorry I thought you had seen a objective test of the tyres.

Quote
"Here’s our impression on both brands of snow tires available for the i3, having spent the winter driving BMWBLOG’s long-term i3 BEV through the snow, ice and the arctic blasts sub-zero temperatures."

I'll stick to the official test results

But I am absolutely sure both brands would be fine for the majority of users and conditions.