snow driving

[tugyan]

hi all,

right now it started to snow in where i live and it's something like 2-3 cm of snow on the ground. i got winter tyres on.
do you think it's ok to drive my bmw i3 in these conditions?

thanks for the help!

happy new year all!

 

[rtanov]

Perfectly Ok. With the snow tires you'd be the best vehicle on the road. Just turn on the traction control from the settings menu, change into eco pro mode and be gentle with the accelerator pedal. Try to not lift off much to not trigger too much regenerative braking as this might offset the car balance.

 

[user 2331]

I hear it's great with snow tires. I've got the regular 19-inch wheels and the all seasons the car came with and i'm afraid to take it out in the snow. On a leas the winter tires seemed like an expensive investment but if they are needed for safety then I will get them. Interested in what others with 19inch all season tires think.

 

[jadnashuanh]

IMHO, all-season tires are a compromise all seasons. Winter tires are optimized for cold weather and maintain decent traction. Winter driving with a rear wheel drive vehicle was the norm for decades before front or all-wheel became more popular. The myth that front-wheel drive is immune to traction problems in the snow is just that, myth. Depending on the conditions, a vehicle, any vehicle, may be unsafe in the winter, regardless of the tires or which end is driving it. You will be safer with winter tires. Regardless, be careful until you learn the limits of the vehicle with whatever tires you have. Depending on where you live, and how well they treat and plow the roads, you may be perfectly fine with the all-seasons, but again, you'll have a higher level of control with winter tires, even without snow or ice, when it's cold out. Braking distances even on dry roads will be better in the cold. Higher grip when turning. Tire Rack has some interesting videos showing the same vehicle with the same drivers in various conditions with various tires. It will make you a believer that winter tires are useful when the temperatures drop and the precipitation becomes solid!

 

[websterize]

The snow tires are great. I'm on a two-year lease with 20-inch sport tires and bought the OEM winter set. No regrets. We had a lot of snow in the mid-Atlantic last year. You know, some i3 drivers in winter climates won't bat an eye about spending thousands for olive-tanned leather or $800 on a slightly better sound system — "Tera, loaded" — but scoff at the notion of spending ~$1,500 on a legitimate safety improvement in a RWD car. (But changing tires twice a year is such a drag.) And I'd argue not just with the sport tires, but with the all-season tires, too. All season = no season.

If, at lease end, I end up in something besides the i3, I'll sell the winter set. Doubt that'll happen, though — this little "hand-towel dispenser" is my favorite commuter yet.

 

[tugyan]

hi all, i'm writing to you to give feedback about the performance of the tires.
to be honest i experienced no problem at all. everything was as smooth as driving with a regular tire on a regular weather.
thank you so much for the infos you shared!

cheers

 

[cmj912]

I hear it's great with snow tires. I've got the regular 19-inch wheels and the all seasons the car came with and i'm afraid to take it out in the snow. On a leas the winter tires seemed like an expensive investment but if they are needed for safety then I will get them. Interested in what others with 19inch all season tires think.

We got a few inches of snow that changed to freezing rain a few days ago. Since I live only about a mile or so from my office, I took the car out, figuring that if I noticed any weird behavior on my street I could always go back, park, and walk.

Now, I am not one to say that you should *not* get the winter tires if you can afford to do so, but my experience in this situation was fine. I put the car in Eco Pro mode and used the throttle very lightly. No problems.

I understand the point people are making with "Why did you buy a $50,000 car if you can't afford another set of tires/$500 EVSE/etc." but I think one of the issues at play here might be, as in my case, that the car became affordable because of how discounted it was. Had it been a full-price, very high demand situation I might not have been able to afford it and did not immediately factor in buying chargers, tires, et cetera.

I'm also not saying that I won't buy winter tires if it turns out to be the case that I really need them. I'm just saying...in certain cases BMW made this car a bit more affordable to people who may not have been driving one without +$10,000 in incentives, year-end specials, etc...and we just have questions about others experiences.

In our climate, it could go one of two ways. Last year, we had a LOT of snow. However, on those days, NO ONE should have been out driving except emergency workers and health care personnel/police/fire. My office was closed. I live within walking distance of a small market, drugstore, and could walk or bike to my office if I really had to or needed to.

In other years, it has been the standard "maritime" winter where it was cold-ish, but the snow didn't stay around for very long except in inland areas.

I also had an old diesel Mercedes (87 RWD 190D) in the "bad" winters and despite RWD and no modern DTC, DSC, ESP, ESPN or HBO managed to make it through the winter just fine on all season tires. Drive slowly, carefully, with clean windows working lights and proper maintenance (and don't go anywhere you don't have to go in bad weather).

Again, I'm not saying don't buy snow tires. By all means, do so. I'm just saying that some of us who really don't take the i3 beyond the immediate metro area or a large city might not have to.

 

[cmj912]

The snow tires are great. I'm on a two-year lease with 20-inch sport tires and bought the OEM winter set. No regrets. We had a lot of snow in the mid-Atlantic last year. You know, some i3 drivers in winter climates won't bat an eye about spending thousands for olive-tanned leather or $800 on a slightly better sound system — "Tera, loaded" — but scoff at the notion of spending ~$1,500 on a legitimate safety improvement in a RWD car. (But changing tires twice a year is such a drag.) And I'd argue not just with the sport tires, but with the all-season tires, too. All season = no season.

If, at lease end, I end up in something besides the i3, I'll sell the winter set. Doubt that'll happen, though — this little "hand-towel dispenser" is my favorite commuter yet.

I read the article...man, the arguments in the comments section. Wow. People who thought the car has a 20 mile range...amazing.

 

[jadnashuanh]

Most people have car insurance and hope they never need it. I feel the same way about winter tires...but, if you DO need them for that extra stopping distance or getting where you want to, they can become invaluable. I consider it peace of mind. It depends on your situation and where you drive, and how flexible you are about the timing. Most storms do not last forever, and the roads tend to be decent after a delay. If you need to be somewhere at a certain time, you may not have a choice, and that's where the winter tires are helpful. You're not only helping yourself be safer, but protecting against that idiot that thinks all-wheel drive means he can speed and tailgate or stop on a dime still in the inclement weather.

If everyone was careful, attentive, slowed down, left reasonable gaps and didn't tailgate, it might be a different story.

 

[ASUN]

Drive slowly, carefully, with clean windows working lights and proper maintenance (and don't go anywhere you don't have to go in bad weather).

Again, I'm not saying don't buy snow tires. By all means, do so. I'm just saying that some of us who really don't take the i3 beyond the immediate metro area or a large city might not have to.

I agree to the above.

 

[RodHam]

I just completed a 170km one-way trip this Sunday in a snow storm from the eastern townships back to my home, temperature was about -10c with lots of snow in the passing lane of autoroute 10 and the car handled beautifully while maneuvering from the inside lane to the passing lane covered in snow and slick black top at speeds of 110 to 115 kmh. I have the 18" winter rim kit from the dealer. Total confidence in this car now, just love it.

 

[PDXelectric]

I just completed a 170km one-way trip this Sunday in a snow storm from the eastern townships back to my home, temperature was about -10c with lots of snow in the passing lane of autoroute 10 and the car handled beautifully while maneuvering from the inside lane to the passing lane covered in snow and slick black top at speeds of 110 to 115 kmh. I have the 18" winter rim kit from the dealer. Total confidence in this car now, just love it.

Just had my first test of snow and ice with the winter package. The i3 handled it very well! It easily traversed a tricky area that caused a mail truck to spin out. It won't handle sheets of solid ice, but nothing really will. Does anybody have experience with the available chains?

 

[jadnashuanh]

BMWUSA does not list chains for the i3 as an available accessory here. I have seen them on their world site. So, you probably won't find many people that have experience with them from USA forum members.

 

[PDXelectric]

BMWUSA does not list chains for the i3 as an available accessory here. I have seen them on their world site. So, you probably won't find many people that have experience with them from USA forum members.

The accessory is listed on several sites. Perhaps they are imported from foreign markets?

https://www.ecstuning.com/Search/Snow/ES2832961/

http://parts.bmwnorthwest.com/p/BMW...ml?partner=googlebase_adwords&kwd=&origin=pla

 

[jadnashuanh]

ECS Tuning has lots of things that BMWUSA doesn't sell, so they must import them themselves, as BMWUSA does not list them as available, nor do they list lots of i3 accessories shown on their German website. Efforts to have a dealer order them, even with a part number, does not work.