[naylon]

Had snow last night, not heavy snow.

Thickness: 2,5 centimeters (snow/ice)

Tires: Good Year F1 tires, RFT.

I was stuck at a hill for 30 minutes.

Length of hill is 120 meters (400 feet)

How steep: not extremely steep but it was steep.

Lots of wheel spin.

Turned of traction control. Still can not move forward.

Tried to take of in 2nd gear. Still can not move forward.

AWD malfunction after 10 minutes of wheel spin: Transfer case fluid should have overheated, thats how I interpret. (Note: malfunction cleared after 1 hour)

You stay stuck on a ice and snow covered steep road in RWD mode...

Worst news: Car slides backwards although I pressed the brakes. This is an indication of no traction cause of tire choice.

I could stop after hitting the tires to pavement.

I liked my G30 as it was an individual car, but up until today. No more love for G30.

I swapped a set of Pirelli Settozero 3 tires, but snow melted. Could not test winter tires on G30.

Next car wont be a X-drive, I dont want to carry 75 kg (150 lbs) of extra weight on the nose of my car.

Had an E46 330ix, permanent AWD, and it was able to climb on any hill on summer tires. Winter tires made a huge difference on E46 330ix, but on summer tires E46 AWD had much more grip than G30 Xdrive, both running on summer tires.

Xdrive is transferring torque via clutch pack from rear to front axle, it is like an ON/OFF system, and every time the AWD is OFF, car goes back to RWD. Then goes to AWD and back to RWD. All this happen within seconds.

On the other side, a permanent AWD system, such as on E46 330ix, has 33 % torque on front axles and 66 % torque on rear axles and this keeps the car as a real all wheel drive car, and offers "more traction"

Ontop of winter tires I may add limited slip differential. G20 M340ix has a limited slip as an option off the factory.

[drmlee]

you're complaining about the cars awd snow performance when it was on performance summer tires???

[SteveinArizona]

The rubber compound in summer tires gets too hard in the winter to grip.

[Saeta]

Interesting....summer tyre wont work on snow

[ksoze]

This is summer tires in winter below 40F.

[Zap-xpilot]

Originally Posted by naylon

Had snow last night, not heavy snow.


Worst news: Car slides backwards although I pressed the brakes. This is an indication of no traction cause of tire choice.

Well, I think you've pointed out the problem yourself. If the car doesn't even have enough traction to stop, how do you expect it to drive? Uphill?

Anything else you write in that post, before and after the quote is largely irrelevant. If you don't have traction as in physical friction with the road, then forget about stopping (or steering, or driving, or anything else)

No car is better than its tires. Can't circumvent the laws of physics (or common sense)

[clee1982]

yup, summer tire in winter won't work

edit: or more appropriately, won't work in snow or low temperature...

[Black]

It is the tyres that make the difference, have only driven my 530d xdrive once with winter wheels fitted but had no problems at all getting up steep slopes.
Car was much more assured on snow than previous front wheel drive cars I have driven on winter tyres so the xdrive does help there.

[JujuCO]

you should invest in snow tires.

Then perform a review..

[kmskp]

Did you see any other car climbing up that hill that day ?
Based on your explanation, I guess any FF or full time AWD like quattro wouldn't have made it either on such road condition.

[naylon]

Pirelli Sottozero winter tires on the car, there is no snow

Maybe I did overestimate G30, maybe I did underestimate winter tires.

I will test on a snowy day.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by naylon

Pirelli Sottozero winter tires on the car, there is no snow

Maybe I did overestimate G30, maybe I did underestimate winter tires.

I will test on a snowy day.

You say you were on Goodyear F1 tires. Think about it... wrong compound for the cold, simple annular grooves with no where for the snow to pack, or any sipes to enhance bite.

They are an excellent dedicated performance summer tire. Totally unsuited for snow, both for traction or braking.

[Zap-xpilot]

Originally Posted by naylon

Pirelli Sottozero winter tires on the car, there is no snow

Typical
As soon as you switch tires and it dries up.
You're in Istanbul, right? I'm surprised you got snow already, very early, no?

Here (stockholm) we have more or less dry streets, so my G31 sounds like a tank on its studded Nokian Hakkapellitta 19" RFTs...

Well, as soon as ice and snow comes, then grip is fantastic.. Winter is coming, no doubt you'll have plenty of time to test your winter tires.

What you should be wary of though is other drivers around you, who haven't switched to winters and use the rear end of your BMW as a braking area

[saporitj]

In the US is you get stuck with summer tires in the snow you get a ticket and towed. Maybe it's better you didn't get going because AWD or not you have the same brakes.

I had Goodyear F1 summer tires on my Benz and loved them but they wouldn't go anywhere in the snow. Not even on flat road.

[babaikram]

In the same car (G30 520d) I was able to move in the snow with good braking in Scarborough two years ago by pressing the Traction button once in my G30 whilst on 18'' Michelin Primacy (factory fitted) summer tyre. Last year on my current 20" Kumho summer tyres. The car could not move one inch inthinner snow

I was wondering whether it was because of wider width of the 20'' inch tyre or is it because of the make of the tyres

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by babaikram

In the same car (G30 520d) I was able to move in the snow with good braking in Scarborough two years ago by pressing the Traction button once in my G30 whilst on 18'' Michelin Primacy (factory fitted) summer tyre. Last year on my current 20" Kumho summer tyres. The car could not move one inch inthinner snow

I was wondering whether it was because of wider width of the 20'' inch tyre or is it because of the make of the tyres

Who knows. You have rubber compound issues, tread design and tire width all interacting.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by SteveinArizona

Who knows. You have rubber compound issues, tread design and tire width all interacting.

Agree, plus there are differences in the snow. We get a lot of wet snow and slush here in the UK. That can be far worse to drive on than the drier stuff.

[SteveinArizona]

NY Times article:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/10/b...gtype=Homepage

[hlothery]

I love South Texas.

[Zap-xpilot]

No problem with Xdrive even on black ice with these babies.

That's the only true insurance on wintry roads. Grip is almost at a level of summer tires, I'd venture to say similar to all seasons on dry summer roads.

[BOTUS]

summer tyres provide no grip at all in the snow, so if its got 4x4 or not the difference will be minimal, swap to tyres capable of working in the conditions

I doubt many Saudi's regularly use winter tyres for much the same reason

[snowbimmer]

I had a G30 M550 through 2 winters. Slapped on the Sottozero3s and went anywhere I wanted in the snow. I live in a very hilly neighborhood with steep roads. After several years of not getting home with studded front wheel drive and chains I finally got a Cherokee (for the wife) and started getting home. I finally got a 530xi and blizzaks allowed me to also get home.

Had several 530s, 535s, a 550. All xdrive. My 2018 G30 M550 with snows on was the best snow vehicle I ever had. Never got stuck.

Currently in an F90 M5. Put on Michelin snows and am patiently waiting for the white stuff.