[MBrown1003]

I'm considering a 335i for Jan/Feb delivery, and I'm thinking of doing a Performance Center Delivery. (I've been there before -- for the "M5 Driving Experience" -- and I'm really looking forward to it.)

I live in New England. Driving a car with summer tires in February in New England is a HUGE gamble. If the weather's okay, I can get home with no problem, and I could swap out the winter wheels/tires at home. BUT...if there's snow or ice between SC and home, I'm in big trouble.

Is there any way to have the car delivered with alternate wheels/tires? What I'd REALLY like is to have winter wheels/tires included in the purchase and mounted on my car at delivery. In the best of all possible outcomes, I'd like to have the summer tires delivered to my dealer. Second choice, I suppose, would be to get them with the car and put 'em in the trunk...and back seats. (Another good reason for folding seatbacks!)

Third choice would be to have TireRack drop-ship 'em to an installer near the PDC, and have somebody else swap 'em out. (Same problem with getting the summer set home.)

Has anybody else dealt with this? What did you do?

[pseto]

I really don't think that the PCD will be able to put on winter tire set since its not an official option. This is the same scenario I was thinking about too, but changed my PCD delivery for November since its still decent weather. I was able to get a contractor to install a Clear Bra after I took PCD delivery at a close, offsite place. There are plenty of places in the Spartanburg/Greenville area to have tires installed. Maybe you can see if TireRack would recommend a shop close by and have them shipped there (or the shop may be able to beat the price since you won't have to pay expensive shipping).

[MBrown1003]

Originally Posted by pseto

I really don't think that the PCD will be able to put on winter tire set since its not an official option. This is the same scenario I was thinking about too, but changed my PCD delivery for November since its still decent weather. I was able to get a contractor to install a Clear Bra after I took PCD delivery at a close, offsite place. There are plenty of places in the Spartanburg/Greenville area to have tires installed. Maybe you can see if TireRack would recommend a shop close by and have them shipped there (or the shop may be able to beat the price since you won't have to pay expensive shipping).

Good suggestions all around. Many thanks. The challenge will be getting the summer tires home.

I had forgotten about the nose mask. I'll have to look into that. (At five years old, the one on my M5 seems to be a little yellowed, but the nose is in WAY better shape than my prior two E39s were, and I only had those for three years.)

[John 070]

I bet what you could do is order on say the Tire Rack and have the setup drop-shipped to an installer near the PDC. Then just have them put on before your journey home.

Then again, where you live they probably push the Nokian RSi's or Hakka 5's which I have never seen sold by the big internet retailers. I'd forgo the PDC for the very issue you mention, any snow situation. And I'd rather have snows put on locally and get the best tires (if I lived in New England)....

http://www.hakkapeliitta5.com/

[MBrown1003]

Originally Posted by John 070

I bet what you could do is order on say the Tire Rack and have the setup drop-shipped to an installer near the PDC. Then just have them put on before your journey home.

Then again, where you live they probably push the Nokian RSi's or Hakka 5's which I have never seen sold by the big internet retailers. I'd forgo the PDC for the very issue you mention, any snow situation. And I'd rather have snows put on locally and get the best tires (if I lived in New England)....

http://www.hakkapeliitta5.com/

I'm a big fan of Pirelli and Dunlop winter tires. I've used them on RWD cars since the mid-1980s. (Yes, I'm that old.) I'm probably going Pirelli SnowSports for the M5 this year; not sure about the 335i.

If I can't come to an agreement with my dealer to arrange something clever, I'll do the drop-ship to somebody close to the PDC, and then figure out how to get the summer tires home. Worst case, they take up the trunk and back seat en-route. But hopefully, I can make some kind of arrangement to ship the summer shoes to myself at home.

[fueledbymetal]

Originally Posted by MBrown1003

Third choice would be to have TireRack drop-ship 'em to an installer near the PDC, and have somebody else swap 'em out. (Same problem with getting the summer set home.)

I'd pick this option. Just a pack a few big garbage bags to cover the stock wheels with so that you don't dirty-up the interior of your new ride

[MBrown1003]

I checked TireRack for some options for winter wheels+tires. Several choices, but they don't have the TPMS sensors, so they can't mount and balance the tires. Is BMW dealer really the only choice?

[John 070]

Originally Posted by MBrown1003

I'm a big fan of Pirelli and Dunlop winter tires. I've used them on RWD cars since the mid-1980s. (Yes, I'm that old.) I'm probably going Pirelli SnowSports for the M5 this year; not sure about the 335i.

If I can't come to an agreement with my dealer to arrange something clever, I'll do the drop-ship to somebody close to the PDC, and then figure out how to get the summer tires home. Worst case, they take up the trunk and back seat en-route. But hopefully, I can make some kind of arrangement to ship the summer shoes to myself at home.

I think most snows will more than do, but if you want that extra, "over the top" so to speak, then it would be Nokian Hakkapeliitta (every time I type it I'll spell it differently hehe--pronounced like have a fajita). I remember seeing the ads when I drove Volvos how if they get a phone call at their test center while they're testing a new snow tire, they automatically hang up! Their test center is north of the Arctic circle, think they know snow tires or what??! Problem with Nokian tires is they're ridiculously expensive, that's why I think internet retailers do not carry--you think our OEM run flats are costly? Price up some Hakka 5's RFT. But if I were in say Boston, those would be my choice. Here in Phila., anything from the Tire Rack will more than do. Good luck!

[fueledbymetal]

Originally Posted by MBrown1003

I checked TireRack for some options for winter wheels+tires. Several choices, but they don't have the TPMS sensors, so they can't mount and balance the tires. Is BMW dealer really the only choice?

Did they have an estimate on when they'd have the sensors in stock? They can get your wheels to you in ~2 days, so maybe they'll get them in stock between now and your est delivery date.