Winter driving

[dsiingh]

Since having a splash of wet weather I was wondering what its like driving an e30 through winter/heavy rain/snow etc. I use mine as a daily and would like any tips and experiences.

are winter tyres any good?

[pac1982]

Since having a splash of wet weather I was wondering what its like driving an e30 through winter/heavy rain/snow etc. I use mine as a daily and would like any tips and experiences.

are winter tyres any good?

winter tyres are always good I've used e30's e36's for the last few years all through winter and never got stuck once

[harry_p]

Winter tyres will be a big help.

E30s generally are ok as they're relatively light and have sensibly sized tyres compared to modern stuff.

I found my e30 the easiest to drive in snow out of any of the cars in our fleet.

[jamlid]

Just reverse everywhere. You'll be fine.

[Topblag]

Drive a 325ix on winter tyres. It's fun but the traction control system, albeit rudimentary, can get in your way.

[dsiingh]

id love a 325ix, cant seem to find any for sale, I have a simple 316i auto, cant complain my first e30 after wanting one since i was 15.

Winter tyres it is, does anyone use chains now a days, although thinking about it they may just tear me a new arch.

All in all Winter tyres and e30 will go down good in winter, ive heard some people say they put sand bags in their boots for added weight

[jamlid]

I've heard good things about those snow socks. You have to take them off once you get onto normal road though, or they shred in under 2 miles I think.

I plan to just park mine up through the weather again:

[dsiingh]

Love the way snow moulds around the bonnet and bumper. Looks like i need to start hunting for a decent set of winter tyres then.

[Alex]

e30s are fine on most british winters, shit in snow, so thats about 2-3 weeks max that its no good for.

just dont hoof them in the wet rainy ice and you will be fine.

[Jesus325iTouring]

You only use snow chains if you are driving in the Alps in the middle of winter.

Or Salisbury Plains in a Renault 5

[G-Bear]

Just reverse everywhere. You'll be fine.

[magpie]

don't do it if your car is a keeper .

if it's a shitter then kill it off

[darkchild]

Skinny winter tyres make a huge difference. We took our E30 up to Scotland in February and done plenty of driving around The Trossachs in snow and rain and never got close to getting stuck. I used Goodyear Ultragrip 8s on a set of 14" Bottletops. The ride comfort is immense on 70 profile tyres (175x70x14) but they're a bit soft for spirited driving!

My old E46 coupe was hopeless in the snow in comparison - an absolute roadblock.

[jmc330i]

I was looking to get some winter tyres last year, but never actually got round to fitting any. Used my touring everyday in the snowy and icy conditions we had last and never had any problems. Whilst skinny tyres are obviously better, 205/55/15s got me everywhere I needed to be....


Winter tyres are still on my list, but so is driving to keep the momentum up and not driving like a dick (as much fun as the snow is ).

[dsiingh]

Ive read that wider tyres are good in the snow but now ive read that skinny tyres are better..Looks like this winter is going to be fun

[miniblob]

Used 14" steelies with winter tyres on my touring last year and it was awesome!!! Massive improvement in the wet and snowy/icy conditions - drove a lot of places other people couldn't!!!
Didn't even struggle once!!!

And that's on a 2.7 touring on coilys, basically set up for smooth tarmac!!!

[jamlid]

Skinny tyres definitely seem better. My girlfriend's nissan micra was tackling big hills in deep snow, overtaking all sorts of cars that were stranded. My old Polo on 15x8 wheels was like a sled..

[sweep]

put it in a garage is my advice

[veeza]

I used to have a brown 320i the body was rough and i was not to bothered about the car, i drove it all through the winter, must say i loved it 14" steels with M/S tyres, but its not the snow that is the problem its other drivers and the salt they put on the road, if you love your car after driving around on salted roads i would recommend jet washing under the car or storing it through the winter. They dont make the e30s any more and there are less and less on the road, loads of honda civics

[dsiingh]

Wish i could store it, its used as my daily unless I have to travel far in which case its my dad peugot which I take. Im tryin to get as much done to winter-proof it, I have rust on the arch and will waxoyl these rest areas so that it will be contained untill next year when the bodywork will be revamped

[magpie]

I used to have a brown 320i the body was rough and i was not to bothered about the car, i drove it all through the winter, must say i loved it 14" steels with M/S tyres, but its not the snow that is the problem its other drivers and the salt they put on the road, if you love your car after driving around on salted roads i would recommend jet washing under the car or storing it through the winter. They dont make the e30s any more and there are less and less on the road, loads of honda civics

i toasted a type R last night several times and the fooka just wouldn't give up trying

must of went on over 17 miles on and off

[Neilios]

I agree if its mint put it away, if your using it every day snow tyres make a massive difference from not getting off the drive to not getting stuck, we use our BM's everyday with good snow tyres (Goodyears on mine, Michelin's on our lasses) and only ever been stuck once (my fault showing off past a stuck X5).

[Morat]

Tyres make a huge difference, and there's a massive variation even between normal "summer" tyres as I found out one year when I put cheapo tyres on the front of my Fiat Coupe and changed it overnight from a surprisingly good snow car to a sledge. Of course, by the time I found out it was too late to get back to the tyre fitters

With this in mind I put Michelin Alpin on the E30 for last year and they were a revelation. I live in a hilly rural area and I wasn't stuck once. I think I broke traction twice during the whole winter and that was climbing a long steep hill with a full load (3 big adults, one child, two large dogs, bags, laptop etc) on packed snow. I still made it up the hill but with a bit of wheelspin from the back. That day I passed many, many stuck cars including the usual crop of big 4x4s on the wrong tyres.

The pecking order in the winter goes (from best to worst)

1. 4x4 on winter tyres
2. 2wd on winter tyres
3. People who got lucky with their choice of summer tyres
4. Everyone else standing by the side of the road with a mobile phone clamped to their ear.

[dsiingh]

Interesting, I use mine as a daily yes but only locally not many hills here in the suburbs, just wanna prepare myself sooner rather than later. So i assume 14inch wheels with winter tyres are the way to go?