questions about 18" wheels in winter

[cyb0rg]

ok..heres the deal.. i just got an e36 325i that comes with 16in rims. 2 wheels are almost bald and the other 2 look like they have decent thread. should i just get 2 new tires to get thru the winter? i was thinking about getting some 18 inch wheels with 225 / 40 / 18 all season tires. so im wondering if i should just skip the 16's all together. now.. is it a bad idea to use the 18's with all season tires throughout the winter? i live in new york so the winters could be a little rough. any advice would be helpful :D

[M3 Mitch]

Uh, I would put snows on the 16s and keep the 18s for summer tires. But if I was stuck in NYC for the winter I would probably store my BMW and drive - what - something more or less disposable.

Or, just get some 15" steel rims with snows, and put the 16's away for spring.

Of course it depends on how comfortable you are in snow, and how much driving/your performance (and appearance) expectations. All-seasons work OK in snow when they are new and the tread is deep, much less so when they are even half worn. "real" snows like a Blizzak, or Michelin Arctic Alpin, grip way better and with NYC traffic (I have driven in the City just a couple of times) I think they provide a needed margin of safety ie braking performance. But if you are willing to sit out the worst days you might prefer some sort of M+S performance tire.

As rough as the roads are there I would not use an 18" in winter, when you can't even see the potholes half the time.

[cyb0rg]

thanks for the tips.. i think ill just go all season year round and just not drive that car if theres any signs of snow or ice... plus.. i can save more money that way :)