Any Z4 owners driving on All Season Tires in Chicago?

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grdz4roadster

Member
 Chicago & Geneva, Illinois
I currently have the Bridgestone RFTs summer performance tires ( I forget the model name) and I don't want to get Winter tires. I'm going to buy Goodyear Eagle F1 All Season tires and was wondering if any Z4 owners in Chicago (or any other states with snowy winters) have these or any other All Season tires. How does the Z4 handle in the snow with All Season tires? Please respond with the type of All Season tires and specific driving and handling experiences in typical winter driving. Thanks.
 
I have put winter tires on my MC. Do not bother with all-season tires. The rubber on winter tires is inherently better to support the really cold temperature that we face in the northern climates. Below 7C (46F), winter tires are invariably more efficient. I put Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 on my car.
 
I drove on all-seasons for one winter - never again. The tractiuon control does a great job, but there's only so much it can do when the tires themselves don't have a surface to grip. For my Z4 2.5i I bought some snow tires from someone that had sold his E46 3-series. For my M Coupe, I mounted WinterSport M3s on the stock wheels, and I'm doing the same with my Smart.
 
Not even sure what my all seasons are but just like every all season tire ive used, they suck. I don't mind, I'm just extra cautious in the slippery stuff. I get most worried through icy situations as the little zeds wheelbase easily gets you sideways or turned around. I haven't got stuck in snow yet and it has been a cold snowy winter up here. I only have these tires because of the PO, Ill likely get summer wheels with strictly summer tires and put winter tires on my stockers when the time comes though..
 
If you are going to drive in the winter where there is snow and ice you really need to bite the bullet and goes with a good set of dedicated winter tires like Blizzak... :driving:
 
Thanks for the advice so far. It seems like the consensus is to go with Winter tires instead of all seasons. In any event, I'm going to get rid of the run flats for an All Season tire (Goodyear Eagle F1s). I won't be driving the Z4 much in the winter as I have a daily commuter (2007 Honda Fit Sport) which coincidentally has All Season tires that have gotten me through this horrible Chicago winter with no trouble thus far. I'm assuming that I've had great traction with these all seasons because the Honda is a front wheel drive and the tires are brand new. Is it fair to say, that because the Z4 is a rear wheel drive, I won't have the same handling and traction in the snow as my Honda?
 
I live in Chicago as well and after contemplating what kind of tires and how well they would work what I found is the cars rear is very light so unless you add some weight it will have difficulties going uphill and overall handling in the snow/ice. The first year of owning the car I drove up until Feb and after we got pounded with snow I finally decided that the Z4 is not a winter car for Chicago. I bought an ML320 which was the absolute right thing to do. I now keep the Z4 in storage all winter. Even if your car can drive somewhat better with winter tires there are the enormous pot holes to deal with and given the height of the car you are just asking for trouble. If you want my advice buy a winter beater and store the Z4.
 
JetBlackZ said:
I live in Chicago as well and after contemplating what kind of tires and how well they would work what I found is the cars rear is very light so unless you add some weight it will have difficulties going uphill and overall handling in the snow/ice. The first year of owning the car I drove up until Feb and after we got pounded with snow I finally decided that the Z4 is not a winter car for Chicago. I bought an ML320 which was the absolute right thing to do. I now keep the Z4 in storage all winter. Even if your car can drive somewhat better with winter tires there are the enormous pot holes to deal with and given the height of the car you are just asking for trouble. If you want my advice buy a winter beater and store the Z4.
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It's difficult to argue against that. I found the next best thing: I am currently spending most of my winter in Florida because of my current project at work. :thumbsup:
 
grdz4roadster said:
Thanks for the advice so far. It seems like the consensus is to go with Winter tires instead of all seasons. In any event, I'm going to get rid of the run flats for an All Season tire (Goodyear Eagle F1s). I won't be driving the Z4 much in the winter as I have a daily commuter (2007 Honda Fit Sport) which coincidentally has All Season tires that have gotten me through this horrible Chicago winter with no trouble thus far. I'm assuming that I've had great traction with these all seasons because the Honda is a front wheel drive and the tires are brand new. Is it fair to say, that because the Z4 is a rear wheel drive, I won't have the same handling and traction in the snow as my Honda?
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The Zed will handle very differently from the Honda, but rear-wheel drive offers the same traction as front wheel drive on snow. It requires a bit more of the driver though, as the rear-end will to its utmost to wiggle a bit :)

Old rear-wheel drives got a bad reputation for winter driving, as the weight wasn't balanced between front and rear wheels. With some 30% of the weight on the rear wheels traction did of course suffer. Volvos and Mercs up until the late 80's were notorious for this - over here it became commonplace tu put a 50lbs bag of gravel in the trunk during winter for extra traction. Most, if not all, BMWs are perfectly balanced front/rear, so should be comparable to a front wheel drive in terms of traction, just go easy on the clutch. Starting on 2nd gear might also help you get going if it's slippery.
 
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