2004 530i in the snow
- Thread starter natew
- Start date
I just installed Blizzak LM22s on my 2004 530i and it did well in the first snow (2") and slicked-up intersections caused by people who always seem to get out early and spin their wheels making hills and intersections death traps. Now it's dry again but these tires feel very nice, not much different than the original run-flat 18-inch tires that came with the car. There's a slightly less expensive Blizzak that I've read is even better in snow compared to the more performance-oriented LM22s but I think these LM22s are great. I won't run it off the road; I just have to watch out for the other guy.
I also installed Blizzak LM22's on my 2002 530i. I was amazed at how good they are. Not for a steep incline in DEEP snow but it turned my "bobsled" into a drivable winter vehicle.
My wife drives a Higlander AWD but with regular all season tires. The BMW with the blizzaks actually BRAKES better than the SUV and feels more confident at times in the snow.
My wife drives a Higlander AWD but with regular all season tires. The BMW with the blizzaks actually BRAKES better than the SUV and feels more confident at times in the snow.
I think those Blizzaks you are talking about are the LM-18's. I cannot recommend that set of Blizzaks to BMW owners. They are the absolute best in the snow because of a very aggressive snow-oriented tread design and a special Blizzak compound, but there are so many drawbacks to these tires:
They don't handle well in the dry, and they are terrible in the wet. Since the tread is heavily geared towards snow driving, driving with these tires in the dry wear the tires down REAL fast. Also, when approximately 50% of the tread is gone, the special Blizzak compound is gone too, in which case they perform like your average snow tire for the remaining 50% of the tread.
This model Blizzaks are more suitable for people who live in Alaska or very far upstate NY or Vermont, or basically a place where it consistently snows several times a week during the winter. For most people, the LM-22's are a much better choice as they offer great dry and wet road handling, they last longer, and they are designed for sporty RWD cars.
They don't handle well in the dry, and they are terrible in the wet. Since the tread is heavily geared towards snow driving, driving with these tires in the dry wear the tires down REAL fast. Also, when approximately 50% of the tread is gone, the special Blizzak compound is gone too, in which case they perform like your average snow tire for the remaining 50% of the tread.
This model Blizzaks are more suitable for people who live in Alaska or very far upstate NY or Vermont, or basically a place where it consistently snows several times a week during the winter. For most people, the LM-22's are a much better choice as they offer great dry and wet road handling, they last longer, and they are designed for sporty RWD cars.