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Thread: Anyone drive their non-IX E30 in the snow?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
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    2016 Rubicon

    Anyone drive their non-IX E30 in the snow?

    If so, how does it perform with snow tires?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
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    shaker heights, oh, usa
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    1988 bmw 325i & 1988 Lincoln town car
    fun!

  3. #3
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    Nov 2003
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    Fergus, ON
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    E30 Turbo, 04 325xi
    I drove my RWD 325i daily for 5 winters. Just get some snow tires and some extra weight in the back (ie sand or salt bags). That way you can also use the contents of the bags if you get stuck

  4. #4
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    Nov 2006
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    Traverse City, Michigan
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    1988 325ix
    Not as good as an IX.

  5. #5
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    00 E38,01 E38,99 323 is
    I've driven my cabrio in the snow. It wasn't great (did not have snow tires on it) but I did not feel unsafe at any time. And I got where I was going.
    9/2004 Chevrolet Suburban Z71, black, purchased March 2016, 270k miles.
    6/99 740i Cosmos Schwartz M Sport, 214k miles, purchased May 2017
    2001 740i OrientBlau M Sport, purchased March 2023
    1984 MasterCraft Stars and Stripes, Blue/White, PCM Ford 351W, PowerSlot, 912 hours, purchased September 2012 (not a car )
    4/99 323is/5. Titansilber, 211k miles. Straight body project.



    past BMWs: 5/1994 325isa (Arktisgrau), 3/1997 328is/5 (cosmosschwartz), 9/1990 535i/5 (calypsorot), 9/1990 318i/5 (brillantrot) 7/93 325i/5 convertible (samoablau) 2/92 325i/5 cabriolet (lagunengruen).
    SÜNDE REISEN



  6. #6
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    Hangover, PA
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    idk why mine did it but my 91 318 felt really sketchy even in the rain, i never drove it in the snow but i have a feeling it would have been bad

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andy348 View Post
    If so, how does it perform with snow tires?
    I don't know. I only drove it with all seasons and it was a complete blast! The car felt extremely good in the snow. I drifted it around my neighborhood for fun. Oh man, now I'm getting all excited again!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
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    1990 325is, 2002 325XiT
    Its nothing you can't teach yourself in an empty parking lot after the first snow of the year.

    I've driven in the snow the last two winters - not that I'd purposely go out in anything more than 2" of non plowed snow. I've had the car out and ended up with 3-4" of powder on the side streets, but I was able to take my time and get to the main streets that were plowed.

    I don't have snow tires - just BFG Traction TAs - and the car seemed to do fine. I needed to be more mindful of releasing the clutch and accelerating. No hard accelerating, especially around corners, unless of course it was intentional!

    I'd spring for a set of snow tires on some bottlecaps, but the local pick n pulls want way too much for wheels ($250 for 4). Apparently bottlecaps on Hondas are a hot commodity where I live.

  9. #9
    Join Date
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    I've been driving mine 5 winters now, the last 3 with dedicated snow tires. Snows make a huge difference, but even without them I get around fine. Last winter I was out driving in 6" of unplowed snow in the streets, as long as I was careful I could get through it no problem. Of course, with that much snow not many people were on the streets... or in parking lots

  10. #10
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    Drove my 325is last year through the winter just fine. It was a blast! I have 4 snow tires on bottlecaps, it was great. I never got stuck, and always pulled away from stop signs just fine. Dont floor it and you will be fine!
    If you have an LSD that will help alot more with accelerating.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
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    Huntertown, IN
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    1986 E30
    Dang it, now I'll all excited for snow, but I'm going to be in southern California for most of the winter. Last winter I had a few friends (6 or 7 people) over at my house and we all loaded into one of my Suburbans and I took them sliding around for a few hours. That was a lot of fun. I don't think any of them had every experienced it before.
    For the past three winters I drove around a Z-28 Camaro with all-season tires on it. If I got around in that no problem, you should be able to get around in an E30 without a hitch.

  12. #12
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    calgary, alberta, canada
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    i had all seasons on mine last winter, and needless to say i got stuck everywhere, if it werent for shovels and nice truck drivers i don't know what i would have done...definately going to get some snow tires this winter

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by groundpilots View Post
    i had all seasons on mine last winter, and needless to say i got stuck everywhere, if it werent for shovels and nice truck drivers i don't know what i would have done...definately going to get some snow tires this winter
    living in calgary probably doesnt help either. I cant even imagine how much snow that you guys get!

  14. #14
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    Nov 2007
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    Vancouver, Wa
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    87vert & 24V sedan,98 M3
    My dad takes his convertible out in the snow often in the winter and seems to do just fine with studded snow tires. Picks up a lot of rock chips though

  15. #15
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    I've driven a 325e with all seasons and an open diff, and a 318is with all seasons an LSD in the snow. LSD makes a huge difference. I had snows and an LSD in my e36 318i and that was unstoppable in the snow. For real heavy snow (we usually only get a few inches of accumulation on the road at a time) I would want something else due to the light weight and rwd. An ix would be awesome for those conditions, but I have never had a problem with any of my BMWs in the snow here with the right tires and an LSD.

  16. #16
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    Omaha,NE,USA
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    +1 on snow tires and an lsd. If no LSD, don't bother, buy a fwd beater for winter.

    Only other problem I had was cracked oil pans on the ice chunks when they plow main streets and you have to hit a drift to get through it.

  17. #17
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    winter park colorado
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    drove mine all winter no problem. as long as you're mindful of whats going on around you & don't stop on any stupid-steep hills (there's a lot around here, it make for tricky navigating when we get freshies) they get around just fine. lsd is win in the snow.
    "life is short, chicks dig scars, and american emergency rooms have the best daredevil-to-doctor ratio in the world." -b.s.

  18. #18
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    i drove my eta thru a upstate ny winter just out side of syracuse. i had evenly worn bald tires and never really had a problem except on ice . like was said take it to an empty lot and make it get loose and learn how to correct it . otherwise its an awesome time.


    btw i hate fwd for winter driving , for me there is nothing worse then having the wheels ya steer with also bein the drive wheels . i got stuck alot more with fwd then rwd.

  19. #19
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    I want to get an Alpina spoiler just so I can be a very, very poor snowplow this winter

  20. #20
    Join Date
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    new england
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    87 325ic, 89 ix, 09 xit
    RWD 325I is not built to perform well in the snow. That said, winter tires will make a huge difference, as many noted. LSD will also help, as will ABS quite a bit. Of course, a trained and careful driver is perhaps most important.
    If it's going to be a DD, definitely get good tires, an LSD, and hopefully you also have ABS. Weight in the trunk is a good idea, as some said. We keep bags of sand, which can then be helpful for traction.
    In the snow, braking is key. RWD is not great for handling and braking in the snow, but the tires, LSD, and ABS will make it serviceable.
    In addition to a 325ic, we also have an IX. The extra axle of traction is great for getting through the snow; it also helps with braking, but not as much as you might think.

  21. #21
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    Terrain can make a huge difference in how a RWD car will handle snow. I grew up in MI which gets a lot more snow than where I currently live in WA, and snow wasn't that big of a deal since the terrain was mostly flat. I got away with all seasons just fine, though when I had dedicated snows they made a huge difference. Now in WA with a lot more hills, you can easily get yourself stuck without AWD if you're not careful. It really comes down to your specific situation for how well you'll be able to get around with a RWD car during the winter.

    Quote Originally Posted by Whatabout View Post
    RWD 325I is not built to perform well in the snow. That said, winter tires will make a huge difference, as many noted. LSD will also help, as will ABS quite a bit. Of course, a trained and careful driver is perhaps most important.
    If it's going to be a DD, definitely get good tires, an LSD, and hopefully you also have ABS. Weight in the trunk is a good idea, as some said. We keep bags of sand, which can then be helpful for traction.
    In the snow, braking is key. RWD is not great for handling and braking in the snow, but the tires, LSD, and ABS will make it serviceable.
    In addition to a 325ic, we also have an IX. The extra axle of traction is great for getting through the snow; it also helps with braking, but not as much as you might think.
    How do extra driven wheels help with braking?
    Last edited by ciz28; 08-18-2009 at 05:28 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

  22. #22
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    Drove mine last winter in Michigan. It was a pretty rough winter. Handled pretty well. I wouldn't expect to be driving fast in snow but it handles okay. Calgary snow melts in a day anyway doesn't it? Chinook winds and all.

    It was -11f for over a week and it ran great also. Love these cars.

    The only time I fish-taled was when I wanted to.

  23. #23
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    1986 E30
    Quote Originally Posted by Whatabout View Post
    RWD is not great for handling and braking in the snow, but the tires, LSD, and ABS will make it serviceable...In addition to a 325ic, we also have an IX. The extra axle of traction is great for getting through the snow; it also helps with braking, but not as much as you might think.
    First off, AWD will not help you at all with braking (it'll actually make you stop slower because of the extra weight). People also have a habit of pushing AWD/4WD vehicles harder in the snow and ice because they think that with AWD they're invincible. I've seen more crashes involving AWD vehicles in the winter than with any other type of drivetrain layout.
    Second off, RWD with a competent driver is much better than FWD in the snow. For the average Joe Blow, FWD works better because he has no idea what's going on. FWD is way harder to control in the snow than RWD.

    Just make sure you're intimately familiar with how your vehicle handles and don't push it. That's key. Being ten minutes late for work is many times better than totaling your car, or even worse, totaling someone else's car. I've gone through several winters with cars that have RWD, open differentials, no ABS and/or nearly bald tires and survived them without any problems. All that stuff helps, but when it comes down to it, the responsibility belongs to you. Don't expect the car to drive for you. That said, if you can have all that stuff, or can afford to have it put on/in your car, go for it.

  24. #24
    Join Date
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    Dallastown, PA
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    1992 E30 325iC / 2004 VW Jetta 1.8t wagon
    I DD my E30 'vert, even through the winter, which in PA can get deep.

    A few important points:

    1) LSD is practically a must. With an open diff, you can easily get stuck in your parking spot.

    2) Snow tires are a must. Or at least all-seasons with deep treads.

    3) Ignore 1st gear, start in 2nd.

    4) Two or three big bags of sand, or non-clumping (old style) kitty litter are a darned good idea.

    5) Here's the big one. FWD and RWD are not equivalent in the snow. Not even remotely. The big reason for this is because in a FWD car, the driven wheels are also the steering wheels. In a RWD car, your ability to steer the car is severely impacted by the fact that the front tires spin freely. You would do well to think of your car as being two driven rear wheels and two skis or skids on the front. The only time I've gotten close to a dangerous situation in the E30 is when I try to take a turn at a speed that, in dry conditions, wouldn't be a problem. In slushy or icy conditions, the ass-end of the car will slide right out from behind you if you're not super-alert in turns.

    --Chris

    1992 325iC ... 3.25 LSD, Bilsteins, Borla. Otherwise stock.
    Mein anderes Auto ist auch deutsch.

  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by drumr2790 View Post
    Second off, RWD with a competent driver is much better than FWD in the snow. For the average Joe Blow, FWD works better because he has no idea what's going on. FWD is way harder to control in the snow than RWD.
    Care to elaborate on this point?

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