Snowy driving + BMW 3-series

Submitted by cs_heisenberg t3_zeva78 in Washington

Hi everyone, I just recently moved to the Seattle area and brought my older 3-series with me.

As most people know, that’s probably not the best car for driving through snow… Having lived in florida most of my life, i wanted to know how to properly prepare for snowy conditions for when I go skiing because I’m planning on going often and would rather not rely on friends driving + having to rent a car.

Are snow chains all that I need?

For reference, I’m going to The summit at Snoqualmie first to get started with skiing this weekend, any help is appreciated.

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ShowMeDaData t1_iz8rjy3 wrote

Make friends that ski and have cars with 4 wheel drive.

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fishful-thinking t1_iz9pnfu wrote

I don’t know what your budget is, but if you can afford it, get a set of winter tires. If you buy them from Costco, they’ll then swap your tires for $10 each every time you want to have them swapped out. So you basically, $40 each season to swap them out. You’ll need a place to store the set you’re not using. Or, you can buy a set of stock wheels off Craigslist or Marketplace and mount winter tires in them. Then swap them out yourself. You’ll still need chains for the pass when WDOT mandates them. I got a set of base sedan wheels in great shape for $200, put winter tires on them, and my 325ci is as good in the snow as my Subaru Outback on all seasons.

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Salmundo t1_iz9uc9k wrote

Replying to fishful-thinking (#878,058)

Agreed. Tires are your friend.

If full on winter tires somehow won’t work for you, switch to an all condition tire that has the Three Mountain Peak rating, e.g. Vredestein Quatrac Pro. Not as good on deep snow and ice as a winter tire, but surprisingly good on everything else.

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Future_Huckleberry71 t1_izamuiv wrote

Get a set of mounted winter tires, perhaps studded if you'r going to be in the mountains a lot. Change them seasonally. Less Schwab swaps their tires for free. Alternately get a set of chains and learn how to install them laying in the snow.

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Rocketgirl8097 t1_izaxhbq wrote

That sits kind of low to the ground doesn't it? Recommend ultimately trading in for something with more clearance.

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BudSmoker509 t1_izb4rzh wrote

Is it rear wheel or all wheel drive? Cause rear wheel is trash in the snow even w snow studs.

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PurePNW t1_izbbcik wrote

Winter tires + chains ready to go in the trunk + drive slow and safe for every stretch of road. What constitutes a safe speed for a road changes quickly and constantly, so just plan for a nice slow and steady trip, and take it easy. Bonus: easy on the breaks (even with ABS), gear down if possible instead of breaking when it’s really slick, and if anyone passes you: try to accommodate and let them do it as safely as possible. People in a hurry are all to often the cause of crashes in inclement weather. All the best!

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BudSmoker509 t1_izbng3c wrote

Replying to cs_heisenberg (#880,840)

Ya that's not gonna work for the mountains. All wheel or 4x4 or at least front, also snow or studded tires and preferably new yearly w those. I don't take my rear wheel infinity out the garage in the snow cause it won't even get back up the driveway. Just trying to help

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