BMW 1-Series Forum (F20) 135i - 1Addicts.com > Second Generation 1 Series Forum > 2012 BMW 1-Series Sporthatch (F20) Discussion > M135i Tyre Size Query “Upsizing” Winter Tyres to “Plus Zero”
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      02-18-2016, 08:40 AM   #1
Voodooking
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M135i Tyre Size Query “Upsizing” Winter Tyres to “Plus Zero”

I drive a 2013 BMW M135i, which is currently fitted with the following manufacturer recommended winter wheel and tyre package:
Wheels: 17 inch x 7 inch
Tyres: Continental WinterContact TS 830 P SSR 205/50 R17 89H

In my experience, the application of power, acceleration, and snow/ice performance with this set-up have been very disappointing. The OEM summer wheels and tyres are a great deal wider and provide a lot more grip and traction in cold and wet conditions. With the winter package, the car doesn’t put power down well, doesn’t grip in the wet, and struggles to find traction in ice or snow. I have had comparable BMW’s with comparable winter tyres previously, and this performance falls short of my expectations by a large margin.

I would like to continue to use the existing BMW OEM winter wheels. My question is, would it be suitable to “up-size” the winter tyres to a “plus zero” configuration, with the following size:
Wheels (Same): 17 inch x 7 inch
Tyres (Different): Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2 225/45 R17 94 R XL

Would this wider, larger footprint provide an advantage during acceleration by giving me more ‘rubber on the road’? Also, could I expect better ice and snow performance due to the larger number of sipes / surface area able to find purchase on the snow or ice? What about the ride comfort and handling?

I would be very interested to hear any thoughts people may have on the above before I make my decision on how to proceed.
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      02-18-2016, 09:44 AM   #2
ovekvam
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Generally, wider tyres will provide more grip and steering response on hard surfaces like tarmac and ice, while narrower tyres are better in snow and slush. The problem with the WinterContacts, is that they are made for the Autobahn. Scandinavians typically throw such tyres in the trash when importing German cars, and install Nordic type winter tyres. I think 205 works rather well for winter use, but it is a rather different experience than summer tyres. Sloppy steering response, and a more swimming feeling.

I have good experience with Michelin X-Ice 3. They cooperate well with the electronic nanny system, while some other Nordic type winter tyres are too soft, and will cause constant blinking in the instrument panel warning light.

Last edited by ovekvam; 02-21-2016 at 01:26 PM..
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      02-18-2016, 02:00 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Voodooking View Post
With the winter package, the car doesn’t put power down well, doesn’t grip in the wet, and struggles to find traction in ice or snow.
The story of my OEM winter wheel set of Nokian Hakkapeliitta R RSC 225/45 R17 on 7,5Jx17. They float on tarmac at +4 C or so (thus they are for hardly above zero), setting off from a puddle feels the same as on ice (I've survived a recent long motorway ride in extreme wet/slushy conditions at 100+ km/h though), on snow I see other cars (not necessarily 4WD, but mostly FWD) go away while I'm struggling.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Voodooking View Post
My question is, would it be suitable to “up-size” the winter tyres to a “plus zero” configuration, with the following size:
Wheels (Same): 17 inch x 7 inch
Tyres (Different): Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2 225/45 R17 94 R XL
This tyre width takes 7,5Jx17 rims actually (handling might suffer from the misfit).

Quote:
Originally Posted by Voodooking View Post
Would this wider, larger footprint provide an advantage during acceleration by giving me more ‘rubber on the road’? Also, could I expect better ice and snow performance due to the larger number of sipes / surface area able to find purchase on the snow or ice?
On snow it's considered preferable to dig through to some firmer surface (which is presumed within the clearance, of course, otherwise increase the footprint by decreasing the tyre air pressure reasonably ), this is what DTC is about incidentally. This is why narrower tyres are favoured.
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      02-19-2016, 02:55 AM   #4
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The Hakka R2 is a very good tyre that has won several reviews here in Scandinavia. I have them on my car and I don't have any complaints - but it's only a 116i mind you.

Going up to 225 might be a sensible move for a M135i on most surfaces, but won't do much good on snow.
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      02-19-2016, 11:12 AM   #5
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I myself have 225/45-18 in the front and 245/40-18 on the rear. Goodyear IceContact 2, pretty happy with bare roads, slush is rubbish. Feels pretty good on compact snow, easy to drift and so on. For snowy conditions I think the Michelin X-Ice 3 and Hakka R2 might be the best for our cars.
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      03-19-2016, 08:30 AM   #6
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I have Pirelli's Sottozero RFT 225/40 18" front and 245/35 18" rear. It was in the deal when ordering the car. They are ridiculous expensive the 245's and i will not buy them myself, at this time they cost 380 € à piece at the time when i ordered the car it was arround 450 € a piece.
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