WINTER TIRES BY EDMONTON BMW

As all Edmonton drivers know, winter can be a treacherous time. The snow, slush and ice will turn your daily commute into a fear-laden sideways slide from one sharp turn to the next. That is, unless you are properly equipped for the elements. The right winter tires can mean all the difference in frigid conditions but you can rest easy knowing that at Edmonton BMW we have everything you need to face the worst that Mother Nature has to throw your way.

WHY WINTERS?

The winter tire vs. all-season tire debate rages on. The fact of the matter is that while all-season tires are perfectly reliable in less volatile climates than ours, Alberta's harsh winters demand slightly stronger footing.

Winter tires are made up of cold-weather specific rubber compounds, making them suppler than summer and all-season tires and allowing them to get a better grip on loose snow that would send non-winter tires spinning. Channelling tread patterns and an open tread block configuration allow for better traction in deep snow and the larger number of tread sipes (tiny slits in the tread blocks) give winter tires a better grip on wet surfaces.

There is a financial advantage to investing in winter tires as well. With our long winters, we can easily say that half of the year is spent in cold weather. Taking six months of wear off of your summer or all-season tires means you'll be replacing them half as often. That's money that stays in your pocket, or that you can use to pay for your next Mexican vacation when the cold just won't seem to go away.



 
WHY RUN-FLATS?

If you own a BMW that has been made since 2007, chances are that it came directly from the factory with run-flat tires on it.

There are definite benefits to riding on tires that can keep going after suffering a puncture. For starters, you can entirely avoid having to change a tire on the side of the highway at 3 am, or waiting hours for a tow truck to come and do it for you. The only downside is that run-flat-outfitted vehicles are not equipped with a spare, or even a jack for that matter, and have no spot to keep either of them.

With that in mind, if you do opt out of installing run-flat winter tires on your BMW, you can expect to shell out some extra cash for a jack and a full-sized spare tire on a rim matching those already on your vehicle. You will also want to integrate your spare into your vehicle's regular tire rotation so that it will wear evenly with the rest.

And all of this will have to be kept in your trunk, since there is no designated space for them integrated into the vehicle.
WHEN TO INSTALL THEM?

Once you've decided which kind of winter tires you'd like to invest in, the next step is having them installed. How early should you start thinking about doing that? According to the Tire and Rubber Association of Canada, seven degrees Celsius is the magic number.

That's the crossover point where winter tires begin to outperform all-seasons, even on dry pavement when the snow hasn't begun to fall yet. The reason for this is the more supple silica tread compounds in winter tires that respond better to cold temperatures than the harder compounds of all-season tires.

If you're still in the dark and seeking more information regarding the options that are out there for you, our team of trained experts are here to guide you through this decision. Come see us, and knock one more thing off of your winter prep list!



Â