M3 vs. C4S for Northeast Winters?

[SanFranciscoM3]

Can anyone comment one whether the M3 can pull forward from a stop on a snowy/icy incline (say a 6% grade) with good snow tires?

[SanFranciscoM3]

Thank you for all your help and suggestions. It sounds like most people think the M3 can hold up to Northeast Winters!

[py0413]

I personally think a good set of winter tires is the best investment to protect your own safety during winter driving season. I had pirelli winter tires on my M3 for 3 winters and they work just great. As long as you don't try to pulls something crazy, you will be fine no matter which car you go with when there is proper winter tires mounted.

[jeff4598]

Snow tires, 100lbs of salt in trunk better ground clearance = M3 for sure.

[LTJohn]

Originally Posted by SanFranciscoM3

Thank you for all your help and suggestions. It sounds like most people think the M3 can hold up to Northeast Winters!

Just my 2 cents:
My friend has a 2003 C4S that is his daily driver. He is Pharma regional rep, so he needs to go from Maine to Virginia. I had a C2S that I got caught in a snow storm once, so I struck up a conversation about snow performance, and I asked him how his car was.
So, he was my last patient of the day and it was snowing lightly and he took me for a spirited drive in the snow. He has the Mich. Alpin snows on it, with the rears 2 sizes narrower than stock.
After the drive, I can tell you that he can do things that I can't in my M3 (we have same tires, diff. sizes) He pulled up a mountain grade that I can't get up, and he stopped better than my car. My M3 seemed better in corners, with less oversteer. (Conditions: The snow was only 3 inches on the ground, and maybe 4 inches on the grass.)
My take is that the M3 will do fine in these conditions. M3 Grade would be a C+. I would give the C4S a solid B rating. The only major difference was the ability to pull up steep grades, and it could rocket out of corners.

BTW, his C4S is for sale.......... (of course, he won't consider something like a "BMW" for his next car..... That's his loss, I guess!........)

[IbanezGod]

OP - do what I did and get yourself a cheap truck to get around. I picked up a 2000 XJ Cherokee for $5000 and it's bulletproof. You drive it in bad weather and don't have to ruin your M3/Pcar

[jmgM3]

Originally Posted by PicassoM

OP - do what I did and get yourself a cheap truck to get around. I picked up a 2000 XJ Cherokee for $5000 and it's bulletproof. You drive it in bad weather and don't have to ruin your M3/Pcar

+1

I lived in Boston for 9 years and the amount of snow varies immensly from year to year. Personally I would hate to see my M plow through a rough snow storm. Get yourself a winter beater. You'll enjoy not having to constantly worry about it being damaged by sand, snow, salt, winter grime, etc...

[pbonsalb]

I don't worry. It is just a car. It is meant to be driven. If you enjoy driving a beater, go for it. Some people try to keep the miles as low as possible on their M3 and drive a beater most of the time. I would not want the M3 if I did not drive it.

It would be entirely different if the M3 could not go in the snow because the snow was too deep and only 4x4 could drive in it. But in my 20 years of driving in New England, that has so rarely been the case. No need to drive a beater unless that is what you like to do for whatever reason.

It is great some people preserve their cars for their next owners. I like buying those used cars. Then I drive them like they were meant to be driven.

[SanFranciscoM3]

Thanks for all the advice.

It seems like the consensus is that either car will do fine with snows unless the snow is too deep. It also seems like people recommend getting a beater for the bad days if possible.

I think getting a used Jeep or AWD volvo XC70 or Audi A6 wagon may be in the cards if I can find a second parking spot (maybe outside of the city).

I'm gonna test drive some C4S's and then just pick the car that I like better. I'm leaning away from the C4S because my M3 has been babied and garaged with only 20,000 miles over the past 4 years (bought new by me) vs. buying a 2-owner 996 C4S. I should take a look at the 997 but that might be a bit too expensive.

[SanFranciscoM3]

Test drove a 2004 C4S today. It was beautiful, but the interior felt dated and overall the car felt old. I'm going to look at a couple more C4S's, but I'm leaning toward keeping the M3.