M3 as a daily driver in Seattle

[sampelligrino]

Hey guys,

Currently I'm awaiting delivery of an F80 M3 that my local dealership was getting in town here in Hawaii. I might be moving back home to Seattle this summer, and I was just wondering about the utility of the M3 as a daily driver in Seattle. I know it doesn't snow much there and the weather rarely drops below freezing, but do you guys have any problems with the M3 in the winter?

Do you guys use different tire sets or wheel/tire sets?

Any and all input is greatly appreciated, thanks and go hawks!!!

[kilpatds]

So far it seems a great Daily Driver. Yes, I'm currently running winter tires.

[solstice]

Works great as a DD. I only run PSSs but we have an SUV in the family when we go up into the mountains in winter and for the day or two with lowland snow accumulation.

[Lups]

Yup, my school buss! Perfect for the job of getting Prius city upset.

[sampelligrino]

Originally Posted by solstice

Works great as a DD. I only run PSSs but we have an SUV in the family when we go up into the mountains in winter and for the day or two with lowland snow accumulation.

So you run the PSSs year round? Interesting, that's good/helpful to know. I wouldn't be driving through the passes to the Eastside of the state or to Canada much anyways, just around Seattle/Bellevue.

Thanks for the input fellas, go hawks

[Lups]

Originally Posted by sampelligrino

So you run the PSSs year round? Interesting, that's good/helpful to know. I wouldn't be driving through the passes to the Eastside of the state or to Canada much anyways, just around Seattle/Bellevue.

Thanks for the input fellas, go hawks

Personally I'd like the hawks to stay, I spend a lot of time in parks that have a huge mole population.

You can run those full time, I wouldn't if I had time to go get a new set in.
They are waiting at the shop but I fuck up all schedules all the time. Something more important comes in the way every time.

[solstice]

Originally Posted by sampelligrino

So you run the PSSs year round? Interesting, that's good/helpful to know. I wouldn't be driving through the passes to the Eastside of the state or to Canada much anyways, just around Seattle/Bellevue.

Thanks for the input fellas, go hawks

Yes I have no problems with the PSSs year round in this area. As long as there is no snow or frozen rain that sticks on the roads they are fine.

[lpphreakx06]

I was okay with Falken Azenis's on my 335i during that snow storm we had a couple years ago. It's all about turning off traction control and staying at consistent low speeds.

That being said, I bet I can DD my M3 year round on PSS's. Its honestly am worried about others drivers and their lack of driving skills.

[Lups]

I'm more worried about the pedestrians who act like brainless hens here

[sampelligrino]

Originally Posted by Lups

I'm more worried about the pedestrians who act like brainless hens here

Just to double down. Taking delivery of my bad boy on Tuesday, and because it looks like I'll be moving to Seattle for sure now, I am worried that for the money I am spending, I might be better off with a car that has better traction. I hope I don't sound ignorant or negative, just being honest that with this amount of hard earned money and as a newly-married man, I don't want my 2 options this winter back in Seattle being driving like an absolute grandma or risk driving a death trap for my wife and I. This car is a lot of money, and I love mostly everything about it, and if I was staying in Hawaii, I'd have 0 doubts. But because of the wet conditions, I just don't want to spend this much money then have to stress about it. Don't want any stress, we all get enough of that in life anyways.

So are people really being over-sensitive about the traction issues of this car? Since I've never driven the f8x yet, can you guys just drive it without having to stress about it in the wet conditions? I won't be speeding or driving it "hard" in the winter, I just want to be able to drive it regularly without having to be overly conscious of the car and losing traction. And this is with DSC fully on at all times in the winter. I'm most curious to hear from solstice, as I hope to keep the PSS on and not have to deal with multiple tires and/or wheels.

Any and all input is really appreciated before I make a big financial commitment for this beautiful car. Thanks - Sammy

[kilpatds]

I don't see any real concern. If you drive like a moron in the wet, you'll have issues. There's a large space between "like a moron" and "like a grandma"[1]. The car is as controllable as any other, until you get deliberately stupid.

[1] My grandma drove a bathtub Porsche, so I have a hard time taking that saying as intended.

[Lups]

Originally Posted by sampelligrino

Just to double down. Taking delivery of my bad boy on Tuesday, and because it looks like I'll be moving to Seattle for sure now, I am worried that for the money I am spending, I might be better off with a car that has better traction. I hope I don't sound ignorant or negative, just being honest that with this amount of hard earned money and as a newly-married man, I don't want my 2 options this winter back in Seattle being driving like an absolute grandma or risk driving a death trap for my wife and I. This car is a lot of money, and I love mostly everything about it, and if I was staying in Hawaii, I'd have 0 doubts. But because of the wet conditions, I just don't want to spend this much money then have to stress about it. Don't want any stress, we all get enough of that in life anyways.

So are people really being over-sensitive about the traction issues of this car? Since I've never driven the f8x yet, can you guys just drive it without having to stress about it in the wet conditions? I won't be speeding or driving it "hard" in the winter, I just want to be able to drive it regularly without having to be overly conscious of the car and losing traction. And this is with DSC fully on at all times in the winter. I'm most curious to hear from solstice, as I hope to keep the PSS on and not have to deal with multiple tires and/or wheels.

Any and all input is really appreciated before I make a big financial commitment for this beautiful car. Thanks - Sammy

Hi Sammy!

Now, I'd say you have very many good reasons to think these through, and us to say otherwise is stupid.

I got myself a set of winter tires ( yes, still three months later they are at the dealership, all payed for though), for the rainy season. I have had no time to drive my boy a lot now, but I always do it with nannies off when I'm alone, and with MDM on when kiddos are with me.

I'm on my third set of rears so no one with a straight face can actually say I drive like a nanny. I can however say, that this car with good tires has potential to handle any weather I've seen, and it's a joy to drive in seattle.

You, as everyone else who drives these needs to figure out the point where it lets loose. an empty parking lot is an excellent place to train, and do it in the rain. It's a shitload of power to the rears, but also a new car to learn to control. Professionals can do it without training, the rest of us either go through the painful and humiliating time with cones ( my case milk cartoons. I cried like a girl when I hit one and all that beautiful milk fell to the asphalt), and learn what it does. Also, google SO M4 and cars and coffee, and you can see that the driver is the weak link in these as in any car.

We have a lot of power. We have the handling. It's up to us, which we prefer and it's really up to us to be sensible on when to do what.

I hope you and the wife come to our meets soon. Just know, we don't take kindly to people who manage to mod their cars and not fuck it up. ask Mr Fluffy, who's wife I will tell as soon as I see her again that M's are for women only and that he should not drive one.