Winter Storm Janus Traps Millions In Their Homes, UNLESS You Have A 2014 BMW X5

Being based in New Jersey has its downsides, folks. Primarily, you'll hear every single BAD New Jersey joke there is on the planet. Secondly, you have to deal with winters that can throw you a curveball now and then.

One of those wild pitches happened today when Winter Storm Janus blew into the greater New York Tri-State region dumping us with a bit of snow — it's still going as we speak. Though most folks left work early or sheltered in place, I didn't have much to worry about with the 2014 BMW X5 xDrive35i the Bavarians kindly lent me for the week.

Rather than huddle by a fire or watch news coverage of the poor commuters dealing with hour long traffic jams, I decided to take the X5 out on the local roads and see what she's made of.

At the time I drove around, there was approximately three to eight inches of powder depending on if the road was plowed and how much of a snow drift there was. And, boy, the X5 did quite well.

Trudging through the white stuff wasn't a problem as a majority of the time I kept it in the Eco Pro mode to keep revs low. Slow and steady with the throttle made for predictable turns with little to no drama. BUT, if you want to have a touch of fun with the X5 in the snow, well, it's just several button clicks away. After dialing it up to Sport mode and putting the vehicle into BMW's Dynamic Traction Mode, it's a complete hoot. Not in the dangerous, "Oh, I may have overcooked it and that tree is getting close" kind of way, but in the "Ah, I just point it here, give 'er a little throttle and it's doing exactly as I say" way.

This is a huge improvement over the 2006 X3 I used to drive that was eager to slip and slide in snowy conditions. And although the 2004 Touareg I had would cut through these conditions without any hassle, it wasn't nearly as predictable and fun carrying all that heft.

Though plenty of drivers were seemingly frightened and experiencing chaos during today's storm, I just dialed up the heated seats and cruised along without any concern.


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BMW X5 Winter Storm Janus

Car4Life - 1/22/2014 8:41:06 AM

+2 Boost

Good stuff, I gotta say the GL 550 was a blast as well, the only reminder i had that the roads were treacherous were all the cars riding their brakes and sliding around me.

It's quite a feeling to be surrounded by chaos while sitting in total comfort, wrapped in stitched leather, and a premium sound system drowning out the sound of scraping plows.

You almost feel guilty...

Agent00R - 1/22/2014 9:45:37 AM

+3 Boost

Almost! ;)

BMW's come a long way in the AWD dept.

randy3023 - 1/22/2014 10:26:31 AM

+1 Boost

Wow. 4 inches of light snow on flat ground. This has to be the true test!

Agent00R - 1/22/2014 11:31:22 AM

-1 Boost

@Randy

First off, no one said this was a "true test." However, I did compare it to other experiences with other products in SIMILAR conditions — X3 and Touareg.

Secondly, as noted in the story, I said it was three to eight inches of snow depending on the drift and whether or not streets were plowed. And in the amount of driving I did, not all the ground covered was flat.

Lastly, for most consumers this is as difficult as life will get unless they live near the Canadian border. Most folks will either A) stay at home or B) deal with the elements on a commute home, like yesterday.

So, please. Sit down and shut up with your cynical take.

trmckin - 1/22/2014 5:01:30 PM

+2 Boost

Living in Denver, you'd be shocked at people that have trouble with 1-2 inches of snow. This article is a real world experience. 2-6 inches of snow is normal and an article like this tells me more than a commercial. While an x5 isn't on my list of vehicles to own, it's entertaining to read. Better than the stuff on edmunds about how many grocery bags fit in the back and parallel parking in seal beach. I liked the write up R. Keep it up. Be nice to see more articles like this as snow storms and weather conditions play a big role in my vehicle purchases.

mre30 - 1/22/2014 11:37:40 AM

+1 Boost

I live in NJ too and although those of you who don't live in the northeast may not appreciate it - there are so many obstacles and poor driving conditions (i.e. no shoulders and no acceleration lanes) in the NY area, that 8 inches of snow, could quickly become a death-wish. This is not like Kansas or Colorado where it snows often but the roads have gigantic shoulders or run off lanes that allow anybody with RWD and bald tires a margin of error to avoid running into others.

You need to stop and maneuver very precisely in NY; kind of like driving in Europe, as a matter of fact.

By the way, 00R, BMW Marketing Dept called and said you can keep the X5 until July.

Agent00R - 1/22/2014 12:14:10 PM

+2 Boost

Haha!

Just telling my experience. Nothing more, nothing less. I actually have more to say on the X5, which you'll see shortly.

Oh, and the X5 was taken back moments ago. :)

jeffgall - 1/22/2014 3:20:20 PM

+1 Boost

I live in NJ too. Well put.

pcar4evr - 1/22/2014 11:57:10 AM

+1 Boost

Well as another NJ person, I can say that OOR had the perfect solution. Drive someone else's car in the snow! "Sorry BMW, that idiot slid into me."

At least yesterday all the texting teenage girls and screaming soccer moms were off the road.

cidflekken - 1/22/2014 2:05:27 PM

+1 Boost

I wish you would have gotten the chance to test it a day or so after the initial snow fall when there's still some snow on the ground, but ice begins to form as well. In my experience, during initial snow fall is when tire grip seems to be the least compromised.

trmckin - 1/22/2014 5:17:14 PM

+1 Boost

good point. my wife was broadsided 2 months ago in Denver in those very conditions you speak of. Tahoe exiting a neighborhood that doesn't plow. Solid sheet of ice about 100ft long... guy slid right through the stop sign into the passenger side of our 4runner. No injuries but a good bit of damage. You see it happen where someone slides through a stop or spins the rear end around almost every snow storm. Being able to avoid people becomes a skill.

cidflekken - 1/22/2014 11:38:26 PM

+1 Boost

trmckin, glad your wife is okay.

trmckin - 1/23/2014 2:36:03 AM

+1 Boost

Thank you! My 4 and 5 year old were also in the vehicle. Lucky it was low speed collision. I'm starting to think that vehicle is cursed. She's had 4 accidents of similar nature so front rear and both sides have now been repaired. It's snowing as I'm typing.... Tomorrow should be fun ;)

vdiv - 1/22/2014 2:33:05 PM

+2 Boost

I do miss my E53 X5, and I do miss living in Joysey. Most people do not appreciate either.

Even with the 38/62 fixed torque split, MS tires, and a somewhat porky at the time 4500 lbs the X5 was fun to drive and was safe in the snow.

I cannot wait for the X5 eDrive to become a reality.

carsarefun - 1/23/2014 9:02:24 AM

+1 Boost

Agent00R,

Great job with the BMW X5 Article.

I am looking forward to your additional comments on the X5, as I am about to take delivery on one that looks exactly like the one in the pictures(except mine is a DIESEL).

Keep up with your posting.

CARS ARE FUN

kysrsoze1 - 1/24/2014 10:40:57 AM

+1 Boost

Yeah, like all the 10 year-old Subarus and every other AWD car didn't do well enough in the snow. 80% of your success can be attributed to the tires.