[FishOuttaWater]

Homeward bound from a stay in Colorado where the investment in the 21" rims wrapped w/ Bridgestone Blizzaks proved their worth. I almost opted to drive my F-350 diesel in lieu of spending the $4500 for the wheels and tires from BMW. I had put brand new Michelin A/T's on my truck about the same time as the ones for the X7 arrived but I was leery of letting the diesel sit in the parking lot at the place we stayed for 5 days without being cranked. That and the fact we didn't buy the X7 to drive my truck on vacations. We went to Telluride and although it didn't snow while we were there until Thursday PM, plenty of the white stuff was on the ground and there were some icy areas also. I witnessed two separate occasions where 4x4 pickups had to back down to level ground and get a run on an incline to get out of a parking lot. One of them was identical to mine. On both occasions I eased up the incline without incident. No spinning at all. On the way out this AM there was some fresh snow but there was no drama from the X7. As far as the Blizzaks go I am more than satisfied. They ride smooth and quiet. Most of the interstate cruising was done around 80 I believe they are quieter than the 22" Contis. This vehicle is pretty amazing. The worst mileage we got was 22.6 in the mountains climbing most of the way. I filled up in Telluride this AM and drove to ABQ via 4 Corners Monument. I still have about 1/2 tank! Computer indicated MPG's for this leg is 29.2. I attribute this to a lot of downhill driving and not being able to drive 80+ due to being on state routes vs interstates, although, considering what I paid per gallon, there may have been some of that legal weed additive in there. I guess I'll swap my Blizzaks for the 22's when I get home and shrink wrap them on a pallet and store them in my warehouse until our next winter adventure. A couple of things that I discovered about the X7. The captains chairs won't fold flat. I'm sure the rest of you guys are saying "no s$%^ Sherlock, but I didn't realize that until I started loading it for the trip. No biggie, there's still a lot of room, and I don't think I would swap them for the bench to get the fold flat capability. Another thing is the damned windshield and rear window washers froze up. That was a mess for a while as the temps didn't get above freezing for the first 2-3 hours. One real surprise is the fuel filler door seems to work really good in the cold. I fight this thing like crazy most of the time but I swear it works the first or second try in this cold weather. We've put about 2700 miles on it this trip and it is a pleasure to drive.

[Tex_X7]

Good stuff. No snow tires on my X7 so not sure what I'd take. This is my Super Duty with Ridge Grapplers. What do you think...X7 with Conti's or the SD?

[Waise]

Originally Posted by FishOuttaWater

Homeward bound from a stay in Colorado where the investment in the 21" rims wrapped w/ Bridgestone Blizzaks proved their worth. I almost opted to drive my F-350 diesel in lieu of spending the $4500 for the wheels and tires from BMW. I had put brand new Michelin A/T's on my truck about the same time as the ones for the X7 arrived but I was leery of letting the diesel sit in the parking lot at the place we stayed for 5 days without being cranked. That and the fact we didn't buy the X7 to drive my truck on vacations. We went to Telluride and although it didn't snow while we were there until Thursday PM, plenty of the white stuff was on the ground and there were some icy areas also. I witnessed two separate occasions where 4x4 pickups had to back down to level ground and get a run on an incline to get out of a parking lot. One of them was identical to mine. On both occasions I eased up the incline without incident. No spinning at all. On the way out this AM there was some fresh snow but there was no drama from the X7. As far as the Blizzaks go I am more than satisfied. They ride smooth and quiet. Most of the interstate cruising was done around 80 I believe they are quieter than the 22" Contis. This vehicle is pretty amazing. The worst mileage we got was 22.6 in the mountains climbing most of the way. I filled up in Telluride this AM and drove to ABQ via 4 Corners Monument. I still have about 1/2 tank! Computer indicated MPG's for this leg is 29.2. I attribute this to a lot of downhill driving and not being able to drive 80+ due to being on state routes vs interstates, although, considering what I paid per gallon, there may have been some of that legal weed additive in there. I guess I'll swap my Blizzaks for the 22's when I get home and shrink wrap them on a pallet and store them in my warehouse until our next winter adventure. A couple of things that I discovered about the X7. The captains chairs won't fold flat. I'm sure the rest of you guys are saying "no s$%^ Sherlock, but I didn't realize that until I started loading it for the trip. No biggie, there's still a lot of room, and I don't think I would swap them for the bench to get the fold flat capability. Another thing is the damned windshield and rear window washers froze up. That was a mess for a while as the temps didn't get above freezing for the first 2-3 hours. One real surprise is the fuel filler door seems to work really good in the cold. I fight this thing like crazy most of the time but I swear it works the first or second try in this cold weather. We've put about 2700 miles on it this trip and it is a pleasure to drive.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

For your fuel filler door read this link if you haven't already.

https://g07.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1681037

[Screwly]

Nice rigs! Here's a pic of mine and I just realized I don't take enough pics of it! Love my super duty [IMG][/IMG]

[FishOuttaWater]

Originally Posted by Tex_X7

Good stuff. No snow tires on my X7 so not sure what I'd take. This is my Super Duty with Ridge Grapplers. What do you think...X7 with Conti's or the SD?

That's a sweet looking rig. Great selection of tires, wheels, and lift. I use mine for work so it's stock, plus I'm an old man. LOL... It's an '18 F-350 Platinum Ultimate, 6.7 CC SWB. Love it. Seriously, for a trip like we took I would take the X7 every time. The caveat is you must ditch the Conti's and get some Blizzaks or equivalent. The thing that made me a believer in these AWD vehicles was the wife's (pre X-7)Toyota Venza. We had a new building built last year and before the lot was paved I would have to lock my truck in 4WD as soon as I left the pavement. That thing sunk in the sand like a brick in jello. My wife drove all over that lot without even spinning a tire. After my limited experiences in the snow and icy parking lots the X-7 is a slam dunk. But, if you had to keep the Conti's I would take the SD. BTW, I drove from ABQ to Austin today via Roswell, NM and San Angelo, Tx. I got pulled over or doing 78 in a 70mph zone. The trooper was great and he gave me a warning instead of the ticket. I had the cruise set on 80 and I thought the speedometer error was about 5% high. Guess not. Hell of a way to learn, but at least I know now.

[FishOuttaWater]

Originally Posted by Screwly

Nice rigs! Here's a pic of mine and I just realized I don't take enough pics of it! Love my super duty [IMG][/IMG]

Screwly, I'm starting to get a man crush on you. Not only do you post sideways pics but you also drive a Super Duty! LOL... That's a nice looking rig you have there. Mine's an old man's truck; stock F-350 Platinum w/ the 6.7. Good job on the bumper, tires, wheels, and lift. Looks great. My son bought my '17 F-250 and put Road Armor bumpers w/ LED's front and back, 6" BDS lift, some kind of fancy forged wheels, 37" Nitto's, and the .50 cal stubby antenna. I'll be going through Houston in the AM. Mine's the dirty as hell white X-7. See ya'!

[FishOuttaWater]

Originally Posted by Waise

Thanks for sharing your experience.

For your fuel filler door read this link if you haven't already.

https://g07.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1681037

Hey Waise, thanks for the reply. I actually started that thread and indeed there were some good replies. I swear the damned thing works like it should in the cold. It literally would take me 10-12 tries to get it open before I left Florida. Seems to be working ok now so hopefully it'll keep working and not go back to being a major PITA. I'll find out in a couple of days.

[Waise]

Originally Posted by FishOuttaWater

Hey Waise, thanks for the reply. I actually started that thread and indeed there were some good replies. I swear the damned thing works like it should in the cold. It literally would take me 10-12 tries to get it open before I left Florida. Seems to be working ok now so hopefully it'll keep working and not go back to being a major PITA. I'll find out in a couple of days.

Oops I should have look at the name 1st... But i do like info. posted there; every time I fuel the car I keep an eye at the fuel filler door...

[FishOuttaWater]

Just a recap for the trip for anyone interested. I reset the trip meter in Telluride when I got the THC enhanced fuel (Shell premium). The return trip was 2077.5 miles. We returned via 4 Corners Monument, then to ABQ the first day. Day 2 was to Austin, Tx. via Roswell N.M. & San Angelo, Tx. The wife was an Air Force baby and they lived in those 2 locales so we went through there for the hell of it. Day 3 we finally got on I-10 and made it to Pensacola, Fl. Day 4 was a straight shot on I-10 to Jax. We've made trips longer than this before but this car made this trip exceptional. She hates to fly and we have a spoiled dog that hates everyone but us so that's part of the reason we like to drive. Plus you can't properly carry the arsenal on a plane either. We are already looking forward to another expedition in the fall. Anyway, the MPG's for the entire return trip was 25.6. Not too shabby. Don't laugh too hard, but now I've got to learn how to download some music to take advantage of this B&W sound system. Back to work now!