My thoughts on xDrive BMWs and just how different they can be... |
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07-24-2015, 04:06 PM | #23 |
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Dead serious. The steering is the single biggest deficiency of these cars. The 335i with DHP wasn't any better than the 320 I drove in that regard. Yeah, the suspension was a little firmer. But the steering is equally numb. My Evo X had good feedback. Even my S2000. These late model BMWs ... not so much.
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07-24-2015, 04:07 PM | #24 | |
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07-24-2015, 04:10 PM | #25 |
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07-25-2015, 01:22 PM | #26 |
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I think you're mixing apples and oranges comparing driving experiences between different model lines.
In terms of xDrive, I found this short C&D article interesting: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...t-drive-review On the one hand they say "...the all-wheel-drive 7 handles just as well as, if not better than, its rear-drive sibling ..." On the other hand they point out the opposite effect of xDrive with the E60 5 series: "... Take the current BMW 535i xDrive. Like all xDrive systems, its variable torque split defaults to 40 percent front and 60 percent rear, with the ability to shuffle up to 100 percent of the available power to either axle should slippage occur. Yet, it understeers like a baseball player barreling headfirst into home plate because it's primarily focused on achieving maximum traction, rather than improving vehicle agility ..." In my own experience I found my 2013 F30 335i xDrive much more agile, responsive, and better handling than my former 2008 535Xi. They are both xDrive but the driving experiences are significantly different. I am a bit puzzled why you are dismissive of the M235i xDrive without having driven one. xDrive experiences in the 3 series and 5 series don't translate- both xDrive M235i and RWD M235i have the same sport suspension, same ride height. both can be had with the same Sport AT, and both can be equipped with the same wheels and tires. The reports I've read from people who have driven both say any differences in driving feel are minor rather than major. Bruce
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07-25-2015, 01:24 PM | #27 | |
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07-25-2015, 01:44 PM | #28 |
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I just think if you put the XDrive on a M235i you're taking away the fun factor of the car but obviously it depends on where you live also. The XDrive option is a NO brainer up north.
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07-25-2015, 01:55 PM | #29 |
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Not to prolong the agony, but not necessarily. RWD has been doing just fine as north as Michigan for many years on Blizzaks on this BMW and prior MBs.
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07-25-2015, 01:57 PM | #30 |
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07-25-2015, 02:03 PM | #31 |
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07-25-2015, 02:05 PM | #32 |
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I was being subtle...with zero advantage for off-throttle braking/turning on snow/ice from AWD to avoid an obstacle, the only remaining difference is gaining forward motion, and I've done just GREAT for many, many years moving forward and never getting stuck with well-chosen winter tires... without doing LESS GREAT all year long with the added cost, maintenance, potential repair, fuel usage, less neutral handling/more weight on front wheels of having to carry around another 100-whatever pounds of mass in the worst possible place.
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07-25-2015, 02:19 PM | #33 |
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...
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07-25-2015, 02:27 PM | #34 |
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Hey, don't I get a grade for the same thing in prose vs. bullet points?
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07-25-2015, 02:59 PM | #35 | |
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Here in Seattle the roads are wet and sometimes snowy about as many days as they are dry. Not to mention all the hills and mountains. Because of this, I always get performance winter rubber no matter the drivetrain and AWD if it's a RWD biased system available. In the wet you won't see me spinning my wheels off the line or babystepping sweepers for fear of oversteer. |
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07-25-2015, 03:04 PM | #36 | |
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07-25-2015, 03:19 PM | #37 |
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And you'd be wrong..
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07-25-2015, 03:23 PM | #38 |
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07-25-2015, 04:43 PM | #39 |
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Some of us enjoy the fact that our cars are putting the most power out of the engine to the rear tires while having the least weight.
This obsession for weight reduction is why cars like M3 CSL and Porsche 911 GT3 exist. Live dangerously, it's more fun. |
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07-25-2015, 05:08 PM | #40 | |
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And IMHO, on a car, AWD doesn't get you very much. Even with AWD and snows it takes very little snow on the ground before you are plowing it with the air dam, and then you are going nowhere anyway. If the snow is more then a few inches deep, you need real ground clearance for the AWD to be useful. Which is why I have a 15yo Range Rover in the garage beside the BMWs. It will go through a couple feet of heavy snow without too much trouble. On a plowed but slippery/slushy road I will take my RWD BMW over the Rover any day, both having snow tires on. And I even prefer a more dry road optimized winter tire than Blizzaks on the BMWs.
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07-25-2015, 09:51 PM | #41 |
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I think I saw that on a tombstone somewhere😝
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07-25-2015, 09:54 PM | #42 | |
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07-25-2015, 09:58 PM | #43 | |
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However, one can't quite blame a large number of non-technical, non-car involved people who have heard all sorts of claims and "conventional wisdom" for AWD, including from sales people, while not also hearing the more detailed discussion about the relative roles of winter tires vs. how many wheels are powered. We also see lots of SUVs of all brands off in ditches around here during the winter, and I have seen mystified owners tell the reporter, "But I have all wheel drive!?" Even on this thread, someone once said that AWD adds traction. It took a lot of conversation to realize this is only "potential traction" as AWD has no inherent traction...tires have traction, and many people have little understanding of the difference.
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07-25-2015, 10:09 PM | #44 | |
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