[tennisfreak]

No regrets!!!

But I live in Texas too

[Paisano]

Michelin X-Ice, RWD and a 6-Speed is absolutely amazing during a Canadian Winter. The suspension tuning and handling really shows itself during the harsh winter, this car never ceases to amaze me.

I drove a 6 speed, x-drive 435i and was impressed with how stable it was...however, it took away some of the driving feel compared to RWD.

[LennyR]

Originally Posted by Paisano

Michelin X-Ice, RWD and a 6-Speed is absolutely amazing during a Canadian Winter. The suspension tuning and handling really shows itself during the harsh winter, this car never ceases to amaze me.

I drove a 6 speed, x-drive 435i and was impressed with how stable it was...however, it took away some of the driving feel compared to RWD.

I've been debating the whole X-drive thing for a while now. I would really prefer to go RWD, but I live in a serious snow & ice area. So, you are saying that if put X-Ice tires on a RWD 230i, I should do just fine through a central-Maine winter?

I've been driving a FWD Honda Civic with X-Ice tires for the last seven winters. In fact, I may just hold on to the Honda and use it when there's a lot of snow, salt and crap on the roads, just to save the Bimmer.

[Miata13]

Originally Posted by msej449

I swapped a 330d Touring xDrive for a RWD M235i - we take our car to the Alps for skiing (us, not the car) a couple of times each year. I had the exact same concern as you, but in the UK, we don't get M-Lites in xDrive format, so had to bite the bullet and live with RWD.

To date, I've driven the M235i in snow, slush and some steep standing-starts in the snow and not needed to resort to chains. So I'm quite pleased.

It's shod with snow-biased Pirelli Winter Sottozero S3 tyres. The previous car had the more performance-biased Sottozero Serie-II but I decided to trade a bit of wet handling for better snow performance on the S3. It is noisier than the S-II and doesn't quite handle as well in warmer, non-snow conditions, but I'm OK with that. You can see how the tread pattern is pretty 'chunky' for a performance winter:



And I did the recommended 'square' setup of 7.5J x 17 all-'round with 225/45 R 17 94V XL, I have also been impressed by how good these tyres have been in heavy rain and standing water. I never seem to get traction control engaging.

I have those same Pirelli Sotto Zero 3 winter tires on my MINI Roadster S. Thanks for your feedback and glad those tires work on your 2 series!

[socotra123]

I had a 335d for 9 years and never regretted it being RWD...so long as I had my winter wheelset (michelilne x-ice) on. I don't regret my xdrive m240i...so long as I have my winter wheelset (michelin x-ice) on, since it came with staggered summer shoes.

[Mr Carrots]

Xdrive is essential for a good 1/4 time since bmw limited our tire width so drastically, so no regrets here

[Bobby P]

I'm so glad I got xDrive on my 240 up here in Canada. It really sticks and is awesome when you need traction during accelerating or turning corners. However, I believe winter tires are far more important regardless of RWD/AWD.

[MSurge]

Originally Posted by Miata13

I live in the Midwest and believe in using dedicated winter tires so all my vehicles have them.

* Anyone in a similar climate NOT gotten xDrive and regretted not having it?
* If RWD, do you have any issues in winter driving conditions?
* Does xDrive provide you with noticeably better traction / acceleration in the spring/summer/fall ?
* If xDrive, would you buy it again, knowing what you now know?

Just seeking others' opinions on the need/desire for this initial $2,000 option that adds some weight and likely increased lifetime maintenance costs.

I drive a C63 AMG 507 year-round in Toronto. You definitely do NOT need 4 wheel drive for snow. The best tires and knowing how to drive is all you need. Remember that AWD does absolutely nothing for braking.

It’s beyond me why some would want to mess up a perfect RWD chassis. But to each their own!