[4wheelpilot]

Thinking about getting a pre owned M235i.
This one has xDrive. NO sport package. 8AT.
The mileage is reasonable and price are good for the content.
I live in SE Pennsylvania where we can get some some, some ice, lots of snow and everything in between.

My TOP priority is having a fun car to drive as my 2007 335i is gone.
But I have to be able to get thru the winters here as it will be my daily driver.

Any comments and/or suggestions would be appreciated!

TIA!

[HighRevs11]

Hi! I'm from Pittsburgh and am currently in the same situation. From my experience though, with a good set of winter tires on the RWD version I think you would be good for 99% of the time. When it gets really bad around here it seems that it comes down to driver skill anyway. Plus you could use the money saved on some mods or put it back in you pocket haha! I'm going with RWD, but wouldn't fault you either way! Good luck!

[bimmerfile]

Pro: extra traction
Pro: resale value
Pro: peace of mind
Con: weight and gas mileage.

Verdict: Get it.
You won't regret it.

[Luminous]

I have the xdrive and absolutely love it. No traction issues, it's super fast.

[4wheelpilot]

Originally Posted by Luminous

I have the xdrive and absolutely love it. No traction issues, it's super fast.

Great to hear BUT I was reading a few posts and one owner described his BMW with xDrive as "DULL".

Reading this was disappointing and prompted my post.

[esp260]

I had a similar debate when I was first placing an order on my car. Ended up going with RWD + winter wheel setup and have no regrets. Drove through the 2 storms in the past week with complete confidence.

When I tested out the car in an empty parking lot, I was surprised that it was very hard to get the car out of control. The traction control does an excellent job of keeping you pointing straight and gaining traction back.

If you want the peace of mind get the xdrive. Also, the biggest deciding factor for me was I wanted 6MT. If that's not a big deal, then you can't go wrong with either setup.

[BEM-S4]

I'm in Philly. 80% of the time I'm ok w AWD and snows as long as it's flat. But I've been stuck a couple of times on hills. If the 235 were my only car is go xDrive for sure, thinking about it for the next one in fact.

[Sportstick]

Another vote for rear wheel drive with dedicated studless (not performance) winter tires. Across the entire year, more fun, less weight, better fuel economy, better steering feel, less cost to buy, maintain, and repair. The right tires will get you through winter assuming you're not off-roading.

BTW, not to get too technical, but XDrive adds no traction. Tires add traction. Traction is a function of how a tire's contact patch interacts with the surface upon which it rests. XDrive, or any AWD system, simply powers two more wheels, wholly dependent on the capability of the tires on those wheels. A theoretical zero traction tire will spin, whether on one or four powered wheels, until traction control brings it to a halt, but the car still goes nowhere. Ergo, the traction is from the tires.

Perhaps, one could say XDrive adds "potential traction", depending on the tires. XDrive with all season tires will easily be outperformed by RWD with the above winter tires, as car mags have shown for years.

[crbalch]

Plenty of threads already debating RWD vs. AWD...do a quick search and you should get the answer you are looking for. Its ultimately way too subjective, so you will need to make your own judgment call on which outweighs the other. For what its worth, I went AWD and I will never look back.

[Luminous]

Originally Posted by 4wheelpilot

Great to hear BUT I was reading a few posts and one owner described his BMW with xDrive as "DULL".

Reading this was disappointing and prompted my post.

Lol "dull"... I'll just leave this here:

[BEM-S4]

You also have to realistically assess your skills in the event something goes wrong. In my car w RWD and snows if something happens and I start to slide I can correct and fix it. Mom has an AWD Volvo with snows because if something happens she cries and sucks her thumb while panicking and smashing the brakes for all she is worth. Not saying that's you, but there's a certain belt and suspenders approach you'd take depending on your skill set.

[nike001]

NEPA here.

We get more snow than you (granted you're not north enough to get lake effect snow) and I have RWD w/ snows. I manage just fine.

X-Drive with All-Season tires will only perform as well as your tires. I don't know how people get X-Drive with All-Season tires and complain about ANY performance (wet/dry, summer/winter). Get season appropriate tires no matter what and you'll manage.

X-Drive M235i is not dull & there is no "sport package" for the car either.

[Cyberdemon]

If you live anywhere with hills then I'd consider going with the AWD. As mentioned, there is no sport package on the M235i, all of the Msport equipment is standard.

I live in NY and can deal with RWD and snow tires because I don't do much driving in the snow and Long Island is generally flat. Even with Blizzaks, I made it through snowpocalypse but there were a few times on hills that having AWD definitely would have helped starting from a stand still, especially on ice.

You just have to make the concession you won't be drifting it around, except in the snow.

[BMW335iOn18s]

M235i owner from philly here. Check out my other posts. Definitely go for the RWD model. You'll be much happier. I'm fairing very well with all seasons (continental DWS06). The xdrive cars have steering that's even more vague than the RWD models and they weigh more. Those who deny xdrive cars lack a certain something are usually either not enthusiast drivers or are first time BMW owners.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by BMW335iOn18s

M235i owner from philly here. Check out my other posts. Definitely go for the RWD model. You'll be much happier. I'm fairing very well with all seasons (continental DWS06). The xdrive cars have steering that's even more vague than the RWD models and they weigh more. Those who deny xdrive cars lack a certain something are usually either not enthusiast drivers or are first time BMW owners.

Agree, but I'll buy you a very nice dinner if you can get up the hill to my parents' farm house in Chester County. Sucks to make a car decision based on a few days a year, but like I said if you have to go out and it's your only vehicle gotta make that call sometimes.

Let's be perfectly clear, the xDrive option is a very good car. RWD is just a bit better in most conditions.

[BMW335iOn18s]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

Agree, but I'll buy you a very nice dinner if you can get up the hill to my parents' farm house in Chester County. Sucks to make a car decision based on a few days a year, but like I said if you have to go out and it's your only vehicle gotta make that call sometimes.

Let's be perfectly clear, the xDrive option is a very good car. RWD is just a bit better in most conditions.

You're absolutely right. Personally, all the roads I drive on are plowed and salted the same day the snow falls. In theory, I could have just driven on MPSS and been fine, but I like the peace of mind and ride quality of the all seasons.

[nike001]

Originally Posted by Cyberdemon

If you live anywhere with hills then I'd consider going with the AWD.

My father lives at the top of an actual mountain with an unpaved road, only gravel. I make it up that mountain just fine with RWD & snow tires.

This whole "I need AWD" mentality that's come over everyone in the past 10-12 years is insane. Subaru created this mentality and as everyone can see, they're definitely cashing in on it.

[allthatisntnow]

Tyres are the most important thing that'll get you through bad weather as others have pointed out. Don't let snow push you one way or the other as both vehicles will do just fine given the appropriate rubber and driven with common sense.

Instead ask yourself whether you want insane launch potential (AWD) or the ability to really get the arse out on track or enjoy things getting a bit more squirrelly in the bends when pushing (RWD). Yeah, you can slide awd, but its a lot more composed out of corners and fun in other ways.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by BMW335iOn18s

You're absolutely right. Personally, all the roads I drive on are plowed and salted the same day the snow falls. In theory, I could have just driven on MPSS and been fine, but I like the peace of mind and ride quality of the all seasons.

Just FYI that's not the best idea. MPSS are shit in the cold even on dry roads. Very hard and slick and bad for the tires.

[Cyberdemon]

Originally Posted by nike001

My father lives at the top of an actual mountain with an unpaved road, only gravel. I make it up that mountain just fine with RWD & snow tires.

This whole "I need AWD" mentality that's come over everyone in the past 10-12 years is insane. Subaru created this mentality and as everyone can see, they're definitely cashing in on it.

I don't have an "I need AWD" mentality, which is why I'm on my second RWD BMW - but that doesn't mean AWD is some silly fad like nitrogen in the tires.

Tires are the most important which I think we've all determined.

I can tell you that with the #1 rated snow tire off Tirerack I got caught on a patch of ice and slid backwards on a very shallow grade (off ramp). I eventually got traction and went moving on my way, and was lucky I didn't slide back into the car behind me (who got too close, but you can't control what other idiots do). I also had plenty of times that trying to accelerate or merge had to be done very slow and cautiously, which is easier said than done when merging onto an interstate in the snow - again, an area where AWD would help (vs traction control kicking in and reminding me to ease off).

It's just factual that if you've already gotten good traction on the tires, being able to power all 4 wheels helps acceleration. It does not replace the need for snow tires or any of that, but it helps. Areas with steep grades where a lack of traction (due to gravity) IMO makes AWD worth having, especially if you might be having other, less awesome drivers operating your vehicle (like your wife or kids), or if you live in a world where you have to do a lot of driving in bad conditions (salesperson, field worker, doctor, etc). I have the luxury of working from home if there is a flurry in the sky so I don't worry about it.

At the end of the day test drive both and decide if you feel like the car is compromised. The F30 had a higher ride height due to X-drive, and the slightly taller ride + extra weight + which made it handle a bit mushier than the RWD counterpart, plus more money.

You mentioned that fun to drive is the top priority but you'll be daily driving. How long is your commute? If it's short enough that you don't need to worry about trying to plow home in 6" of snow then perhaps consider the RWD but I don't think you'd be unhappy with the X-drive.

Can't we all just get along?

[casper83]

I guess it boils down to what you consider “fun”. I had a spec Miata race car, 700+rwhp Trans Am, supercharged truck, blah, blah, blah, over 20 different cars at this point and they all had different ways of giving fun. I think my M235i Xdrive is a blast. I miss having a manual transmission and the immature sideways burnouts the TA would do, but for a year round ride, it’s hard to beat a 2er with Xdrive.

You’re not really comparing rwd to awd, because you don’t have a good deal rwd to choose from right now. You just want to make sure awd isn’t too lame. I think it’s a great car. It’s best for you to drive it and find out yourself, but here are my thoughts:

At the drag strip, or stop lights if you so choose, it’s tough to beat. With runflat tires I can run 11’s all day long and consistently cut 1.6X second 60’s. That’s not boring… (side note, use the all seasons for winter and get a suitable summer tire for summer)

The car is a beast at road racing. I was able to keep pretty good pace with a fully modified (tuned, full coilover suspension, 275 tires) M1 at Autobahn Country Club. I had almost 10 seconds on a stock tuned 135is that had good rubber. So fast doesn’t necessarily mean fun, but in this case it does (for me). It claws out of corners like you wouldn’t believe. (I have some youtube videos out there if you search)

Daily driving it does everything right. The car has a heavy rwd bias, it will even oversteer if you want, but when you need more traction it jumps in and goes. It rides decent for something that can handle like it does on the track. For snow, I used to drive a ’94 Camaro with Blizzaks and I agree with the rwd comments that the cars are capable of getting around just fine. I went through several years of Western NY winters and hills where they measure snowfall in feet, not inches, and never got stuck. Awd is not required. That said, awd is certainly superior in the snow. That’s really not where the advantage lies for me though. 50% of the year it’s either cold or wet here in Wisconsin (we don’t really get much snow in the southern part) and that’s where I like the awd. It just goes. I can still really enjoy the car and its power and not worry about traction. If I need to pull out into traffic in the wet I don’t worry about tire spin. If you want to get on it just for the enjoyment of acceleration just about whenever you feel like it and not have 1st gear be useless, you can. Our cars have a huge limitation with the tire width we can fit under the car with the given power we can make when modified.

There’s a 160lbs. difference, or a 4.5% increase, which is like having a passenger in the car (except the added weight is all below the center of gravity of the car). For most of us we wouldn’t notice the difference. Driving the car full out at Road America this summer with an instructor and then without, I can honestly say I didn’t realize much of a difference. I didn’t say to myself, wow this car suddenly handles so much better and I certainly didn’t think to myself this is more or less “fun” either way. I’m just a hack though so take it with a grain of salt. I would agree less weight is better though.

I do understand the manual transmission argument. I miss it, but then again, there are a lot of times that I don’t. For a daily driver, if I had the option on awd, that would be a tough choice on which to go with.

You’ll get lots of opinions from folks who haven’t driven both awd and rwd and make assumptions on what Xdrive means. There is A LOT of poor assumptions made with lack of experience on that topic. That said, I have not driven a rwd at 10/10’ths on a track, so I may like it better. That doesn’t change the fact that the Xdrive is fun to drive, in my opinion, which is what you’re asking.

There is obviously a lot of passion around this topic. People will be so bold to think they know you well enough to tell you what to get or say others don’t know what they are talking about because they have a different opinion. “you don’t need awd”, I also don’t “need” 320hp, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing to have. It’s almost comical at this point. I've owned over 20 cars, driven this car at Milwaukee Mile, Autobahn Country Club, Road America, Great Lakes dragaway and almost every day over the last year for more than 12k miles. From this first time BMW owner who apparently is not an enthusiast, I think it’s a great and fun car.

The only reason I ended up with this car is because I came across a great deal. I couldn’t be happier that I did.

I’m with Luminous, I’ll just leave this here:

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by Cyberdemon

I don't have an "I need AWD" mentality, which is why I'm on my second RWD BMW - but that doesn't mean AWD is some silly fad like nitrogen in the tires.

Tires are the most important which I think we've all determined.

I can tell you that with the #1 rated snow tire off Tirerack I got caught on a patch of ice and slid backwards on a very shallow grade (off ramp). I eventually got traction and went moving on my way, and was lucky I didn't slide back into the car behind me (who got too close, but you can't control what other idiots do). I also had plenty of times that trying to accelerate or merge had to be done very slow and cautiously, which is easier said than done when merging onto an interstate in the snow - again, an area where AWD would help (vs traction control kicking in and reminding me to ease off).

It's just factual that if you've already gotten good traction on the tires, being able to power all 4 wheels helps acceleration. It does not replace the need for snow tires or any of that, but it helps. Areas with steep grades where a lack of traction (due to gravity) IMO makes AWD worth having, especially if you might be having other, less awesome drivers operating your vehicle (like your wife or kids), or if you live in a world where you have to do a lot of driving in bad conditions (salesperson, field worker, doctor, etc). I have the luxury of working from home if there is a flurry in the sky so I don't worry about it.

At the end of the day test drive both and decide if you feel like the car is compromised. The F30 had a higher ride height due to X-drive, and the slightly taller ride + extra weight + which made it handle a bit mushier than the RWD counterpart, plus more money.

You mentioned that fun to drive is the top priority but you'll be daily driving. How long is your commute? If it's short enough that you don't need to worry about trying to plow home in 6" of snow then perhaps consider the RWD but I don't think you'd be unhappy with the X-drive.

Can't we all just get along?

Not arguing with you at all, agree in fact. Just know for a fact that I've gotten stuck on a super steep hill that has a couple of hairy s curves in it. Dad picked me up in his awd Allroad with all seasons on it, no problem whatsoever. Where I have trouble is something 90% of people will never have to deal with.