[lostlife656]

I might be getting a 2015 m235i xdrive but I have never looked into the system. Is it reliable? Is there extra maintenance I would need to do? Do they have an lsd? Im an awd noob if you couldnt tell lol. Any info is appreciated.

[jzeiler4]

It is a lot more moving parts that a RWD car, but you don't need an LSD as it is very hard to spin a tire with four wheels being driven. It is also a lot of added weight with the transfer case, extra differential, CV joints and drive shaft.

Having said that, I ordered mine with xDrive and love the way it handles.

[celsdogg]

It's a pita to service. No drain plugs.

[lostlife656]

Originally Posted by jzeiler4

It is a lot more moving parts that a RWD car, but you don't need an LSD as it is very hard to spin a tire with four wheels being driven. It is also a lot of added weight with the transfer case, extra differential, CV joints and drive shaft.

Having said that, I ordered mine with xDrive and love the way it handles.

Have you had any issues with the xdrive?

[leftoverture]

X-drive is very reliable and performs well. It does add some weight, but the extra traction is worth it to me. I drive mine in winter conditions and don't even worry about having the traction I need.

[jzeiler4]

Originally Posted by lostlife656

Have you had any issues with the xdrive?

So far so good, but I have only had the car three years and 22,000 miles (ordered new).

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by leftoverture

X-drive is very reliable and performs well. It does add some weight, but the extra traction is worth it to me. I drive mine in winter conditions and don't even worry about having the traction I need.

I completely understand the point you are sharing to help the OP who self-describes as new to having a vehicle that powers all 4 wheels, so please let me make a detailed additional point here. AWD/4WD systems don't generate any additional traction. They simply send power to all 4 wheels. All traction occurs at the contact patch where the tire meets the road, not in any part higher up in the car that doesn't touch the ground. If the tires hypothetically were so worn and on ice such that the contact patch had an also hypothetical zero traction, it would not matter if the car powered 1,2,3, or all 4 wheels. It would stand still with wheels spinning. Tires are the critical factor, OP! The reason for being this literal is that if the OP has some use for XDrive, such as going from a mild California climate into ski country in the winter, he/she, as new to this powertrain configuration, should not assume XDrive alone will suffice. I saw a lot of this fallacy in Michigan winters with typical SUVs alongside highway ditches. A news reporter once did a story and people thought AWD would save them and they did not use winter tires.The traction comes from the tires and winter tires would still be needed. If the OP doesn't have such plans, then all of this conceptual discussion is not actionable, but may help put XDrive into perspective for him/her.

[fiveightandten]

Yes, xDrive is reliable and extremely capable in bad weather. But, personally, I'd only recommend getting it under at least 1 of 2 conditions:
1) You really do need the extra forward traction
2) You will get rid of the car before any real maintenance on the system is necessary (namely, replacing seals and gaskets), or you don't mind paying extra for the work.

There are trade offs for that forward traction. The car is heavier. It does worse on fuel. There are more moving parts in the driveline, so less power makes it to the wheels. Any maintenance to the drivetrain or the underside of the engine is more complex and expensive. Oil pan gasket, wheel bearings, transmission seals, rear main seal, etc.

Also, consider tires. They need to be the same rolling diameter at all 4 corners, which will dictate your choices for rubber. And if there's ever a failure/puncture, you may have to get an entire new set. xDrive cars come with 7.5" 225 width all around. RWD gets the staggered setup with 8" 245 rears.

And the driving feel is quite different. With xDrive, you can feel the system shifting power around. RWD is more direct and feels more responsive to throttle input while cornering. So, the xDrive car has more weight to throw around in corners, is slower and less direct, and is less fuel efficient and more expensive to maintain.

However in the snow, xDrive is a *monster* compared to RWD. I've DD'd both in New England winters. I got by totally fine in snow storms with my old RWD E46. But my 328xi is *unstoppable* in the snow, and it's nice to have that confidence and peace of mind.

Drive both iterations and see if the tradeoffs are palatable for you. They aren't huge, but it adds up to a car that feels quite different. Most of us only really use AWD max 5% of the time the car is being driven. I'm in CT and I'd say I use my xDrive less than 1% of the time I'm driving the car (I say this as I use xDelete to run the car in RWD whenever I'm not driving in snow).

RWD = max response in driving dynamics, better performance and efficiency, easier to maintain when the time comes.

xDrive = still has awesome performance and drives nice. Peace of mind for snow driving, but it comes at some expense that only you can prioritize for your use case.

[leftoverture]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

I completely understand the point you are sharing to help the OP who self-describes as new to having a vehicle that powers all 4 wheels, so please let me make a detailed additional point here. AWD/4WD systems don't generate any additional traction. They simply send power to all 4 wheels. All traction occurs at the contact patch where the tire meets the road, not in any part higher up in the car that doesn't touch the ground. If the tires hypothetically were so worn and on ice such that the contact patch had an also hypothetical zero traction, it would not matter if the car powered 1,2,3, or all 4 wheels. It would stand still with wheels spinning. Tires are the critical factor, OP! The reason for being this literal is that if the OP has some use for XDrive, such as going from a mild California climate into ski country in the winter, he/she, as new to this powertrain configuration, should not assume XDrive alone will suffice. I saw a lot of this fallacy in Michigan winters with typical SUVs alongside highway ditches. A news reporter once did a story and people thought AWD would save them and they did not use winter tires.The traction comes from the tires and winter tires would still be needed. If the OP doesn't have such plans, then all of this conceptual discussion is not actionable, but may help put XDrive into perspective for him/her.

You are way over analyzing things. I'll take x-drive with all seasons any day. All the traction I'll ever need.

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by leftoverture

You are way over analyzing things. I'll take x-drive with all seasons any day. All the traction I'll ever need.

As long as you aren’t in winter weather, you should be fine. If you are in winter weather and rely on XDrive instead of proper tires to stop/turn when an unexpected event occurs, you probably won’t be fine. That’s the point the OP needs to understand.

[fiveightandten]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

As long as you aren’t in winter weather, you should be fine. If you are in winter weather and rely on XDrive instead of proper tires to stop/turn when an unexpected event occurs, you probably won’t be fine. That’s the point the OP needs to understand.

Agreed that using proper tires cannot be emphasized enough. IMO, anyone who drives a nice BMW through 4 seasons should have dedicated summer and winter tires.

A RWD car on winter tires will often accelerate in snow better than an AWD car on all seasons...and it will stop and corner better 100% of the time.

[leftoverture]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

As long as you aren’t in winter weather, you should be fine. If you are in winter weather and rely on XDrive instead of proper tires to stop/turn when an unexpected event occurs, you probably won’t be fine. That’s the point the OP needs to understand.

That's absolute crap. Lived in winter weather all my life, driving in it for 47 years. The real trick is to be a competent driver, but even the less competent ones somehow survive without winter tires. Not saying winter tires aren't good, they are, but they sure as heck ain't necessary.

[leftoverture]

Originally Posted by fiveightandten

Agreed that using proper tires cannot be emphasized enough. IMO, anyone who drives a nice BMW through 4 seasons should have dedicated summer and winter tires.

A RWD car on winter tires will often accelerate in snow better than an AWD car on all seasons...and it will stop and corner better 100% of the time.

Disagree. I just ditched my dedicated winter tires because the hassle of changing tires twice a year just wasn't worth it. I'll be just fine on my Bridgestone all seasons. I've driven on far worse and survived. And even with summer tires (which I unfortunately had occasion to drive on during a surprise early snowfall) accelerated just fine with x-drive. Couldn't stop or steer, but they did accelerate just fine.

[harma24]

Originally Posted by fiveightandten

There are trade offs for that forward traction. The car is heavier. It does worse on fuel. There are more moving parts in the driveline, so less power makes it to the wheels. Any maintenance to the drivetrain or the underside of the engine is more complex and expensive. Oil pan gasket, wheel bearings, transmission seals, rear main seal, etc.

xDrive will accelerate from a standstill better than RWD.

Originally Posted by fiveightandten

xDrive cars come with 7.5" 225 width all around. RWD gets the staggered setup with 8" 245 rears.

This is not correct. Both xDrive and RWD were offered with the square and staggered setups. Mine is xDrive with a staggered setup.

Originally Posted by leftoverture

And even with summer tires (which I unfortunately had occasion to drive on during a surprise early snowfall) accelerated just fine with x-drive. Couldn't stop or steer, but they did accelerate just fine.

That's exactly the point. AWD will help you accelerate vs. RWD. Winter tires provide better traction for improved cornering / stopping vs. all seasons, regardless of having AWD or RWD.
That's not to say that it's not entirely possible to drive in the winter on a decent set of all-seasons. I did this with every car before my M240 (and still do on my minivan). The only reason I have winters for my M240 is so I can put a good set of summers on it instead of having to compromise with all-seasons.

[Sportstick]

OP, read and decide as your judgement guides you. Keep in mind, of the three things a car does...go/turn/stop..."go" is the least relevant to your well-being, especially when one of the less competent drivers unexpectedly slides or skids into your path. XDrive won't save you then. Tires can. If you get an XDrive vehicle, just don't assume you can therefore reasonably rely on less capable tires. Of course, we never established whether you drive into winter climates. If you don't, Xdrive's negatives outweigh the benefits in mild climates.

[celsdogg]

Originally Posted by leftoverture

That's absolute crap. Lived in winter weather all my life, driving in it for 47 years. The real trick is to be a competent driver, but even the less competent ones somehow survive without winter tires. Not saying winter tires aren't good, they are, but they sure as heck ain't necessary.

Originally Posted by leftoverture

Disagree. I just ditched my dedicated winter tires because the hassle of changing tires twice a year just wasn't worth it. I'll be just fine on my Bridgestone all seasons. I've driven on far worse and survived. And even with summer tires (which I unfortunately had occasion to drive on during a surprise early snowfall) accelerated just fine with x-drive. Couldn't stop or steer, but they did accelerate just fine.

[Mike F.]

Tires are the critical factor, OP! The reason for being this literal is that if the OP has some use for XDrive, such as going from a mild California climate into ski country in the winter, he/she, as new to this powertrain configuration, should not assume XDrive alone will suffice. I saw a lot of this fallacy in Michigan winters with typical SUVs alongside highway ditches.

Where I live in California is a great example of this, as people who are used to driving in the mild, low-elevation conditions like to take their cars up to the mountains to ski. After storms, the SUVs seem to be spun out on the side of the road in disproportionate numbers, and I've always figured that was because these folks didn't realize that their AWD wouldn't help keep them on the road.

[lostlife656]

Damn, I appreciate all of the new posts. Thanks for the info boys

[lostlife656]

[QUOTE=fiveightandten;30565768]

Drive both iterations and see if the tradeoffs are palatable for you. They aren't huge, but it adds up to a car that feels quite different. Most of us only really use AWD max 5% of the time the car is being driven. I'm in CT and I'd say I use my xDrive less than 1% of the time I'm driving the car (I say this as I use xDelete to run the car in RWD whenever I'm not driving in snow).


That xdelete seems interesting. Ill def have to check that pout as well.