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Sedans BMW 3-Series BMW 3-Series AWD - Pros and Cons
74 messages, Last post on Feb 04, 2008 at 4:16 PM
You are in the BMW 3-Series Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: circlew (Jan 18, 2008 6:42 pm) I lived in the UP of Michigan for four years. I've heard that Marquette gets upto 250 inches of snow every year, but I cannot verify the source. Car and Driver does their winter testing in parts of UP and I have seen manufacturer's vehicles, all cloaked up, being driven there. I drove a JGC for two years and then went and bought the 330i and drove it for the last two. The JGC shod with A/S tires handled excellent in snowy conditions, although I would lock differentials on occasion just to feel extra safe. It did slip once in a while starting from stop and taking turns. I've got Blizzak WS-50s (studless ice and snow) rather than a performance winter tire on the Bimmer. I moved out of the UP a year and a half ago and still drive in a lot of snow living in Wisconsin. I haven't had too much of a problem driving anywhere. While the comparison b/w a Jeep and a Bimmer is not exactly apples to apples, I would say that the Jeep's has an excellent 4 wheel drive. So if my Bimmer drives equally well on snow/icy conditions, I would say that it dispels all my fears of driving a RWD. I tend to think of Bimmers as sports cars that should be enjoyed for their purpose. But Porsches, Lambos and some other exotics now have AWD. Can I defintively answer the earlier post about the guy in Chicago trying to make up his mind? No. I can only say that, based on my experience driving in every snow/ice condition possible, a RWD Bimmer w/ snows will never let him down. Will I ever buy an AWD? Never! Let the rear wheels do what they're supposed to(push) and the fronts do what they're intended to (steer). That's my opinion and based on the responses I've read here, I am not counting on changing anyone's opinion.
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The engineering changes yield what feels like a whole new 335xi. The 335i bobble-head front-end motion is gone; the handling dynamics reek of confidence. The steering is more communicative, with the front axle carrying an additional 200 pounds. Yank the wheel, and the nose dives aggressively for the apex while the tail hangs tight. Hammer the gas early to exit, and the front tires haul you forward instead of wide of the desired arc. No matter how you play the right pedal, the 335xi drives where it's pointed. Particularly in the snow! Now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout! Regards, OW |
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Replying to: akv25 (Jan 18, 2008 7:39 pm) |
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Replying to: akv25 (Jan 18, 2008 7:39 pm) Seriously, thanks. There's a lot of emotion in this board, much of which seems inversely proportional to the amount of data/experience presented. |
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Here is a good read from Canadian Driver that sums it up nicely. It's the tires, stupid! Well, something like that. Of all the tests and exercises we conducted during Traction 2006, vehicles with winter tires stopped one-to-two car lengths before vehicles with all-season tires, and they provided better grip in the corners. What this means in practice, is that if you are approaching a stopped vehicle and you need to slam on the brakes to avoid a collision, your chances of not rear-ending the vehicle in front are significantly increased if you're riding on winter tires. In short, winter tires can reduce the distance required for you to stop on most icy/snowy surfaces. Of this we are certain. Similarly, if your vehicle has anti-lock brakes and you are emergency braking, you can still steer your car, and with winter tires you may have extra grip when doing so. On the road, if you're emergency braking, look where you want to go, and steer your car there - anti lock brakes permit this - whereas an out-of-control skid with your brakes locked, does not. On the other hand, anti-lock brakes don't do much on ice, although as I say, if you have grippy winter tires like the Pirelli 210 Snowsports on the Mercedes-Benz or the Blizzaks on the Subaru, these may give you the edge you need to maintain control. Winter tires don't necessarily translate into significantly improved traction under acceleration, however. They can help, but we found all-wheel drive was the best technology for that. With all-wheel drive, you can get going without fuss on pretty much any surface. The problem occurs when after easily reaching 60-80 km/h, you need to quickly stop or turn. Then you might find that the surface is slipperier than you thought, and you're going too fast for conditions. So all-wheel drive is no guarantee of control, either. At CanadianDriver, we like all the stability technologies available on modern vehicles. But in winter, on snowy or icy surfaces, your absolute best friend is the space between you and the vehicles around you. This means controlling your speed to maximize the space between you and everybody else, and driving slowly when roads are slippery and the weather is bad. Even on SUVs with all-wheel drive, winter tires will bring your vehicle to a halt sooner. They'll protect you, and the people in the small car you might have hit. Granted, on the west coast where winter conditions are milder, winter tires may not be required. In the Prairies and Northern Ontario with their continuous sub-zero conditions, they're a must. In Southern Ontario, people argue that you can get away without them, but when the weather turns bad, the same people are unprepared. In Eastern Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes, it's winter tires for sure. Note, however, that vehicles (and tires) will perform differently on ice, compared with snow or slush. All these surfaces are slippery, but hard-packed snow will give the best traction when you have a choice. Just the physics. AWD to start, winter tires to stop = xi with Winter Tires Wins. If that's not ultimate, I'll never know! Regards, OW
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Replying to: circlew (Jan 19, 2008 6:19 am) The ultimate? Yeah, I suppose, for the 18 days per year when there is actually snow on the road. The rest of the year RWD is the ultimate and since RWD with the proper tires is more than capable of getting around in the snow, that's all I can ask. Then again, RWD in the snow can be the "ultimate" too; especially when I turn the DSC off and go bombing around a parking lot or the end of our cul-de-sac with the tail hanging out slinging snow everywhere.  Best Regards, Shipo |
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Replying to: shipo (Jan 19, 2008 8:33 am) Right, that's the situation I'm in. My wife prefers AWD in case she does have to drive in wintry conditions, and I keep the Wrangler around so I can take our German Shepherd to the vet and move stuff around around the farm. In any other situation I prefer my RWD 3 Series, even in the -SHUDDER- rain. And I take the Mazdaspeed if I want to experience the automotive equivalent of a Doberman on crystal meth... 
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Replying to: shipo (Jan 19, 2008 8:33 am) Regards, OW
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Replying to: circlew (Jan 19, 2008 9:01 am) Thanks, Sam
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Replying to: daphantomica (Feb 01, 2008 11:28 am) The history is at this site for your review. link title Regards, OW |
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