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BMW 3-Series - AWD or RWD?

429 messages,  Last post on Sep 16, 2011 at 1:33 PM

You are in the BMW 3-Series Forum.

What is this discussion about? BMW 3 Series, Sedan, Wagon

Messages Page 44 of 44

#425 of 429 Re: BMW 335i VS BMW 335xi [shipo] by jrw52

May 12, 2009 (4:59 pm)

Replying to: shipo (Sep 27, 2007 6:01 am)
Hi Shipo,
 
I have been following your posts with interest over the last several years and very much respect your knowledge / experience.
 
I live in Central Illinois, 2 hours drive south of Chicago, where there can be a fairly strong winter, depending on the year.
 
My first BMW was a 2004 330i non-sport steptronic that I bought in 2003. In 2006, I bought a 2007 530xi steptronic, both with all season tires (which slipped and slided in the winter from time to time).
 
After recently test driving a manual transmission 335i, I am now considering to move back to a 3 series with a manual transmission and sport package.
 
My options under consideration are manual transmission with either:
 
1) 335i with sport and summer performance tires, and purchase a set of winter tires
2) 335i with xdrive with sport and summer performance tires, and purchase a set of winter tires.
 
I have read in various forums that BMW may have improved the 335i with xdrive suspension in 2009, and there are certainly more proponents of AWD now than 2 years ago.
 
I humbly submit that I am not a skilled BMW driver, but I have caught the "enthusiasm bug" of driving a 335i with manual transmission, and want to fully experience the passion of what I appear to have been missing over the last 6 years.
 
So my question to you is: are you still a strong proponent of a 335i SP, with a second set of tires for the winter? Or have you warmed up to the 335i with xdrive, as BMW has perhaps "tinkered" with the suspension, etc. over the last couple of years?
 
Thanks,
 
JRW

#426 of 429 Re: BMW 335i VS BMW 335xi [jrw52] by shipo

May 13, 2009 (3:18 am)

Replying to: jrw52 (May 12, 2009 4:59 pm)
Hey JRW, nope, haven't warmed up to the 335xi yet and am not likely to unless I move up into the mountains. FWIW, I lived in Chicago for over 12 years and an quite familiar with Illinois weather, and I've got to say, at its worst, Illinois weather is not as severe as the 7 New Hampshire winters I've experienced, even at their mildest.
 
Long story short, I guess I just enjoy RWD too much to give it up just because of a little snow.
 
Best regards,
Shipo

#427 of 429 Re: BMW 335i VS BMW 335xi [shipo] by jrw52

May 13, 2009 (6:06 am)

Replying to: shipo (May 13, 2009 3:18 am)
Shipo, thanks I had a feeling that would be your response!
 
If anyone else is still monitoring this thread who has experience with the 2009 335i with x drive, I'd be interested in hearing your perspective.
 
I have heard that BMW may have improved somewhat the suspension on the 335i with x drive for the 2009 model year in response to feedback from enthusiasts.
 
Thanks,
 
JRW

#428 of 429 Re: BMW 335i VS BMW 335xi [bruceomega] by skydreamer

Sep 16, 2011 (12:48 pm)

Replying to: bruceomega (Jun 02, 2007 2:35 pm)
I'll disagree on this. I've had and awd Infiniti FX45 with performance tires which did very well in the snow. I did skid on snowy turns when I wasn't too careful and maybe the breaking wasn't optimum, but I had no problems getting out of a foot of snow from a parallel parked spot.
 
On a second note, I now have 650i with sports package (performance tires) and even though I tried to not drive it in the snow, I managed just fine (driving very cautiously of course) on a few occasions that I had to drive it in the snow. Of course I wouldn't drive it in the snow at all if I lived in a terrain with more hills.

#429 of 429 Re: BMW 335i VS BMW 335xi [skydreamer] by shipo

Sep 16, 2011 (1:33 pm)

Replying to: skydreamer (Sep 16, 2011 12:48 pm)
Given how bad my 5-Series (with Sport Package) was in the snow the thought running through my head while I was reading your last paragraph was, "Clearly he doesn't live where it's hilly"; and then I read your last sentence.
 
In my case, even with practically brand new Michelin Pilot Sports on my 5er I couldn't make it up my driveway with a quarter of an inch of snow on the surface. A set of Michelin X-Ice tires (and new wheels) later and my car was all but unstoppable in up to about eight inches of snow.

Messages Page 44 of 44

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