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Originally Posted by ssquared
Quote:
Originally Posted by Transfer
Come on already don't make AWD sound like some demon that inflicts pain on all owners. According to your profile you're in LA too so, yeaaah. Have you driven an M-performance xDrive car? They handle like RWD, seriously. The only negative difference is very slight steering corruption. Otherwise you can get off the line quicker in all conditions (including just plain old wet roads), winter traction is improved when you face snow (I agree still need winter tires) and you can drive faster without too much oversteer. Although you can also spin out if you want to go that far. Yes, these cars can oversteer you backward into solid objects almost as easily as RWD.
I don't see how the extra weight is noticeable. The car weighs 3850 already and only 120 lbs more in xDrive. More maintenance? Not really although I guess more to break in the long run. Sounds like you had a bad experience with old xDrive and I can't say newer xDrive is any different but any part can break and doesn't mean expect it. Improved MPG in RWD is negligible really. The tire issue depends on tread depths but while tire resellers love to sell you 4 new tires, as long as fronts are approximately equal to each other and rears approximately equal, there is not a problem. You just can't have brand new and well worn side by side so big deal get 1-3 additional new tires in that rare circumstance that a tire is trashed.
If you drive where it is sunny and dry 90% of the year then you're a fool to get xDrive for the cost alone unless you love to stoplight race. For most everyone else, xDrive is a viable option that may fit that person's life and driving style. So please don't act like it's some terrible thing and without merit.
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I've only lived in LA a few years but most of my life had been in snowy areas and I'm an avid skier so I drive through mountain passes in snow all the time. I haven't had a bad experience with x-drive, I just didn't find it to provide that much added benefit over RWD with winter tires and a limited slip differential. I haven't driven an m-performance car with x drive as I see no point in them. I'm either going with a commuter car setup (base engine, 704msport suspension) or an m car. I'm not a fan of the in m performance models, especially now since I can't get a 6MT with the m340. Full M is just as comfortable as a daily if not more because of the better seats and they hold value better if you care about that so the price difference isn't much between an m performance and full m car.
The extra weight is noticeable and it makes the front of the car feel heavier. When I got my 530 I tested the RWD and x drive and could feel the difference If I didn't drive the two back to back, I probably wouldn't have picked up on the extra weight. It's less noticeable in the newer cars due to electric power steering but I can still feel the additional heft. In the older cars with hydraulic steering it reduced the steering feel/feedback a bit but now that BMWs have no steering feedback that's not really an issue.
The extra maintenance is due to the transfer case and the front differential. BMW claims the fluids are "lifetime fluids". Well, yeah the fluids last until the diff or the transfer case fails because of improper lubrication. If you want to keep them running in good condition you need to change the diff and transfer case fluids every 60k miles or so. Changing the transfer case fluid is a pain in the ass because it's not a simple drain and refill. You need to reset the calibration of the clutch packs using the service computer. If you don't, the clutch packs will not be adjusted for the new fluid and fail. There are a bunch of threads on the x3 and e90 forums on this issue. Clearly improvements have been made to the system to make it more performance focused, but the hardware still requires the fluid changes for longetivity. With RWD, there is no transfer case or front differential to worry about.
The tire issue is described in the owners manual and affects every awd car not just BMW. The manual specifies the maximum differential between the tread depth of the tires. If you exceed that specification, the transfer case is subjected to additional stress and fails prematurely.
Like I said in my original post, I'm not against AWD...there are good reasons to have it. Most people don't have good reasons and don't understand how to make the most out of it or about its drawbacks. If you know the positives and negatives and the positives outweigh the negatives then go for it, it helps and it's not a demon. It's about using the right tool for the right job and AWD is overkill for most people
Even going on ski trips and driving on snow covered unplowed roads, RWD with a limited slip and winter tires has been nearly as good as my x drive 328. The ground clearance on BMWs has proven to be far bigger hinderance than
RWD vs AWD |
In regard to awd being overkill, this might be in some cases, but it gives people peace of mind that they won't get stuck in a snow drift some where. Nobody NEEDS a car with 300+ hp either, yet we all like having the power on tap.
Like I've said in other posts, I just began driving awd several years ago. Prior, I've driven rwd and a couple of fwd vehicles in every season, and in most good, poor, and treacherous road conditions one is likely to encounter in the US lower 48. I know that I can make do with a rwd daily driver during any condition, within reason, but it so happens that awd allows me to accomplish the same with less drama. That's a real benefit in my mind.