[eluded]

Awd is for snow and rain and mud and sand. Comes in handy then. Super handy.

[alpinewhite3]

Also- no one has mentioned this and i don't know if this even applies to the 340i (bc it has a different rack) but on the 330i, the steering ratio is 14.1:1 while on the 330i xDrive it is 14.9:1.

Not sure why they did that but it results in a very noticeable difference in how the steering feels...330i will turn in noticeably quicker and sharper..will also feel much more nimble in spirited driving. It will however be a tiny bit twitchier at high speeds. (well worth the trade off)


EDIT: Nevermind, just checked the ratio is the same on the M340i and M340xi: 13.6:1.

Just to give some perspective the ratio on the new 5 series is 17.0:1 (hence why it feels like a boat)

[sevalski]

Originally Posted by KoenG

M340i AWD for me:

1/ A lot of rainy days do make the power of the M340i a lot to handle and will make a huge difference in lateral launch and corner exit speed.
2/ The RWD could be more "fun", but hardly effective under such circumstances.
3/ The intelligence BMW was able to put in the AWD is astonishing in the way it detects and exploits grip on every square inch it can. This is also an enjoyable thought.
4/ Less stress behind the wheel and allow me to enjoy the car's virtues without swetting hands or nightmares.

A 330i on the other hand, I would only consider with RWD.

Why would you only consider RWD on the 330i? I'm just curious and want to know more about it.

I'm going to buy a G21 330i withing a couple of months (second hand) and here in Sweden 9 out of 10 330i come with AWD (xDrive) option in the second hand market place. From what I see in the threads above I understand that the RWD is more fun and still almost as reliable as the AWD but as I said before I have a bigger choice of 330i with AWD in the secondhand market.

Thank you!

[justbananas]

Originally Posted by sevalski

Why would you only consider RWD on the 330i? I'm just curious and want to know more about it.

I'm going to buy a G21 330i withing a couple of months (second hand) and here in Sweden 9 out of 10 330i come with AWD (xDrive) option in the second hand market place. From what I see in the threads above I understand that the RWD is more fun and still almost as reliable as the AWD but as I said before I have a bigger choice of 330i with AWD in the secondhand market.

Thank you!

For me, it’s awd or nothing. I live in Texas. No snow, but lots of rain and slick roads. I also like the front wheels pulling me through a corner exit. I had to search very hard to find an awd model.

[Bimmerg621]

I was originally interested in a RWD build, but my broker told me that there are none and that only the X-Drive allocation in Germany was available. So I had no choice but to go with x-drive since I was determined to get an allocation. It hurts the wallet to add another $2k on to the price but hopefully I'll forget all about it and enjoy the off the line traction even though I live in sunny SoCal and probably won't use it to its' full potential.

[oonowindoo]

Since i have no desire of ever launching a car at the red light and i have seen rain and snow only on TV (obviously joking), I think the weight saving in RWD ( and PS4S tires) is more beneficial for me... Yah i am one of the few who was willing to sacrifice half of my trunk space for some non-runflat tires.

Now if I lived in a different Climate, the added safety via AWD regardless how big or small will be considered. Actually if i lived in a different Climate, i might have gotten the X3M40i...

[KoenG]

Originally Posted by sevalski

Why would you only consider RWD on the 330i? I'm just curious and want to know more about it.

I'm going to buy a G21 330i withing a couple of months (second hand) and here in Sweden 9 out of 10 330i come with AWD (xDrive) option in the second hand market place. From what I see in the threads above I understand that the RWD is more fun and still almost as reliable as the AWD but as I said before I have a bigger choice of 330i with AWD in the secondhand market.

Thank you!

Or you have a mega engine where AWD makes sense from performance and dynamics point of view (the 330i is not in this category). Or you seek more grip to climb snow covered slopes at the expense of a bit more weight and slightly increased driveline losses.

When you live in Sweden and need the traction of the 4 tires during winter period, the AWD makes perfect sense. In Belgium, where I live, not really.

[Quadruple VANOS]

Objectively, RWD saves a couple thousand dollars; saves weight; and there's less complexity with a RWD.

Subjectively, I like the feel of my front wheels without drive torque. When I drive an XDrive 3 Series (all the loaners are XDrive in the northeast) the additional weight and torque on the front end makes the car feel noticeably clumsier.

[sevalski]

Originally Posted by Quadruple VANOS

Objectively, RWD saves a couple thousand dollars; saves weight; and there's less complexity with a RWD.

Subjectively, I like the feel of my front wheels without drive torque. When I drive an XDrive 3 Series (all the loaners are XDrive in the northeast) the additional weight and torque on the front end makes the car feel noticeably clumsier.

Originally Posted by Quadruple VANOS

Objectively, RWD saves a couple thousand dollars; saves weight; and there's less complexity with a RWD.

Subjectively, I like the feel of my front wheels without drive torque. When I drive an XDrive 3 Series (all the loaners are XDrive in the northeast) the additional weight and torque on the front end makes the car feel noticeably clumsier.

Appreciate all replies!

Is there any specific maintenance needed for the AWD system?

Today I drove the 320d xDrive Touring (since the dealers didn't have the 330i) and the driving felt kind of heavy and not punchy. Would the 330i xDrive perform much better?

[KoenG]

Originally Posted by sevalski

Appreciate all replies!

Is there any specific maintenance needed for the AWD system?

Today I drove the 320d xDrive Touring (since the dealers didn't have the 330i) and the driving felt kind of heavy and not punchy. Would the 330i xDrive perform much better?

Hmmmm.... I doubt that you'd feel the Xdrive being less agile. BMW has its AWD sorted out very well. Nonetheless, all arguments against are already mentioned and remain: extra weight, extra driveline losses, less favourable weight distribution -but this is really nit picking for an average driver actually-, compromised steering feel -idem- and it costs more. On the other hand: more grip during difficult weather conditions.

When you jump from a 330d F31 into a 320 G20, you have to factor in the engine! You go from 520Nm to 400Nm which is certainly something you'll feel. A 330i has the power to (just) better the 330d F31, but not the torque since also 400Nm. So on any occassional drive, the 330i will require more rpm to match the "lightness" of the 330d. Although the 330i is a splendid 2.0 gasoline engine, it's not a match for the grunt of the 3.0d when you drive "lazy"-style. When the 320d feels a bit underwhelming, the risk is very real that the 330i will also disappoint.

Take note, the new 330d G20 has a massive 650Nm from the go! This will certainly feel very "light" on his feet irrespective A/RWD. Maybe try that one?

[KoenG]

Originally Posted by sevalski

Is there any specific maintenance needed for the AWD system?

No, maintenance free, but like some suggest, it doesn't harm to renew the oil in the active driveline components (diffs) after 10yrs or 150.000km.

[sevalski]

Originally Posted by KoenG

Hmmmm.... I doubt that you'd feel the Xdrive being less agile. BMW has its AWD sorted out very well. Nonetheless, all arguments against are already mentioned and remain: extra weight, extra driveline losses, less favourable weight distribution -but this is really nit picking for an average driver actually-, compromised steering feel -idem- and it costs more. On the other hand: more grip during difficult weather conditions.

When you jump from a 330d F31 into a 320 G20, you have to factor in the engine! You go from 520Nm to 400Nm which is certainly something you'll feel. A 330i has the power to (just) better the 330d F31, but not the torque since also 400Nm. So on any occassional drive, the 330i will require more rpm to match the "lightness" of the 330d. Although the 330i is a splendid 2.0 gasoline engine, it's not a match for the grunt of the 3.0d when you drive "lazy"-style. When the 320d feels a bit underwhelming, the risk is very real that the 330i will also disappoint.

Take note, the new 330d G20 has a massive 650Nm from the go! This will certainly feel very "light" on his feet irrespective A/RWD. Maybe try that one?

Originally Posted by KoenG

Hmmmm.... I doubt that you'd feel the Xdrive being less agile. BMW has its AWD sorted out very well. Nonetheless, all arguments against are already mentioned and remain: extra weight, extra driveline losses, less favourable weight distribution -but this is really nit picking for an average driver actually-, compromised steering feel -idem- and it costs more. On the other hand: more grip during difficult weather conditions.

When you jump from a 330d F31 into a 320 G20, you have to factor in the engine! You go from 520Nm to 400Nm which is certainly something you'll feel. A 330i has the power to (just) better the 330d F31, but not the torque since also 400Nm. So on any occassional drive, the 330i will require more rpm to match the "lightness" of the 330d. Although the 330i is a splendid 2.0 gasoline engine, it's not a match for the grunt of the 3.0d when you drive "lazy"-style. When the 320d feels a bit underwhelming, the risk is very real that the 330i will also disappoint.

Take note, the new 330d G20 has a massive 650Nm from the go! This will certainly feel very "light" on his feet irrespective A/RWD. Maybe try that one?

Very well explained! Now I have a better idea of what I'm driving as well 😊 Thank you!

I had a look at the 3.0d G21 but it is quite a bit more expensive to buy it (around 8-10k) then the 330i, double more taxes to pay here in Sweden and I guess less fuel economy (from my experience from the one I have now).

[KoenG]

Originally Posted by sevalski

Very well explained! Now I have a better idea of what I'm driving as well 😊 Thank you!

I had a look at the 3.0d G21 but it is quite a bit more expensive to buy it (around 8-10k) then the 330i, double more taxes to pay here in Sweden and I guess less fuel economy (from my experience from the one I have now).

The 3.0d is a splendid proposition for high milage usage, say +40k km/yr. The 2.0d will be more frugal, but I'd bet that the 2.0i will have a higher fuel consumption, partially compensating for the extra taxes. In such a case, I'd ask the dealer to calculate the TCO for both vehicles. Maybe the diesel is not such a bad pick then?

[sevalski]

Originally Posted by KoenG

The 3.0d is a splendid proposition for high milage usage, say +40k km/yr. The 2.0d will be more frugal, but I'd bet that the 2.0i will have a higher fuel consumption, partially compensating for the extra taxes. In such a case, I'd ask the dealer to calculate the TCO for both vehicles. Maybe the diesel is not such a bad pick then?

Fair enough KoenG! I do more around 10k km/year so nowhere close to 40k + the 3.0d is out of my budget rite now I'm looking forward to try the 330i and then decide between the two (330ivs320d). Still haven't made my mind up if awd or rwd neither 😊

I hope we don't disturb others by talking about different models under the 340i thread..

Thanks a lot!

[KoenG]

Originally Posted by sevalski

Fair enough KoenG! I do more around 10k km/year so nowhere close to 40k + the 3.0d is out of my budget rite now I'm looking forward to try the 330i and then decide between the two (330ivs320d). Still haven't made my mind up if awd or rwd neither 😊

I hope we don't disturb others by talking about different models under the 340i thread..

Thanks a lot!

I don't know your personal situation, but is it an option to buy a pre-used 540i for instance? When you can look at the prices they are offered, I would say that you can save ~40% compared with buying a brand new 330i. When you only drive 10k km/yr, the bit extra fuel might be acceptable?

Just an idea, since I'am looking at replacing my schoolrun e39 530i (5k km/yr) by a 540i 2018.

[integr8d]

Based on aggregate, industry-wide data, we can surmise certain things about AWD and RWD cars. They would all be generally accepted and even expected. But until they’re borne out by back-to-back testing, it all remains to be seen on the M340i. I was hoping to get that answer here.

Whilst trying to remove my own ego and opinions from the equation, there seemed to be some readily observable, I guess, ‘categories’ that manifested themselves, in trying to answer the headline question.

The first one probably falls into the realm of High-Performance. We would look at standing acceleration, rolling acceleration, grip, braking, lap times, etc. Those are pretty objective things. All things being equal (driver, tires, temp, track conditions), one drivetrain layout will perform better or worse in one, some or all scenarios. Those will be indisputable facts, for this particular car.

The next category might be Inclement Weather Performance. And the same objective data points apply. One drivetrain layout will likely have strengths and weaknesses over the other all things being equal. So as much as people want to share their anecdotal stories, those stories have to be taken with a grain of salt… In short, there are two, identically-specced cars, with drivetrain layout being the only variation, on the same model of tires, on the same track and with the same driver; How do they perform? End of story.

Geographical Differences would certainly help to inform our individual use cases. And this is where I wish I could make a spreadsheet, much as I loathe them… Presumably, there’s a general consensus amongst Michiganders that AWD is necessary and correct. But there are also the outliers who go RWD, b/c they have other cars to handle the rough weather. The inverse might apply to SoCal’ers.

Maintenance and Efficiency. Holy cow! My last car was an AWD LS 460. When the Lexus dealer gave me the quote to replace the CV-joints… #neveragain. No surefootedness, off the line, was worth that. I’ll just take it easy when it’s raining out. The maintenance costs, fuel costs (in L.A., I think we’re paying $5.50/ga right now?), that all adds up. They’re indisputable and objective data points. But they’re also relative to each and every one of us. If you’re knocking down $350k/yr, you might easily shrug off all of that. But if you’re on the other end, those things could weigh heavily.

Fun-factor and Beliefs. Completely subjective. I think and hope that there would be broad agreement that either variant of the car is a blast to drive. But the one pitfall that I think we all commonly fall into is in stating opinion as fact. Being able to discern between the two, as both someone who is posting and as someone who is reading, probably serves a person well.

A post, early on, mentioned the ‘superiority’ of AWD. A: completely subjective and B: largely circumstantial… That person might point to a 911 Turbo S as the prime example of their correctness (I’m using that car b/c it was also just mentioned in a post above). “Ah ha! The Turbo S proves me right!” Maybe, for that particular variant of 911 and for its intended purpose. But someone else may ask, “What configuration are the GT2 and GT3, again?” I believe that stating opinion as fact is a disservice to everyone, confuses and just adds more time that it takes to get a real answer. I don’t thinks it’s usually deliberate but rather just a factor of laziness.

So the answer for me is that the answer doesn’t exist yet. I pick up my M340i RWD next week. If there’s someone in LA who has the AWD variant and is interested in doing a day at Willow, we might get some real answers.

[Paul D3]

A few comments from reviews:

“The 340i xDrive remains rear-wheel bias. Selecting Sport and Sport+ driving modes enables additional power to be transferred to the rear wheels when required, such as cornering.”

Nothing explaining any percentages of power to rear and no full disablement option.

[SoCalM340i]

Originally Posted by Bimmerg621

I was originally interested in a RWD build, but my broker told me that there are none and that only the X-Drive allocation in Germany was available. So I had no choice but to go with x-drive since I was determined to get an allocation. It hurts the wallet to add another $2k on to the price but hopefully I'll forget all about it and enjoy the off the line traction even though I live in sunny SoCal and probably won't use it to its' full potential.

Agreed, living in SoCal we won't be able to use the xDrive in the M340i to its full potential, however it will be useful on the rare occasions that it rains heavy around here and the asphalt is soaked. With AWD, one can continue to drive normally without having to be concerned about slippage and loss of traction in the rain.

[oonowindoo]

Originally Posted by SoCalM340i

Agreed, living in SoCal we won't be able to use the xDrive in the M340i to its full potential, however it will be useful on the rare occasions that it rains heavy around here and the asphalt is soaked. With AWD, one can continue to drive normally without having to be concerned about slippage and loss of traction in the rain.

I understand what you are trying to say but that is not correct. AWD or RWD.. it does not matter, when things get bad enough, AWD will not save you. But it does add an extra layer of safety.

If we lived in SF or Seattle, then maybe we can make a case for it. For us living in So Cal, rain is least of my concerns when it comes to buying cars.

[TruthOne]

Originally Posted by oonowindoo

I understand what you are trying to say but that is not correct. AWD or RWD.. it does not matter, when things get bad enough, AWD will not save you. But it does add an extra layer of safety.

If we lived in SF or Seattle, then maybe we can make a case for it. For us living in So Cal, rain is least of my concerns when it comes to buying cars.

Believe it or not it doesn't actually rain that much in the Bay Area either .

[TiMSport]

I notice people often mention living in places where rain is scarce hence a decision to to skip AWD because you're unable to take advantage of it. I beg to differ. You can always take advantage of the massive traction off the line.

[TupperBMW]

I mean, the AWD will help with traction, but I don't really think I need it. Just being careful in the snow and giving yourself ample time to slow down is 90% of it.

And I do think that RWD has its benefits. My 911 is pure RWD and all of that torque goes down to those FAT 305 rear wheels--it's a beautiful thing....