[Bimmernerd]

Originally Posted by JNoSol

pwrplaya, here's the final advise. xDrive = More Weight, Money, and Fuel. Plus, you're missing out on BMW's pure RWD performance. AWD doesn't mean you don't need winter tires, so don't think twice that "if I get an AWD, I don't need to change out my tires when it's cold." It's false, an AWD car will stop the same distance on snow/ice as a RWD. All seasons and summer tires are not meant to perform when it's cold. 9/10 people who are stuck, is because they don't have the right tires or don't know how to drive.

The final conclusion is: Get a RWD and get winter tires when it's below Zero C out. The 5 series is 50/50 balance and it's a heavy car, it will roll around like a tank no matter what the weather throws at it. xDrive adds 180+ lbs, that's like hauling a fat girlfriend around all the time.

Hmmm...my beaut from Munich is not fat (and I am not talking about my wife...), she handles like a dream despite all the extra weight because of xDrive!

By the way, I don't think the MPG average is that much worse than with a RWD 5er...but of course with the Swedish Diesel price of 8,50 USD/gallon (!) every drop counts.

[bimmer man]

Originally Posted by Bimmernerd

Hmmm...my beaut from Munich is not fat (and I am not talking about my wife...), she handles like a dream despite all the extra weight because of xDrive!

By the way, I don't think the MPG average is that much worse than with a RWD 5er...but of course with the Swedish Diesel price of 8,50 USD/gallon (!) every drop counts.

Bimmernerd. You are right. them talking about driving on summer tires in winter, etc. do not think they know we drive How to visualize the winter in Scandinavian roads and mountain passes.
Xdrive has a weight increase of 70 kg is low. I believe with certainty that most of negatine xDrive people. do not know what a Scandinavian winter roads look like. Or has this experience. In Scandinavia, we have special winter tires with very soft rubber compound that is only sold here. Xdrive and with these winter tires is very good in winter conditions. This can not be compared to some rear wheel drive car.

[LiveLarger]

Originally Posted by bimmer man

Bimmernerd. You are right. them talking about driving on summer tires in winter, etc. do not think they know we drive How to visualize the winter in Scandinavian roads and mountain passes.
Xdrive has a weight increase of 70 kg is low. I believe with certainty that most of negatine xDrive people. do not know what a Scandinavian winter roads look like. Or has this experience. In Scandinavia, we have special winter tires with very soft rubber compound that is only sold here. Xdrive and with these winter tires is very good in winter conditions. This can not be compared to some rear wheel drive car.

I agree with this. x-drive in nice, but I still have trouble to understand why people are having such problems with RWD. I do take my F11 with RWD on norwegian mountain roads. Are the winter tires the americans have, that bad?

[bimmer man]

Originally Posted by LiveLarger

I agree with this. x-drive in nice, but I still have trouble to understand why people are having such problems with RWD. I do take my F11 with RWD on norwegian mountain roads. Are the winter tires the americans have, that bad?

I also think it is fun to ride rear-wheel drive, I have spent most of the BMW with rear wheel drive. But try a f 10 or f11 xDrive on properly winter conditions you will be surprised. Turn and direction stability is amazing with the new system preformansecontrol provided the xDrive system now. A normal car will slow down when it loses grip with the help of tractionsystem and abs. Preformancecontrol system provides power to the wheels that still have grip. This came with x6 in 2008. This is an option on the cheaper cars that x1, etc., I have this on mine. LiveLarger foreign tires are crap to drive for us,

[pwrplaya]

Thanks everyone for your advice, experience, comments, etc. Based on what I've read, I'm leaning towards the RWD and a nice set of winter wheels and tires before it gets cold. I think I can live with the electrical steering. I'm keeping my M3, so I can always take her out when I really want to feel the road