[Vladiik]

I wanted to buy xdrive model i had created thread about cons and pros 'bout xdrive i had driven that and it have understeer... i dont like it ,RWD with snow tyres are better than AWD With All seasons , will AWED have better takeoff ? hell yeah , will it stop shorter
? No , will it corner better with all seasons NO!

[bubbahead]

Originally Posted by Vladiik

I wanted to buy xdrive model i had created thread about cons and pros 'bout xdrive i had driven that and it have understeer... i dont like it ,RWD with snow tyres are better than AWD With All seasons , will AWED have better takeoff ? hell yeah , will it stop shorter
? No , will it corner better with all seasons NO!

Everyone keeps comparing AWD with allseason and RWD with snows. Thats not the comparison... Put AWD and RWD with snows and then compare.. geeez!

[Vladiik]

Originally Posted by bubbahead

Everyone keeps comparing AWD with allseason and RWD with snows. Thats not the comparison... Put AWD and RWD with snows and then compare.. geeez!

well then it makes almost no point of getting awd , because most awd users getting 4wd because you can drive without changing tires all years , and because is F10 is not SUV and its low. you will grab all snow with your front and can fuck things up in the car

[mrcamp]

Exactly! If AWD or RWD is what you want and it works for your needs (heck! even if it doesn't), then, so be it. As I posted earlier, folks are going to try to justify their reason for and not getting one or the other.

Originally Posted by bubbahead

Everyone keeps comparing AWD with allseason and RWD with snows. Thats not the comparison... Put AWD and RWD with snows and then compare.. geeez!

[AVIMAX]

Let's compare AWD with summer tires and RWD with studded winter tires! I, like bubbahead, don't get why the comparison of AWD with all-seasons to RWD with snows is made. I hope people don't think AWD is a substitute for snow tires. All cars (and SUVs) need proper winter tires if you want to be safe. I think most here that drive RWD with snows would still equip their car with snow if they had AWD, wouldn't they? The benefits are huge. Stopping, turning and of course acceleration. Does anyone who has experienced the benefits of snow tires not put them on an AWD car? If you are willing to use snow tires for added traction, why would you be adverse to AWD for even more traction? Unless the AWD car really drives that much differently than the RWD car. In this case, I don't think the difference is that big for everyday driving. The only reason I considered getting a RWD F10 was to get a manual transmission, but in the end I decided I rather have AWD. Now AWD with a manual in an F10 (or better yet F11) would be great.

[AVIMAX]

This has gotten a bit off track from the opening question which was, any second thoughts to getting or not getting X-drive. No second thoughts here. It is only the lack of a manual transmission that sometimes has me thinking I should have ordered RWD, but overall I am very happy with X-drive.

[slimer]

Hello.

This is from someone with experience ont his subject.

I live and drive in Norway, where we have 6months of snow and icy conditions every year.
I have driven and had FWD, AWD and RWD.

Because of the conditions we have a law that says that between 1. November and first weekend after Easter(usually mid April), we have to drive with Snow tires.

Rear Wheel drive, on newer cars like F11/F12 is no brainer in the snow. You get around, but uphils, corners and high snow(if you are early up and have to drive before roads are crelaned) takes much more attention from a driver then AWD and FWD.
I am not saying that it is a no GO, but with AWD and FWD is much easier. RWD because of the weight disrtibution which then again makes BMW much better then other RWD cars.

Regarding tires:

We drive on show tires almost half of the year and believe me, no allseasons or summertires can be compared to them. No mather if it is RWD, AWD or FWD. This goes for everything: braking, stopping, forward motion..cornering..

Same goes for snowtires on wet conditions..
There are many tests done here every year about how good summer tires are on snow and ice, and how good/bad snow tires are on dry/wet.

Consclusion is:
Show and ice - Snow tires are a must.
WEt, rain = Summer tires, snow tires are bad
Dry conditions: Summer tires, snow tires get dry and hard and then are really bad on dry and even worse on wet later.

So for me it is no brainer:
If safety is valued = AWD and snow tires on snow.

BUT you get around anyway.

[Grizzles]

What's the benefit of 2 wheel drive besides IAS?

[Bandini3]

Originally Posted by Bandini3

It appears that roughly half of the new 535s and 550s arriving in the USA this year are xDrive (all-wheel drive) models. I find that surprising since even in the snow-prone US northeast and midwest, drivers probably encounter significant snow or ice no more than 10-15% of the time in a typical year (say, 30-50 days annually).

I had a chance to test drive a 550-xDrive last week. I can't say that I felt any real difference compared to RWD F10s I have driven previously, which I thought was a positive. (By comparison, my Mercedes E-Class 4Matic is great in winter, but would not be singled out for offering agile handling)

My questions:

1) Are there any owners of xDrive cars who wish they had a RWD version?

2) Are there owners of RWD 535s and 550s who wish they had opted for an xDrive version?

Obviously both versions have their advantages and disadvantages. Just curious to see what owners think.

I was interested to see my original post attracted more than 50 replies and 1,600 views. A number of replies debated the merits of using snow tires, straying from the main topic of interest.

Anyone who expects to encounter a significant period of winter weather each year should be wise enough to understand that winter tires add an important safety factor. Even if not "essential" in certain regions, they add peace of mind and don't involve a major annual expense.

On the main question, I thought it was interesting that few, if any, F10 owners regret selecting an xDrive model. I have lots of experience with RWD, AWD and FWD. I was interested to learn whether a few xDrive owners found the extra weight and slightly compromised weight distribution detracted from the driving experience. It seems not to be the case.

I have always owned RWD BMWs. I have tested a few 535s and 550s, including one 550i xDrive. I was impressed with the handling feel of the xDrive version. I expected to notice a slight compromise in 'feel'. (Perhaps I was just distracted by the 550's power, or the need to keep the dealer's new vehicle untouched.) The xDrive system certainly handles the V8's torque nicely, so one can outrun most cars at stoplights without effort or drama.

My Mercedes 4Matic is terrific in winter (snow tires, of course). The xDrive versions of the F10 will offer the same capability in winter, without apparently compromising the traditional BMW feel (RWD) to any great degree.

I am left leaning from my traditional preference (RWD) towards xDrive.

The ideal solution, of course, would be an M3 or 911 for fun, and an xDrive 535i or 550i for luxury, practicality and balanced performance.