BMW 3-Series Touring - xDrive or not?
Discussion
I'm trying to narrow my car list down (see other thread). One option is a 330D Touring 2017/18.
I will use the car to drive places to go hiking. There will be marginal amounts of parking on grass/slightly rougher ground. Nothing crazy at all. Really there's no actual need for 4-wheel drive.
Is an xDrive worth having? Is it more expensive to run? Are there any clear negatives to it?
I will use the car to drive places to go hiking. There will be marginal amounts of parking on grass/slightly rougher ground. Nothing crazy at all. Really there's no actual need for 4-wheel drive.
Is an xDrive worth having? Is it more expensive to run? Are there any clear negatives to it?
I have a 2016 330D Saloon. I went for a non X-drive version, saying that if an X-drive version had come up in the right spec I would have considered it.
The X-drive versions do have better traction in all conditions, but I don't struggle without it at all to be honest. I have never ever been in my car and wished I had got the X-drive version.
The clear negatives are that they use a bit more fuel, potentially more bits that could go wrong, can make services more expensive, front tyres will wear quicker than on a non X-drive car. Definitely on the saloons (not sure about estates) the X-drive cars have different springs that make the car sit a bit higher due to the extra clearance required for the X-drive hardware I believe. I think those springs are also slightly softer and some people complain that the handling isn't as good as it is after upgrading the springs.
Benefits are they will get away quicker when it's wet when you accelerate hard, will feel a bit more sure footed in damp/cold conditions generally. However I cannot stress enough how adequate the non X-drive cars are, like I say I have never had any dicey moments that have made me think I should have got an X-drive.
Personally I would find the car that is the right price, mileage, has the options you want in a colour you are happy with and buy it. If it has X-drive and you are OK with the negatives then great, if it doesn't I really wouldn't worry about it.
Buying my car was a frustrating process as if you are fussy with the options you want like I was, it is really hard to find cars that have them and don't have some other negative like high mileage, high cost, ridiculous colour choice from new like blue paint with red leather!
The X-drive versions do have better traction in all conditions, but I don't struggle without it at all to be honest. I have never ever been in my car and wished I had got the X-drive version.
The clear negatives are that they use a bit more fuel, potentially more bits that could go wrong, can make services more expensive, front tyres will wear quicker than on a non X-drive car. Definitely on the saloons (not sure about estates) the X-drive cars have different springs that make the car sit a bit higher due to the extra clearance required for the X-drive hardware I believe. I think those springs are also slightly softer and some people complain that the handling isn't as good as it is after upgrading the springs.
Benefits are they will get away quicker when it's wet when you accelerate hard, will feel a bit more sure footed in damp/cold conditions generally. However I cannot stress enough how adequate the non X-drive cars are, like I say I have never had any dicey moments that have made me think I should have got an X-drive.
Personally I would find the car that is the right price, mileage, has the options you want in a colour you are happy with and buy it. If it has X-drive and you are OK with the negatives then great, if it doesn't I really wouldn't worry about it.
Buying my car was a frustrating process as if you are fussy with the options you want like I was, it is really hard to find cars that have them and don't have some other negative like high mileage, high cost, ridiculous colour choice from new like blue paint with red leather!
I'll start with my BMW car history:
Xdrive:
E83 X3 2.0d
F11 530d
Non-Xdrive:
E46 320d Mtechnics
E90 320d Msport
E60 530d
Consumption:
For me similar cars with the same engine have needed an extra 0,5 l/100km (and upto 1l/100km).
Driving:
The driving experience: all of the RWD cars have caught me out at some point, for example driving sedately on a wet (probably greasy) onramp where I (together with ESP) had to do a small save. The Xdrive does have a grip advantage at lower speeds under high power like crossing a junction or coming off a roundabout. The negative is that the Xdrive is nose heavier and you will feel the understeer when turning. You definitely need to drive it "slow in, fast out" when pushing in the wet.
All my cars had winter tires on and I never had severe traction issues with either. Although I can imagine if you need to pass a steep hill or driveway in winter the Xdrive will have an advantage.
Cost / Reliability:
The Xdrive transfer box is a fragile piece of kit. If you want to keep the car a long time you now have a transfer box and a front diff to change the oil on as well as 3 extra driveshafts to go wrong. The transfer box in the X3 gave out after changing tires on only one axle. With the F11 530d I swap my tires around every season and only do a full set on every car and it has been golden so far.
Conclusion:
Go for the RWD unless you absolutely need it. It will have lower running costs, higher reliability, less picky on tire wear. The Xdrive does come with a few benefits but for my use it makes a car less reliable and takes some piece of mind...
Well specced cars (even 20d's) are hard to find without Xdrive nowadays. Also as mentioned above Xdrive cars are always on the SE (comfort) suspension even with an Msport package. I didn't mind as the ride in my E90 Msport with RFT-tires was just too hard for my driving, but the F-series cars definitely have more Merc-like suspension if you don't opt for the sports suspension.
Xdrive:
E83 X3 2.0d
F11 530d
Non-Xdrive:
E46 320d Mtechnics
E90 320d Msport
E60 530d
Consumption:
For me similar cars with the same engine have needed an extra 0,5 l/100km (and upto 1l/100km).
Driving:
The driving experience: all of the RWD cars have caught me out at some point, for example driving sedately on a wet (probably greasy) onramp where I (together with ESP) had to do a small save. The Xdrive does have a grip advantage at lower speeds under high power like crossing a junction or coming off a roundabout. The negative is that the Xdrive is nose heavier and you will feel the understeer when turning. You definitely need to drive it "slow in, fast out" when pushing in the wet.
All my cars had winter tires on and I never had severe traction issues with either. Although I can imagine if you need to pass a steep hill or driveway in winter the Xdrive will have an advantage.
Cost / Reliability:
The Xdrive transfer box is a fragile piece of kit. If you want to keep the car a long time you now have a transfer box and a front diff to change the oil on as well as 3 extra driveshafts to go wrong. The transfer box in the X3 gave out after changing tires on only one axle. With the F11 530d I swap my tires around every season and only do a full set on every car and it has been golden so far.
Conclusion:
Go for the RWD unless you absolutely need it. It will have lower running costs, higher reliability, less picky on tire wear. The Xdrive does come with a few benefits but for my use it makes a car less reliable and takes some piece of mind...
Well specced cars (even 20d's) are hard to find without Xdrive nowadays. Also as mentioned above Xdrive cars are always on the SE (comfort) suspension even with an Msport package. I didn't mind as the ride in my E90 Msport with RFT-tires was just too hard for my driving, but the F-series cars definitely have more Merc-like suspension if you don't opt for the sports suspension.
I'm going to open a can of worms here....
This was taken as fragility in the early cars, however having had a re-mapped 2.0d E83 and a 3.0d E83 I can safely say that with the right tyres on they will go on for a long time. They will also take (semi) off-road abuse, I have done many miles on gravel tracks in all my X3s.
The later transfer boxes are less sensitive, however it still stands that the tyres must be star marked to avoid issues. The other thing is to change the oil at 100k miles. I did that with all my X3s and with the latest one I've also done the diffs and gearbox.
To get back to the subject of the thread, I'm no driving god and the security of four wheel drive has helped me on many occasions. I do miss the playful nature of my old 130i, but that's another story.
HelldogBE said:
....The Xdrive transfer box is a fragile piece of kit.....
...The transfer box in the X3 gave out after changing tires on only one axle....
The early X-Drive transfer boxes were very sensitive to the OEM approval (known as 'star marking' because of the star on the sidewall). If staggered wheels were fitted, then it was a must to not only, have star marked tyres fitted, but also to have the same tread depth all round....The transfer box in the X3 gave out after changing tires on only one axle....
This was taken as fragility in the early cars, however having had a re-mapped 2.0d E83 and a 3.0d E83 I can safely say that with the right tyres on they will go on for a long time. They will also take (semi) off-road abuse, I have done many miles on gravel tracks in all my X3s.
The later transfer boxes are less sensitive, however it still stands that the tyres must be star marked to avoid issues. The other thing is to change the oil at 100k miles. I did that with all my X3s and with the latest one I've also done the diffs and gearbox.
To get back to the subject of the thread, I'm no driving god and the security of four wheel drive has helped me on many occasions. I do miss the playful nature of my old 130i, but that's another story.
I have an x-drive 335d saloon. A magic car. Do I need it? To be honest I bought it for the extra power and torque. Unlike all the TV dramas you see of cars screeching tyres and drifting, that never happens. Coming out of a wet roundabout it is solid. On one occasion, I got lost and had to turn round and pull back out of a gravelled side road. I saw a gap and booted it, fronts on tarmac, rears on the gravel. No fuss or noise, just a very rapid exit with the steering wheel spinning in my hand to the straight ahead position as it whipped along as if on rails.
Nose heavy? I became used it it. I had a loan car during a service, a 330 (4 pot petrol rear drive), and that felt feebly light at the front end after the 335dx. I found the SE suspension height just right for narrow tracks in Scotland (and in some places around here in Wales). In truth we are spoilt around here in North Wales for quality of road surface. If I lived or travelled to other parts with potholes, or frequent speed humps, I would consider a different car altogether.
Nose heavy? I became used it it. I had a loan car during a service, a 330 (4 pot petrol rear drive), and that felt feebly light at the front end after the 335dx. I found the SE suspension height just right for narrow tracks in Scotland (and in some places around here in Wales). In truth we are spoilt around here in North Wales for quality of road surface. If I lived or travelled to other parts with potholes, or frequent speed humps, I would consider a different car altogether.
There seem to be far more xdrive tourings than RWD when I was looking so might come down to availability anyway.
We have XDrive on our 330D Saloon and my wife prefers it to the RWD Z4 she had before, says it feels a lot more grippy.
I have driven the 330D fairly hard a few times and its gripped the road immensely well.
We questioned the tyres deal when we bough it from BMW but they said the modern ones are far more tolerant of tyre tread differences. Obviously if the fronts are on 2mm and rears at 8mm and you drove for a long time like this, it may cause an issue but a couple of mm either way is not going to break anything.
We have XDrive on our 330D Saloon and my wife prefers it to the RWD Z4 she had before, says it feels a lot more grippy.
I have driven the 330D fairly hard a few times and its gripped the road immensely well.
We questioned the tyres deal when we bough it from BMW but they said the modern ones are far more tolerant of tyre tread differences. Obviously if the fronts are on 2mm and rears at 8mm and you drove for a long time like this, it may cause an issue but a couple of mm either way is not going to break anything.
I have an f31 330d se touring with xdrive. I live in the countryside so in winter I travel on many unsalted roads so having the xdrive just gives me that bit more confidence. I know it works having experienced many rwd beemers (although they were never on winter tyres). I just recently drove on slippery wet field and the xdrive pulled up a hill no problems at all. So in summary, it's my opinion that they're worth it if you want a bit more confidence in all conditions.
Edited by WMAC95 on Friday 11th June 17:30
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