[Zagga]

Today was the first chance I've had since getting my car to have a little fun. No wife or little girl in the car means play time on the way home tonight.

The roads were damp and the temp was only 4 degrees and hand heart I can say there is too much power going to just the rear wheels (330d) under those conditions. Step on the gas too early or too much and the rear goes all loose VERY easily. My E91 320d never felt like this.

The one caveat being this is the first commute home I've ever had where I walked into the house with a massive smile on my face!!!

And all this in an auto......... Nice Joy BMW!

[teaston]

You didn't say if you have an sdrive or xdrive?

Also do you have summer or winter tyres on?

[F30AM]

Originally Posted by teaston

You didn't say if you have an sdrive or xdrive?

Also do you have summer or winter tyres on?

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
Not another sDrive vs xDrive thread, please god.
I think his is an sDrive as he had a smile on both his faces!

[Tengocity]

Is it not just that you've now got a much more powerful and torquier car than before?

[brommy]

Originally Posted by Zagga

Today was the first chance I've had since getting my car to have a little fun. No wife or little girl in the car means play time on the way home tonight.

The roads were damp and the temp was only 4 degrees and hand heart I can say there is too much power going to just the rear wheels (330d) under those conditions. Step on the gas too early or too much and the rear goes all loose VERY easily. My E91 320d never felt like this.

The one caveat being this is the first commute home I've ever had where I walked into the house with a massive smile on my face!!!

And all this in an auto......... Nice Joy BMW!

I had a similar experience during fairly extensive back-to-back testing of an 330sd and a 320xd in damp conditions. The 320xd felt quicker away than the 330sd. Cue sDrivers proclaiming they obviously know how to drive better and xDrive is not necessary. No one is claiming xDrive is necessary! Just preferable in certain conditions including plenty where sDrive is still easily 'manageable'. Like most, I've never driven a rally car so perhaps my throttle balance isn't as perfected as some may claim to have. However, I have driven around 600,000 miles on UK roads in all weathers, including most of the last decade in rear wheel drive BMWs, so I'd like to think I can recognise good traction against average or poor traction.

I suppose it depends whether you prefer more speed when pulling away quickly or a bit of squirming/traction control. Both fun in their own ways.

Living near the top of a hill on a quiet estate (no through road) meant garaging my RWD E60 for 20 days during the past two winters so AWD or buying extra wheels was the sensible choice. Having heard the disappointment of some driving on winter tyres in mild weather I'm still pleased with my choice although ideally our weather would be similar to southern Spain and fuel would be 50p per litre - then I'd be in a 335i sDrive.

[bwrlane]

Originally Posted by Zagga

The roads were damp and the temp was only 4 degrees and hand heart I can say there is too much power going to just the rear wheels (330d) under those conditions. Step on the gas too early or too much and the rear goes all loose VERY easily. My E91 320d never felt like this.

It's true. The sdrive 330d's performance is traction limited even in ideal conditions. That's why the 330d xdrive has a faster 0-60 time than the sdrive.

[Steve C]

Originally Posted by brommy

I suppose it depends whether you prefer more speed when pulling away quickly or a bit of squirming/traction control. Both fun in their own ways.

I like to have the option of both depending on the situation.

I tried to get the back-end out today when coming out of a junction.....but the x-drive just gripped and went - and that's on summer tyres! Next time I'll have to remember to press the fun button to switch off the traction control.

[dopper99]

Yeah, been sub zero temperatures the last couple of days in the morning and I've normal tyres. No sign of anything slipping whatsoever. Although I wasn't driving like a loon, but not like a nun either.

[Zagga]

Mine is the sdrive with normal Bridgestone RF tyres.

A total Hoot but I see why people like the xdrive for added safety. Actually felt like a quick car rather than the mother ship is actually is. So much fun and all at legal speeds! The 6 cylinder is one fine torque monster and easy to make its tail wag like a daft puppy.

[teaston]

Originally Posted by Zagga

Mine is the sdrive with normal Bridgestone RF tyres.

A total Hoot but I see why people like the xdrive for added safety. Actually felt like a quick car rather than the mother ship is actually is. So much fun and all at legal speeds! The 6 cylinder is one fine torque monster and easy to make its tail wag like a daft puppy.

Well as you're on tyres designed for summer use, of course you'll break traction a lot in the cold!

[Rich9600]

Originally Posted by bwrlane

It's true. The sdrive 330d's performance is traction limited even in ideal conditions. That's why the 330d xdrive has a faster 0-60 time than the sdrive.

In the brochure it seems to have a different engine map. Though, this could easily be for traction issues...
Both 560Nm sDrive 2000-2750 rpm xDrive 1500-3000

[brommy]

Originally Posted by Steve C

I like to have the option of both depending on the situation.

I tried to get the back-end out today when coming out of a junction.....but the x-drive just gripped and went - and that's on summer tyres! Next time I'll have to remember to press the fun button to switch off the traction control.

Me too! Would be good to get the better mpg and the occasional playful back end combined with surer traction for most damp or wet situations and not having to garage it when it snows and my estate roads aren't cleared.

[Zagga]

Originally Posted by teaston

Well as you're on tyres designed for summer use, of course you'll break traction a lot in the cold!

Yes, had a lot of fun.

Exit a (clear) round about, let the road camber off set the car a little and feed in the power and the tail goes light and slippy. Gave me a big grin on my face.

[BMWSKI]

Personally I prefer the extra stability and faster 0-60 time of my X-drive. I'm not as experienced as a lot of the drivers on here so a rear wheel drive car with that much power would quite frankly be wasted on me.
I was considering a C63 before taking the plunge with BMW but after several test drives I just knew I would feel safer and enjoy an X-drive more...and I was right
Anyway, just my two pence worth

[scooper]

Xdrive.

[pjs]

Got mine out of shape for the first big time last night after a little provocation in sport mode, (+ sport box, and active suspension. ) Zero degrees but all nanny aids on and damp empty and large roundabout. A tad of understeer first before the rear went in true rwd style and without much warning- still on summers on 19's. I think xdrive is great to a point but there is not much feedback coming back via the seat of your pants. Whether that is an F30 trait or just xdrive I wouldn't know. My reference points are previous e92 335i and e90 330s

[Zagga]

Originally Posted by BMWSKI

Personally I prefer the extra stability and faster 0-60 time of my X-drive.

0-60 times don't bother me as they have zero relevance in my day to day driving.

And don't think xdrive brings extra stability as the sdrive has no issues going into and around corners but the problem with the sdrive and what makes it a bit more of a hooligan is if you loose traction on one drive wheel you loose so much grip. Here the advantages of xdrive become obvious.

Not that a car like this needs it but if the sdrive had an LSD it would be amazing.

Once the temperatures start to rise again, I'm sure all this s/xdrive stuff will be less of a talking point.

[BMWSKI]

Originally Posted by Zagga

Once the temperatures start to rise again, I'm sure all this s/xdrive stuff will be less of a talking point.

It will ALWAYS be a talking point...

[ukbeemerboy]

Originally Posted by BMWSKI

It will ALWAYS be a talking point...

Until BMW wake up and discontinue it on the LCI

[MarkG_M5Comp]

Originally Posted by F30AM

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
Not another sDrive vs xDrive thread, please god.
I think his is an sDrive as he had a smile on both his faces!

I'm not engaging in this thread, I even have my eyes closed.

'We' have both - wife F20 sDrive, me F30 xDrive. I've driven my wife's car on my 100 commute the the office today and despite it being a 116 where mine is a 335, it's less stable in current moist conditions. Now this IS as a result if how my driving style has changed with xDrive but it also shows me how bloody good it is.

Mind you, I'm going to make sure we always have one of each so I have the best of both worlds. If I get the wife a de-badged M135i next time she'll never know

[Tengocity]

I think it's just everyone's way of expressing how much they love their car!

And since we're all men (strange that isn't it), we're competitive, argumentative, sure we are right.... my car/driving/engine/drivetrain/fuel/sat nav/suspension/colour/wheels/tyres are better than yours etc etc

And if it wasn't then we'd have nothing to talk about!

[F30AM]

Talk about flogging a dead horse and then some.
This thread is going the same way as all the others.
Both drives are good and a bit different and let's leave it at that.
Except with sDrive the stance of the car looks nicer. A bit more eye candy.