[johnwoo19]

Just wondering if there is a significant difference in the handling characteristics between a 335i and 335xi. Reason I'm asking is debating whether I should hold off to wait and see if there's a 335xi coupe or just get the e92 335i now.

[FirstClass]

Huge difference.

[johnwoo19]

care to elaborate? thanks

[Alchem]

RWD is more fun.
AWD better if you have bad roads/weather.

But in pretty much most cases RWD+Snow tires is more than enough.

I would go with RWD. Better handling, esp on a track.

[ch330i]

RWD states better mpg however as people mention before its better for bad roads/weather to be in AWD

[uhaulball]

east coast, get the 335xi coupe. otherwise 335i seems fine.

[E91AWD]

If you drive on the tracl or live anywhere where it is warm, sunny and dry yearound, get RWD. Otherwise AWD IMO,

[Eurofreak]

i think the RWD would be more enjoyable for street, and awd more for like cutting corners or something

[John 070]

I think AWD should be avoided if you have another car another car to drive when the weather is bad. I have also heard that RWD with snows on all corners is better than AWD with all-seasons, because AWD helps launching, not cruising. When I did the Ultimate Drive with pro instructors, they said never get an x model. Of course, they can push a 3 to the limits. I suppose for most people xi is practical...

[bmw0perat0r]

The xdrive is supposed to identify road conditions and properly distribute power to the appropriate wheels based on some predetermined parameters...I won't repeat that, it wasn't easy to say.

The car is rear wheel biased 90% of the time, around turns it changes, and of course in poor conditions. I went with the Xi b/c I do not have another vehicle to negotiate the snow - my grand cherokee's engine failed. I like the classy and more sophisticated side of this car...having a corvette and e36 M3 for a number of years, i've had my fair share of the sporty and going to the track business.

Get what you like, but if you really have to track this thing - go with the rwd. If you need a car that can handle most anything on the road, at least in theory...get the awd. It doesn't drive any differently than the rwd and not until you start to push it would you notice any difference.

[LEDZEP]

If there wasn't a significant difference, why would one pay a premium for the xi? You won't lose enough performance to really be noticable with xi, but the handling on slippery or loose surfaces is very noticable.

[FotiosF90M5]

you cant get a real sport package with xdrive.only seats and steering wheel.you can always go aftermarket.it also sits higher.Its an incredible awd system though.tough call.I went with rear on my e90 and I live in ma.snow tires are a must.

[pnkflyd]

I went for the xi as it was my only car .Living in philadelphia I need something to deal with the snow and rain .It pretty much rain every week here. Xi is powerful enough for me .I am now driving in drive mode as I am breaking it in but sport mode will be fun .There is always the manual mode for even faster drive . My 2 cents

[epiphone3]

I have driven a lot of different rwd and similar awd BMW models over the past couple years and I have to honestly say that both drive like a RWD care and they are both fun. I don't see that big of a difference.

I have a RWD BMW and every time I drive an AWD BMW and get back into mine, I am always amazed at the very small / unnoticeable difference

That being said, I am sure they are very different in the winter time.

[John 070]

Originally Posted by fotios330i

you cant get a real sport package with xdrive.only seats and steering wheel.you can always go aftermarket.it also sits higher.Its an incredible awd system though.tough call.I went with rear on my e90 and I live in ma.snow tires are a must.

I would tend to agree, there is add'l hardware that prevents a true sports setup. Active steering (which most of us don't want anyway) is not available with the x. Also, most of us probably don't or will never push our RWD to a level where the xi would be that noticeable....but I hate to pay for something that's needed only in bad weather, esp. when I have an older Japanese car to drive...

[Lassaxi]

OP: You really need to do some searches on this subject. There have been some pretty "lively" debates over the years on this very subject that you will want to read.

The long and short of it is that the handling characteristics of the AWD models are different from those of the RWD models. Some people will say better, and some will say worse but there is no question that they are different, particularly as you approach the limits. Anyone who tells you one is "superior" or "more fun" is just telling you their personal preference- neither is superior or inferior. They're just different.

The best thing to do is realistically assess your needs, drive both models, and make a choice.

[bmwmike]

Originally Posted by johnwoo19

Just wondering if there is a significant difference in the handling characteristics between a 335i and 335xi. Reason I'm asking is debating whether I should hold off to wait and see if there's a 335xi coupe or just get the e92 335i now.

You're in Vancouver like me so i would suggest getting the 335i and a Quaife LSD if you spend most of your time in the lower mainland.

[M4TW]

The default torque split is 62/38 to give the car a rear wheel feel (not 90/10), but the xDrive system can dynamically transfer up to 100% of the torque to the front or rear axles as conditions dictate. It will also correct for over or understeer so its advantages go beyond preventing wheel slippage. As a result there is less need for DTC or DSC intervention. There are unconfirmed reports that at high speeds the torque goes 100% to the rear axles but confirmed reports that at very low speeds (such as corning in a parkade) 100% of the torque will go to the rear to prevent that skip/push barrier of trying to corner a two axle driven car at low speeds.

Mainly because of the lack of a LSD in the 335i, 335xi will beat it to 60 and will corner better. The extra weight and drivetrain losses will catch up to the 335xi after 80, making it slower from 80-120. 200 extra pounds is otherwise obviously going to penalize the 335xi and it does get slightly worse gas mileage.

There is no sport suspension available on the xi and some of the aluminium on the front axle has been swapped out for steel to handle higher loads. The suspension does come stiffer than stock however, so it is somewhere between stock and sport on the 335i. It rides almost a 1/2 inch higher. An xi won't be as close to the 50/50 weight balance of the 335i, but it's pretty close.

To me if you live where it snows a lot (and the snow doesn't melt off the roads immediately) the xi is a huge advantage. Indeed, it opens up a whole new can of driving fun. If you live where it snows but the snow melts or where you get lots of rain, I would recommend it, but you can get along well enough without it. Take your pick. If you live where it is summer driving conditions year round then I wouldn't bother because of the extra weight, slightly worse gas mileage, and having something else to screw up on your drivetrain.

The 3 series was built as a RWD car but the development of xDrive for the X5 gave BMW an opportunity to come out with a sweet AWD sedan that I think is now better than the Audi quattro offerings.

AWD baby.

[bmwmike]

nice write-up Sparkplug

[E90330iS]

I would go with the RWD man, its the platform that carries the BMW tradition!