[MaestroAl]

It's absolutely fine on greasy road until you use the right pedal

No really, it's fine. I've upset the TCD a couple of times but it's only been a mashed pedal that's done it. I did manage to get the DSC involved on a wide roundabout yesterday and was very impressed with the feedback I got from the car. I was able to squeeze on the power very progressively, despite it being a heavily blown turbo and then could feel the understeer coming in by the Oz. Very good indeed. A teeny flick and a little more throttle and the car transferred to a smidgen of oversteer: just how I expected it to do. Playful but controlled

[UK_]

Originally Posted by Rhino at Work

Thanks for the report. Do you find any difference between the feel of xdrive and quattro? I currently have an A4 quattro after many years of driving BMWs and I really like the quattro drive but the rest of the car is, well, just not a BMW.

Hopefully a 320d (or better still a 330d) with xdrive will have appeared by the time I next change cars. I recently emailed BMW asking for any news on this but just got a reply saying I should register my interest with a dealer.

One more question - are there any other visual clues to xdrive other than the badge on the boot?

Thanks.

Hi Rhino, I find xdrive more sure footed than quattro in everyday driving. I haven't encountered any snow yet but I did feel quattro in the wet might bite at me and had to concentrate. Some of that might be suspension feel etc.

No other visual clues, so very subtle. I have bought a couple of xdrive badges to put on the front wings.

[sdb123]

I saw a EBII 320 xdrive whilst walking the dog earlier today....looked very nice (the driver had a big smile on his face too).

[UK_]

Originally Posted by sdb123

I saw a EBII 320 xdrive whilst walking the dog earlier today....looked very nice (the driver had a big smile on his face too).

Maybe driver is a dog lover

[sdb123]

Originally Posted by Rb79

Maybe driver is a dog lover

Not with my mad mutt!

The driver was coming through a twisty stretch of road, so maybe he was testing out the capabilities of the car. Did look nice though.

[UK_]

Originally Posted by MaestroAl

Just to be clear, and because I'm the king of pedants, the xDrive variants will necessarily have less grip in tight bends, or any other bends than an equivalent none-xDrive variant. This is just a matter of weight and physics. they will, however, have more traction. Considerably more I've loosed the rears on mine a fair few times already, having just come from a similarly powered AWD car and used to just mashing the throttle with no ill effects (this is in a straight line, too)

Yep, you are right Maestro and a good point. RWD will have more grip but, as you say, not as much traction. Accelerating hard with AWD can compensate somewhat for a lack of outright bhp figures as the power available is more accessible. I guess the ideal for me in terms of drivetrain would have been a 328 xdrive. But I had no engine choice if I wanted AWD and was happy to accept the trade off as had more to spend on options. There is always a compromise somewhere.

[MaestroAl]

Yeah you and me both except I went for the engine and not the drivetrain. Woulda paid quite a lot more for both if it were an option

[Andys83]

UBG, apologies in not replying, I work away and had a extremely busy weekend! Best mates Wedding on Saturday followed by going away on Monday morning!! When I get home on the 19th I'll get some more pics up, like you I went for the Estoril Blue M Sport, automatic sport gearbox, comfort pack, servotronic, pro nav and many more toys, looking at the HUD a bit gutted I don't have that but hay, I got a pre registered one so wasnt built by me but love it anyway!!

Oh, a wee update / review on the use of it in the snow / ice, I stay in North East Scoland and we had a nice wee flurry of snow the weekend before I came back to work, ice roads with snow and she held fine, the traction control came on a couple of times but not at one point did I feel out of control. I've came from an 06 X3 which to me, was a tank in the snow, must admit though the smooth ride of the 3 series wins hands down to my previous manual X3. Got 2 wee kiddies also to think about but the leather seats are fine, infact IMO better than the fabric ones. The cabin space in the new 3 series also feels larger and the boot capacity is the same as the X3 allbeit different shape! All in all a very satisfied customer!!!

[Rhino at Work]

Originally Posted by MaestroAl

Just to be clear, and because I'm the king of pedants, the xDrive variants will necessarily have less grip in tight bends, or any other bends than an equivalent none-xDrive variant. This is just a matter of weight and physics. they will, however, have more traction. Considerably more I've loosed the rears on mine a fair few times already, having just come from a similarly powered AWD car and used to just mashing the throttle with no ill effects (this is in a straight line, too)

Having scratched my head and thought about it for a bit I can't actually think why the highlighted bit above is the case. I'm certainly not saying you're wrong but do you have a layman's explanation?

Thanks

[JRINNS]

I am so god damn jealous of all you mother hubards posting up your new F30's lol

Nice car, my trusty E90 is on the bay. Gonna use a 3.0 Jag XJ for a few months until my savings rise then buy a 1 year old F10 or a new F30 330d.

I don't know why I look at this site, its depressing I tell yee !

What depressing also is that the new car in 5 years will be worth the same as the outgoing one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2005-BMW-3...item3cccf858ba

[MaestroAl]

Originally Posted by Rhino at Work

Having scratched my head and thought about it for a bit I can't actually think why the highlighted bit above is the case. I'm certainly not saying you're wrong but do you have a layman's explanation?

Thanks

Yes, I can do that for you It's just simple physics. nothing more than given equal grip from the tyres, the AWD car will necessarily have to move more weight and will therefore have a lower minimum speed through an identical bend There's not much in it but given two identical cars where the only difference is an AWD drivetrain then that car will have to carry around the extra weight of that drivetrain so it'll be heavier It's nothing to do with the fact that it's AWD per se and sorry if what I said was misleading on that front - it's just that a consequence of being AWD is being heavy.

AWD cars always have much more drivetrain loss too. So where a 335i has 300bhp at the flywheel and something like 270bhp at the wheels, an AWD version of the same car would have 250bhp at the wheels. I've made those number up just to illustrate a point but I bet they're not that far out. So an AWD car will necessarily go round corners less quickly than its RWD equivalent: physics demands it, and it will also be slower at accelerating at any point that traction is not an issue: say from a rolling 40mph start. They're also harder to launch, especially a turbocharged car since the only way to launch them is either to max the revs and sidestep the clutch (wrecking your drivetrain in no time) or so ease on the clutch at about 2000rpm then mash the throttle. Only the former is going to be quicker than a RWD car and a well launched RWD will usually keep up with an AWD car under normal, straight-line-acceleration circumstances. There's a reason F1 cars aren't AWD and it is all of the above

Now having said all that seemingly negative stuff about AWD cars, all I'm actually trying to do is dispel common misconceptions that AWD cars are inherently quicker somehow, either through the bends or at accelerating - none of which is true - whereas the truth is that they just have superior traction. That's it. Now would I have one? Hell yeah. In a flash. If there were better engine options, I'd be all over it This 330D of mine is very, very similar in performance to my outgoing AWD MPS and there have been a few occasions where I've had the back end get a little squirmy on me where the MPS wouldn't have batted an eyelid. I've got this light called traction control or something random that I only ever saw on my MPS under dire provocation in the wet Well the 330D shows me a fair bit of it, even from a rolling start. Which makes me chuckle but I'd still rather have that "yeah whatever" traction from AWD any day of the week - especially when you're on a heavy throttle with some steering angle. [I]That's[I] when AWD really comes into its own

[Red FR]

Hello UBG
Love the car, I have just ordered one myself. One question I have is what tyres are fitted, are they summer or all season, I dont think that has been mentioned in the thread? Thanks

[JOHNBMWM5]

Originally Posted by Red FR

Hello UBG
Love the car, I have just ordered one myself. One question I have is what tyres are fitted, are they summer or all season, I dont think that has been mentioned in the thread? Thanks

We only get "Summer tyres" fitted here in the UK unless specified otherwise.

[zorroone]

Enjoyed the write up on Xdrive as I am also eagerly awaiting to see if / when it becomes avaiilable in the F31 330d. Your views are very helpful

What 'cubby hole' is lost with the safety pack and how are your leather seats given some previous posts on issues?

[Andys83]

My leather seats are fine must admit! Still loving it, back to work offshore though at the mo and missing the motor!

Took it for a good drive from Aberdeen to Edinburgh and back, MPG was a bit lower than anticipated but I did keep it in auto so that probably didnt help!

LOVE the 19" wheels and the colour, still getting some funny looks when driving round town not as much F30's around here as I thought there would be by now!

[Captain Cow Pat]

There would normally be a cubby hole next to you right knee where you could put small change etc. But if you specify the safety pack the cubby hole front lid becomes a switch panel and what was the cubby hole becomes full of wires and thus not useable.