[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by teaston

It's actually 15-16mm higher than an M Sport

Which doesn't sound much i grant you, but the M Sport is already too high imo so any extra height is even more unwelcome!

The soft squishy ride is the only real disappointment i have with my car!

Teaston you are more vocal than most about thinking the F30 rides too high, irrespective of whether it's sdrive or xdrive.... but you came from an E90 right?

Honestly, go out and look properly at most cars and you will see they all leave a lot of space!

[Dave_3]

On the F30 l don't really notice it too much.

But on the F32 it is very noticeable indeed.

I get that BMW market Xdrive almost exclusively as a safety and functional feature (conducting their launch of the 435D in snowy mountains and on winter tyres e.g. http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/...14-CAR-review/) - but you don't buy coupes because you have your sensible head on.

Aesthetics are obviously important to someone considering a coupe and making the F32 look even higher than an F30 just seems very odd. If you want ground clearance, and 4 wheel drive with a fastback look there are the X6 and X4.

If BMW had actually engineered the Xdrives with standard ride height and as having performance benefits (aimed more for those of us who have experience of Subarus or Coswoth 4x4s) it would be different..... But that would step all over the M cars' toes.

D.

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by Dave_3

On the F30 l don't really notice it too much.

But on the F32 it is very noticeable indeed.

I get that BMW market Xdrive almost exclusively as a safety and functional feature (conducting their launch of the 435D in snowy mountains and winter tyres e.g. http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/...14-CAR-review/) - but you don't buy coupes because you have your sensible head on.

Aesthetics are obviously important to someone considering a coupe and making the F32 look even higher than an F30 just seems very odd. If you want ground clearance, and 4 wheel drive with a fastback look there are the X6 and X4.

If BMW had actually engineered the Xdrives with standard ride height and as having performance benefits (aimed more for those of us who have experience of Subarus or Coswoth 4x4s) it would be different..... But that would step all over the M cars' toes.

D.

Again, Dave you came from having had an E90 335d couple for about 7 years?

Don't disagree that a coupe should be low slung, but then I looked at an A5 coupe and it wasn't any different.

[teaston]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

Teaston you are more vocal than most about thinking the F30 rides too high, irrespective of whether it's sdrive or xdrive.... but you came from an E90 right?

Honestly, go out and look properly at most cars and you will see they all leave a lot of space!

Yes most other cars are high, which is part of the reason i came to have BMW's, they got it spot on in the E90 M Sport, nice small arch gap and it cornered nice and flat.

Now, i'm sure the F30 can go round a corner as fast, if not faster, but it just doesn't feel as fun and rewarding as the E90 did.

So for me the even higher, even softer xdrive would be out of the question. But that's just me, each to their own etc as we're all different.

[Dave_3]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

Again, Dave you came from having had an E90 335d couple for about 7 years?

Don't disagree that a coupe should be low slung, but then I looked at an A5 coupe and it wasn't any different.

E92. Thought it sat well in my eyes.

Though, as Pete has commented before, the front arches look like they actually sit higher than the rears (with a level sill line)

D.

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by teaston

Yes most other cars are high, which is part of the reason i came to have BMW's, they got it spot on in the E90 M Sport, nice small arch gap and it cornered nice and flat.

Now, i'm sure the F30 can go round a corner as fast, if not faster, but it just doesn't feel as fun and rewarding as the E90 did.

So for me the even higher, even softer xdrive would be out of the question. But that's just me, each to their own etc as we're all different.

I would agree with you on that, but I think they are somewhat separate issues. I know they are connected, but I'm just talking about the aesthetics of the ride height.

I think it's the steering that is lacking in the F30 over an E90 in the fun dept... The Z4 feels like the E90 so I'm reminded of it every other day. It's just meatier and feels much more connected.

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by Dave_3

E92. Thought it sat well in my eyes.

Though, as Pete has commented before, the front arches look like they actually sit higher than the rears (with a level sill line)

D.

Well that's interesting... I think my car sits lower than that E92! Of course, it's on ACS springs now.

[Nick the Greek]

Does One Have To Havd Flying LessonsBeforeClimbing Up Into An X Drive?

[teaston]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

I would agree with you on that, but I think they are somewhat separate issues. I know they are connected, but I'm just talking about the aesthetics of the ride height.

I think it's the steering that is lacking in the F30 over an E90 in the fun dept... The Z4 feels like the E90 so I'm reminded of it every other day. It's just meatier and feels much more connected.

Yes the steering does probably add to it!

But i do prefer the nice light steering in the F30

My problem with the cornering is the car feels like it's going to tip over rather than just digging in and hugging the road!

But then is it partly because my E90 was a 20d?!

[gtsussex]

Personally I really don't see what all the fuss is about....

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by teaston

Yes the steering does probably add to it!

But i do prefer the nice light steering in the F30

My problem with the cornering is the car feels like it's going to tip over rather than just digging in and hugging the road!

But then is it partly because my E90 was a 20d?!

I think the 3 litre diesels lack a bit of the nice turn in that 4 cylinder engines do for sure, due to the extra weight of the engine, but that's not really the same as what you describe in the car rolling more than you're used to. I found this most frustrating where you had quick direction changes, where it seemed to take too long for the weight to transition and settle.

[Nick the Greek]

I'm not good with heights....

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by gtsussex

Personally I really don't see what all the fuss is about....

Is that the new X2?

[teaston]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

I think the 3 litre diesels lack a bit of the nice turn in that 4 cylinder engines do for sure, due to the extra weight of the engine, but that's not really the same as what you describe in the car rolling more than you're used to. I found this most frustrating where you had quick direction changes, where it seemed to take too long for the weight to transition and settle.

Yes exactly! You turn the wheel, the car tilts then it starts to go round the corner. E90 was more like you turned the wheel and it immediately started to go round the corner!

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by teaston

Yes exactly! You turn the wheel, the car tilts then it starts to go round the corner. E90 was more like you turned the wheel and it immediately started to go round the corner!

the 330d versions of E46 and E90 did not turn in quite as sweetly as the 320d versions did either, but perhaps in their attempts to improve the ride with the F30 cars they have gone too far the other way then and this difference is even larger.

[DazC]

First world problems!

I don't see the problem personally. Aesthetically it may be more pleasing to the enthusiast but to most it means nothing.

[matt_320d]

Originally Posted by Nick the Greek

Does One Have To Havd Flying LessonsBeforeClimbing Up Into An X Drive?

Loving the X-drive Banter...keep it coming guys

[ipilcher]

Originally Posted by Nick the Greek

Do you get a free step ladder with x drive?

No, but there's an option for one of these:

[MarkG_M5Comp]

Originally Posted by gtsussex

Personally I really don't see what all the fuss is about....

PMSL as my kids would say!!

[MarkG_M5Comp]

My car (yes, an xDrive) is 10 months old today, so I've had the itch to upgrade a few things recently.

It started with non-RFTs - pure brilliance...

Next came the ACS springs - 'kin amazing even the BMW driver who brought it back commented on the 'flatness'...

Today, after a bit of a palaver with incorrect bits being shipped, and courtesy of CA Technologies, I fitted the wheel Ebach spacers (12/15)...

So this is original:



Post Spings:



Post Spacers:



There is certainly a difference, even thought the perspective is slightly different. Anyway, I think I'm happy now... more pics of the spaced wheels:

[Tengocity]

Looks good Mark... hard to tell a comparative difference with the side view, but I like how the stance is when viewed from behind.

[M4dski11z]

Looks sweet Mark.

Have you noticed any difference in the handling since fitting the spacers?