Originally Posted by Altima
Here's my very fresh opinion.. I own a 2014 MSport 6MT RWD 328i.. Right now I have a loaner (Car is getting inspection, etc.) that is a 430i gran coupe xDrive (Auto). I'm not sure if it's apples to oranges being that it's a gran coupe and mine is the sedan, but I like my car about 600 times better.
So since you live in NY, I'll talk about snow a bit:
I live in Philly so we get snow (Some years a lot, some years not much at all), and no RWD, FWD, or otherwise car I ever had has ever been an issue with good all season tires on it. Every car post 2012 has federally mandated Yaw control (ESC), Traction Control, so control / safety regardless of driver skill is equal across the board technically because of this.. Most people unbelievably have no idea that ESC exists or has been made mandatory. But it works. Either way RWD is great in the snow, and better than FWD while going uphill, contrary to what old myth spreaders will tell you. Think about it, where does the weight of the car go when it points up? Toward the rear axle.. Where does it go even under light acceleration? Toward the rear axle.. Those people spread myths that made their appearance in the 80's/90's when most new RWD cars had open differentials, a front biased weight distribution, crappy bias ply tires, or a camaro with 255 SUMMER tires and TERRIBLE weight distribution, the list goes on. Also the auto makers were trying to sell you a cheaper made product for the same price! It costs less to make FWD.
Anyway, a modern RWD car is 100% different from an old one. It's like comparing an AWD pickup truck to an AWD supercar on a race track. Just because they have the same drivetrain layout doesn't make them even remotely the same. A modern 3 series with RWD is nowhere even remotely similar to a 1970 Buick. They will also perform totally differently in the snow thanks the electronics, 50/50 weight distribution (in some cases even 51%+ on the rear), tires that are 20 times better with today's technology, traction control, E-Diff, etc.
So to those who still think that FWD or AWD is a requirement for any snow, consider this:
My opinion is that RWD will be no noticeably different from FWD in the snow these days. 9% extra weight on the wheels only under 0 acceleration and on level ground is not really that much of an advantage. It goes away as soon as you hit the gas or stop on an hill. With 1 or 2 people in the back seat the RWD will probably have more weight on the drive wheels than does a FWD. This compounds when going uphill where weight lifts OFF the front and even more so under acceleration. Also having equal weight distribution means better BRAKING and CORNERING in ALL conditions, including snow. As for AWD, why penalize yourself when the vast majority of your driving will just be dragging extra weight and complexity, drag, modified steering geometry, harder springs, higher ride height and center of gravity, etc. for nothing? Also if you are keeping the car for a few years past warranty, the RWD one should be undoubtedly more reliable. WAY less stuff to go wrong. Better gas mileage too.
That aside, here are my observations about the 2 cars I'm driving THIS WEEK..
The 430i xDrive is / feels WAY heavier than my car. Undoubtedly is understeers more, and isn't nearly as nimble. It's slow off the line due to the automatic transmission. I can't stand the terrible lag you get from a standing start on this car! That being said it still handles great, is plenty fast enough once you're already moving, and the grip isn't all that much different to me compared to my RWD, even when pushed. The big rear tires on my car make up for the 2 less driving wheels it seems.
My car is wayyyyyy lighter on the steering.. Wayyy more pleasing to drive, corners with way less effort (It doesn't feel like it's fighting against the turn the way the AWD one does. It just wants to turn neutrally, and does even better when you're on the gas), and has a way better ride quality. Less nose weight allows them to put softer springs up front while maintaining the same or better handling. Not sure if the 2014 has a softer suspension in general though, but comparing my car to this new one, my car rides better over bumps and still doesn't lean in any corners.
The manual transmission on my car allows for no such off-the-line lag. None at all. You can be out of the hole in no time with a nicely timed quick but smooth clutch release. The manual is a way better experience.. If you don't know how to drive it then LEARN. It's something that once you learn you won't ever go back to auto as long as they make em.
In the snow, just get Continental DWS tires or a winter set if you live on or near any bad hills, even that might not be needed as today's snow biased all seasons (such as the Conti DWS) are pretty damn good in the snow. And put it on DTC mode so it doesn't bog down the engine and you're golden.
In a nutshell here's my vote:
Try to find a Manual trans RWD car, and you will not regret it one bit. It's worth the extra legwork (since they ram the heavy AWD ones down our throat in the north. More profits for the dealer on the sale AND service if they sell more xDrive's.. Just sayin.) And if you get one like this, you don't need to be in a hurry to buy a new one. Keep the paid off one for a while, because again, it will be much more reliable in the long run!
I've even had the service guys tell me that my cars like mine are the best ones, especially for long term ownership. Simple, manual, RWD. (I even think the Manual is lighter than the auto by a bit.)
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