Quote:
Originally Posted by boltjames
+1.
In serious snow and ice, we all drive conservatively and more cautiously, the speed and the maneuverability are practically non-issues. It's the stopping that is the crux of the matter and no AWD helps you there. Here's a guide to winter traction from my experience with all the technologies and tires being questioned here:
Snow Tires + AWD = The best solution.
Snow tires + RWD = 90% of that.
All Seasons + AWD = 70% of that.
All Seasons + RWD = 40% of that.
XDrive is just savvy marketing for lazy Americans who don't want to have to be inconvenienced having their tires changed each year. It's a nice concept on paper; doesn't work in the real world. It's all about the tires. Save the $3000 on XDrive, get $1000 worth of snow tires, spend the $200 to have them swapped 2x a year, done. Better traction, better safety, saves you money.
BJ
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Lazy Americans? How about super busy Americans that work 50-60 hours a week and the inconvenience is having to leave work to get tires swapped. And a place like OH where the weather is unpredictable, you could get a snow storm in October before you've had a chance to get them swapped, or in late April when it's been clear for two months and you've already taken them off because snow tires tear up on bare pavement and that $1000 quickly turns into $2000 if you wear out the first set.
And the MSRP for xDrive is $2000 on the 3 series, and even less if you know how to haggle for a car, so the price difference once you've bought snow tires and pay to have them swapped is negligible, just to say your car handles slightly better when you...get on the highway or take a right on red
.
The way some people talk here, you'd think their commute to work was on a drag strip.