[Guitarkid]

I'm a potential first time bmw owner looking at a few 6 speed e92 x drive models. It would be my daily driver but I'm wondering if I could get away with rwd and snow tires for the winter. I hear the suspension on the awd models is terrible and I'd prefer the proper bmw ultimate driving machine experience but would be willing to sacrifice that for practicality if needed. Thoughts?

[Vulcan50]

How many days are your roads covered in snow every year? We get decent amounts, but the roads are really only covered for like 10 or so days, and that's only for portions of the day. I'd say consider how often you just get stuck. That's when AWD will help.

[Guitarkid]

Originally Posted by Vulcan50

How many days are your roads covered in snow every year? We get decent amounts, but the roads are really only covered for like 10 or so days, and that's only for portions of the day. I'd say consider how often you just get stuck. That's when AWD will help.

Not all that much honestly. My current car is a 2007 fwd Saab on all season tires and I've never had a problem taking it out in blizzards, although those are built for winter driving and the traction control is better and more advanced than my moms 2014 gmc suv. The past few winters have been pretty mild honestly

[b92]

I daily drove my last 335i for one RI winter on MPSS tires. I wouldn't take it out in extreme conditions because I can thankfully work from home when need be, but I never had an issue when I did get caught in the occasional snow storm.

With snow tires it wouldn't be an issue at all.

[Torgus]

You should be fine assuming you get snow tires. There are only a few really bad days where you have to commute in the bad stuff here in MA.

Personally I will NEVER EVER drive into work if the weather is shit. I can work from home but I would just take it unpaid vs risking life and your car. Just not worth the hassle.

[CTinline-six]

I drove my 328i RWD with snow tires through 3-4" of snow on some mountain roads in Upper State NY without issue last November. I had cable chains in the trunk if I needed them, but never really had traction control come on. I was very impressed. Tires and good driving sense make a huge difference.

[Delta0311]

For me absolutely. I am only 15 miles from my job and 90% of it is highway. My ass has to be at work even if the 4 horseman of the apocalypse are raining death and destruction. So yeah X drive helps.

[vandywu]

I daily drive my e90 335, and take it on frequent ski trips from Boston to New Hampshire and Vermont in the snow. As long as you have a good set of winter tires you should be fine. I never got stuck and my car is lowered on coilovers.

I just don't go out when the conditions are really, really bad. At that point you're just asking for some other idiot to hit you

[Envuks]

Without a LSD the rear wheel 3 series turn into a 1 wheel drive car once traction is lost.....

[Evilchef71]

I’ve had my ‘11 e92 n55 xdrive here in NH for three winters now. I felt safer in that car than I did our Jeep Wrangler TJ. It’s weird because in the bad slushy icy stuff you can feel the car bailing your ass out sometimes....

[Fantastipotamus]

I had to push a 328 x-drive (or maybe a 335?) out of the ditch on the way to some night skiing at Gunstock a few years ago. They were on garbage all seasons and it had been snowing all day up here, and was very cold. Cold enough where the salt doesn't work, so the roads feel extra slick and headlights bounce off them looking like ice.

They were on the inside of a correctly cambered corner at the bottom of a hill, but they weren't going fast enough and slid into the inside snowbank and they just keeeeeept sitting there spinning their tires. I got in the snowbank and pushed them out and finally the tires grabbed and they were able to spin all the way up the hill. ... on the second try anyways. First time, they let off the gas and slid back into the snowbank once, damn near crushed me.

Lesson here: snow tires are always a good idea if you're going out in the real shit.

(They were also fully baked, iirc.. makin’ good choices!)

[CTinline-six]

snow tires and driver ability > AWD

[Torgus]

Originally Posted by Fantastipotamus

I had to push a 328 x-drive (or maybe a 335?) out of the ditch on the way to some night skiing at Gunstock a few years ago. They were on garbage all seasons and it had been snowing all day up here, and was very cold. Cold enough where the salt doesn't work, so the roads feel extra slick and headlights bounce off them looking like ice.

They were on the inside of a correctly cambered corner at the bottom of a hill, but they weren't going fast enough and slid into the inside snowbank and they just keeeeeept sitting there spinning their tires. I got in the snowbank and pushed them out and finally the tires grabbed and they were able to spin all the way up the hill. ... on the second try anyways. First time, they let off the gas and slid back into the snowbank once, damn near crushed me.

Lesson here: snow tires are always a good idea if you're going out in the real shit.

(They were also fully baked, iirc.. makin’ good choices!)

Everyone gets high

[BeaterM3]

Prior to my 335ix, I had RWD cars - 94 supercharged Mustang 5.0, E36 M3, etc...with good snow tires, RWD wasn't a problem. It was cool driving around in snow with all seasons while having my 335ix tho.

This year my E92 M3 will be taking its virgin voyage into Winter (at least under my ownership) and I am all ready with Blizzaks all around.

[Yarbis]

I bought a RWD 335i 6spd over a year ago, I put blizzaks all around and had no issues. Traction control is very nice in the e9x IMO, just dont be a douche and risk things you feel? I had no close calls last year, waiting to see if its the same this year.

[MadJoe]

Here's what I tell friends and family looking to buy AWD cars because it snows here a few times a year:
There's 3 type of traction you need in snow and ice:
Traction to accelerate.
Traction to corner.
Traction to brake.
If you only want 1 of those, go for AWD. If you want all 3, you need snow tires.

[CDirks]

I got by with xDrive on all-seasons last winter, but would be fairly confident in RWD on snow tires too. I'll be buying a license for xDelete in short time as it is.

Having dedicated snow tires is huge convenience. Once you go Blizzak, you never go back

[Torgus]

Originally Posted by CDirks

I got by with xDrive on all-seasons last winter, but would be fairly confident in RWD on snow tires too. I'll be buying a license for xDelete in short time as it is.

Having dedicated snow tires is huge convenience. Once you go Blizzak, you never go back

It allows you to have dedicated summer performance tires as well and both sets don't wear out as fast. So you get the best of both depending on the time of the year.