X drive cars

X drive cars

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Discussion

Geffg

Original Poster:

1,232 posts

112 months

Wednesday 22nd May
quotequote all
Been looking at another car. Seen a 6gt xdrive.
Are there any bad points apart from a few less mpg compared to a 2 wheel drive?
If I need tyres do all 4 have to be changed at same time?
Besides that anyway I’m a little unsure on the styling / looks of it.

E-bmw

9,976 posts

159 months

Thursday 23rd May
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Geffg said:
Been looking at another car. Seen a 6gt xdrive.
Are there any bad points apart from a few less mpg compared to a 2 wheel drive?
There are well documented potential issues around their sensitivity to tyres.

Geffg said:
If I need tyres do all 4 have to be changed at same time?
Not necessarily but it is VERY strongly recommended that an axle is changed at the same time. The ones with the staggered set up are most vulnerable to this. It is also pretty imperative that you stick with BMW star rated tyres. It is best that you check the car has the correct tyres before even buying it & also check EXACTLY what it should have & cost them up before you buy as they are expensive.

Geffg said:
Besides that anyway I’m a little unsure on the styling / looks of it.
Yes, indeed, they are ugly AF IMHO.

PlywoodPascal

5,386 posts

28 months

Thursday 23rd May
quotequote all
The bad point is you’re generally lugging around a load of extra weight and complexity for no real or justifiable reason (in most of the uk). The line only really exist(ed) for markets with lots of winter snow.

Terminator X

16,332 posts

211 months

Thursday 23rd May
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It's RWD until it needs 4WD afaik so it will be mostly RWD.

TX.

Sixpackpert

4,704 posts

221 months

Thursday 23rd May
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I had a 6GT and loved it. Drove well, very spacious, huge boot. It's basically a 5 series inside...with more room.

Yes it looked a bit awkward but was a lot better that the 5GT!

ETA: The only problem I had with it was the frameless windows. On frosty mornings they wouldn't lower so when you went to close the door it the window bounced off the rubbers. A few trips to the kitchen to get some warm water out the tap solved it but it was a pain in extended cold spells.

Edited by Sixpackpert on Thursday 23 May 16:10

Geffg

Original Poster:

1,232 posts

112 months

Thursday 23rd May
quotequote all
Thanks for all your replies and it’s definitely made my mind up not to get a gt or an xdrive

Pica-Pica

14,468 posts

91 months

Thursday 23rd May
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Geffg said:
Thanks for all your replies and it’s definitely made my mind up not to get a gt or an xdrive
I am happy with my 335d x-drive.
However, I certainly do not like the look of the 6GT

RockDriver

105 posts

24 months

Friday 24th May
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There's a saying - better have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

During those few days of snow every year or so - everybody is jealous AF of my X5 with winter tyres on.

Pica-Pica

14,468 posts

91 months

Friday 24th May
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RockDriver said:
There's a saying - better have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

During those few days of snow every year or so - everybody is jealous AF of my X5 with winter tyres on.
X drive makes wet roundabouts a doddle.
It also makes a quick exit from a gravel side road onto tarmac a breeze. I had to make a quick exit - foot down, no fuss nor scrabbling for grip. The only issue was that the steering wheel was whipped round pretty quickly in my hands - luckily my thumbs were safe!

otolith

59,075 posts

211 months

Friday 24th May
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I'm happy with my 335D GT XDrive too. I have once had to deal with some unexpected oversteer, though, so it isn't entirely neutered.

RockDriver

105 posts

24 months

Friday 24th May
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Pica-Pica said:
X drive makes wet roundabouts a doddle.
It also makes a quick exit from a gravel side road onto tarmac a breeze. I had to make a quick exit - foot down, no fuss nor scrabbling for grip. The only issue was that the steering wheel was whipped round pretty quickly in my hands - luckily my thumbs were safe!
Exactly. We live in a country where it rains a lot, snows sometimes, where you occasionally have to get off paved surface. RWD with a powerful engine? Hell no.

I remember this one time when I went to the Whipsnade Zoo. There was grass field parking and it started raining. I was laughing like hell at all those bogged down RWDs.

PlywoodPascal

5,386 posts

28 months

Friday 24th May
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I can safely say I have never once been troubled by a wet roundabout in any of my RWD cars (BMW or otherwise).

PlywoodPascal

5,386 posts

28 months

Friday 24th May
quotequote all
RockDriver said:
We live in a country where it rains a lot, snows sometimes, where you occasionally have to get off paved surface. RWD with a powerful engine? Hell no.
yes it can be a problem in a powerful RWD car, especially one that generates peak HP/Torque at 900 rpm.

Pica-Pica

14,468 posts

91 months

Friday 24th May
quotequote all
PlywoodPascal said:
I can safely say I have never once been troubled by a wet roundabout in any of my RWD cars (BMW or otherwise).
Nor have I. I can just be less circumspect in an x-drive.

sortedcossie

714 posts

135 months

Friday 24th May
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We have a horrible, partially blind T junction by us where turning left is up hill. As it's blind going onto an A road, you need to pull out sharpish.

Our e91 330d can scrabble for traction even in the dry there as the surface isn't great, F31 335d xdrive does the same turn with no fuss. I don't mean the e91 lights the rears up, it's more that the xdrive is just very sure footed as to be expected.

Ezra

629 posts

34 months

Friday 24th May
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PlywoodPascal said:
The bad point is you’re generally lugging around a load of extra weight and complexity for no real or justifiable reason (in most of the uk). The line only really exist(ed) for markets with lots of winter snow.
Surely, depends where you live. We're in W. Yorks, its hilly, narrow roads and the weather could be all seasons in one day. In the colder months I regularly feel the benefits of x-drive. As for any possible impact of lugging extra weight around...I've got an 840d xdrive grand coupe and after 17k miles the car has averaged 48mpg. As far as I'm concerned, there's no downside whatsoever.

Geffg

Original Poster:

1,232 posts

112 months

Friday 24th May
quotequote all
Reading these latest posts, apart from making sure the tyres are bmw star marked and tyres on the same axles match then everything else is a benefit.
Defo moved away from the gt though. Back to holding out for a suitable facelift 5 then. Either 2 or 4 wheel drive. Just never had a 4wd to compare and always heard different story’s about tyre issues etc.

PlywoodPascal

5,386 posts

28 months

Saturday 25th May
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Ezra said:
PlywoodPascal said:
The bad point is you’re generally lugging around a load of extra weight and complexity for no real or justifiable reason (in most of the uk). The line only really exist(ed) for markets with lots of winter snow.
Surely, depends where you live. We're in W. Yorks, its hilly, narrow roads and the weather could be all seasons in one day. In the colder months I regularly feel the benefits of x-drive. As for any possible impact of lugging extra weight around...I've got an 840d xdrive grand coupe and after 17k miles the car has averaged 48mpg. As far as I'm concerned, there's no downside whatsoever.
if you don't notice duller steering, longer braking distances, and higher polar moments of inertia, then you don't notice them, I suppose.

I live in rural Scotland and we have snow pretty much every winter, sometimes for weeks, and I’ve never had any issue without xdrive/4wd, just using rwd BMWs on winter tyres. Never got stuck, never suffered from wheel spin I couldn’t ameliorate, never lacked enough grip to stop,

Edited by PlywoodPascal on Saturday 25th May 16:15

hilly10

7,309 posts

235 months

Saturday 25th May
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Done 22k miles original tyre's from new on my X3 non run flats they will be shot by end of August so I would say 26k miles.

smashy

3,079 posts

165 months

Saturday 25th May
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350 miles-400 miles a week driving in the south east in my 335d x drive.The only bit of fun I get is coming off the m25 n bound on to the sweep to get on the M4 going east.Even on my non star Goodyear runflats I reckon it holds the road better than the AC Schnitzer shocks and springs I had on my 330d . The tyres last forever as well ,I thought on x drive they wouldn't