[Finslamavs]

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[BlkGS]

Florida native here. Get AWD. Especially if you're in South Florida. When you get inches of rain dumped on you in an hour, AWD is really nice to have.

When I was in college an idiot nearly t boned me running a red light in the rain. I punched the throttle mid turn and narrowly avoided the dumbass driving 70+ in the rain on a surface road. Because I had AWD, I hooked and went and got out of the intersection. If I had 2WD, I likely would have spun the tires and gotten smashed by that truck. It's really easy to talk about how you can feather the throttle and TCS should kick in and help, and all that... But none of that matters in the handful of seconds that you need traction.

Resale on a 2WD is trash too.

[MTI422]

I recently bought a used 2022 s40i and have been very pleased with it. The front end feels a little lighter and I don't have the transfer case to worry about. The ride is very supple (22" wheels) and gas mileage is great. We don't have ice or snow where we live except on very rare occations and then we stay home. It is very low mileage and replaced an older M50i that was about to be out of warranty. The point about AWD wet traction is well-taken but I felt the trade-off for a newer X5 with a couple years left on the CPO warranty and more options was worth it. If and when I order a brand new one it will probably be xDrive. One thing I miss from the M50i is the 2VH Integral Active Steering (IAS option - rear steering) which makes the vehicle a little more maneuverable when parking and pulling into and out of the garage. According to the 2025 X5 Ordering Guide, 2VH is only available in the M60i (as standard equipment) and you cannot get it in the 40i or 50e. Also, there is no Harman Kardon (HK) sound system, which apparently was dropped for a while for the 2022 vehicles and isn't in my X5 40i even though it has the Executive Package. And of course I miss the M50i power . . . but it's so much you really can't use it all.

[AGONXF30]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

Florida native here. Get AWD. Especially if you're in South Florida. When you get inches of rain dumped on you in an hour, AWD is really nice to have.

When I was in college an idiot nearly t boned me running a red light in the rain. I punched the throttle mid turn and narrowly avoided the dumbass driving 70+ in the rain on a surface road. Because I had AWD, I hooked and went and got out of the intersection. If I had 2WD, I likely would have spun the tires and gotten smashed by that truck. It's really easy to talk about how you can feather the throttle and TCS should kick in and help, and all that... But none of that matters in the handful of seconds that you need traction.

Resale on a 2WD is trash too.

You like to give bad advice. And the what you are saying is incorrect. Correlation is not causation. AWD has nothing to do with water on the roads, the tires do. I have driven in the winter, in snow, with RWD. A good set of winter tires will do better than some AWD cars with all seasons.

If I lived in a place where snow didn’t fall, I would do RWD only.

[bandersen]

The S is a RWD, yes? A thread here called it 2WD? Mistake?

My E39 was RWD back in 2002. With Blizzaks on it, it went everywhere. The tires matter just as much - if not more - than the drive.

[elJames]

Originally Posted by bandersen

My E39 was RWD back in 2002. With Blizzaks on it, it went everywhere. The tires matter just as much - if not more - than the drive.

Similar for me but RWD E46 in Western NY winters. Surprisingly was a tank in snow, and yet still so much fun at 2am in unplowed lots

[bandersen]

Originally Posted by elJames

Similar for me but RWD E46 in Western NY winters. Surprisingly was a tank in snow, and yet still so much fun at 2am in unplowed lots

Hell yes to unplowed lots! Take my X5 out whenever I see one…winter tires on, DSC off. Just like I was 20 or something!

[Pottscb]

Originally Posted by AGONXF30

You like to give bad advice. And the what you are saying is incorrect. Correlation is not causation. AWD has nothing to do with water on the roads, the tires do. I have driven in the winter, in snow, with RWD. A good set of winter tires will do better than some AWD cars with all seasons.

If I lived in a place where snow didn’t fall, I would do RWD only.

Though I thought the same, I’m not so sure now. After looking for a used SDrive I found a deal on 22 xDrive. It’s true that rear wheel drives have traction control for wet streets but after driving AWD in rain and slush I’ve never gotten the xDrive to even activate the traction control, and I tried pretty hard yesterday. It accelerates/corners in rain like a RWD does in dry…and it’s not just the tires. I’m glad I have it though not sure how much extra I’d pay in desert-like TX.

[BlkGS]

Originally Posted by AGONXF30

You like to give bad advice. And the what you are saying is incorrect. Correlation is not causation. AWD has nothing to do with water on the roads, the tires do. I have driven in the winter, in snow, with RWD. A good set of winter tires will do better than some AWD cars with all seasons.

If I lived in a place where snow didn’t fall, I would do RWD only.

I've done it too. That doesn't mean it's better. I've driven my Corvette in a downpour with standing water, doesn't mean it's better. Tires are obviously important too, but why wouldn't you give yourself the advantages you can get?

Skipping AWD because you have good tires is equally as foolish as not getting the right tires because you have AWD. A little less maybe, because AWD doesn't help you stop, it only helps you go and hold the road.

[AGONXF30]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

Skipping AWD because you have good tires is equally as foolish as not getting the right tires because you have AWD. A little less maybe, because AWD doesn't help you stop, it only helps you go and hold the road.

Again AWD does not help hold the road, tires do. I NEVER get a TC indication in the dry or in the wet with my RWD BMW.

[BlkGS]

Originally Posted by AGONXF30

Again AWD does not help hold the road, tires do. I NEVER get a TC indication in the dry or in the wet with my RWD BMW.

Tires and drive traction BOTH do. Unless you're off the throttle, AWD will give the tires more available grip for turning.

Think of it this way, if you are cruising around and using 100hp to move the car forward and have to suddenly swerve to avoid a sandhill crane, assuming you stay at the same level of throttle and have a locked rear diff, each tire is putting 50hp to the ground. If you attempt to turn too much, you will oversteer and slide. In the same situation, a vehicle with AWD is only putting down 25hp.pwr tireeaning it has more of the tire's traction that can be used for holding the road. An advanced AWD system is also able to route power side to side, to assist you in not hitting the 5' tall dinosaur birds that are going to ruin your day if you hit them and will stand in the middle of the road.

[jad03060]

A non-driven wheel can't help pull you around a corner. BMW, and many systems, can manage the power delivery to the wheel(s) with the best grip.

A study done by Audi way back found that a well-designed all-wheel drive system's wheels have less drag than one being pushed or pulled. Now, how much loss there is in the drive system can shift that one way or the other in efficiency.