I have been reading a lot about the BMW XDrive. BMW Engineering certainly seems to be second to none. The X Drive reviews are tremendous. And, real life users seem to love the way their X Drive Bimmers handle slippery, wet, iced, and snowy roads. But, what about performance? Is there a big difference in performance/handling from a 530i to a 530xi?

 

Some may disagree, but IMO there is not that much difference unless one is a very good driver--not one who fancies himself to be a much better driver than he really is. There was a very good artilce on the xDrive in the latest, or next to latest, Bimmer. And, there may have been an article in the latest BWM Magazine. I saw another very information/complimentary xDrive-related article somewhere, but can't remember where for sure. Still, I would not have an xDrive on my 545i because I am a very good straight-line driver and I would not want to sacrifice even a small amount of straight-line performance or braking ability in general. But, note also that I have no real "need" for the xDrive in Phoenix. We do have it on our X5 though. So, if we ever need to drive in snow or ice, then we are prepared.

 

Whats the weight difference? If you add a few hundred pounds to any car it will adversely affect handling. If four wheel drive was better handling for driving on asphalt, F1/Indy/NASCAR cars would have it.

 

Along with the weight gain there is also added parasitic loss in the drive line.

 

The 530xi weighs 160 pounds more than its 530i counterpart. It loses 0.1 s on 0-60 acceleration. It gets 1 mpg less in the city and 2 mpg less on the highway.

As for loss, yes, there is a loss, but that's because there is an additional axle that could potentially be driven, and there are drivetrain components to allow for this. Further, xDrive is a lot more than just simple all wheel drive.

The bottom line: if you prefer RWD and/or live in a part of the country where it never dips below 60 degrees, good for you. But if you ever have to drive in snow, ice, or adverse conditions, a 530xi equipped with snow/winter tires is so much better than a RWD 530i with the same equipment that it's ridiculous. Now, that's not to say that a 530i is *bad* when properly equipped, nor that someone's opinion that having RWD all-year-round somehow "makes up" for what they would call a "slight" loss in adverse driving performance on a RWD vehicle is not valid. But there is no question that, all things else being equal, AWD is significantly better in adverse conditions (snow, ice, slippery roads, and even wet roads) than RWD, and there is not some massive performance loss or weight gain.

The answer is: no, there is most definitely not a big difference between 530xi and 530i "performance" (I assume you're talking about things like acceleration and braking). In fact, there is almost no difference on the manual, and 0.3 s on 0-60 with the automatic. You do lose the ability to get things like Sport Suspension and Active Steering on the xi model, but I can say categorically that with the exceptions I noted previously, that there is no big performance hit.

HOWEVER, I will say that with one big caveat: if your driving conditions are always dry or you live in a region where you don't have to deal with winter, there is no compelling reason to get AWD, unless you specifically appreciate some xDrive advantages, especially since you lose the ability to get other vehicle stability and suspension features. However, if you will be driving in winter conditions (snow/ice), the 530xi is unbelievably better than a 530i in acceleration from stop and ability to hold the road at higher speeds without a tendency to slip when cornering (because of power being able to be applied to all wheels). Note this does not mean a properly equipped 530i (or 545i, or 550i) is "bad" in the winter, or that a RWD vehicle can't be controlled by a competent driver in inclement weather. But all this talking down AWD here and elsewhere as if you're somehow worse off overall if you have it (especially keeping in mind that not everyone lives in Southern California and Florida) is getting tiresome.

 

We're not wrong, you stated what we did and you are willing to accept a power/handling loss in trade for AWD. BMW is counting that there will be many more of you. I live in the North East, where we do have snow.

 

The power loss is slight (unless someone things a less than 0.1 s difference on 0-60 is a lot), and there is no handling loss (unless you are operating under the assumption that sport suspension on a non-xi E60 is an absolute must for safety reasons).

If anything, I'd argue that, in regions of the country where you deal with ice and snow, the performance gains of AWD in inclement or adverse conditions far outweigh the "losses" in perfect conditions.

If someone can tell me whether or not they consider a 1 mpg mileage loss or a <0.1 s 0-60 loss to be "big" in terms of performance in exchange for having the front wheels able to deliver power, perhaps that can put this in context a little bit.

Now, if you want the power/performance of a 545i or 550i, then I agree completely. But I'm talking exclusively about 530i vs 530xi here, as the original poster asked, not whether a 530xi is necessarily better all around than, e.g., a 545i.

 

The power loss is slight (unless someone things a less than 0.1 s difference on 0-60 is a lot), and there is no handling loss (unless you are operating under the assumption that sport suspension on a non-xi E60 is an absolute must for safety reasons).

If anything, I'd argue that, in regions of the country where you deal with ice and snow, the performance gains of AWD in inclement or adverse conditions far outweigh the "losses" in perfect conditions.

If someone can tell me whether or not they consider a 1 mpg mileage loss or a <0.1 s 0-60 loss to be "big" in terms of performance in exchange for having the front wheels able to deliver power, perhaps that can put this in context a little bit.

Now, if you want the power/performance of a 545i or 550i, then I agree completely. But I'm talking exclusively about 530i vs 530xi here, as the original poster asked, not whether a 530xi is necessarily better all around than, e.g., a 545i.
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I noticed we both have BMW's and Chryler 4WD products, I have a Grand Cherokee and you a Durango. We are not saying there is a big loss, but there is a loss. You can make a high performance street car (WRX STI, Mitsu Evo, Porsche Carrera 4, Lamborghini Gallardo etc.) but your right, since you can't get the true sports package with the E60 I find it too much of a trade-off. If it snows I drive the Jeep.

 

OK, that explains it better. If the sport package is a requirement, then the xi E60 is automatically out. For me personally, the benefits of AWD in the winter outweighed any benefit I felt I would get from the sport package in the summer. I would also argue this is true for most people.

And yes, my wife loves her Durango with BF Goodrich All Terrain T/A KO in the winter.

 

I don't believe "performance/handling loss" is the right way to frame the issue.

The 530xi will simply perform differently than the normal 530i.

The xi by BMW is indeed heavier, but the additional weigt is still distributed evenly -- i.e. near 50/50. Thus, the extra weight will only affect (in the purest terms) straight line acceleration; it should have a de minimus effect on handling. This is very much unlike the RS4, which with the Quattro, the additional weight is biased towards the front -- i.e. about 57/43.

The handling characteristics between AWD vis-a-vis RWD manifest themselves during, for example, turn-ins or when corner braking through a curve. One is not necessarily better than the other -- the driver simply has to drive the car differently.