Re: What I want vs. what the reality could support

You fit a diesel burning cabin heater - which also means it can be on a timer so the car is warm first thing.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)
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Maybe for some users the novelty of tinkering with the menus through a knob is a sell, but I;m sick of computers at work. But, then it could be that MMI and iDrive came a long way since 2003 A6 where I saw webasto configuration in action.

A default of now plus 24 hours minus 15 minutes on webasto seems completely arbitrary to me. After I saw the system in action I thought to myself "thanks, but no thanks".

I'd leave diesels+webasto to drivers with patience.

Still, there are a ton of sunbelt states where 25/75 diesel/petrol mix just does not make sense. On the other hand there is nothing, aside from cost, preventing brain challenged customers in snowbelt from buying a diesel.

Hence to sell diesels only on top of the line models in the states makes a lot of sense.

335d -> sunbelt car 325xi -> snowbelt

I have visions of next vevrsion of iDrive greeting a user of 335d with "you are an idiot" message on the dash once 0F and lower outside temp is detected.

Reply to
AD

..then if the speedometer goes above 5mph the sign would change to "you are a genius!" :-)

Reply to
Zathras

Horse caca. The 335D has got plenty of ooomph with tons of torque. Put four good snow tires on it and it will survive very nicely in the snowbelt states. With mileage in the high 30s (I believe BMW quotes

37mpg), you have a good looking, sporty car, *and* economy.

I drove the new Audi A8L, A7, and the Porsche Panamera 4s today. Very impressed with all three of them. Decisions, decisions.

Dave (Istand) RS6

Reply to
D. LaCourse

You *are* joking?! My 325d is the only car I've ever driven that is capable of failing to move off *downhill* in snow! Yes, if you can get it going, it handles impeccably in snow but stopping and starting in snow often requires divine intervention in these things.

Yes, with preparation and skill these things can go from a to b in snow but no way is a rear wheel drive automatic BMW going to "survive very nicely" in a snowbelt. They are for keen drivers who relish a challenge.

Reply to
Zathras

Let me guess: all seasons on the rear axle? That or the bold snow tires.

What challenge there is in xi? For all I care you can probably drive (and stop) on winter slicks with awd. The tread pattern only comes into play on snow/slush.

Reply to
AD

Hmmmm. Really? I belonged to the BMW club in Massachusetts for a number of years (even though I owned an Audi). They sponsored ice racing on Newfound Lake in NH each winter. BMWs equipped with proper tires did very well ice racing. They were no match for the Audi Quattros, but they did well against other cars. It's all in the tires.

And, consider, "snow days" are usually the only time you use snow tires. The roads are clear *usually* in 24 hours. There's no such think as "all season tires." There are summer tires that should do well in the rain, and there are winter tires. If you put all seasons on a BMW or any rear wheel drive car, you will not be very efficient. Hell, all seaon tires on front wheel drive cars are not ideal either.

Dave

Reply to
D. LaCourse

You're talking about two totally different cars here.

My suspicion is that you have two different sets of tires also. Put a set of Hakkapellitas on that 325d and you will probably find it handles remarkably well. Put a pair of the factory run-flats on the 335d and you will have trouble keeping it on the road.

It's all about tires.

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

What's different apart from the extra turbo, software tweaks and compulsory auto box? I'd be surprised if a 335D would perform hugely better than my manual car on snow covered roads.

Reply to
Zathras

Wheelspin might be easier to induce on ice in 335d :^)

Saw a 335d at a tire shop when switching to summer shoes this morning. Not sure if it was an auto or a euro car with a stick though.

Reply to
AD

That's an interesting one - the peak torque figure in a 325d arrives at a lowly 1300rpm whereas on the 335d it comes in at 1750rpm. The actual peak torque figures are probably irrelevant on ice but what it means on my car is that if your foot is on the accelerator/gas pedal at all then you're most likely putting peak torque out the back axle.

Even in the dry, I need good tyres in good condition to avoid occasional wheel slip away from junctions even on the factory 255 section Michelins. It would not surprise me if the auto 335d with it's slipping clutches and bands were to be actually easier to get off the mark without wheel spin. Comparing to a pals 325d auto, his back tyres last longer than mine but his car takes off at much higher revs than I let mine normally do.

IFAIK, they are only available as automatics :-( I'm not old enough (I tell myself) to want that yet. :-) Even 330d cars with manual are not super common in the UK. That's why I ended up with a 325d. It's not so bad though as I still get that magnificent I6 and a manual box to have the most fun with it.

Reply to
Zathras

If I were in a market for a car lesser than M3 I would've been appalled by the lack of a limited slip option on 3xx series. I think that was not offered since E36 heck, even RX-8 manual has LSD. It's not even an option. You slash $900 off the auto and mazda graciously puts the money into the back of a stick shift car. In my used A4 vs used 3xx decision A4 might not have won as easily if limited slip diff was present on E46. I guess few cusomers care enough (or know what a limited slip diff is), hence the chances of that surfacing in E90 are slim to none.

I hear ya. Most of the bmw diesels in here are from their homeland, where, I assume, manual IS an option.

I'm in the only country in the world where domestic market cars are worse than those exported. Hmm, US of A might be the other of the very few exceptions.

Reply to
AD

Indeed. There are two things I would do to improve my 3 series:

1/ Improve the throttle response. I don't know if a remap would drastically change this. 2/ LSD. Available from a number of suppliers now.

I would do these before getting rid of runflats where the only issue I can see myself is price (I'm one of the few to use the excellent Michelins though).

Reply to
Zathras

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