# To 330 xi owners...or 3 series owners.



## Fzara2000 (Jan 22, 2004)

photo2000a said:


> Fzara2000 said:
> 
> 
> > DO NOT GET AN XI. If you do, I will personally come to your house and slap you silly.
> ...


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## st_o_p (Sep 30, 2003)

Fzara2000 said:


> ...Besides, I remember this winter the snow wasn't that bad. We had maybe 5 or 6 days of terrible snow which our cars werent even on the road because everything was mostly closed...


Yes, but those several snow days more than made up for it. I remember the first severe snow storm - started when I was at work, and took me 4 hours on the way back. But the xi never hesitated - and I passed a lot of cars stuck there. I remember thinking how ridiculous I'd be looking in my brand-spanking new bmw stuck there - if it was not for the xi

Plus if you don't have garage space and you don't want to deal with changing wheels/tires all the time - the xi is a great option. As for the performance hit - I'm only sorry I didn't get 330; but I'd get an xi again


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## solsurfr (Oct 19, 2003)

Fzara2000 said:


> Nothing wrong with our XI's having all seasons or snow tires-they both handle very well in the wintery conditions that us Northeasterns are sometimes plagued with depending on the snowfall.
> 
> But even so, I feel like I was picked up in the marketing of the AWD with "go anywhere, do anything, go on the highest hills and mountains, etc etc", and I felt like it was neccessary to have AWD. Now..these days, as for my conditions, I notice the extra weight, and I notice how tall the car stands with the modified suspension and I really don't think it is neccessary to have it when the days that it does snow, I can probably NOT go to school.
> 
> ...


No apologies necessary. There are some XI owners here who feel the same way. But for all practical purposes, the XI isn't that much drop in performance in terms of everyday and backroad driving. A lot of us don't spend our weekends in empty parking lots racing thru orange cones and analyzing how much better the i's are to the xi's. I'm not a race car driver (even though I wish I was) nor a grease-monkey or gearhead. I basically just want one of the best entry-level luxury sedans in the market and I know I have one. And the 10 or less days of snow we get here in Philly, make it that much more worth it to me because I hate feeling helpless in inclement weather. It's simply not fun and it can be a dangerous situation. I've driven 70+ mph on the autobahn during white-out conditions and felt no compromise. The XI performed superbly. What did I find on the side of the highways? RWD cars and I didn't see anyone carry snow tires in their trunks so they can swap them out when they got caught in the blizzard :tsk: . I saw one lady going around 50mph and hydroplaned, tried to recover then spun out literally 50yds into a field surrounded by 12inches of snow. She was driving a 330i and it was 5am in Munich at the time and pitch black outside. Luckily there were snow plows everywhere so I think she got some assistance.


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## Shamrock (Sep 4, 2003)

solsurfr said:


> No apologies necessary. There are some XI owners here who feel the same way. But for all practical purposes, the XI isn't that much drop in performance in terms of everyday and backroad driving. A lot of us don't spend our weekends in empty parking lots racing thru orange cones and analyzing how much better the i's are to the xi's. I'm not a race car driver (even though I wish I was) nor a grease-monkey or gearhead. I basically just want one of the best entry-level luxury sedans in the market and I know I have one. And the 10 or less days of snow we get here in Philly, make it that much more worth it to me because I hate feeling helpless in inclement weather. It's simply not fun and it can be a dangerous situation. I've driven 70+ mph on the autobahn during white-out conditions and felt no compromise. The XI performed superbly. What did I find on the side of the highways? RWD cars and I didn't see anyone carry snow tires in their trunks so they can swap them out when they got caught in the blizzard :tsk: . I saw one lady going around 50mph and hydroplaned, tried to recover then spun out literally 50yds into a field surrounded by 12inches of snow. She was driving a 330i and it was 5am in Munich at the time and pitch black outside. Luckily there were snow plows everywhere so I think she got some assistance.


I also live near Philly (in Bucks county). I debated going for the XI, but after much research, I decided on a 330i. For me it was the right decision.

I also bought a set of 16" snow tires and rims from Tire Rack. I can swap them out in the garage in about an hour and leave them on untli the weather gets warm. (Also saves the summers from getting chewed up in the winter.) I don't carry the snows with me because I have a television and can see when the first storm of the season is coming.

The winter tires are amazing. The 330i RWD with winters handles much better in the snow that my FWD Nissan 200SX. And for me, winter driving is about careful driving and being able to stop. AWD doesn't help you stop any better than RWD in traction-losing conditions. It's all about the tires.

Of course, AWD with snows would perform better in extreme snow conditions than RWD with snows. But for me the RWD is more than ample for the handful of snow days I deal with. And RWD is cheaper, lighter, better looking (wheels, suspension), simpler (reliability), more fun to drive, quicker, etc. for me.

Plus, if I really needed AWD, I'd be in an Audi.


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## solsurfr (Oct 19, 2003)

Shamrock said:


> I also live near Philly (in Bucks county). I debated going for the XI, but after much research, I decided on a 330i. For me it was the right decision.
> 
> I also bought a set of 16" snow tires and rims from Tire Rack. I can swap them out in the garage in about an hour and leave them on untli the weather gets warm. (Also saves the summers from getting chewed up in the winter.) I don't carry the snows with me because I have a television and can see when the first storm of the season is coming.
> 
> ...


People have good success with snows and more power to them (and you). I'm not one for changing tires for as little number of snows we get around here. I also don't have the luxury of choosing what car or truck to drive based on the forecast. Our winters here vary so much with some winters getting hammered with snow and other winters barely get 10 days of it but it only takes 1 accident to throw out all the theories. This is a never ending debate and it comes down to preference. I know that if I still had my SUV or lived on the west coast, I'd get an "i".


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## MG67 (Aug 19, 2003)

Go with the 330i with the Performance Package, you'll be paying about the same and have a great car for Los Angeles!! We have the 325iT and the 330Ci, both 2003 models and we love them!! I would never consider a 4 wheel drive in Los Angeles except for if we had a little Hut in Big Bear...:thumbup:


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## such (Jul 27, 2004)

*330Xi Onwer*

I had a 2000 328i and bought Blizzak snow's from Tire Rack. I live in CT and drove that car through many winters. The car handled better in the snow than my wifes SUV.

I just got a 2004 330Xi in Feb. While we had a relatively light snow fall year here in CT, I did get to drive the car in some wintery conditions. The car handled as good with the factory tires (I have the 330Xi with the premimum, sport, cold weather package & Nav - this combo comes with the low profile 17" run flat tires) as did my 328i with the snows.

Hoping this holds true next winter as the factory tires begin to wear. Time will tell.


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