John NY-Naples

I currently have an '06 330xi, which I use as a daily driver. The car performs fine in NY snow, and for the most part, is a good daily driver. In my opinion, one major downside is all BMW xi cars have a different suspension than other BMWs, and the car cannot handle bumps. You hit a small pothole or a bump, and it feels like you hit a wall. It got so bad, I replaced the run flat tires with regular performance tires. The ride is smoother now, but the car still handles bumps poorly. For this reason, I will be getting rid of my 330xi, and am doing some research to decide on a replacement daily driver. I am currently leaning heavily on an Audi S4.

entdoc

I bought an Infiniti G35x. It's substantially cheaper (at least in Canada) and seems more luxurious with a softer / quieter ride. It's only available in automatic but complements the Porsche nicely - particularly when it comes to driving on terrible streets in rush hour and in the winter. It's also loaded with all of the electronics found in Japanese cars - laser cruise control, back-up camera, keyless go, etc.

mjsporsche

[QUOTE=John NY-Naples;4585968] one major downside is all BMW xi cars have a different suspension than other BMWs, and the car cannot handle bumps. You hit a small pothole or a bump, and it feels like you hit a wall. It got so bad, I replaced the run flat tires with regular performance tires. The ride is smoother now, but the car still handles bumps poorly. QUOTE]

This is what I am concerned about. I love BMWs but the ride on the 3 series xi is too harsh. I am thinking of looking at the 5 series instead.

mooty

if you need AWD, then maybe audi of sorts.

i had B5 and B6 S4's, wonderful interior the rest is .... boring car to drive, really boring.

if you dont need AWD, and dont mind the new design of e90, it's a great driving machine. my zero optin 328 i just picked up has run flat, fully stock, i am surprised that despite the soft shocks the car is a hoot to drive...

JFScheck

If you don't want to blow the money on the S4 - get an A4 with the S-Line package and upgrade to the 3.2 engine.

My wife has one and we luv it (almost as much as my S4)!!!

CBejbl

Hey another G35X driver! I've had the '07 for about 1 year now and it is a great driver. Good, solid power. Nice supension for the terrible RI roads. Nav system, Bose stereo, yadda yadda.

Still am a big fan of Audi A6's, but for value and performance of the Infinit, it's tough to beat.

ELUSIVE

I think you are probably the first person that I've ever seen that thought an S4 was "really boring" to drive.

I'm shocked honestly.

Greg Fishman

My wife has a 328xi and I noticed this characteristic which is lots different than my DD 335i with sport suspension, which is plush in comparison.
I even switched out the Run flats on her car and it made some difference but not much.

I think the 335i with snows is a good daily driver, but I don't get much snow compared to the Chicago area.

Vancouver83LTD

I'd take the BMW. Superior driving dynamics, and it's a RWD based AWD system, unlike the front wheel drive based audis.
The Volvo S60R might also be a very good option, though they were in high demand and have just been discontinued.

kennygoodboy

Thanks everyone for their inputs...and everyone has a different view which is always healthy. I dont think i can go for Audi because I simply find their styling way too bland...I still want to be excited about my dd. Interestingly, no one stood up for the new C class...maybe they have farther to go than they thought. The 335xi is just a total *sskicker...but now i am also considering the 335i...still dont know if I "need" awd per se but i guess i look at it as insurance for $1,800 (price difference) but at 3,800 lbs its kind of a hog. Off to the dealer to take some test drives...

Vancouver83LTD

Or $1800 to go from 0-60 in 5.6 as opposed to 5.7...

kennygoodboy

yeah, thats really bizarre...the website has 5.3 0-60 for the xi and 5.4 for the i...compared with 6.9 for the 328xi vs 6.3 for the 328i. So its quicker with the awd in the 335 but more than a half a second slower in the 328! Maybe its related to how the turbo works in the 335.

(note - all times manual)

Vancouver83LTD

I found it odd too. I suppose in the 328ix it adds more weight than can be made up for in grip, wheras in the 335ix it is more usable grip.

Phil G.

As you can see from my sig, I have a new '08 S4 on order which I'll use as my daily driver. Audis are great in snow. My wife has a 328xi which she loves, but car's just not for me. I looked seriously at a 335xi with 6speed, and was turned off. Suspension is the same as the 328's, and the shifter/linkage is vague and rubbery. Not typical BMW. And nothing compared to the C4S with OEM short shifter. I'm spoiled, I guess.

John NY-Naples

My wife has a 335i hardtop convertible, and it drives very nicely. Performance is good, and can handle bumps well. Problem is, I need an all wheel drive to go up my driveway. A rear wheel drive with snow tires cannot get up my driveway if there is even a light dusting of snow.