328i vs 328xi

I have an 07 328xi and I love it! However, I've never driven a RWD car. I've had FWD cars my whole life, so I can't really add too much insight to the i/xi debate, but I sure as hell love my xi more than the FWD cars I've had. I've only had mine for about a month now and I've already had it on I95 in hard rainfall and snowfall, and it performed like a boss

Like someone else mentioned earlier, the peace of mind aspect shouldn't be overlooked. This is my 1st BMW and while I was searching I knew I wanted the x drive because (A) I live in PA and (B) I wanted the peace of mind that comes with knowing you have AWD and are better equipped to handle almost any weather situation better than those w/out it. Sure, you can drive your RWD car in the snow/winter, but I've seen too many Mustangs and the like fishtailing in the snow to know that I'd rather have AWD.

I truly appreciate the x-drive performance and handling characteristics in winter driving. I find that all seasons are perfectly "sticky" enough on snow/ice to be suitable for southern new England weather. My next set up will going back to the original RWD, however. The recent winters have simply not provided any sustained winter driving conditions where I live. And with the sophistication of the current traction and stability control I believe that RWD is perfectly capable unless driving in winter hilly areas.

I have never been able to find good information on preventative maintance for the x-drive drivetrain. Can anyone point me to current recommendations?

Originally Posted by jertronic

I have never been able to find good information on preventative maintance for the x-drive drivetrain. Can anyone point me to current recommendations?

BMW feels that all the fluids in the xDrive system are "lifetime" and that there's no additional PM required.

That being said, I have the fluids in the transfer case and front / rear differentials changed every 30k miles. If you're into DIY, it's my understanding that the rear differential is a royal pain.

After driving 83K on the original fluids I will be having the transfer case with both diff's changed at my next oil service.

Zooks- What is the cost for your x-drive fluid replacement? My indy shop in Allston performs all fluid changes for this vehicle.