No more RWD 535i on the Canadian market!!!

Are we Antarctica or WHAT??? Why make people get an AWD sedan if for 8-9 months in the year we have absolutely no snow!??? Am I missing something? (Oh, and in those other 3-4 months our roads are mostly clear about 10am after an overnight snowfall! WTF...)

Related question... Will they continue to put hydraulic steering in the X-cars or make all of them electric?

This is for 2012 I assume? RWD was available in 2011 on the 535i.
I guess they're doing the same as Benz and making AWD standard equipment.

Hmm, living in Toronto, AWD was a deal breaker for me. Well worth the peace of mind based on the last three winters before last years snowfall

If the Jaguar XF was available in AWD it might have been a contender for me, but alas it was not and I love my 535 XDrive

Just my opinion of course. Just about to pull the trigger on new snow tires and rims so I dont smack one of my 20 inch BMW rims into a curb this winter

More importantly (to me), x-drive is fine but if no more 6MT on the 5 series, then no more BMW.

Originally Posted by dga

More importantly (to me), x-drive is fine but if no more 6MT on the 5 series, then no more BMW.

If that is the case than no more German cars as all three manufacturers only offer auto in this segment.

I had similar concerns going from 2010 535I RWD Sport Package car to the 2011 535I X-Drive. I had specifically went with the RWD 2010 because I didn't feel my 530XI was delivering the BMW driving experience I hoped for (my 2006 was not a Sport Package car either...). The difference between my 2006 530XI and the 2010 had me in love with my RWD.
Came time for a new one and I am thrilled with the F10 AWD set up and not missing my old ride. I started out seeking a RWD, but after driving the 535I X-Drive (M-sport), I am loving it!

Originally Posted by Nobrandfanboy

If that is the case than no more German cars as all three manufacturers only offer auto in this segment.

Hopefully by the time I part with my 2011 Rwd 6MT in 2015+, MTs will be available in Canada but I know that the world is going in the opposite direction.

My X Drive F 10 is garaged in NJ. The one winter that I have had with the X Drive has already made the extra cost for the X Drive worth while (I am in a 3 year lease). Last winter, we were buried in snow and the snow removal system was overwhelmed. Additionally, I love the way my X Drive F10 handles. The vehicle sticks to the road, claws its way forward, and is very fast off the line. I think there are other threads that actually point out that the X Drive is faster off the line than the RWD, notwithstanding the extra weight. I am also a fan of the RWD F10. The RWD F10 was the first F10 that I drove and was the vehicle which made me decide to lease an F10. That having been said, I believe that the X Drive was a better choice given the climate in the northeastern United States.

Originally Posted by dga

More importantly (to me), x-drive is fine but if no more 6MT on the 5 series, then no more BMW.

What then?

Don't know what I'll do then, but I will enjoy my 6MT for now and keep my 1977 Datsun 280z 5MT in good shape.

I'm in Calgary, and wishing now I'd waited for the AWD F10 550. The RWD sucks in the winter (even with 4 snow tires), and I can't put the Stg 2 power to the ground thru only the rear wheels. Mine get's parked for a good portion of the winter

Originally Posted by Calgary Agent

I'm in Calgary, and wishing now I'd waited for the AWD F10 550. The RWD sucks in the winter (even with 4 snow tires), and I can't put the Stg 2 power to the ground thru only the rear wheels. Mine get's parked for a good portion of the winter

Your climate, maybe... Ours ain't that bad at all (depends on the year, but still) - been driving a 328i RWD for the last 7 years and no major concerns. OK, once or twice I nearly got stuck in my own subdivision, once on main public roads though - it is easy cruising in the middle of harsh winter at -20 C (snow removal crews work some serious magic in our neck of the woods). I can't speak for other regions and public services, so probably a lot of you have a point.

My main winter advice is this... if you can't zoom off from the stoplights due to rear spinning... maybe you shouldn't be zooming off in the first place. Rather, take it really easy and get safely home (hint: it is slippery so make sure you have braking power rather than acceleration)

Originally Posted by yogi799

My main winter advice is this... if you can't zoom off from the stoplights due to rear spinning... maybe you shouldn't be zooming off in the first place. Rather, take it really easy and get safely home (hint: it is slippery so make sure you have braking power rather than acceleration)

Something tells me you don't have Stg 2 flash do you? The stock car is far more drivable on ice-covered roads (which I doubt Toronto has to put up with more than 1/2 dozens days per winter). Come to Calgary and see what a real winter is like, then see if you feel the same.

I believe you, that's why one post above I said I can't speak for other climates... Yup, just the stock power for me. Hope the throttle delay, which I did NOT have on my e46 won't cause me to spin each time. Again, I had no serious issues with my old 328i.

Canada is not all Calgary though... BC (Vancouver) gets no snow at all in the city so forcing the whole Canadian market into AWD is a bit dumb I think. Again, we are not Antarctica... Apparently they make more money this way (about $2500 more on MSRP).



..

Uh, Vancouver gets snow in the city a couple of times a year. It disappears quickly but it's brutal when it happens. Wet and heavy with little effective snow removal.
Stay home.

Originally Posted by BobRBob

Uh, Vancouver gets snow in the city a couple of times a year. It disappears quickly but it's brutal when it happens. Wet and heavy with little effective snow removal.
Stay home.

Yeah - snow on the We(s)t coast is insane. I remember the big snow storm of 1996 where in Victoria they were selling a piece of plywood nailed to 2 x 4 as a shovel.

I suspect that BMW Canada is going to AWD for reasons of economy of scale - if the Canadian market is like the U.S. market, then a large percentage for BMWs for which AWD is available are sold as AWD. It might just make sense to keep it all AWD.

I currently live in the Washington DC area and would not want to go without AWD for the increased traction in incliment weather. If I were back on the West Coast of Canada I would still have an AWD - AWD also really helps in rain.

Not surprising. MB is making the E550 4MATIC only after this MY I think.

Originally Posted by AutoUnion

Not surprising. MB is making the E550 4MATIC only after this MY I think.

Yep for the US....

Oh my... If US model gets 4WD only (given so many hot and snow-free states), then I rest my case. Seems that in the next 5-10 years all the vehicles on the market will be AWD. Or most...

Originally Posted by yogi799

Oh my... If US model gets 4WD only (given so many hot and snow-free states), then I rest my case. Seems that in the next 5-10 years all the vehicles on the market will be AWD. Or most...

At least for luxury cars..Jag is looking to retrofit AWD into the XF and XJ.