[robbiecarman]

Hi Everyone

I've owned 5 different mini's over the years and I'm currently driving a 09 Clubman S but the growing family is demanding that I ditch the clubman and get a bigger ride. We test drove the Countryman but to be honest it wasn't much bigger in usable space then then clubman.

So we test drove the X1 and fell in love - its a great balance of size and performance.

Here is the thing - I'm totally stuck in the decision making process between sDrive and xDrive.

On the pro side for the sDrive is better fuel economy, and potentially more fun to drive due to RWD. On the down side - its RWD and in bad weather especially snow might be a bit dicey.

On the pro side for the xDrive is AWD drive of course but the downside is less fuel economy and of course price.

I live in the D.C. area and while we don't get consistently bad winter weather we do get it in spurts especially in the winter.

The car I'm configuring are identical just s vs xDrive So the Midnight blue, Ultimate Package, Cold Weather Package, Satin Rails, BMW apps

Any thoughts are much appreciated

 

[HotRodW]

You also get hydraulic steering if you opt for the xDrive. For many that alone is worth the sacrifice in fuel economy. And you might be able to make it through winter with the factory all-season tires with AWD (although I wouldn't recommend it). I wouldn't attempt that with the sDrive.

 

[3ismagic#]

DC is far south enough that with winter tires you should be fine with RWD most of the time. There will be days like the Christmas 2009 where you get hellacious storms. However, you are best just not driving at that point even with AWD.

Having said that, the MPG difference is negligible and the Xdrive does get the hydraulic steering.

 

[bimmerized]

Not only is the sDrive RWD, which is a big plus, it's about 150lbs lighter too. Having the xDrive will be like having a passenger 100% of the time. An extra passenger is noticeable to me in almost any car, YMMV.

The initial cost should not be as much a deciding factor as your priority on fun or winter safety.

It was a no brainer for me since I live in CA.

BTW, it has not been confirmed whether the sDrive will be equipped with hydraulic steering if you opt for the Servotronic option. I'll know in a week. All we know is that EPS is not standard across X1s because it wont fit on the xDrive; EPS is standard on all US bound sDrives.

 

[AzNMpower32]

One doesn't need all-wheel drive in the DC area. My mother's 325i sport pack is just fine in the winter with her winter tires in the area. I'd stick with the sDrive version

 

[Teleskier]

Unless you go skiing a lot in New England or north of DC, I'd think RWD for DC is the better choice.

 

[X1FirstBMW]

I went with the sDrive RWD for a few reasons. First we live in the South, so extreme snow and ice is pretty rare. Next, we have a 4wd Jeep for those rare storms. Cost and fuel efficiency were also large parts. The extra 2k upfront plus gas costs for the life of the car just didn't make financial sense in any way for us. I am not a performance car peron really, so I probably wouldn't have noticed any difference in the steering.