One of the key things we wanted to find out with this all-wheel-drive 3 Series was how well it could play the role of everyday winter hack.
The best way to describe the car is sure-footed; BMW has subtly altered the 3 Series formula to take the edge off the handling in favour of a more rounded package. With a smooth, torquey diesel, an automatic gearbox, all-wheel drive,leather seats and a thick-rimmed steering wheel, BMW has created a near-peerless all-round cruiser that’s hard to fault as an everyday proposition – even if the top level of dynamic sparkle is lacking.
Reader Gavin Hall, a serial 3 Series owner who is currently driving a 320d xDrive Touring, contacted me to describe his car as “safe, efficient and reliable”, but admitted he wouldn’t get out of bed on a Sunday morning just to drive it for pleasure.
He’s right: this isn’t the 3 Series for a Sunday driver, rather one you’re happy to use from Monday to Friday, once the de-icer has done its work.
BMW 320D XDRIVE M SPORT
Price £32,910 Price as tested £42,270 Economy 43.1mpg Faults None Expenses None
PREVIOUS REPORTS:
A flaw in the xDrive’s otherwise impressive everyday usability: the turning circle is dire. And it’s something I have to deal with three times a day: twice negotiating our oh-so-tight multi-storey car parkin Twickenham and the other at the end of the cul-de-sac I live down. It’s not just me, either. Reader and 320d xDrive driver Gavin Hall has got in touch with the same observation.
PREVIOUS REPORTS:
A run from London to West Sussex and back via lanes liberally sprinkled with leaves, mud and other low-friction substances provided a timely reminder that there are more benefits to having four-wheel drive on a car like the 3 Series than just extra traction under acceleration.
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Tuffty's right
I agree with most of Tuffty's remarks. The power of the 335D is just so accessible and 90% of the time on the road you don't miss the last few per cent of the handling finesse of a 320D sDrive.
However, last week the xDrive managed to get me down my sister's quarter mile private drive when it was covered in 8 to 12 inches of snow which wouldn't have been the case with my 320D
Has it's benefits
X drive would save me from pushing my neighbours 1 series off his slightly sloping drive in the morning following the slightest snowfall.
You're more generous than me.
I'd just drive off laughing, knowing that whilst my car doesn't have an aspirational twat image, it's far more capable.
All X-drive does is provide
All X-drive does is provide more amusement for those of us who can actually drive in bad weather as we watch the aspirational little twats who buy BMW's go sliding off the road at a much higher speed than they would have done in a 2wd version (which they would have just been piroutting around the car park) because "it's got 4 wheel drive so it means it won't have a problem wiv snow and ice innit"......
(Un) Fortunately such people don't understand the basic laws of physics.
Incidentally the best car I ever drove in the snow was my wife's old Honda Jazz - reason? It weighed about the same as a crisp packet, had skinny little tyres, forgiving handling and a far less power than the chassis was capable of handling. It easily showed up far more expensive machinery in such conditions.