[kyoko]

Hey,

I have a friend looking into picking up a new car. Looking for a sedan, with awd capabilities. I suggested Audi, but according to them Audi's quality/workmanship has been going down hill of late.
So between these two cars, what would you get? Pro's/Con's.
or suggest something else. Again sedan with awd, in the same price range.

I don't htink performace is very high on the bar, just safe and handles well in bad weather. They probably going to trade in their explorer for it.

Thanks

M

 

[M3^4EVER]

there's a g35AWD??

 

[He and his]

the bmw's xi are the most ugly 4x4's i've seen out there......why did they jack up the suspension so much:thumbdwn:


get the G-35 baby

 

[CYBER PETE]

the bmw's xi are the most ugly 4x4's i've seen out there......why did they jack up the suspension so much:thumbdwn:


get the G-35 baby

Hey! My car's not ugly! :thumbup:

LOL. I don't know much about the G35 other than it's faster than my 325xi is. I'd look to see if the G35 has heated seats, auto wipers, bi-xeon's, and traction control. :dunno:

The 325xi is an incredible car in inclement weather. I love doing 85 on the highway passsing semi's in the pooring rain. impin: Winter time drving in the XI is amazing. Traction control helps keep the car on the road..you can turn it off and do donuts and drifts.

 

[babbit]

Go tell your friend to test drive the G35 AWD. I tried it for fun a week ago and it was great. I sort of had high expectations for the system cuz after all, the new GTR is probably gonna use the same or similar AWD as the G35(skyline). It did not dissapoint. I liked it better than the xi and quattro (i know people say audi's the best), but not as much as the wrx's. That might be because of the wrx's tight chassis though. Anyways, if your friend wants a BMW, it's not like the xi is bad. it's still very good too.

 

[teamdfl]

The Xi all wheel drive system sucks because it does not have a limited slip diff anywhere in the car.

For NJ winters, your buddy should gety himself a 325i and a set of snow tires. I have not regretted skipping the Xi option on my touring since I bought it. Snow tires are all you need.

 

[itchyNscratchy]

Test drive the g35.
The g35 claims it allows rear wheel drive when you dont need it (?) Also with the new bmw xdrive , the system on the e46 xi is already outdated. I have never driven the e46 xi or the new xdrive cars so i can't compare the two.
Best bet is to do an extensive test drive.

 

[teamdfl]

...the system on the e46 xi is already outdated. ...

An E30 325ix has a better system than the E46 Xi. Outdated doesn't even come close.

 

[gokcer]

G35 is %100 RWD on highway. when it senses loss of grip then it will switch to AWD. More loss of grip it senses, more traction to FWD untill it is 50/50. from a stand still i think it starts with 60/40 then goes 0/100 on highway. It sounds far better than fixed ratio XI. X-drive is pretty much the same thing as G35 system i think

 

[StreetTrixE4six]

why would they say audi's quality/craftsmanship is going down the drain? i think audi makes a great car all around. personally, if i wanted an AWD car, it would definitely be audi. but out of the G35 or Xi, i'd probably choose the G35 AWD

 

[kyoko]

thx for the replies... They are going to go test driving the cars in the next few weeks.

I personally would get an audi, but that's me. I haven't driven either car with awd, I'd like to see how each performs. Like babbit said, the g35 should be running a similar awd system that they are going to put on the gtr. Perhaps after test driving both cars that would change my opinion on the audi...

 

[SteelBlueXI]

The question you need to ask yourself is if is the same one I did.

It's if you want a BMW or not. If you like BMWs look, feel and the way they drive, as I'm sure you all do, and want AWD then a 325xi or 330xi is your only non-SUV option.

Now, the G35 is certainly a hot car... not to mention fast. I've never driven one so my advice is the same as everyone elses... go test drive it.

When I was getting my car I decided that I wanted something that handled well, looked hot and was AWD. It didn't have to be overly fast so I was considering the 325xi and the A4 1.8T Quattro. The 325xi was certainly an AWD car, but it was very much a BMW too. It feels solid, responsive, communicative and connected with the road. The Audi had this too, but to a much lesser extent... hence my choice.

As for the E46's AWD system, it's certainly not even CLOSE to the most advanced system out there. The Audi's, the X-Drive and the G35 are much more advanced systems. The E30's is not more advanced... it's actually a lot more BASIC. The E30's was much more performance oriented, however. The E30 allocated power to all four wheels evenly. The E46 system uses DSC data to control power to the wheels. The E30 was much better in a race. The E46 system is more traction oriented than performance oriented. However you can still have a lot of fun with the E46 system. On a good launch, with DSC off, I can EASILY spin all four wheels for a split second before the car snaps your head back and rips off the line. Of course, the AWD power loss allows whoever you're racing to fly by you in a matter of seconds.

As for the ride height, I agree. It's overly excessive. Look at my sig for proof. Of course it's nothing a nice set of springs won't fix. I'll be installing the Dinan Stg 2 suspension soon since I'm extending my warrenty (I was in a mild accident recently so I'm anticipating some problems down the road) and I want to keep my warrenty on the suspension.

Good luck with your decision! Let us know what is picked.

 

[Staszek]

Personally I think the G35 sedan looks like SH*T I wouldnt buy it in either 4 wheel or 2 wheel drive, the coupe on the other hand is hot!! If that thing was 4 wheel drive that would be awesome. I like the xi, but if I was really going for 4wd I would definetly go Audi. The A4's are pretty sweet cars, I am not sure what your friends are talking about but if anything Audi workmanship and quality has been going up not down. If you want to stay bmw the X5's are soooooooooo sweet and if I didnt want a vert for my next car I would get that instead. Good luck!! Oh as for you question if its just the 3 series vs the G35 I go 3 series, like the looks better (althougth the xi's are a bit high) but go for a 330xi.

 

[AssassinGT]

Seriously, the G35 and 350z Are unbareable to drive after 30 minutes. Maybe give it an our for the G35 but regaurdless, They're just not my cup of tea.

 

[oyster]

325xi by choice

If you like BMW and want awd, 325xi or 330xi is the answer

If you like to drive manual, ONLY BMW and AUDI offers you a 6 cylinder stick shift sedan:thumbup: :thumbup:

If you are price driven and need more room for rear-passenger, settle for the G35. Cockpit is poor plastic quality.

I test drive 1-2 cars per month and haven't found a sedan that offers the balance package that BMW delivers:bow:

The fix 38/62 (front/rear) permanent wheel slip is conforting as I know it's there and how the vehicle will react. NO SURPRISE. NO second guessing how or when the system will kick in. Should the electronic go bezerk, I know I have traction at all wheels all the time:flipoff:

I personnally don't believe in the X drive. Similar to the Honda CRV, and when I lost grip on the road with the HONDA CRV and the awd kicked in, it made a nasty sound and the car handle differently.

 

[e46shift]

evo 8

 

[g2go1818]

g35 sedan < 325xi
g35 coupe > 325xi
However i don't think there will ever be a awd coupe, so therefore get the xi:thumbup:

 

[jp323i]

G35x

The A4 quattro is good but so slow. Even chipped, many A4 owners argue whether the 1.8T is even as fast as the A4 3.0, which isn't fast to begin w/.

Quattro = huge drivetrain losses from the dynos I've seen.