M35x vs. M35 Sport

[M30_conv]

I am finally ready to retire my long in the tooth 1991 M30, and I am strongly considering a 2006 M35 (I never buy new; I'm too cheap ;-) ). I know the cars share almost nothing in common beyond the fact that I like the looks and the specs.

I live in the NE USA, so AWD is attractive for the winters, but I would like to know if I'm giving up much in handling vs. the Sport? I would guess that in dry conditions the Sport would handle best, followed by the M35 and then the M35x.

Any guidance/comments appreciated.

[mazz]

i drove both the standard and the 4 wheel drivei never drove the sport i did not like the imteriori took the 2 wheel drive version for the ride quality even though i live in northern Illinoisi thought the 4 wheel drive was suv like and was coming off a q45

[exbmwdude]

I live in the NE area and I bought an M35 with the Sport package this spring. I will be buying a snow tire wheel/tire package later this year for ths winter months. I have lived in this area for 30 years and have never wanted or needed AWD. Snow tires will get you through the weather better on a FWD/RWD car better than an AWD car with all-season tires.

The ride is stiffer to be sure, but the handling is amazing. It depends on what you really want. Drive them all and buy the one that suits you best. Be prepared to get some pretty lousy mileage with the M35X if you go that route...

exbmwdude2006 M35S

[M30_conv]

Thanks for the replies. I see a LOT of used m35x's available, more than the M35 and sport versions combined. I guess that tells the tale pretty well.

I'm going to try to find a sport.

[szh]

If you do get the non-AWD version, just get some cheap steel wheels (get strong ones) and good snow tires for the winters and you will be just fine.

Having lived in NE for many years, I can assure you (with one bad experience too) that snow tires on higher-power RWD cars is a must.

Z

[MarylandM45]

I bought an 06 M45 Sport last spring without buying snow tires prior to winter. It was the roughest 3 months I've ever had on the road (I live in the DC area). I would highly recommend snow tires, which of course, I plan to purchase soon.

Does anyone have recommendations on snow tires? I shopped around a bit and they are very expensive, which isn't surprising. Someone else recommended all-season tires as an alternative. Thanks.

[scjconsulting]

I live in Minnesota and highly recommend the Nokian WR tires. They are considered to be all-weather, but are great for the snow and make a good summer tire. Of course I have a M35x and the OEM tires are so very bad.

[scjconsulting]

One of the reasons is that more M35x'es are sold, especially in the snowy regions. In Minnesota, we have very few M35s and even fewer M35 Sports.

I have lots of 4 wheel drive sedan and station wagon experience and I find very little difference between rear wheel and AWD. The AWD always feels safer in situations where you might lose traction.

The M35, whether sport or not, is just not light enough on it's feet, like a 3 series BMW, to feel sporty.

[szh]

Someone else recommended all-season tires as an alternative. Thanks.

"All-season" is a general waste of time in my opinion. This just means that the tires are not good in either summer or winter!

Well, I exaggerate slightly, but anyway, when you are driving in snow with a powerful RWD car, it is best to have true snow tires on. Since the snow tires are not a good idea for non-snow use, you have to have an alternate set for summer use. In which case, it is best to get a good to excellent summer tire.

Z

[M30_conv]

Thanks for all of your comments. I started looking around and it seems its much easier for me to find an M45 sport than an M35 sport. I can find M35x's galore. So I've been checking out the M45s. I figure the extra power won't hurt. ;-)

Now for a dumb question. How can I be SURE that a car has the sports package? If the pedals have the aluminum strips does it DEFINITELY have the sports package? Can I look for anything to confirm that RAS is on the vehicle? I know I can tell when I drive it, but when looking at pictures on the web, it would be nice if there was a quick way for me to be sure.

Also, I drove an M45 sport yesterday, I really noticed the acceleration lag. You stomp on the pedal and it waits for half a second. My old M30 hasn't nearly the power, but the responsiveness is much better; when I hit the gas it downshifts and goes immediately. I did have a shift kit installed wen I had the transmission rebuilt, but even before that it was snappier than the new M45. A bit disappointing really :-(

Thanks!

PS: I also briefly considered this Stillen G35 (same dealer I bought my M30 from)



Then I woke up.

Modified by M30_conv at 11:45 PM 8/29/2007
Modified by M30_conv at 11:46 PM 8/29/2007