BMW 1 Series - Changing to a RWD car

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Mon 30 Sep 2013 17:30
BMW 1 Series - Changing to a RWD car - stivvy

No doubt there has been previous posts about this but I would like to get the current thinking. My daughter is about to take delivery of BMW 1 series so I would appreciate any relevant and helpful comments to pass on and make the transition from FWD less of a surprise.

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Mon 30 Sep 2013 18:37
BMW 1 Series - Changing to a RWD car - craig1912
Always had front wheel drive until 2 years ago and got a merc c class. In day to day driving there's no difference- when it snows it's a different matter though.
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Mon 30 Sep 2013 19:02
BMW 1 Series - Changing to a RWD car - 72 dudes

Agreed, there will be no noticeable transition until the bad snow arrives, then a sensitvie right foot and good clutch control will pay dividends, as would winter tyres.

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Mon 30 Sep 2013 20:33
BMW 1 Series - Changing to a RWD car - focussed

Because the handling characteristics of a RWD car are so totally different to a FWD car when too much right foot is applied when exiting a roundabout on a wet road for example, your daughter would be well advised to find out how different they are in a safe off -road environment. It used to be possible to pay to go on a skid pan for an hour or so with an instructor to develop the opposite lock reflex-probably health and safety has killed that sort of thing by now though.

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Mon 30 Sep 2013 20:42
BMW 1 Series - Changing to a RWD car - Bobbin Threadbare

There's a difference in some areas; you can seriously floor it around curved sections of road and you've got to have decent tyres and a sensible approach in snow, but otherwise you won't notice it.

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Mon 30 Sep 2013 20:47
BMW 1 Series - Changing to a RWD car - jamie745

If she's got a gram of driving skill and common sense then there should be no problem. It's still a car at the end of the day, some people are acting as though she's going from a motorcar into an F-16.

I think she should find it easier to drive. I'm convinced RWD cars have better turning circles than their FWD counterparts and with the front wheels doing only the steering, it should be easier.

I talk from the perspective of a Jaguar S-Type which admittedly has more oomph than a 1-series, but simple things like not flooring it in the wet to avoid wheelspin and not keeping the power on round a roundabout in such conditions all apply.

I have to question the wisdom of buying a 1-series though. The RWD is probably the only thing it has over its rivals, yet the Focus is cheaper, a great drive and has about 7 yards more room in the back and boot than the 1-series.

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Mon 30 Sep 2013 22:01
BMW 1 Series - Changing to a RWD car - oldtoffee

Agree with focussed - it isn't just snow but add wet greasy roads that can cause a rwd to snap out of line, exiting a roundabout at relatively slow speeds or pressing on on twisty roads. If she hasn't got any experience of managing oversteer then buy her a gift token that gives her that training, Of course if she just pootles about then no problem she's just there for the badge and is unlikely to drive the car in a way that challenges her skills. My DIL has a 1 series for 3 years and never found out how good it was but she had a BMW so all was good!

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Mon 30 Sep 2013 22:36
BMW 1 Series - Changing to a RWD car - stivvy

Many thanks for all the useful comments. Confirms my concerns, need to work out how to pass on the info. without causing offence or overstating the case for caution. Thankfully she is a most competent driver so with a bit of off-road practise she should be fine. By the way Jamie we did go through the whole range of options with all the caveats about running costs, vfm, insurance budget and so on but the lady had set her sights on BMW. C'est la vie !

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Wed 2 Oct 2013 11:08
BMW 1 Series - Changing to a RWD car - Rockvilla

My daughter had her sights set on a 1-series and took one for a test drive the other week. After she'd swapped ends on a roundabout, she's decided to stick with her Corsa!

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Wed 2 Oct 2013 12:19
BMW 1 Series - Changing to a RWD car - skidpan

My daughter had her sights set on a 1-series and took one for a test drive the other week. After she'd swapped ends on a roundabout, she's decided to stick with her Corsa!

Apologies if this sound harsh but your daughter must have been driving in a totally irresposible manner for this to happen.

I had a 1 series for 5 happy years and for a vast majority of the time you would be unable to tell which wheels were driven. When it snowed, despite all the horror stories I managed to get out of our unploughed and ungritted street even on summer tyres. After I fitted a set of winter tyres the car was better than a FWD car on summer tyres.

It sounds to me that your daughter needs to get some additional driving tuition if she spins cars on test drives on public roads, shows a lack of experience and care.

Or did she switch the traction control off and give it a load of boot on a wet roundabout, pretty sure I could spin under those circunstances even in a FWD car.

Back in the early 70's when I passed my test my first 7 cars were rear wheel drive and believe it or not I survived in cars that did not handle or grip anything like the BMW did. Back then there was no traction control, ABS (or even disc brakes for that matter) plus the tyres were gripless rock hard skinny crossplys. Young people are very luck today.

Edited by skidpan on 02/10/2013 at 12:24

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Wed 2 Oct 2013 12:49
BMW 1 Series - Changing to a RWD car - gordonbennet

The previous small BMW, 320d compact we had one in the family for a good number of years, fine cars.

Despite traction control its quite easy to promote a tail slide leaving a wet roundabout, the TC does usually cut power quickly when one wheel starts to spin, but as with LSD's when both rear wheels start to spin up even for a moment then the back can be starting its overtaking manoeuver before the system cuts in.

This showed itself quite plainly when the owner got her local chap to fit 2 new tyres on the back, yes Chinese ditchfinders which i soon got rid of when i tried it, not a car to fit rubbish rubber to.

Thing is when a FWD loses traction on or leaving a bend due to too much throttle or speed then invariably the car just starts to run wide (understeer), easily caught by just cutting the throttle or even if you don't TC cuts power and the car just slows down but usually stays in line.

When the same happens with a RWD then once slipping has started an oversteer can very quickly develop especially if under power, lifting off or TC taking action won't always stop the rear sliding out, the driver must be ready and know what to do to correct the slide...problem being so many younger drivers have never learned how to drive without traction aids now.

Nothing wrong with RWD at all in my humble, i prefer the driving experience (well full time 4WD is best of all) and i don't have the luxury of any TC or ASR on my old Benz, but its shod well and treated with respect, i too cut my teeth on old RWD cars.

I would advise any youngster to get some skid pan and professional training, in order to enjoy and respect their RWD cars not to be afraid of them.

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Wed 2 Oct 2013 13:03
BMW 1 Series - Changing to a RWD car - skidpan

The previous small BMW, 320d compact we had one in the family for a good number of years, fine cars.

Despite traction control its quite easy to promote a tail slide leaving a wet roundabout,

The early 3 series Compacts were well known to be very tail happy, think the later ones were better. Neither had the sophisticated rear suspension that the 1 series and all modern BMW's have.

Traction control has improved emormously since it was originally introduced. My first car with traction control simply made a noise and did very little else. The system on the 1 series was the best I have ever had, in normal use with it switched on it was impossible to spin the rear wheels even if you were driving like a loon on a wet road. Swoitch it to the "snow" position and it was possible to pull away on icy roads with little drama. Just remember to switch it back to normal once you are on the move.

Why anyone would want to switch it off is beyond me, guess they are the type that thinks Clarkson is a clever bloke.

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Thu 3 Oct 2013 20:05
BMW 1 Series - Changing to a RWD car - galileo

I last had skidpan training in the late 1960's - mk1 Cortina and once you got the hang of that you could try a Wolseley 6/110. (Pan surface was tarmac with a generous layer of old engine oil, some sort of grease and water sprayed on top!)

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Wed 2 Oct 2013 15:37
BMW 1 Series - Changing to a RWD car - Rockvilla

My daughter had her sights set on a 1-series and took one for a test drive the other week. After she'd swapped ends on a roundabout, she's decided to stick with her Corsa!

Apologies if this sound harsh but your daughter must have been driving in a totally irresposible manner for this to happen.

I had a 1 series for 5 happy years and for a vast majority of the time you would be unable to tell which wheels were driven. When it snowed, despite all the horror stories I managed to get out of our unploughed and ungritted street even on summer tyres. After I fitted a set of winter tyres the car was better than a FWD car on summer tyres.

It sounds to me that your daughter needs to get some additional driving tuition if she spins cars on test drives on public roads, shows a lack of experience and care.

Or did she switch the traction control off and give it a load of boot on a wet roundabout, pretty sure I could spin under those circunstances even in a FWD car.

Back in the early 70's when I passed my test my first 7 cars were rear wheel drive and believe it or not I survived in cars that did not handle or grip anything like the BMW did. Back then there was no traction control, ABS (or even disc brakes for that matter) plus the tyres were gripless rock hard skinny crossplys. Young people are very luck today.

Hi Skidpan

She is very inexperienced, only been driving for a few months. The roundabout she spun on is one where normally you'd give a boot part way round to get up the hill on the exit, it was a wet day and Im thinking she just booted it too hard!

I have suggested that she gets advanced training but like all other 22 year olds, she knows best!!!

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Wed 2 Oct 2013 15:42
BMW 1 Series - Changing to a RWD car - gordonbennet

I have suggested that she gets advanced training but like all other 22 year olds, she knows best!!!

Tell me about it, might as well talk to the wall as my daughter, she's a great girl but stubborn doesn't even begin.

gets it from her mother no doubt.:-)

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Wed 2 Oct 2013 21:48
BMW 1 Series - Changing to a RWD car - craig1912
Apologies if this sound harsh but your daughter must have been driving in a totally irresposible manner for this to happen.


Have to say I agree- Got A merc 250, a BMW 325 and previously had a 123 and 318- non of which have ever spun. If that was the case there would be rear wheel cars spinning all over the place. Even when pushed the ESP etc sorts it out.

My 17 year old passed his test a month ago and has just done a 3 hour New driver course with AIM which is well worth while.
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Thu 3 Oct 2013 15:37
BMW 1 Series - Changing to a RWD car - Sofa Spud

Unless you're in the habit of driving like a Top Gear presenter, there isn't really any difference between driving FWD or RWD on normal roads, either in the dry or wet.

Snow and ice is where the difference shows up, as RWD cars seem to cope less well than FWD ones.

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Thu 3 Oct 2013 17:51
BMW 1 Series - Changing to a RWD car - thunderbird

Unless you're in the habit of driving like a Top Gear presenter, there isn't really any difference between driving FWD or RWD on normal roads, either in the dry or wet.

Snow and ice is where the difference shows up, as RWD cars seem to cope less well than FWD ones.

Totally agree with the first paragraph but regarding the second I have had front wheel drive cars that were worse in the snow than my BMW. I love passing stranded drivers of FWD cars as I drive along on my all season tyres with a smug look.

Drive to the conditions and you should stay safe. Normally there is no excuse for spinning on wet roundabouts. But I hit a patch of diesel last winter exiting a wet roundabout and only the BMW ESP kicked in and saved me from disaster, just very clenched bum cheeks. In that circumstance I suspect a FWD would have barely been affected.

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