The BMW 440i Gran Coupe XDrive is one hot snow driving machine! You get incredible road handling that you would expect from BMW; Coupled with amazing snow traction from the xDrive powertrain; Rounded out with enough room to squeeze in some 191 Powder Boards & all the gear you need for a weeks long trip to your favorite ski resort.
Currently BMW only offers the xDrive drivetrain in the M440i version of this snow machine. Hopefully BMW will soon again offer xDrive for the new 4 cylinder 430i Gran Coupe as production begins to ramp up soon.
The M440i is a 382 HP, twin turbo 6 cylinder that catapults you 0-60 in only 4.4 seconds. Just as impressively you can still average around 25 MPG making this a very practical and well rounded offering by BMW. Expect to spend about $63,000 for a well equipped build. You can visit the BMW Website to build your own.
What I really like the most out of the 440 Gran Coupe is all the storage room behind the drivers seat with rear seats folded down. You can get a full 6 ft of depth, and over 3 ft of width to haul your long boards, cooler, luggage and all the goodies for a weekend or weeks long trip to the slopes. The back opens as a full hatch, so you can pile in as much gear as you want. You’re essentially getting the utility of a SUV, with the driving characteristics of a BMW quality sports sedan = Awesome!
The ground clearance of only 5 in is the only achilles heel for this ride. You’re limited to driving on plowed roads only, and you’ll be quickly digging out if you venture off into the un-manicured side roads, or try to blast through a snow berm. If you do not need to diverge off the plowed roads, this could be one of your best options of any vehicle for the “perfect snow machine”.
The interior of the BMW M440i Gran Coupe is very elegant, minimalistic, and efficient. The front seats are very roomy – I’m 6’3″ and fit in quite well to the drivers side. The back seats are not small, but they are more limited in room compared to the front. I would not try and fit 4 large people into the car for a long trip, but a family of 4 would do quite nicely for any ski journey.
The iDrive system is quite intuitive for the driver, integrated into the full driving experience. You can tune the stereo, make a call, get driving instructions, and operate the auto in complete control under all conditions. I really enjoy putting the car into sport suspension and manual shifting on the snowy road conditions, and find that you really get a strong sense of control and command even on the icy days.
BMW xDrive is the #1 Best Performance AWS drivetrain on the market today
I will once again praise BMW on their xDrive system and believe it to be the best AWS system for optimal snow traction on the market today. The Audi is quite good, even excellent – but the BMW xDrive does offer superior traction in all conditions. You really feel like you can drive the car through fresh snow or blackest of ice, when other vehicles are slipping off the road. Tires are a key component to winter driving, and I recommend the Michelin AS4 Sport as the perfect tire for this car.