[monkeyninja]

Adam, as other have said before and from the reports of other Impreza owners car handling compared to the 330d, it sounds like you hit some oil or diesel on the road. I took a roundabout at real slow speed a few weeks back and was almost looking at the back end of my car. Very little revs it was built up area in town and i was just plodding along next thing the back end was almost perpendicular to the road. I'm glad i had been out sliding the car around in the wet the previous weeks and was able to control it but it came from nowhere. Diesel is not nice in the wet had a few near misses on the motorbike as well due to it a spill on a roundabout at night in the wet.

[dopper99]

^^^ Agreed with above.

Has it happened more than once? If not then I doubt there is anything wrong with the car and probably may not happen again (well not until the snow/ice comes!).

[davybull]

Originally Posted by adam0161

Hi there,

That seems completely different to my own experiences, what tyres do you have on each? Any other mods to the Scoob, coilovers?

Cheers, Adam

Continental Conti Sport Contacts on Scoob with no other mods.

Standard Bridgestone runcraps on the BMW at the moment.

[adam0161]

Originally Posted by dopper99

^^^ Agreed with above.

Has it happened more than once? If not then I doubt there is anything wrong with the car and probably may not happen again (well not until the snow/ice comes!).

Yes it happened on a couple of different roundabouts, the same ones that my e92 335i's back end would wiggle when I really booted it out of the corner (knowing it would) but that also had bridgestone rf's. No one else had any issues so i'm sure it must be the tyres.

I also could feel the lack of grip and confidence on some other roundabouts yesterday just going round them at very average speeds so definitely not an oil or diesel spill.

I also feel the higher xdrive suspension can't help either as you can really feel the weight shifting from side to side with any kind of quick change of direction which can obviously cause some oversteer so i'll be looking into acs springs later in the year.

Ive never heard a Subaru be described as twitchy. Mine was mapped to approx 300bhp and in 4 years of owning it, the back end never went out once apart from once or twice when it was snowy, and I've driven on the a34 (where the f30 wiggled) multiple times a week in all weathers.

Hopefully when I get the new tyres fitted and worn in they should give me the same confidence I had in the Scooby in the wet.

Cheers, Adam

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by adam0161

Yes it happened on a couple of different roundabouts, the same ones that my e92 335i's back end would wiggle when I really booted it out of the corner (knowing it would) but that also had bridgestone rf's. No one else had any issues so i'm sure it must be the tyres.

I also could feel the lack of grip and confidence on some other roundabouts yesterday just going round them at very average speeds so definitely not an oil or diesel spill.

I also feel the higher xdrive suspension can't help either as you can really feel the weight shifting from side to side with any kind of quick change of direction which can obviously cause some oversteer so i'll be looking into acs springs later in the year.

Ive never heard a Subaru be described as twitchy. Mine was mapped to approx 300bhp and in 4 years of owning it, the back end never went out once apart from once or twice when it was snowy, and I've driven on the a34 (where the f30 wiggled) multiple times a week in all weathers.

Hopefully when I get the new tyres fitted and worn in they should give me the same confidence I had in the Scooby in the wet.

Cheers, Adam

To be fair, it's a long time since my car was on standard springs, so I may have forgotten just how wishy-washy the handling is! If you're planning to keep this car a while then do the springs and the tyres and you'll be a lot happier with how it drives I'm sure.

[adam0161]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

To be fair, it's a long time since my car was on standard springs, so I may have forgotten just how wishy-washy the handling is! If you're planning to keep this car a while then do the springs and the tyres and you'll be a lot happier with how it drives I'm sure.

Ha yes it is pretty floaty at the moment so will definitely sort out the suspension too!

The MPSS are getting fitted on Thurs Eve so I will report back then

[monkeyninja]

Adam you should definitely go for the springs as well. I have an s drive msport and the ACS springs made a big difference to the floaty wallowy feeling that was there before. If I was keeping this car for a while I'd definitely go the whole way and upgrade the dampers as well as the standard msport shocks don't have enough rebound dampening and the car still bounces around a fair bit. The ACS springs definitely improved the ride though as well as helping with traction and giving the car a much more composed feel.

[M40CCA]

First nice day it's be sunny and I had chance to play in the 335d on my own with no wife and kids in
And you know what I'm probably going to get some s**t for this but... I don't mind the Bridgestone runflats at all had some real fun today coming off roundabouts in 4 wheel drifts felt very safe and controllable
So if acs springs and mpps make that much difference as stated it will be a unbelievable car to drive!!!

[adam0161]

Originally Posted by monkeyninja

Adam you should definitely go for the springs as well. I have an s drive msport and the ACS springs made a big difference to the floaty wallowy feeling that was there before. If I was keeping this car for a while I'd definitely go the whole way and upgrade the dampers as well as the standard msport shocks don't have enough rebound dampening and the car still bounces around a fair bit. The ACS springs definitely improved the ride though as well as helping with traction and giving the car a much more composed feel.

Yes I will definitely look to get the springs sorted out as the xdrive is a lot more wallowy than your s drive

[adam0161]

Originally Posted by M40CCA

First nice day it's be sunny and I had chance to play in the 335d on my own with no wife and kids in
And you know what I'm probably going to get some s**t for this but... I don't mind the Bridgestone runflats at all had some real fun today coming off roundabouts in 4 wheel drifts felt very safe and controllable
So if acs springs and mpps make that much difference as stated it will be a unbelievable car to drive!!!

Wow, 4 wheel drift, that's pretty extreme ha!

I don't have a problem with the tyres in the dry, in fact I like them too, just lacking in the wet, but if you like drifting then I'm sure you must like them in the wet too

[M40CCA]

Originally Posted by adam0161

Wow, 4 wheel drift, that's pretty extreme ha!

I don't have a problem with the tyres in the dry, in fact I like them too, just lacking in the wet, but if you like drifting then I'm sure you must like them in the wet too

Think it's from having a few jap cars when I was younger
I havnt tried them properly in the wet yet I'll let you know

[adam0161]

Originally Posted by M40CCA

Think it's from having a few jap cars when I was younger
I havnt tried them properly in the wet yet I'll let you know

Well have fun but be careful!

I'll let you know what my new MPSS are like over the weekend!

[NISFAN]

Having owned a 53 blob eye STI, I would say you need to remember, the 3 series is a big old bus, especially in xDrive form. Also being an electronic system, xDrive only reacts once wheelspin is underway and detected..... although it reacts quickly, it still lags behind how a mechanical system reacts, especially in comparison to the WRX which has a higher front split as standard.

So in essence, big heavy car, wallowy suspension and therefore more pendulum effect, more instantaneous torque, slower reaction time for the torque transfer, all equal a less nailed down package.

Tyres will lift the overall grip levels, but won't change the balance and reaction.

Take it easy until you learn how it reacts.

[adam0161]

Originally Posted by NISFAN

Having owned a 53 blob eye STI, I would say you need to remember, the 3 series is a big old bus, especially in xDrive form. Also being an electronic system, xDrive only reacts once wheelspin is underway and detected..... although it reacts quickly, it still lags behind how a mechanical system reacts, especially in comparison to the WRX which has a higher front split as standard.

So in essence, big heavy car, wallowy suspension and therefore more pendulum effect, more instantaneous torque, slower reaction time for the torque transfer, all equal a less nailed down package.

Tyres will lift the overall grip levels, but won't change the balance and reaction.

Take it easy until you learn how it reacts.

Hi there, yes you are very correct in your advice, and aslong as the grip levels and confidence improves with the new tyres I'm sure I will be able to get to grips (sorry!) with the car until I decide to sort the suspension out

[Ross_T_Boss]

There's probably a lot to say for the power delivery.

In my various 50:50 torsen equipped Quattro's they tended to understeer with a lot of provocation needed to get tail happy, or very low traction. Even with 1300kg and 430hp in the wet it was difficult, with the inside wheels spinning up before the back would break out. Perhaps the Scooby is a bit more that way inclined?

I have enjoyed the x-drive and it's ability to break the rear a little easier. It seems quite happy to drive with a rear bias, even when the traction is breaking a little. With the torsen you'd feel the fronts struggle first and the power shift to the back in a very pronounced manner. With the xdrive it's more the other way round, and more subtle/slow in the reaction.

Fitting the springs will do a lot for confidence. Perhaps not as much to stop the rear end wiggling but more so that you'll be able to control it. I felt reasonably confident with the back end stepping out on standard suspension but NOT with the DSC off... springs helped a lot in that.

Now going one step further and fitting dampers... the Birds B3x kit has completely changed the car, I can only describe it as feeling like I've moved from being a step behind the car to being one step ahead. In the Audi world I'd say it is akin to moving from an A4 Quattro SE to an RS4.

[adam0161]

Originally Posted by Ross_T_Boss

There's probably a lot to say for the power delivery.

In my various 50:50 torsen equipped Quattro's they tended to understeer with a lot of provocation needed to get tail happy, or very low traction. Even with 1300kg and 430hp in the wet it was difficult, with the inside wheels spinning up before the back would break out. Perhaps the Scooby is a bit more that way inclined?

I have enjoyed the x-drive and it's ability to break the rear a little easier. It seems quite happy to drive with a rear bias, even when the traction is breaking a little. With the torsen you'd feel the fronts struggle first and the power shift to the back in a very pronounced manner. With the xdrive it's more the other way round, and more subtle/slow in the reaction.

Fitting the springs will do a lot for confidence. Perhaps not as much to stop the rear end wiggling but more so that you'll be able to control it. I felt reasonably confident with the back end stepping out on standard suspension but NOT with the DSC off... springs helped a lot in that.

Now going one step further and fitting dampers... the Birds B3x kit has completely changed the car, I can only describe it as feeling like I've moved from being a step behind the car to being one step ahead. In the Audi world I'd say it is akin to moving from an A4 Quattro SE to an RS4.

Hi Ross thanks fir your thoughts.

Yes you're right the Scooby definitely favoured understeer rather than oversteer which I did like but I did have br coilovers fitted which dramatically improved the handling so I'm sure you are right and the acs should help dramatically.

Tbh I'd like to do what I can to get rid of any wiggle, and I'm sure the springs should stiffen things up enough to reduce some of the weight shift that can cause oversteer.

I've not come across Birds b3x, so are you saying it has given yours very similar grip and confidence to an rs4, that sounds like my kind of thing!


Adam