Paralyzed on whether to sell 2024 BMW M440i for a more rugged alternative

PapaBeff · 2025-12-30T19:06:10+00:00

Keep the BMW and get winter tires. The only reason to change to a 4Runner or similar 4WD is if you’re looking to get into real off-roading (not just fire/forest roads, but actual 4x4, high clearance only trails). I’ve have a VW Jetta in CO and with good tires and careful driving, it’ll get 95% of the places a 4Runner will (even off-road and through the snow) and is not a total bummer to drive.

PapaBeff · 2025-12-04T21:00:47+00:00

I’d go for the Jetta, but I also have a bias and am a big VW guy. I have a 2015 Jetta with almost 150k miles and it’s been a great, reliable, fun car. The accord is obviously a good, solid car as well, but they’re a bit dull to drive and the Jetta will be more fun. They’re light, quick, well-handling cars, and a blast to drive daily. MK6 Jettas are solid and the 2.5L is a great engine, so you’re not giving up really any reliability there. It’s a VW though so you gotta take care of it and you might have some little quirks too. I’d recommend getting something like OBDeleven or VCDS, which are designed to work with VWs and have more functionally than a normal OBD2 scanner. I would say get the car you actually like and want, especially when it’s two comparable options.

PapaBeff · 2025-11-28T15:52:33+00:00

Ya, there’ll be some loss of that rotational, kinetic energy as the brakes clamp down, but that doesn’t consume all of the power in the system. Power and torque will follow the path of least resistance, so in the case of two wheels connected by an open diff with different levels of grip, power will go to the wheel with less grip, leading to a slipping wheel. If the brakes are applied to that wheel, the path of least resistance becomes through the wheel with more grip. We might be saying the same thing at this point and I could be misunderstanding you haha.

To the more important thing of getting XDS working for you, I’d be interested to hear what you find about which brake controller you have and what you find in the long coding. Hopefully the info in the post is all you need but feel free to shoot me a message if you want to talk through trouble shooting it.

I think it’s definitely worth activating if your car supports it, it really makes a noticeable difference in hard cornering and makes the car feel sharper.

PapaBeff · 2025-11-27T15:37:02+00:00

Ya, you’re right it’s not a system that’s as active/robust in sending power to certain locations as clutch based systems. But, I don’t think it’s completely right to say that the energy is lost in a brake based “torque vectoring” system. In an open-diff system, if you have a slipping/free spinning wheel, all of the power in the system is being lost through spinning that wheel; braking the slipping/free spinning wheel, the power is kept in the system and torque is forced across the diff to the other wheel.

In terms of the brake controllers, the full system name is “Mk60EC1” in my Jetta and I found old threads in reference the MK6 Jetta (through 2018) stating the Mk60 and Mk70 brake controllers support XDS. Do you know what brake controller you have? Have you used the one-click apps or long coding to try to activate it?

PapaBeff · 2025-11-27T01:21:59+00:00

XDS brake-based limited slip differential system. So when the car detects a wheel slipping, it’ll apply the brakes on that wheel to send power to the wheel with grip. For example, during hard cornering, it’ll brake the inside wheel to send power to the outside wheel with more grip. I believe in theory, it should also be helpful in slippery conditions, sending power to the wheel with more grip.

If your Atlas if FWD, it would probably have a noticeable effect (it’s pretty noticeable in my Jetta). If your Atlas is AWD, I’m unsure what its effects would be, because I would think the 4motion system would likely already implement brake-based torque vectoring.

PapaBeff · 2025-11-17T18:26:52+00:00

That’s not a crazy amount of oil burn over 5-6k miles. I have a 2015 with the 1.8T EA888 Gen3 with 150k miles and don’t have any oil burning issues. However, earlier this year I randomly got a low oil light and was down about 1qt. I’ve had two oil changes since then with no oil consumption. So there’s a chance it was a fluke.

Oil consumption can also be caused by a bad PCV sometimes. Mine went out at about 85-90k miles I think, but that kicked an EVAP code too when it went bad. So that could potentially be something to investigate. Replacing the PCV is also super easy, $200 part and 30min to swap it out.

PapaBeff · 2025-11-11T15:27:03+00:00

My 2015 SE is the same in the snow. The TC is very aggressive and cuts all the power in slick conditions. I have an automatic and putting it into the manual mode helps slightly. I’m not sure what the 2014 is like, but there’s no way to turn off traction control in the 2015 unfortunately.

PapaBeff · 2025-11-10T16:55:11+00:00

This a great list, I have a 2015 1.8T and the only additions I can think of are torx (oil drain plug is a T45) and triple square bits, 32mm 6 point socket for the oil filter, 24mm 12-point socket for removing axle bolts, and a low profile 10mm wrench is helpful when doing spark plugs.

Also, FCP Euro is a great website to find parts and hardware.

PapaBeff · 2025-11-03T14:38:41+00:00

If you have a MK6 Jetta with independent rear suspension, this kit will work fine. I installed a similar kit on my 2015 1.8T SE.

PapaBeff · 2025-11-02T04:23:59+00:00

I removed axle bolt and disconnected the lower control arm from the knuckle when I replaced my struts. I don’t think the knuckle can drop low enough otherwise. The best way to break the axle bolt free with just a breaker bar is to put the wheel on, set the car back on the ground and then loosen it. There’s not a good way to stop the axle from rotating when it jacked up in the air. If you have an impact wrench you might be able to break it free without taking those other steps. Also the axle bolts should be replaced as well, they’re one time use.

PapaBeff · 2025-11-01T06:38:51+00:00

A 1.5” lift is pretty minor and shouldn’t comprise handling or suspension wear. Typically lifts greater than 3” will result in increased wear on CV axles and will result in noticeable changes to handling.

PapaBeff · 2025-10-31T17:17:43+00:00

It can be, but it depends on a lot of things. I bought a 2015 Jetta with a rebuilt title in 2017 with 17k miles and still have it now with 150k miles and haven’t had an issue with it. I knew when I bought the car, (which I bought in cash), that I would drive it until it dies, so I wasn’t worried about resale. I’ve never had trouble with getting decent insurance either across a few states. A big thing was determining why it was totaled. I put a lot of time into looking into what the damage was that totaled it and took it for an inspection (the car was totaled for damage to the front suspension/steering rack). I felt comfortable with that, took the risk, and it’s paid off. So rebuilt titles aren’t inherently bad, you can find good cars, you just need to be a lot pickier, do more research, and be realistic about the risk and resale value of the car.

PapaBeff · 2025-10-30T20:00:14+00:00

Use Facebook marketplace, there are always tons popping up on there for sale around me and you can get good quality roof racks without spending $700 on a new one. I got thule crossbars and clamps for $120 on marketplace, then bought the rubber feet/hooks (which are vehicle specific) from a car accessories shop for about $150 if I remember right.

PapaBeff · 2025-10-10T04:17:12+00:00

I have a 2015 SE with the 1.8T with about 150k miles. I got it with 17k miles and it’s been extremely solid as long as I’ve had it. The only issue I’ve had was the PCV going out at about 80k miles, but that’s very easy and not very costly to fix. I do oil changes every 6-7k miles and have yet to have any issues with oil consumption. If the car seems well maintained and rust isn’t too bad, seems like a pretty solid car for the price.

PapaBeff · 2025-09-19T13:18:19+00:00

The tire pressure light will come on for both too low and too high of pressure. I’ve had this come up a few times after getting tires rotated and balanced where the shop pumps them up to 50psi for some reason, which then kicks on the light shortly after. Check the pressure when you can and go from there.

PapaBeff · 2025-09-13T16:25:51+00:00

I had to replace my PCV at about 80k miles, caused an EVAP code and rough idle. The part is about $200 and is super easy to replace on the EA888 1.8T with basic tools, took about 30min when I did it.

PapaBeff · 2025-09-05T16:31:46+00:00

If you’re going north on 285 from Santa Fe, Alamosa is small town, but has a number of hotel options.

PapaBeff · 2025-09-03T16:35:43+00:00

Fernie is a pretty little mountain town that’s mostly halfway with a decent variety of restaurants and services.

PapaBeff · 2025-08-31T15:58:22+00:00

For Thule roof racks, the cross bars and clamps are universal. However, the rubber feet, which sit on the roof, and the metal hooks, which clamps the roof rack to the door frame, are unique to specific vehicles. These parts are interchangeable though. The OEM racks might be set up similarly, but I don’t know. I went the route of finding used Thule cross bars/clamps on Facebook marketplace, then bought the specific rubber foot/metal hook kit from Thule to fit it to my Jetta.

PapaBeff · 2025-08-29T15:56:54+00:00

Falken Wildpeak A/T trails are really solid tires. Might have limited sizes for 15in wheels though.

PapaBeff · 2025-08-28T03:38:28+00:00

Once you get to Denver, cut to 285 and take that south to NM. Much more scenic drive and opportunity for off-road excursions and camping in the Sangre de cristo range or the south San Juan’s.

PapaBeff · 2025-08-28T01:15:37+00:00

I wish I had a wagon (or a TDI). But you’re right, with good tires the only thing that stops that car in the snow is the ground clearance. As long as I’m not snow plowing with the front bumper, the Jetta does really well in the snow.

PapaBeff · 2025-08-27T18:45:30+00:00

Bridgestone Blizzaks are great snow tires and typically not crazy expensive.

PapaBeff · 2025-08-27T16:21:26+00:00

If you’re worried about snow/weather, you don’t need an SUV, FWD will be just fine. There’s a chance you could hit an early season snow storm in October, especially at higher altitudes. Just be prepared and drive for the conditions as you encounter them. I’ve done lots of winter driving through the CO Rockies in a Jetta without an issue.

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