The Best BMW xDrive Cars You Can Buy

All-wheel drive is a surprisingly polarizing topic among BMW fans. The brand's early reputation was built on exceptional rear-wheel-drive performance, and many purists have never fully warmed to the idea of power going to all four wheels. BMW didn't offer all-wheel drive at all until 1985, and that early system quietly faded away by the mid-1990s before the automaker took another shot at it.

When BMW relaunched its all-wheel-drive technology in 2003 under the name xDrive, it debuted on the brand's first-ever SUVs — the X3 and X5. At the time, it felt like just another sign that BMW was drifting away from its sporty roots. That was over two decades ago, and the story has since changed dramatically.

Today, xDrive appears on nearly every model BMW sells. Far from being an SUV-only feature, it now helps some of BMW's most iconic and powerful cars put their horsepower to the ground — in all weather, on all roads. Here are the five best xDrive-equipped BMWs money can buy.

BMW 760i xDrive

When most people think of all-wheel drive, they think traction in the snow. But on a luxury flagship like the 760i, xDrive is about something else entirely: effortless composure. Paired with a twin-turbocharged V8 producing 536 horsepower, the 7 Series becomes a remarkably serene machine that delivers its power with almost surgical precision. Yes, BMW also offers the fully electric i7, which makes a strong case for itself. But there's a distinct pleasure in the V8 experience that electric motors simply can't replicate — and with combustion flagships becoming increasingly rare, the 760i xDrive feels like a car worth savoring while you still can.

BMW i4 M50 / i4 M60

Electric performance cars are everywhere now, but the i4 M50 stood out when it arrived in late 2021 because it felt like a BMW first and an EV second. Sharp steering, a balanced chassis, and strong driver engagement set it apart from competitors that prioritized straight-line speed above all else. The updated i4 M60 carries on that reputation with close to 600 combined horsepower on tap. In either version, xDrive is what makes the performance usable — keeping all that electric torque under control whether the road is dry, wet, or somewhere in between.

ALPINA B8 Gran Coupe

If the 760i represents luxury with performance, and the i4 represents performance with tech, the ALPINA B8 Gran Coupe is the car that combines everything and turns it up. Built by ALPINA — BMW's longtime partner tuner with a decades-long relationship with the brand — the B8 uses a specially tuned twin-turbo V8 making 612 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. xDrive channels all of it through four wheels to deliver a 0-to-60 mph time of just 3.3 seconds. Beyond the raw numbers, though, the B8 impresses in subtler ways: its interior design has aged gracefully, and its classic-meets-modern styling gives it a timeless quality that many newer BMWs may struggle to match years from now.

Tie: BMW X3 M40i and BMW M340i xDrive

Not everyone needs 600 horsepower, and for the vast majority of buyers, these two are the sweet spot. The M340i sedan and X3 M40i SUV share the same turbocharged six-cylinder engine producing around 382 horsepower, and they're priced close enough that choosing between them really comes down to whether you want a trunk or a cargo area. Both are easy to live with daily, rewarding to drive on a winding road, and composed enough to handle a road trip without complaint. New, both hovered around $60,000 — but used examples can now be found for significantly less, making them two of the best values in the entire BMW lineup.

BMW M5 (F90 Generation, 2018–2023)

The previous-generation M5 was a landmark car for a simple reason: it proved that an all-wheel-drive M car could still be a true M car. When BMW first announced it, the backlash from purists was predictable. An all-wheel-drive M5 felt like a betrayal. What actually arrived, however, was arguably the greatest M5 ever built. Its M xDrive system was switchable — drivers could send power to all four wheels for maximum traction, or dial it back to rear-wheel drive for a more traditional feel. In full-attack mode, the M5's twin-turbo V8 pushed it from zero to 60 mph in around 2.8 seconds, making it the quickest M5 in history. Even for enthusiasts who mourned the rear-wheel-drive purist formula, it's hard to argue with those results. The F90 M5 is now available on the used market at increasingly accessible prices, and its combination of everyday usability and supercar-rivaling performance makes it one of the most compelling buys in its class.