325ix vs. 325is in handling??

[bimma360]

So previousely i was an owner of a 325is that had everything on the suspension modified. I loved that car to death and i regret selling it every freakin day. I have recently got the chance to pick up a bone stock 325ix. I have never driven an awd car in my life before. But i do remember how wonderfully well my modified IS handled. I'm a little scared with the IX... b/c once i mod the suspension... will it be just as good as my IS or will it be better? Worse? Both cars are 2dr. manual. So what can you tell me about the IX handling.

Thanks, Dave

[Hatchman]

if ou want to mod suspension dont buy an ix.... it will cost you an arm and a leg

[bimma360]

thats alright... money isnt an issue. But with a moded suspension after the money has been put in it, what do you guys think?

[AdamF 88iS]

The IX will understeer more going in, but will have more traction at the limit. Personally I prefer the rear drive for handling.

[peteM3power]

If you don't mind buying quality parts for your 325iX suspension settup, I am sure it could be made to handle extremely well. While the rear drive settup of the 325iS would be my preference for more fun drive, I also love driving my father's '04 Subaru Liberty (Legacy) that is albeit a lot newer than a 325iX will be, just fantastic to shoot out of corners with.

Pete

[bmw332i]

With a Dinan Stage 1 suspension for the iX, the car handles really well. My sister has a 1991 325iX with the full Dinan kit (chip, intake manifold, exhaust, suspension) on her car, and she does very well. She's in the advanced run group at our local BMWCCA, and she can haul ass pretty well. She can hang with stock e30 M3's through the corners quite easily with R comps. I had the opportunity to drive it at the track once, and I can tell you, it's a different beast. It took me nearly 2 sessions to realize I could go way deeper into the turns, and accelerate way sooner. And in some, I could just tap the brakes, and then power through the turn the whole way.

Don't believe me, then take a look:

Here she is all over the ass end of an e36 M3 going up the esses, right before she passed him just a short while later (he wasn't hitting the corners right):


And here she is going up the front straight after turn 11, and passing 2 e36 M3 sedans. You can even see the guy in the silver sedan giving her the point-by:


So, be sure to check all the things you'd check on a non-iX car, and then check the iX specific things. Transfer case, oil pan, front drive shaft, CV boots, diffs, etc... Then buy the thing. I really dig the iX, and it rocks in the snow. Put some steelies and studded snows on it, and there's nowhere it can't go.

[Charlie]

Re: 325ix vs. 325is in handling??

So previousely i was an owner of a 325is that had everything on the suspension modified. I loved that car to death and i regret selling it every freakin day. I have recently got the chance to pick up a bone stock 325ix. I have never driven an awd car in my life before. But i do remember how wonderfully well my modified IS handled. I'm a little scared with the IX... b/c once i mod the suspension... will it be just as good as my IS or will it be better? Worse? Both cars are 2dr. manual. So what can you tell me about the IX handling.

Thanks, Dave

It's gonna be heavier, and have more weight on the front end on an already nose-heavy car. Parts are rarer and a good bit more expensive. You also have to look at the various stresses you put on that front transaxle when you go to a modifed suspension geometry.

Frankly, my real question is "why"? M20 powered e30's aren't really traction-limited cars, so the AWD isn't there as a performance advantage, more of a crutch for poor-weather and snow-belt driving. Lowering the car is gonna hurt its snow performance, so you're compromising a lot of things.

-Charlie

[Digitalwave]

The lack of caster might also make tracking a little less fun.

[bimma360]

Re: 325ix vs. 325is in handling??

So previousely i was an owner of a 325is that had everything on the suspension modified. I loved that car to death and i regret selling it every freakin day. I have recently got the chance to pick up a bone stock 325ix. I have never driven an awd car in my life before. But i do remember how wonderfully well my modified IS handled. I'm a little scared with the IX... b/c once i mod the suspension... will it be just as good as my IS or will it be better? Worse? Both cars are 2dr. manual. So what can you tell me about the IX handling.

Thanks, Dave

It's gonna be heavier, and have more weight on the front end on an already nose-heavy car. Parts are rarer and a good bit more expensive. You also have to look at the various stresses you put on that front transaxle when you go to a modifed suspension geometry.

Frankly, my real question is "why"? M20 powered e30's aren't really traction-limited cars, so the AWD isn't there as a performance advantage, more of a crutch for poor-weather and snow-belt driving. Lowering the car is gonna hurt its snow performance, so you're compromising a lot of things.

-Charlie

Thanks for the info guys... it helps. And to answer your question its simple. I have an unbelievable buy lined up. Its basically a rich kid selling it b/c hes tired of it, hes got a e28 euro M5. Like most e30s its got a few cosmetic issues but nothing major. 177K on the clock, 2dr. manual, boston green, full system, and last year he had the whole front suspension rebuilt b/c he hit a snow drift. He wants $1500 for it. Its a find and a half... so thats why i'm inquiring about handling in IXs. If it were up to me i would buy an IS all the way... but like i said this is something i'm not goin to pass. Heck worse comes to worse i'll just turn around and sell it for a profit. So thats why i'm asking about the handleing.

[Digitalwave]

You just said money isn't an issue... so just wait and find a nice 325iS. $1,500 isn't really that great for an E30 with a transfer case and engine with almost 200,000 miles on it.

[bimma360]

Well yeah... i have no problem putting money into the IX, that really isnt my issue. $1500 is a steal however, on an IX in the condition this one is in. I'm just worried i'll buy it, spend all that money modifieing it and come to feel that it isnt up to par with my old IS. All details aside... IX vs. IS.... which one and why, performance wise.


Edit: actually reading some of the posts up top, it sounds like an IX can out handle an IS pretty well.

[Rob]

ix is more front heavy, has more special suspension parts, and is much more limited in aftermarket suspension parts.

I think the added grip of the AWD system is negligible compared to the other downsides of the car.

Save for a nice iS, you'll be happy you did.

[AdironRider]

Well I own an ix, which is all stock except for some 17" ricer rims. The car understeers alot more, which can be unnerving at times, and there is more body roll due to its slightly lifted stature.

However, the awd system I think is quite beneficial in turns. You really can just stay on the gas alot longer, and step on it again much earlier with the ix. The power distribution is also something like 33/66 front and rear, so a quick blip of the throttle can get things going.

The awd system has also saved my ass at least twice, (ask Scott (Bimmerfanatick), and you can really feel the awd system working at limit.

This being said Ive looked at pretty much all my options for lowering the car and none of them are cheap. Bilstein doesnt make a sport shock for our cars so your looking at Konis or the HD's. Wear on the drivetrain also scares me. Ive heard the H&R sports are good, and are about as low as the car can reliably handle. So dont expect a full race spec car really. Still an awesoem ride for the street

[nando]

stock ix's understeer a lot. I've been working on improving mine, and also learning to drive the car. I'm generally within 1 second of other comparably modded E30s in autox, and 2-3 seconds behind cars with R-compounds. of course drivers make a big difference, but that's not bad considering my car is an auto. I think a bit more camber up front would be about perfect, I've considered swaybars but the car is pretty neutral 95% of the time. the RWD bias makes all the difference in the world!

Now that I have the cam, the shortcomings of the automatic are very obvious in autox - last time I was forced to shift into 2nd because of the increased acceleration, whereas normally I'd leave it in 1st. the problem was getting it back into 1st after slowing down for a corner, even forcing it sometimes didn't work. it cost me a lot of time because I had to slow down more to get it to shift. I hope to do a swap next summer..

heres my thing about the ix: I don't care if you guys or anyone else doesn't like it. there aren't very many of them anyway, so it's just as well that they aren't "popular". very few of you have driven one, and even fewer have driven one hard. people who own them tend to love them. I enjoy working on it, driving it and having something totally different.

Unless you are prepared to spend a lot of money and work hard on your car, I wouldn't reccomend it. especially if you have no mechanical competence, because having a shop work on it would be a nightmare (both because of costs and because few know WTF they are doing).

that said if you buy one and fall in love with it, bring the checkbook and the toolbox.

[rwh11385]

haha. automatic in street modified. haha. /OT

IX are more complicated. A mechanic friend I stopped by to borrow a sawzall was working on one and it doesn't look like fun. And more front heavy. And heavier period. And you have to worry about lowering them....on and on.

325is, IE stage IIIs. Few more bits and peices. Done.