How is the Mileage (MPG) & Maint cost on 325iX?

[Mark 42]

How is the Mileage (MPG) & Maintenance costs on the 325iX?

I like the idea of AWD, but not sure I would want to carry it around
for the other 3 seasons of the year (Okay, we only have two...
rainy & 5th of July... but it does snow sometimes).

If you had to have only one car (daily driver) would an iX be okay?

[spdracrm3]

Auto trans 19 city to 22 hwy
5 spd 20 city 24 hwy

as far as maintenance goes it will be a bit more than a regular 325 just cause there's more to take care of and the parts are a bit harder to come by for the AWD parts and can be expensive , if you can do a lot of the stuff yourself you'll obviously save money . and of course it depends on how well the car was taken care of previously .kinda like an M3 you can buy a cheap one and have to put a lot into it or you buy a nice one that doesnt need a lot of work but it'll cost ya! (the rule with M3's is buy one for 10k and put 10k into fixing it up ,or pay 20k for a nice one). same with the IX buy a rusty pile o crap (and a lot are because they were sold mostly in the snowy rust belt areas) and it will drain your wallet fast and you soon be frustrated. buy a nice one at treat it well and it will treat you well also .
with working AWD system and good snow tires they are unbeatable in the snow, if i could only have one car as a daily driver i dont think it would be and IX just cause of the poor mileage and high fuel costs (i just use mine as a snowmobile in winter ,as i have an M3 and motorcycle for summertime) also have a DD beater that gets 34MPG

[SteveJ]

Wonderful cars. More rare than E30M3's in my area. Many of the owners hold on to them with an iron fist.
I did my research and nearly bought one several years ago, but ended up with another 2002tii. Basic E30 stuff is plentiful and somewhat inexpensive. The iX specific parts are just the opposite. Oil pan, front half shafts, transfer box, etc...
The next one that tickled my fancy was in perfect shape...until the owner had it towed somewhere and fried the transfer box.

[Mark 42]

Thanks - that helps quite a bit.

Are those numbers from users, or EPA type numbers?
I've been doing a lot of MPG searches, and finding they tend
to be more pessimistic than what owners are reporting.

Here is one that shows what I mean:

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/noframes/7529.shtml

I'm not sure why there is so much of a difference, and it seems
to vary from one car to another (as far as how different that
source is versus owner reports).

Also, I have almost the same question about the M3...
I should start a new thread, but the question is whether it's smarter
to modify an E30 318 or buy an M3. I realize the answer has a lot
of variables, but I'd like to hear different perspectives about it.

I think I'll rule out the iX for now - maybe someday when I want
a toy - especially if there is Rally-Cross in our area. We did that
on our property in Alabama, and it was a blast. But I can use my
318i for Rally-X too (if I don't put the lowering spring on it like
I intend to do).

[spdracrm3]

thats what most users will report for mileage on an IX ,highest ive ever seen reported was on a long highway trip one owner claimed 28mpg at steady cruise,which i find hard to believe.

as far as the 318 and M3 they are "very" different creatures ,you need to have money times three to own an M3, the 318 is generally just a low end great daily commuter car ,both can have money thrown at them in huge quantities with very different results

[Isostar13]

I get about 20 around town and 24-25 on the highway. Before you buy an ix talk to the mechanics in your area to see if you can find someone to help source parts and do repairs as necessary.

A lot of independents could help you work on an is, but may have no idea how to handle the ix. Just a thought.

[Kershaw]

in my automatic ix i saw about 25mpg. in my (current) manual ix i see about 22mpg. i do have 17.5lb injectors in my current ix... but i cant see that affecting highway mpg. does throw off the obc though. it swears im getting 24mpg. lol. i saw 20.5mpg average with snow tires. i drive 350+ miles a week so i track my mpg pretty closely.

the automatic turns ~500rpm lower at highway speeds.

maintenance costs are higher. rwd e30 front control arm: $90. awd e30 front control arm: $220.

there arent a whole lot of ix specific parts, but anything that is is a crap ton more expensive. it's a step between the m3 and standard e30s.

[blindrhino]

Mark,
Talk to Patrick at Midnight Motorsports. He's a BMW trained mechanic and owns his own shop. One of the best mechanics in the area. And his rates are not silly expensive.

[Mark 42]

Mark,
Talk to Patrick at Midnight Motorsports. He's a BMW trained mechanic and owns his own shop. One of the best mechanics in the area. And his rates are not silly expensive.

I'll have a look. Is it up north in your area, or closer to down her near Tacoma (i.e. Renton to Seattle)?
I do most of my own work - mainly for budget's sake.

[ClausE30]

I'll sell you my IX.. lol

[A Sucked Orange]

27mpg average through the mountains. 33'ish on the highway. lots more parts to wear out.

[Mark 42]

I'll sell you my IX.. lol

You should have caught me with an offer at Griot's garage -
my accountant was in a good mood ;)

[ClausE30]

You should have caught me with an offer at Griot's garage -
my accountant was in a good mood ;)

I'm not sure you'd want to fix my body damage lol, have a peak at my thread.
I loved driving the IX in the winter, would be my ideal winter beater!

[davericher20]

I get 400kms to a tank on a good day. Sucks on gas

[coolpersob]

Other than what everybody else has said, I would like to mention a few things. I own a 325ix and i have a few things I love and a few things I could live without. I love the AWD. The flexibility of being able to go almost anywhere is a major plus. Plus, its an e30, so a great car. Now, a couple cons. The 325ix lacks the sport package of the 325is. I would love to have a spoiler and sport steering wheel and sport seats on my car. Instead, i have the weird, fat steering wheel. The suspension on the 325ix is pretty high, and cannot be lowered as much as a 325is or an M3. But, all said, I love my 325ix. Everytime I change or add something to my car, I love the feeling I get inside. So, it's your decision, but if I could go back in time choose to buy a 325is in the same condition as my ix instead of my ix, I would do it.