e30 I and IS differences....

[seven11dmd]

hey i was wondering if getting an 325 IS or IX is really worth the price difference compared to an I. I know the IS has sport seats, does the iX have that? I know some of the body differences between the is and i but i was wondering what else is there?

[Digitalwave]

iX's are all-wheel drive, it is a totally different beast.

I think its worth buying an iS. Most of the have limited slip differentials, sport seats, stuff like that.

[E30Adam]

UK iS looks like this

[Nick325is]

UK iS looks like this

You luck bastard! :twisted:
Very nice looking car!!
I would go with the IS. Of course I am biased because I have one.



Nick

[nando]

the ix is a totaly different car. Like TJ said, it's all wheel drive. they have a different body kit, some models did come with sport seats (mostly 88-89 models) and they all have LSD. However, most of them are 4 door autos (like mine), but they can still be a fun car.

Of course, unless you're really looking for an AWD car, go for the is. They're cheaper, faster (by a hair), lighter and much easier to repair. There are also a lot more mods available for the is (though things like engine, brakes, wheels, and suspension parts are available with many parts compatible between the two). I love my car but I'm not fooling myself when I say it's an expensive beast to own, almost as bad as an M3. Last spring I spent about $900 rebuilding my transfer case, the only reason it was that "cheap" was because I did the work msyelf. :)

[seven11dmd]

in that case is the IS going to be a lot of money to upkeep, i realize bmws are expensive to fix and such and i know that the car will be almost 20 years old, but am i going to have to be throwing down major money to keep it running well....if i buy one thats in decent shape?

[Bill 84 318i]

It's not worth it to get an iX (unless, like nando said, you really want AWD, which you don't really need in VA). That UK example up there is something you well never (okay, very rarely) see here in the US.

The basic cool things you get with an iS (over an i). Yeah, it can all be swapped over from an iS to an i, but for the little more you'd pay for an iS over an i, it's worth it to start out with an iS:
LSD
Sport seats
OBC
Slightly stiffer suspension
Front and rear spoilers (front usually missing, ~$150 to replace)

There's more stuff to break in an iX and as cool as they are, just not worth it IMO. For a good example, they're more money as well and you can't mod them as much (if that's your intent).

Nick325iS goes to JMU as well and has a sweet example of a 325iS.

[LikeCDoos]

i've had mine since June 03 and haven't have any major problems. I biggest thing i had to do was a rear wheel bearing. So far i love it. My vote is to get a 'iS"

[KenC]

Look for a '91 325i with the 'Sport Package'... they didn't continue the 'is' to 1991, but the 91 with the sport package is essentially the same thing. And you might even be lucky enough to find one with side skirts.

[Digitalwave]

in that case is the IS going to be a lot of money to upkeep, i realize bmws are expensive to fix and such and i know that the car will be almost 20 years old, but am i going to have to be throwing down major money to keep it running well....if i buy one thats in decent shape?

\

There will be virtually no difference in the price of up-keep between a 325i and a 325iS.

[Numbersix]

If you have any interest in driving a car aggressively, and/or plan on modifying it past stock, an IS is worth what is usually a very slight price difference over a comparable I.

That is, unless you plan on replacing most of the items that make an IS unique from an I (steering wheel, OBC, seats, spoilers, wheels, suspension, LSD, etc). For someone like that, a well-cared for I could be a slightly cheaper starting point.

The only IS item that might be considered more expensive or hard to source would be the '87 front spoiler and mounting hardware (I know from experience).