325iX: Desirable?

[JinormusJ]

What does r3v think?


Along my e30 travels, I've met a few people that are nuts about them. Like; I mean NUTS. They go as far as condemning the rear-wheel drive model for not being All-wheel drive. The kind of people that you kinda just awkwardly stand there silently from their density. Or need a good hug, in the face, with a fist.

While I would be lying if I said these guys are common (they aren't), I still have to ask myself: what is it about the iX that makes these guys wet their pants more than a 14 year-old schoolboy experiencing puberty?

I mean, facts established:
1) The iX is more on maintenance (More moving parts = more stuff to fix). Top it all off with the fact parts can be extremely pricey (some of iX specific stuff is more expensive than m3 stuff)
2) Are generally worse on gas than the regular 325i
3) You can't lower them (much). Deduction stands to dictate they can't look as good as the regular model because of this
4) Noswapforyou (or... swaps are much harder at the very least)
5) Wheel selection is more limiting
6) Aftermarket can be more limiting

I guess that's just to start it off. But, like, seriously

I know they are rare compared to your run-of-the-mill 325i sedan, but rarity doesn't exactly make it "good" or "better". Generally, when I was looking for my e30 (and with everyone else I knew in/getting into the e30 game), we only looked at RWD models exclusively and jumped the iX completely. I mean; if you cream yourself over the thought of an iX, more power to you; I mean no offense. The question is.. Why?



I don't get it

[Click]

Because they're e30s that dominate the snow in ways a regular 325i never can. I have driven my 325i in snow with snow tires with a limited slip diff and its great fun but there have been times I wish I had an IX.

If I ever get one I'm using it for exactly that, a winter vehicle. I'm not getting wheels for it, I'm not swapping it, nor am I lowering it. Living in Sacramento however I would have little desire for an IX, although the turbo builds I've seen are pretty impressive....

[JinormusJ]

I can see why people living in a snowy winter climate might prefer the iX, but I've been living in California all my life and the most we ever get is a "light drizzle".

People I've met (also Cali-people) often use that fact to point out why their car is "better" but...




It doesn't snow here....







:???:

[mr2peak]

It's the rarity aspect. If it's rare, it's niche, and must excel at something.

The E30 Touring hatch design is awful. You can't fit anything past the rear tail lights! Worst wagon design ever. If I ever own an E30 touring that will be the first mod I do, tail lights attached to the hatch.

[kway]

Different strokes, different folks I guess. I hate, HATE iXs. Been around, driven, and worked on plenty of them (they never seemed "rare" here in the northeast). Always thought it was unneeded complexity and weight, I never liked working on them, and just didn't see the point (a regular e30 on snows is pretty awesome in the snow in the right hands). Now parts are stupid expensive on top of it all, and half of them fail the jack test and are no longer AWD anyways. Do not want.

I see your point, a lot of the people who go apeshit over them really have no need to. Without snow, an iX doesn't make much sense.

Then again, I have a soft spot for m10 318s, so maybe I'm not one to talk...

[EyExR]

What's to get? They're awd e30s. They rip in snow and they're a little more rare. You could make the same argument for the M3. A mint iX can sell for 10 grand. A mint M3 can sell for 35 grand. Why? Fender flares? lol

I guess when you see a nicely done resto on an iX, you realize the extra cash and effort that went into it.

Condemn rear wheel drive? Who the hell are you hanging out with? lol

To each his own. Some people HATE e30s. Go figure....

[agent]

3) You can't lower them (much). Opinion stands to dictate they can't look as good as the regular model because of this

Don't blur the lines between what you think looks good and what someone who owns one thinks looks good. Not everyone wants ESMs and their oil pan on the ground. It's safe to assume this holds especially true for iX owners - at least the ones who bought them for their intended purpose.

[F34R]

Don't blur the lines between what you think looks good and what someone who owns one thinks looks good. Not everyone wants ESMs and their oil pan on the ground. It's safe to assume this holds especially true for iX owners - at least the ones who bought them for their intended purpose.

And not everyone who slams their car wants ESM wheels, you did the same thing... You can pick out more slammed cars with tasteful wheels than slammed ones on ESM.

@OP
The iX is rare and really cool! If properly cared for, they will be just as good as a stock e30. Take a look at Nando's AMAZING build, his is also tastefully lowered on a proper GC coilover setup.
Nando's build

~You can lower them
~They are not made of glass(just 25+ years old...)
~They go like crazy in snow
~Worth it and in a snowy area, much better than a RWD W/ LSD & snow tires.

[Zreberlcoe]

My dad has owned a '88 IX for the last 10 years, he bought as a median car between his 2002 that got smashed and another cool BMW, perferably M. Because of this car I fell in love with E30's! When I bought my 325i with 146,000 miles that was bone stock, in the last 10000 miles my 325i has had a multitude more problems with things that has never failed on his IX with 255,XXX miles. All that car gets is on schedule oil changes, on schedule belt and water pump changes, and whatever bare minimum maitenence. I personally do not want to own an IX because my open diff+Snow tire+Dumb kid driver 325i can get around in these colorado snows, and I want coilovers and ESM's ;). But I have tried over and over to get that IX fucker to get stuck in 16" snow piles and it just plows through on 14" steelies while a WRX couldn't get through. It really is a cool car, and on the track it just does what it is expected to, although nothing special. What's not to like? Especially in 88 they came loaded with all the options and it's a coupe.

[dannyyisntt]

If I didn't live in the land of endless winter, I wouldn't have my ix. I'm yet to find a storm Michigan can throw at me that leaves me stranded with my ix on winters.

That said, I don't go nuts over them but do enjoy the benefits of them.

[nando]

I don't really get into the is vs ix thing - it's like arguing over M20 vs M42. but..

I mean, facts established:
1) The iX is more on maintenance (More moving parts = more stuff to fix). Top it all off with the fact parts can be extremely pricey (some of iX specific stuff is more expensive than m3 stuff)

No, yes. The maintenance is about the same - yeah, you have extra driveshafts and a front diff, but those aren't "maintenance" items. Some parts do cost more but they generally last a long time (control arms).

2) Are generally worse on gas than the regular 325i

Not significantly. you're talking about going from maybe 25mpg highway to 24. A healthy ix should average about 21.

3) You can't lower them (much). Deduction stands to dictate they can't look as good as the regular model because of this

Huh?

4) Noswapforyou (or... swaps are much harder at the very least)

True, but most of the swaps done here are pretty lame anyway. The M20 has lots of potential if you want more power without the effort of a swap.

5) Wheel selection is more limiting

No? It's different - you have to look at different types of wheels. but not really limiting. Unless you want the same wheels 95% of r3v has.

6) Aftermarket can be more limiting

Not really. Actually I can't really think of anything that you can do on a RWD E30 that you can't do on an ix. Care to enlighten me?

I know they are rare compared to your run-of-the-mill 325i sedan, but rarity doesn't exactly make it "good" or "better". Generally, when I was looking for my e30 (and with everyone else I knew in/getting into the e30 game), we only looked at RWD models exclusively and jumped the iX completely. I mean; if you cream yourself over the thought of an iX, more power to you; I mean no offense. The question is.. Why?

drive one that's well set up at the limit and you'll see why some people like it so much. also, if it's wet, or icy, or snowing.. it's not like the RWD car is some exclusive club, if I didn't like it I could have switched over eons ago.

I'd love to have a 318is as a second E30 but these days I couldn't sneeze on a decent one for under $7k, I hate the M42 technically but there's something about it that's just satisfying. But a RWD M20 car just seems boring to me for some reason. Like it's missing something..

[Dirty325ix]

I live in a ski town that gets 400 plus inches of snow a year and I have never been late to my job at the gondola at 7am cause....IX

[rmdashrf]

I'd drive the poop outta a iX.

I wouldn't pick one. I'd have both.

[JinormusJ]

This was what I was looking for

I have no hate on the iX; it's an e30 of course. I guess I just didn't know much about it to know exactly what to think about it

I guess what I should have directed OP to say which would people prefer: iS or iX?
I know mostly it would all depend on people's intended purpose for the vehicle, but in a general sense, which people would choose if they had a choice and which one they found to be more desirable in the market.

[nrubenstein]

I prefer not to pick.