Am I going to hate myself for buying an Ix?

[b*saint]

This guy who works at a BMW dealership is selling his absolutely mint 325ix with all the options for that year, worked at the dealership for the life of the car so it has all the service records, everything works including Motorola built in phone and CD player. But how limited am I for mods? I know I can't do much with cams because I can't buy headers for it. What about suspension or wheels?

[nando]

you can buy headers for it

if you can't think for yourself and figure out how to make things work, then yes you will be disappointed.

[b*saint]

Alright so basically you are saying, don't research the car with people who may know something about it, buy the car and find out I can't do anything with it. Now I am stuck because I can't do what I want with it.... Right?

[Fidhle007]

I'm curious to hear what people have to say on this subject too. I'm toying with the idea of getting an iX as a daily/winter car because my iS is too low for New England winter roads.

[jbsjunk]

Personally, I love my IX, it's the perfect winter car and daily driver. There are different parts in the car vs a reg E30, goes with the territory. A little research and you can find anything you want. Personally, I'd grab it, worry about mods later.

[Jand3rson]

you can buy headers for it

if you can't think for yourself and figure out how to make things work, then yes you will be disappointed.

A little harsh, don't you think, Chris? No offense man, but this is the kind of thing that's turning people off from R3V, and giving us a bad name.

I would expect a little bit more informative of a response from R3V's resident iX guru.

[Digitalwave]

The iX is a specialist car. I wouldn't personally drive one since I think a RWD E30 can do everything an iX can do, better, except for adverse weather. But if you live where there is a lot of snow, it may be a great choice.

[Jon325i]

The ix does have more 'stuff' to it due to its all-wheel drive system and more stuff = more maintenance to keep in mind. You can do some mods such as springs, shocks, wheels, etc......your options may be more limited than the standard rear-wheel-drive cars. Engine mods can be done as well but the design of the M20 powerplant is a dated one. To get really serious power out of it requires many different things. Slapping in a chip or cold-air intake or headers aren't going to do a whole lot for the car. If it were me getting one, I would leave it as is and drive the snot out of it since its practical for so many uses.

Now for my bonus commentary-

My logic on the whole ix debate is that its a good thing to have if you live in a region where nasty weather is all too common. Some will argue that all-wheel drive handles better than rear-wheel drive....its all a matter of personal opinion and driving style really. Where I live, the number of days of actual rainfall is less than 20% annually (that's 73 for you math gurus) so I can't justify owning an all-wheel drive car given all these sunny days I'm forced to live through :-P I seldomly head up to Lake Tahoe to do snow skiing anymore so all-wheel drive is pretty much pointless in my book.

Jon

[nando]

A little harsh, don't you think, Chris? No offense man, but this is the kind of thing that's turning people off from R3V, and giving us a bad name.

I would expect a little bit more informative of a response from R3V's resident iX guru.

what's harsh about it?

I'm not saying this guy is incompetent, I'm just telling him the truth. you can't buy an ix and expect to get the bolt-on mods you can for a 325is. many things will work fine, but it takes a lot of experimentation and there is so much misinformation on what will and will not work (like the headers he mentioned) it's difficult to do much.

I just wouldn't want to tell somebody to get an ix when they want to modify it, and have them dissapointed because their favorite bolt on mod isn't made for it. I've spent 4 years researching parts, buying stuff, finding out what I got won't work, getting lucky, modifying parts, etc. and I still don't have a car that's where I would like it to be.

if you want a track/autox car that is inexpensive, easy to work on, and has lots of aftermarket, get a 325i. if you want something different, more complicated, and don't mind doing the extra work to get the parts/mods you want, then get an ix.

I'm neck deep in ix parts right now with my tranny swap, and believe me, it can be a big pain in the ass sometimes.

as far as handling, the biggest disadvantage is weight. I autox'd my friend's 89 325i with well setup suspension and about 500lbs less weight, it was a big difference. I think it could be overcome, but I'd have to compromise my car's street manners too much.

also, it doesn't really snow much where I live, but it does rain, and I will say the ix in the rain has a big advantage over a RWD e30.

[ldsbeaker]

I would get it. If it's as mint as you say, I wouldn't worry about the mods for now. Just enjoy it. Enjoy the exclusivity. A nice one is hard to come by. There's ONE in my area, and I like it a lot.

[german g]

Id get it and keep it stock and minty fresh...

[george graves]

Mass? it snows there right? You think your a god during a snow drift. Then start refering to your self as both bevis and butthead during the summer.

[Fidhle007]

So my plan could actually work, from what I've heard you guys say; iS for summer, iX for winter. And b*saint: If you want modability I'd go with a RWD e30 with an LSD and suck it up and buy FOUR STUDDED snow tires for winter. I used to rock a RWD Volvo 240 with snows all the way around and it did quite well. Just get out and do a little drift practice early each winter to get the hang of your car. The only reason I'm considering an AWD car is because mine is so low. The handling (if you're used to a RWD car in the snow) is great on the iS. Good luck man!

[b*saint]

Usually I will buy a beater car but I hate driving a beater car the the M5 SUCKS major in the snow on the stupid little streets in Boston where you have to make snap decisions and you slide right onto the curbs because of the awesome plow job. The only thing I dont like about the iX is the height. I LOVE the flares and skirts.