thoughts?

[MikeM]

I would like to hear from both "ix" owners and non "ix" owners, what are your opinions or thoughts on the 325ix? Please state your e30 and then comment on the question. Sorry if this has been posted before. Thanks

[Japandrew73]

I think the 325ix is awesome. It's a cult car, among a cult car. You can feel safe driving through the worst of conditions, while still having the classic feel... but then again, i've never driven one. :mrgreen:

[ethree]

Nice vehicles, can be expensive to repair on occasion. Get one!

[xwill112x]

iX's are more of a pita to work on...i would assume

drove one once, didn't like the boatish feel to it, nothing like a 318is

[88e30is]

What do you mean by boatish? I have an 88 325ix and love it! I had a few other e30s and by far this one takes the cake. All around great car. I have some simple mods as far as chip, exhaust, suspension and I simply can not complain.

[smonkbmw]

price out differential replacement first. i assume youre asking because of the red one on CL with the weak center diff.

[Alkasquawlik]

I have a 325iX. It's really fun to drive around in the snow when you're trying to fool around, but is super stable when actually trying to drive carefully in the white stuff.

Lately though, I've been contemplating on how a RWD E30 would drive, as the only other car I've driven consistenly is an E28 528e that had no power at all. I can't compare it to a regular E30 because of this.
The iX really grips the road though.
eh they both have their pros and cons, depends what you really want it for

[Money$hit]

rwd ftw

[mikeedler]

iX's are the ghey!, right Nando?

[Julien]

Ix seem like cool cars, but I'm turned off by the higher price of maintenance (most of the suspension is IX specific) and higher gas use... only Ix i'd own would be an ix touring

[gearheadE30]

They are nice and handle very well, but the suspension geometry differences at the front are pretty noticeable as far as understeer goes, plus the inherent understeer of the 4wd setup. Fun cars once you get used to that, though. I'd buy one if there weren't so many expense-inducing suspension differences.

[88e30is]

With good driving knowledge you can learn to compensate for under steer. Basically you just have to learn to drive your car. I have no problem with under steer in my car. Same issue with a RWD e30, if you don't know how to drive it you will be having over steer issues. An AWD car is definitely more stable and will do way better in the snow with good tires.

[kway]

I've never been a fan of all wheel drive, never will be, but the people that have them seem to love 'em. Parts aren't getting any cheaper. Recently did a steering rack on an '89. iX specific, and it was like $800 for a ZF reman (replacing the no-name reman that had been done by someone within the past few years and already had play and was puking fluid). New ZF would have been $1200. You have to drop the subframe to change it. Tie rods were stupid too, close to $200 each side.

If it's a manual with a sloppy shifter, you'll need to drop the transfer case to rebuild it. Not the end of the world, but it's just not worth it to me. I could go on, but you get the idea. In a nutshell, it's a bigger PITA to work on and the iX specific parts are pricey.

As far as traction, I'll take my RWD 325i on Hakkas just about anywhere a stock iX would dare to go, in any weather. I've only ever gone off in the snow in one vehicle, ever. That was my brother's POS Saturn on Blizzaks. I'll throttle steer my e30 around that thing all day long.

[downernsp]

Nice driver car the ix,but very expensive tie rods, I know I sell that item at times, and front suspension is funny some aftermarket sway bars don't fit rear does etc. Just needs love I think more then a REGULAR 3 series haha hope that helps.

[Alkasquawlik]

If you're thinking about buying a iX, consider why you want to buy it. I bought mine with the intention of going to Tahoe every weekend in the winter and not wanting to deal with chains.
If I wasn't an avid snowboarder, I wouldn't even have looked at the iX, I would've gotten something else.

As far as traction, I'll take my RWD 325i on Hakkas just about anywhere a stock iX would dare to go, in any weather. I've only ever gone off in the snow in one vehicle, ever. That was my brother's POS Saturn on Blizzaks. I'll throttle steer my e30 around that thing all day long.

Put Blizzaks or Hakkas on an iX though and it'll run circles around the RWD E30s