Purchase decision: i or xi

[nysimonsez]

I just joined this board and am seeking adivce/opinion from all of you about my purchase. I live in Southwest CT and am looking to get a used 325. I'm trying to decide whether I should get the i or xi model. I understand that xi is the awd version but am wondering if I really need it and worth the extra $$. As long as I can get by with the "i" version even with a couple of inches on the ground then I'd rather go with the i.

For both i and xi owners, what's been your experience in wet and snowy weather?

thanks in advance to everyone.

 

[squarehat]

I went through the same debate...

I went through the same debate when I got my 2005 325i. The dealer had both a 325i and a 325xi on the lot with the color/options I wanted. I live in Cleveland, which some recent winters has seen 100-plus inches of snow (thanks to the wind whipping across Lake Erie).

The road crews around here are usually pretty good about plowing and salting; there are only 3-4 truly terrible road condition days a year, and they usually involve sleet/ice storms when the temps are just around the freezing point. These are storms where no AWD, stability control computer, or winter tire will make you fully safe.

I decided to go with the RWD for 3 reasons:
Performance advantage (faster 0-60, I like the handling of a pure RWD)
Price advantage ($30 a month diff in lease payment)
Fuel economy advantage (due to AWD adding weight and drivetrain loss--admittedly slight, though I avg 24.2 MPG in mixed driving)

The AWD version also rides a little higher off the ground, creating a bit more gap between fender and tire (which matters more to some than others)

Good snow tires (Michelin Pilot Alpin 2's) and the DSC have gotten me safely through some pretty treacherous conditions. This car with those tires is light years better in snow than my FWD Lexus ES300 with all-season Michelin MXV4's (which was also terribly front-heavy).

xi owner's, I'm not knocking your choice (I have several friends with E46 and E90 325xi's), I just wanted to outline my decision process behind choosing the RWD model.

 

[XIII]

I've come to realize that AWD doesn't make much of a difference unless you're a real speed demon. You should evaluate your driving habits before you decide to purchase a car exclusively for AWD, cuz you will be sacrificing having a nice performance vehicle on those dry summer days.

 

[bronxborn]

I agree with the comments above. I have a 330ci and my girlfriend has a 330xi. My car feels much more nimble and much quicker than her car, and the handling is far superior. In addition, I have averaged over 26mpg over the last 2 years (despite my heavy foot), while she is lucky to get 20 or 21mpg (and only when she hits the highway). Some of these differences are due to the differences between the coupe and the sedan, and the fact that my car is a 6 speed, but some are simply attributable to the feel of AWD, along with the added weight, ride height, and different tires that come with it. Having said that, my car is a sled in the snow, even with the stick. There have not been too many days in CT when that was a problem, but when it is a problem it is a real problem. The car is useless on those days. I am sure that switching to winter tires would solve much of the problem, but I have been too cheap to do it, and I can always take her car when conditions are bad.

The lesson? Get the RWD and get a girlfriend with an AWD model.

 

[ksbmwers]

My 2002 330xi has averaged between 26 and 28 mpg since the day I bought it. 60 M miles so far. Having lived in Buffalo where winters are as bad as Cleveland's.... I'd go for the xi. But.... I don't push the performance envelope hard enough to notice a difference.

 

[snowsedan04]

The endless i vs. xi debate continues.

Xi handling in the wet is amazing. You can't shake it and there's NO comparison vs. non-AWD. In the snow, AWD will again have an advantage but both have pretty low clearance so you'll have problems in anything more than 5 inches. I've gotten out of some snowy situations when other cars were sliding around, and I've been in a regular 325 that did a 360 with just a little snow on the road, but good snow tires will even things up a bit. Definitely a heavier car, which results in lower 0-60 and slight handling deterioration. The manual Xi is about the same acceleration as the auto i. MPG probably worse in the Xi, but there is absolutely no chance that it's anywhere near 5-6 MPG mentioned earlier. Probably less than 1.0. I get 27 on the highway, about 21 in the city. Driving style, climate and city vs. highway has way more of an impact than AWD in terms of mileage.

 

[Chicago-Spike]

xi + snow tires = unbelievable snow traction. Drove my 325xi out into an 8 inch snowstorm just to test it around the block. Ended up on a 1 hour cruise through western Illinois backroads because the car just loved the snow. Plus, for the summer I now have ASA wheels and Goodyear Eagle F1 summer tires and that combo makes this car stick like glue to any road in any condition. Rain is where this car really sees a HUGE advantage. Mash the pedal to the floor and watch as others slip and slide their rear ends all over the place while you're speeding onward. I average @23mpg when I'm not in sport drive. Of course our car is a rare breed indeed from the dealers say so anyway. 325xi with the cold weather package and the sport package. I like it, but I think we will be trading it in soon

 

[nysimonsez]

Thanks for all your inputs. I was trying to determine whether I should exclusively search for an xi or should also consider the i. My decision would be the latter. Unless I find an xi at a reasonable price then I'd probably go with the i. I don't mind the performance drop in the xi if I get driving stability on wet road but not at a significantly higher price. I'll go to the dealers and see what they've got with that in mind.

A bit off-topic, I presume the xi will be a bit more costly to maintain?

Is '04 the 1st year of 6-speed for both the 4dr and 2dr?

thanks

 

[ksbmwers]

I don't know why the xi would be more expensive to maintain. I haven't had to do anything to my xi other than the routine, scheduled maintenance, and I don't believe there is a price difference for that.

When I got my xi, the awd was a $1,750 option. I figured one slip/slide into a snow bank would cost a lot more than $1,750 in body work.

 

[Average Jae]

i still stick by having a good set of snow tires is the best choice for safer winter driving. i chose the i because i didn't care much for the xi. i had an eagle talon tsi awd with crappy tires and i was all over the place in snow.

awd is really helpful in getting the car moving. but once you start breaking it doesn't matter if you drive a awd/ rwd/ fwd.

i've been pretty good in my rwd with snows. only real problem i had was due to my lower ground clearance, when the snow piles up in a hurry, it gets tough to get going. (i got stuck in my drive way once.) but i don't think that was the issue with rwd/awd as much as ground clearance. they aren't suvs afterall.

i is supposed to be more sportier, and i assume it to be true, but i never drove the xi, so i can't say for sure. best answer is to drive them both and get the one you like the most. (too bad you can't wait around till a snow storm hits to make the decision huh?)