[cidair]

Is there a difference in ride height between a 330d and a 330xd?

Why can I not order sport suspension for the 330xd??

[rolling18]

yes xi AWD has higher ground clearance/ sthe sports package does not even get you sport suspention.

i wish it did also.. o well ill put something lower on it later when more kits come out

[CALIF65GM]

Originally Posted by cidair

Why can I not order sport suspension for the 330xd??

Because the Xis have their own special AWD suspension.

[xcalibr]

There's no difference in height if you don't get the sport package. But if you're talking about the difference between sport 330d and non-sport suspension 330xd... there's a big difference. I went from 325i + sport to 325xi... There's no sport suspension for the x-drives and you definitely feel the difference. The ride is considerably more comfortable without the stiff sport suspension, but you get a lil more noticeable body roll when cornering and you don't feel as "glued" to the road... the feedback is of course a lot more dulled due to the softer non-sport suspension. Personally, I like a stiffer suspension setup.. so when dampening-adjustable coilover kits become available (if ever) for the xi, that's what I'll be going for.

[ska///235i]

i dont agree...XI suspension is NOT more comfortable, one tiny pothole is like hittin a Minefield (I swear)
i do agree on the bodyroll part

[CALIF65GM]

Originally Posted by xcalibr

There's no difference in height if you don't get the sport package. But if you're talking about the difference between sport 330d and non-sport suspension 330xd... there's a big difference.

Actually there is a slight height difference between a 30 w/o SO and a 30Xi. The Xis are the tallest of the 3.

30i w/SP<30i w/o SP< 30Xi

[Phila]

xcalibr and Ska, would you two mind discussing your views of the 325xi's suspension a little further? I'm quite interested in what people have to say about the ride quality/handling/etc in a xi versus i. Anyone else who has experience in this department should comment as well!

Thanks.

[LEDZEP]

The xi feels smoother.

[nyc3r]

The ride is more comfortable in the none-sports suspension. So if you are comparing a regular i vs. xi, you probably won't feel much difference even though the xi is a bit taller. If you have sports suspension then you'll tell the difference. i drove a E46 w/ sports and it was better cornering but much rougher ride.. I actually like the regular suspension for daily drive.

[ska///235i]

Originally Posted by Philasan

xcalibr and Ska, would you two mind discussing your views of the 325xi's suspension a little further? I'm quite interested in what people have to say about the ride quality/handling/etc in a xi versus i. Anyone else who has experience in this department should comment as well!

Thanks.

xi suspension is harsh, maybe cuz the car is heavier. From what I’ve heard, xi has its own type of suspension (unlike the I model zsp/non-zsp). To be honest, I hate the ride comfort of the xi compare to other awd cars in the market. My friend has an A4 quattro lowered with 19” wheels and his ride is alot smoother than mines. As for my car, if I hit a small pothole/bad pavement on the road, you’ll hear this big “Bang” as if one of your rims has exploded off the hub….and I’m not using RFT either.

as for handling, the responsiveness isn’t as good as the I model zsp….more body roll, a lot slower off the line, and you will never exp fishtailing on dry roads. If you change to some nice sport tires, road holding could be very good with awd.

Question, why you want an xi in SF, I’ll choice a rwd over an awd any day if I live in the westcoast…IMO

fyi zsp = sports package

[Phila]

In california, they don't let you drive in snowy conditions unless you have an AWD w/ snow tires or Chains.

Having an AWD saves us a lotta time going to and from the mountains. AWD is like a 'fastpass' at disneyland, it lets you cut in line because you planned ahead. If you've ever driven to Lake Tahoe when its snowing, you'll know what I mean.

Choosing AWD over RWD is like choosing Automatic over Manual. People just have their personal preferences.

[BKsBimmer]

Originally Posted by ska

xi suspension is harsh, maybe cuz the car is heavier. From what I’ve heard, xi has its own type of suspension (unlike the I model zsp/non-zsp). To be honest, I hate the ride comfort of the xi compare to other awd cars in the market. My friend has an A4 quattro lowered with 19” wheels and his ride is alot smoother than mines. As for my car, if I hit a small pothole/bad pavement on the road, you’ll hear this big “Bang” as if one of your rims has exploded off the hub….and I’m not using RFT either.

as for handling, the responsiveness isn’t as good as the I model zsp….more body roll, a lot slower off the line, and you will never exp fishtailing on dry roads. If you change to some nice sport tires, road holding could be very good with awd.

Question, why you want an xi in SF, I’ll choice a rwd over an awd any day if I live in the westcoast…IMO

fyi zsp = sports package

I don't agree that the x-drive suspension is harsh. True, when you hit a pothole you feel and hear it, but that's also true of the regular i version cars, just not to the same degree. I currently have 2700 miles on my car and I'm enjoying the ride more and more. I have had passengers who comment on how smooth they thought the ride was. To me it's tight and sporty and not harsh at all. I would also say it handles uneven pavement very well.

I have the 18" RFTs and the roadholding and cornering IMO is excellent, with minimal body roll. Most of the comments I read on here knocked the xi for ride height, and lack of suspension mods for the sport package. This gave me pause at one time, but after I actually drove one I was very impressed and placed an order. I drove the A4 quattro and the 330xi back to back. The Audi was good but the Bimmer was better. Overall I'm very pleased with the ride / handling carachteristics of the xi. I always think it's good to read other's comments but you should definitely drive one. That's the only way you're really going to know if it's what you want.

[Phila]

I haven't had a chance to test drive an Xi yet, they're kinda rare here.
I drove an A4 quattro right before I drove a 325i(no zsp) and I liked the 325i better. Would you say the 325xi behaves more like a quattro or a 325i (no zsp)?

[xcalibr]

Originally Posted by Philasan

In california, they don't let you drive in snowy conditions unless you have an AWD w/ snow tires or Chains.

Having an AWD saves us a lotta time going to and from the mountains. AWD is like a 'fastpass' at disneyland, it lets you cut in line because you planned ahead. If you've ever driven to Lake Tahoe when its snowing, you'll know what I mean.

Choosing AWD over RWD is like choosing Automatic over Manual. People just have their personal preferences.

EXACTLY why I got an xi in the SF-bay... I go to the slopes religiously during the winter season...

Originally Posted by Philasan

I haven't had a chance to test drive an Xi yet, they're kinda rare here.
I drove an A4 quattro right before I drove a 325i(no zsp) and I liked the 325i better. Would you say the 325xi behaves more like a quattro or a 325i (no zsp)?

A4 quattro from what I've heard is a much better AWD system than x-drive... I don't have first hand experience however... The other AWD cars I've driven are the subaru wrx, and the mitsu evo8. The x-drive has similar AWD driving characteristics, but is a bit more subtle... and has an overall "dulled" driving experience compared to those two AWD beasts. Perhaps this is due to the evo and wrx having mechanically linked/controlled awd (Torsen?), and x-drive is electonically/dynamically controlled (Haldex?). (Actually I think the Torsen/Haldex debate refers to Audi's two different quattro implementations... so it maybe should read Torsen-like vs. Haldex-like... somebody clarify this for me).

I would have to say that the xi will probably handle more like the quattro than it's RWD counter-part. The attitude or "driving style" I adopt for driving the 325xi is much different from the 325i. For the 325i, a RWD car, you'll probably get more oversteer than under... well maybe just less understeer and you have to control throttle input carefully and countersteer to get out of it. With the AWD driving mindset, I take an earlier apex, and floor through turns to let the AWD pull me out... there's a whole lot more understeer with AWD cars because your front wheels are pulling away from you while you're trying to direct it to go in a particular direction. I'm not sure if I'm explaining this with the right terminology, but I'm pretty sure that is what I'm experiencing --and the main difference between the driving style employed between RWD and AWD cars.

I bought the xi without having driven one (dealer didn't have one on the lot when I went to order it). I did have the '06 325i + ZSP before I got the xi. The xi definitely drives differently despite what the dealer might say. They say it's rear biased so you won't noticed the difference. But it's not as rear-biased as they claim it to be... the xi DEFINITELY drives like an AWD car. It corners a little "better" (read as SAFER) because you almost never lose traction (summer tire on dry pavement). I think DSC has kicked in once when I flew over a bump real fast and caught some air, so it was as if one or more tires lost traction.

I've never driven a non-sport suspension E90 (other than my xi) so I don't know the difference between non-sport and xi suspension. But from sport suspension to the xi suspension, the sport suspension is much stiffer... making for a harsher, but more connected-to-the-road feel. I personally prefer the stiffer suspension... you feel every bump, but then... feeling every bump makes the driving experience more tactile... like you're really connecting with the road. I hate the softness of the xi suspension --you do feel more bumps than say a toyota camry (my previous vehicle), but after being spoiled by the responsiveness/feedback and stability of the ZSP, I miss it dearly...

I'm waiting to see if there are going to be any dampening adjustable coilovers available for the xi. I want to lower, and I want stiffer suspension... but during the winter months, I'd lighten it up a little bit for comfort on those bumpy/icy mountain roads.

[bavarian19]

I know the E46 is different than the E90, but I remember hearing about the differences in suspension for xi vs. i


Apparently, the xi needs to have more control over all of the wheels (as you would expect). There is significantly less suspension travel (I dont know how else to put it) for the xi models. The ride height is set, and its very hard to lower the xi because of its smaller range of motion.

As I said... that was based ont he E46 awd models, and dont know if it also applies to the E90...

[xcalibr]

Originally Posted by bavarian19

I know the E46 is different than the E90, but I remember hearing about the differences in suspension for xi vs. i


Apparently, the xi needs to have more control over all of the wheels (as you would expect). There is significantly less suspension travel (I dont know how else to put it) for the xi models. The ride height is set, and its very hard to lower the xi because of its smaller range of motion.

As I said... that was based ont he E46 awd models, and dont know if it also applies to the E90...

Maybe... I've heard this as well, but it might still be the old information regarding E46's. E90's are the first xi's that use x-drive like the X5 and X3. It should be a completely different system than the older E46 xi's. (also something i just "heard" ... sorry, I'm not very good at citing sources... but I'm almost positive I dug it up somewhere on this forum whilst researching x-drive).

[Phila]

E46s use a viscous differential thingy to distribute power while the e90 Xdrive system uses sensors and a clutch to divert power.

I think this is how they work:
Viscous differentials work like a Dowel in a jar of honey. Spin the dowel slow and you stir the honey, Spin the dowel fast, and you can spin the whole jar!

Xdrive works more like a person on rollerskates, when you feel like you're gonna fall backwards you shift your weight forwards. The car uses a bunch of sensors to feel for slip and shifts its power accordingly to prevent it.

How this has to do with suspensions? no idea.

[Mike H]

Traded an E46 325XI in on an E90 330XI. E90 hits potholes and bumps much harder.

[18LLC]

Originally Posted by ska

xi suspension is harsh, maybe cuz the car is heavier. From what I’ve heard, xi has its own type of suspension (unlike the I model zsp/non-zsp). To be honest, I hate the ride comfort of the xi compare to other awd cars in the market. My friend has an A4 quattro lowered with 19” wheels and his ride is alot smoother than mines. As for my car, if I hit a small pothole/bad pavement on the road, you’ll hear this big “Bang” as if one of your rims has exploded off the hub….and I’m not using RFT either.

as for handling, the responsiveness isn’t as good as the I model zsp….more body roll, a lot slower off the line, and you will never exp fishtailing on dry roads. If you change to some nice sport tires, road holding could be very good with awd.

Question, why you want an xi in SF, I’ll choice a rwd over an awd any day if I live in the westcoast…IMO

fyi zsp = sports package

are you running on rft with stock rims? because i have a xi with aftermarket rims and non run flat tires, i have no problem. I just got the e90 325i zsp as loaner today, i felt more bumpy on this car more than my xi.......

[Phila]

When you put on different size rims, do you have to retune/recalibrate your car/suspensions to match the new rims?

[18LLC]

lol, don't know what you talking about, but i didn't do anything, just change the rim and tire

[ska///235i]

no rft...runnin on 18" aftermarkets
It was even worst when I had the RFTs/stock.....but the roads in Boston really sucks

Originally Posted by 18LLC

are you running on rft with stock rims? because i have a xi with aftermarket rims and non run flat tires, i have no problem. I just got the e90 325i zsp as loaner today, i felt more bumpy on this car more than my xi.......