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      09-24-2017, 01:23 PM   #1
bucketfoot
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Why lower your X1 instead of getting a 3?

Just curious on why people didn't get a 3 series if they want their car lowered? Is just the fact that it is a hatchback versus a sedan.

Personally, one of the major things I liked about the X1 over the 3 was the added ground clearance in the winter time.

I guess I could see the appeal to it if I lived somewhere without snow, as they do look nice that way. Not criticizing in the slightest, really just curious
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      09-24-2017, 04:39 PM   #2
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More leg room, larger boot, too many 3 series, better colors.
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      09-24-2017, 05:12 PM   #3
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If you are going to lower it why not just get the station wagon version instead?? They basically look the same and its already lower.

I don't understand lowering suv's. Ground clearance is sort of their thing. To each their own i suppose
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      09-24-2017, 05:32 PM   #4
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Cheaper than a 3 believe it or not.
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      09-24-2017, 09:52 PM   #5
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Hatchback. Looks nicer than a typical station wagon. Those wagons look like stretched limos compared to the x1! Just... no. ;-)
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      09-24-2017, 11:31 PM   #6
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Much more headroom than the sedan. More power than the station wagon. Cheaper than either. I don't need ground clearance and could use the better handling and ride quality compared to stock.
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      09-25-2017, 10:13 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirko View Post
If you are going to lower it why not just get the station wagon version instead?? They basically look the same and its already lower.
Nearly impossible to find in our area.
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      09-25-2017, 11:05 AM   #8
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Stock they look like a chuck wagon on 19s.
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      09-25-2017, 11:59 PM   #9
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didn't lower mine cos of the occasional snow here but those lowered with 20 in in the other post does look awesome
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      09-26-2017, 11:52 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mcdanielvzw View Post
Cheaper than a 3 believe it or not.
Ditto, Way cheaper up here in Canada.
My 2015 x128 cost me $25kish after taxes, F30 Touring models $35K+ before taxes.

I love the heavy steering feel of the x1 & i like the "old school" tech.

And imo lowered X1's look better than the equivalent f30 touring.....Yea i said it.
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      09-26-2017, 02:18 PM   #11
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I wanted a 335i wagon but they don't make it in the states. When I found s nice wagon it was around 40-50k. So I got a 35i
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      09-27-2017, 02:48 PM   #12
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Mine is not lowered, just stock M Sport suspension. But I dont think X1s look like a station wagon. X1s for me are like bigger hatchbacks while station wagon look like a hearse
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      09-27-2017, 07:46 PM   #13
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I wanted a 3 series wagon but could not find one since they were between model years. My Saab was dying so I had to buy something and the X1 won out. I will leave it at the stock height because that is how it is designed to perform best. If you change too much on a car, you bought the wrong car. Period.
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      09-27-2017, 09:52 PM   #14
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As it's been said, no 335 (or M3) wagon sold here. And for the guys that bought the 2.0, the 3 series wagon is significantly more expensive.

So...cost and availability aside, I'm sure many of us would be rocking a 335 (or 328) wagon for sure.

Regarding lowering an SUV...I don't really consider it an SUV. It's really just an E90 hatchback that BMW simply raised up a few inches. I think that makes it pretty natural for lowering.

If they sold a 4-door M235 hatch here, then I could see your confusion.
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      09-27-2017, 10:01 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mtpisgah View Post
I wanted a 3 series wagon but could not find one since they were between model years. My Saab was dying so I had to buy something and the X1 won out. I will leave it at the stock height because that is how it is designed to perform best. If you change too much on a car, you bought the wrong car. Period.
Actually, it's all E90 xdrive underneath. So it was certainly "designed" to perform "best" at a much lower height. Minus the hatch configuration, they literally just put longer springs on a 3-series unibody.

While I don't find that lowering a car a couple inches is "changing too much", when the N55 X1 came out, what was the "right car" to buy instead of lowering/cleaning up the handling of the X1?

A smaller FWD GTI or Focus ST? A more expensive, slower 328 wagon?

Our lightly modified (DP, tune, suspension) X1 gets around a 1.5 mile road course faster than my M3 did (albeit not as fun)...all while being much more practical day to day. It's a great little car made even better from a performance standpoint by a very little bit of work.

Can't find much fault in that.

I will agree that cars like the Golf R (which came years later) have made it a little harder to justify modifying an X1 (unless you really need that little bit more space the X1 offers).
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      09-27-2017, 10:10 PM   #16
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I mean, look at what AMG did with the GLA (a raised hatchback SUV thingy)?

To make the AMG version, they dropped their hot motor into a GLA 250 and lowered it a couple inches.



Why did they even make a GLA45 you ask? Because they don't sell the A45 hatchback here!

Not exactly any different from lowering and tuning an X1, because BMW doesn't sell a small fast hatch or wagon here.
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      09-28-2017, 08:19 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PrematureApex View Post
Actually, it's all E90 xdrive underneath. So it was certainly "designed" to perform "best" at a much lower height. Minus the hatch configuration, they literally just put longer springs on a 3-series unibody.
But you can't just swap in lowering springs (without rubbing or other interference) right? Also, I would assume that the shocks are different, in order to operate at the different height.

Quote:
While I don't find that lowering a car a couple inches is "changing too much", when the N55 X1 came out, what was the "right car" to buy instead of lowering/cleaning up the handling of the X1?

A smaller FWD GTI or Focus ST? A more expensive, slower 328 wagon?

...

I will agree that cars like the Golf R (which came years later) have made it a little harder to justify modifying an X1 (unless you really need that little bit more space the X1 offers).
When shopping for cars at the start of 2017, I still had this sort of dilemma. There aren't many hatchbacks to begin with, and fewer fun ones.

I guess Golf R was a possibility in theory, but at $45K and no dealing, that is kind of a non-starter, not to mention overkill. However, the GTI seemed like a great idea. Audi's version of it is now an electric, and thus really expensive. I like the GLA, but not quite as sporting.

Picked up this used X1 that I wasn't really looking for. I guess I assumed that all of the X models were pure SUVs. I'm like... hatchback.. BMW. Why didn't I know about this?
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      09-28-2017, 08:30 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vidgamer View Post
But you can't just swap in lowering springs (without rubbing or other interference) right? Also, I would assume that the shocks are different, in order to operate at the different height.
No, you can certainly add lowering springs to the stock struts/shocks or coilovers without any rubbing or interference. Many people run H&R springs on stock dampers. The wheel wells in these cars are huge.

Why would you think adding a set of springs would cause rubbing or some type of interference? They're only dropping the car a couple inches. There's still TONS of room to lower it more if you wanted.

The front knuckle of the X1 has a hair larger opening than the E90. So there are X1 specific front struts. The rears are all interchangeable.

Just to give you some idea of how little difference there is. Coilovers for the X1 are the same coilovers for an E90 xdrive, albeit with sleeves fitted over the front struts to increase their diameter where they enter the knuckle. The car is literally all E90 xdrive underneath. It's the 335 wagon/hatch we never got.

Along the same lines, you could add longer springs to an E90, and wind up with a similar ride height to the X1. There's enough shock length to accommodate some lifting, even stock.
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Last edited by PrematureApex; 09-28-2017 at 08:36 AM..
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      09-28-2017, 09:40 PM   #19
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I am aware it is built on a 3 series platform. But when the manufacturer puts a different suspension on it and makes modifications to make it a different car, then you start lowering it and doing everything else you have done to yours, you are making too many modifications. In my opinion.

I bought the X1 because I wanted a sporty AWD wagonish car. It serves the purpose it is supposed to. Sorry, I have just never understood buying a car to try to modify it into something else. It is a discussion I frequently have with a good friend who has owned a WRX and Foesta ST, both with so many mods he should have just bought something else.
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      09-28-2017, 09:52 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PrematureApex View Post
No, you can certainly add lowering springs to the stock struts/shocks or coilovers without any rubbing or interference. Many people run H&R springs on stock dampers. The wheel wells in these cars are huge.

Why would you think adding a set of springs would cause rubbing or some type of interference? They're only dropping the car a couple inches. There's still TONS of room to lower it more if you wanted.
I'm pretty sure I read posts from people complaining about bottoming-out and other issues, but I can't say that I've been able to follow what they've done.

From looking into suspension mods for other cars (I usually buy Japanese), they usually recommend changing the shocks when lowering, as the stock dampers often don't work as well out of their normal range. I would love to be able to lower and not have to worry about replacing the shocks as well. I don't think it would need much lowering to look better. (Then again, if my wife ends up driving it, she'd rather it be higher! Maybe I'd better leave it alone.. )

Quote:
...
Along the same lines, you could add longer springs to an E90, and wind up with a similar ride height to the X1. There's enough shock length to accommodate some lifting, even stock.
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      09-28-2017, 09:55 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mtpisgah View Post
I am aware it is built on a 3 series platform. But when the manufacturer puts a different suspension on it and makes modifications to make it a different car, then you start lowering it and doing everything else you have done to yours, you are making too many modifications. In my opinion.

I bought the X1 because I wanted a sporty AWD wagonish car. It serves the purpose it is supposed to. Sorry, I have just never understood buying a car to try to modify it into something else. It is a discussion I frequently have with a good friend who has owned a WRX and Foesta ST, both with so many mods he should have just bought something else.

I have done a few mods on past cars, and I agree -- you just can't get your money out of the mods, and it just would have been better to buy a car that is like you wanted. Then again, sometimes that car doesn't quite exist, and sometimes it's fun to customize. To relate it to lowering the X1, I guess the alternative would be to by the GTI which isn't all jacked-up like the X1. ;-)
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      09-29-2017, 06:46 AM   #22
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As was mentioned, what car compares to a lowered X1? The number of alternatives are scant. I cross shopped the Golf R (a little small) and the Macan (a little large and much pricier). I ordered the H&R lowering springs even before I took delivery of my X1, which I bought new.

I've always modified my cars to my liking--whether it's adding a tow hitch, more power, audio upgrade, etc. Shocks and springs is no big deal. Part of it is us being car enthusiasts.
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