Hi all, first post etc

My first post here, just saying hi, but I also have a couple questions. I currently have a 01 Mustang V6 which I've had for 2 years. Nice car, but I'm getting really tired of NY winters w/ this thing. This winter has been especially brutal and I'm pretty fed up and now looking for a car w/ all year performance. I want a car w/ AWD, so my two options are the 325XI and the Subaru WRX. There is a huge price difference, but who can argue that the BMW isn't more refined, better looking and just a hell of alot nicer car. Now can anyone w/ one either 325 or 330XI (I think that is the higher model) comment on how they handle in snow/ice? My mom has a GMC Yukon 4x4 which absolutlely is great. But I realize the Yukon weighs far more and has much beefier/larger tires.

I haven't yet gone in to my local BMW dealer yet, I'm still trying to find out more info. I'm probably looking at 10k or so for my trade-in, or I may sell privately, depends on how much the dealer wants to give me. My main concern is how well they handle in slow/ice, or if it's more a wet pavement/dry pavement performance issue. I haven't test drove one yet, and I deffinetly will, but somehow I doubt I'll be sloshing through the snow and hard breaking to test it's capabilities. Any opinions? Ideas? Would be great, or even any insight on the 325XI would be appreciated. Oh, and if anyone here has a 325XI that they lease, could you put down how much you are paying for it monthly and what your down payment was? I'm not sure whether to lease or buy but I'm leaning toward lease.

Thanks,
Brandon

Where do you live? I'm in Buffalo here...only one dealerhip in town..next closest is Rochester.

If it was my own money (which in my case it's not so I'm going with the 325xi) and you want a racer I'd go with the WRX You can't go wrong with that car. Extremely fast with all wheel drive. My friend just got a 2003 WRX and that this is SWEET! We were driving 140mph and it was extremely smooth you could hardly tell we were going that fast and the car handles extremly well.

If you want to have a luxery sports sedan with class and style then go with the BMW 325xi. Not as much horsepower (only 185 as opposed to 240 on the WRX) but you get the traction control, BMW status, and a better built car. I do a lot of driving and since I live in Buffalo I wouldn't even think of driving a rear wheel drive car so if your situation is simalr I'd get the xi.

Here's a link to a good review by Canadian who test drove the 325xi and had some really good things to tsay about it >> http://www.trentyne.com/driventodrive/Reviews/01-BMW325xi.html

Here is a link to one of the best analysis of 325i vs a 325xi. Even better the guy writing the article used to own a 2002 WRX. Very informative..scroll down a bit to read his comments....

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=93840

Thanks, very helpful. I was just at my local dealer and test drove both a 325i and 325xi, quite impressed. They handle like a dream, my only concern was when we took the 325ix to a snowy parking lot to do some agressive driving/donuts it stalled. The salesman was pretty quite, we turned the car on and drove off. Any ideas...normal for that to happen?

I'm now more informed about my purchase. I was quoted (before any haggling) at $33670 for the ix w/ heated seats, moonroof and onboard computer as options. No sport package, real leather, Xenons or premium sound. I went to Edmund's and see I can get much more for my dollar. They list invoice on the xi as $27015. I added $5000 in options such as leather, xenons, premium sound etc and I'm at $32935, based on invoice. So let's say add $1500 to that and you are at $34500, only about $1000 more than I was quoted at for an ix w/ only heated seats, onboard computer and moonroof as options. Do you think it's realistic to get $1500 over invoice? I don't want to get screwed. The premium sound and Xenons are pretty important to me, if I can get them for only about 1k more, I think it's well worth it.

On a side note, the dealer I went to (which is the closest within about 50 miles) didn't have any xi w/ just the options, so if I put one on order to get from the factory, do I still have any leeway on the price? Or am I forced to pay MSRP? Can I still offer 1500 over invoice if I put in an order?

Brandon