Keep X3 35i and Mod or Golf 7 R

[brentbmw]

Hi guys,

So business has improved somewhat over the last couple months and the SWAMBO has finally given me the go ahead to scratch my itch for more power.

Was first thinking of trading the X3 35i in on an F10 M5 for around 400-500k used but common sense told me this would be a bad idea (or would it https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/images/smilies/Top24/fencelook.gif ) because it would be out of motorplan and if anything goes wrong I can see me having to sell part of the house to fix it.

I have given this some thought and I have narrowed it down to 2 options but wanted you guys opinions/experience on the matter.

Look the X3 isn't slow by any means, but coming from an ABF turbo golf in my youth it leaves me wanting that power itch scratched again. I want that kick in the gut when accelerating, that push into the seat.

But I still need it to be reliable and practical as it will be my daily driver.

All of this being said I was thinking of these 2 options:

Option 1. Keep the X3 which I only owe about 75k on and do a JB piggy back (can't find jb4 for this chassis but I am sure someone can chime in here and lead me in the right direction), full exhaust, downpipe etc.

Will this setup be reliable as a daily driver? Has anyone tuned this setup and been happy with the results?

Waterpump is due to fail any time now but luckily I still have an aftermarket warranty which should cover most of this. The PCV valve has already been done and the rear main seal. So pretty much worry free after the waterpump is sorted.

Option 2. Trade the X3 in on a 2014-2017 Golf 7 R for around 400k (saw a 2014 on webuycars with only 21000km on for 398k....) and then do similar mods and a Revo stage 1/2 tune. Having tested a stock Golf 7 R the launch was intense but I felt it needed that little more power, and a stage 1/2 tune should really liven it up.

If I go the Golf R route I will be making approximately an extra 200k debt...I can afford it at this stage but is it worth it in the long run?

So if anyone has modded their X3 or been in a similar position with a 135i/335i/235i platform please let me know! Also any suggestions/input would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers,

Brent

 

[akash]

I will be killed for this....but if i were in your shoes and those were my two options....then i would go with the 7R

 

[Witty787]

I would go 7R

 

[444YYY]

7R, the X3 is too high and heavy...

 

[Danny2]

Golf 7/7R is high risk, so just be careful with that in mind.
Easy to mod, can get some decent power out of them. Have seen quiet a few turbo failures on them once modded.

X3 can be worked, we have done one with downpipe, software, chargepipe and a jb.
As mentioned by others it's high up and it's heavy.

Space wise I think you will have more space in the x3 vs the 7 and then their is the added worry of more debt between the 2.

 

[brentbmw]

Golf 7/7R is high risk, so just be careful with that in mind.
Easy to mod, can get some decent power out of them. Have seen quiet a few turbo failures on them once modded.

X3 can be worked, we have done one with downpipe, software, chargepipe and a jb.
As mentioned by others it's high up and it's heavy.

Space wise I think you will have more space in the x3 vs the 7 and then their is the added worry of more debt between the 2.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. 7R seems like the consensus so far buuuut you make a great point Danny and I hear what you're saying and high risk and this is something I would want to avoid and this is turning out to be a very hard decision!

When you say you have worked an x3 35i before, what sort of power did it make? And then the question is what would reliability be like on that sort of setup? Likewise the JB appeals to me as I can easily remove it before any dealership visits as my warranty has about 18 months left on it. Reliability is very important to me as sometimes when I am using the wife's 330D to travel long distances, she uses my car, and wouldn't want her breaking down, ill never hear the end of it and at the end of the day we do live in SA.

I don't really mind it being high that much as the whole sleeper vibe appeals to me. Let me put it this way, if a stock S3 or Golf 7R wanted to give me a go whilst cruising around I'd wanna give it a decent go and be on par or beat it.

I can just imagine the SWAMBO if I get us into an extra 200k+ debt on the 7R and then have some expensive repairs...Ill be keeping the dogs company in their hokke for a few months lol

 

[Massimot]

I would do the X3 - that motor is very strong and will do plenty of power - probably more than you will ever use...

The 7R whilst is a nice car is far too popular amongst the locals here and you will be hijacked for it - it’s a matter a time - if your wife and kids use the car it isn’t worth the risk...

If you don’t want to keep the X3 - maybe look at the Audi RS3 as it’s not as “wanted” like the VW is...

I would probably speak to my insurance broker on stats on which is better...

If you find the right F10 at the right price that’s my choice... find a 2013/4 with around 30k on it and you should be fine for years to come...


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[///M Individual]

Hi bud,

In the current economy and the way it is going I would reccomend keeping the X3 and doing some mild mods (software, downpipe and exhaust) to ensure reliability.....sure it's not going to be as fast as you would like it to be but you will have peace of mind and be 200k less in debt.

The 7R is a brilliant car but the risk factor mentioned will keep me away.

Good luck in making the decision!

 

[cOlDFuSiOn]

I say a car that you know and that is almost paid up is a good option.. If you want serious power neither options will work.. I vote for a mild mod on the X35i maybe even a Hybrid later on.. A G7R can also only push as much. If you after power the S63TU seems to be solid but as with any second hand car you do not know how it was treated and that is the actual risk. My 2c.

 

[brentbmw]

Thanks for all the responses guys.

When I initially wrote this post I never even thought of the safety/hijacking factor the golf would come with and I'm happy you guys pointed it out.

I have decided to keep the X3 and mod it. Nothing insane just downpipe, going to see how viable straight piping it will be without pissing off the neighbours (our 330D got straight piped at powerflow in randburg and wasn't obscenely loud) , bigger fmic, intake and a jb1.

How reliable will a mildly tuned N55 like this be?

The risk and debt swayed me in the end. When the X3 is paid off I will "carry on paying" and putting the cash away for a good deposit on a low km M5 in a few years from now.

Cheers for all the help

 

[Massimot]

Thanks for all the responses guys.

When I initially wrote this post I never even thought of the safety/hijacking factor the golf would come with and I'm happy you guys pointed it out.

I have decided to keep the X3 and mod it. Nothing insane just downpipe, going to see how viable straight piping it will be without pissing off the neighbours (our 330D got straight piped at powerflow in randburg and wasn't obscenely loud) , bigger fmic, intake and a jb1.

How reliable will a mildly tuned N55 like this be?

The risk and debt swayed me in the end. When the X3 is paid off I will "carry on paying" and putting the cash away for a good deposit on a low km M5 in a few years from now.

Cheers for all the help

RGM did a stage 2 on a F10 and it did like 114kw more than stock and like 950nm torque and it was just software and exhaust and induction kit and DP....

How did the fuel consumption get affected with the mods on the 330d? And what gains did you get? And how much smoke comes from the exhaust?


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[Danny2]

When you say you have worked an x3 35i before, what sort of power did it make? And then the question is what would reliability be like on that sort of setup? Likewise the JB appeals to me as I can easily remove it before any dealership visits as my warranty has about 18 months left on it. Reliability is very important to me as sometimes when I am using the wife's 330D to travel long distances, she uses my car, and wouldn't want her breaking down, ill never hear the end of it and at the end of the day we do live in SA.

I don't really mind it being high that much as the whole sleeper vibe appeals to me. Let me put it this way, if a stock S3 or Golf 7R wanted to give me a go whilst cruising around I'd wanna give it a decent go and be on par or beat it.

I can just imagine the SWAMBO if I get us into an extra 200k+ debt on the 7R and then have some expensive repairs...Ill be keeping the dogs company in their hokke for a few months lol

WE never tested the car before and after the work that was done. If you still have warranty on the car i would say leave the car stock till that has passed.

Removing the chargepipe and exhaust every time you take the car back can become painful as well as costly. Some shops charge a fortune to remove and refit for you

 

[brentbmw]

Thanks for all the responses guys.

When I initially wrote this post I never even thought of the safety/hijacking factor the golf would come with and I'm happy you guys pointed it out.

I have decided to keep the X3 and mod it. Nothing insane just downpipe, going to see how viable straight piping it will be without pissing off the neighbours (our 330D got straight piped at powerflow in randburg and wasn't obscenely loud) , bigger fmic, intake and a jb1.

How reliable will a mildly tuned N55 like this be?

The risk and debt swayed me in the end. When the X3 is paid off I will "carry on paying" and putting the cash away for a good deposit on a low km M5 in a few years from now.

Cheers for all the help

RGM did a stage 2 on a F10 and it did like 114kw more than stock and like 950nm torque and it was just software and exhaust and induction kit and DP....

How did the fuel consumption get affected with the mods on the 330d? And what gains did you get? And how much smoke comes from the exhaust?


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Fuel consumption improved slightly but not really by much, I think the lack of restriction helped in this regard. I get around 15-17km/l on the open road @120-140. If I put it all the way down to 100km/h I've had up to 19 km/l, not bad for a 10 year old 230k km 3l diesel!

In terms of power gains I didn't really notice much as it isn't mapped yet (was planning to do a RKMotion tune but then gave the car to the wife when I got the X3), however spool time was drastically improved.

Maybe it was just my butt dyno but it felt before like the boost was hitting only at 1800-1900. With the cat removed and the 3" straight pipe to the back the boost kicked in much earlier, around 1400 or so, and when I was to floor it it would be much more instant if that makes sense.

Here is a vid of the sound it makes, would've been nice to have the popcorn limiter and hear what that would be like!

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" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The car didn't smoke before nor after the mod, if you really floor it you can notice the faintest bit of black smoke. I only really get smoke on a cold start, but then just for about 20 or 30 seconds then it clears up, I attribute this to old diesel on the pistons when the car is shut off?

 

[Donz135]

Thanks for all the responses guys.

When I initially wrote this post I never even thought of the safety/hijacking factor the golf would come with and I'm happy you guys pointed it out.

I have decided to keep the X3 and mod it. Nothing insane just downpipe, going to see how viable straight piping it will be without pissing off the neighbours (our 330D got straight piped at powerflow in randburg and wasn't obscenely loud) , bigger fmic, intake and a jb1.

How reliable will a mildly tuned N55 like this be?

The risk and debt swayed me in the end. When the X3 is paid off I will "carry on paying" and putting the cash away for a good deposit on a low km M5 in a few years from now.

Cheers for all the help

You can delve deep into the forums and find reliability issues on both sides of the N55 fence but it was an improvement over its predecessor.. slightly modified though it will be a big improvement from stock and I doubt if it would be any less reliable than it is now.