[wp326]

Hello

Currently debating between these two.
tried the "search", but did not find any DIRECT comparison between these two. so..anybody tried these one after another? care to provide some feedback?

[Stuart@BMRAutowerkes]

They are in a different league really.

BMW performance suspension is a very good spring and shock setup for a bit of all round driving.

KW V2s are actually adjustable, and I imagine the handling would be a LOT better without a real deterioration in ride comfort.

Not sure what the price difference is, but for my situation, which is driving occasionally to work, some spirited weekend driving and only a handful of track days a year, I'd definitely go straight to coilovers as opposed to BMW performance suspension.

[ModBargains.com]

Originally Posted by wp326

Hello

Currently debating between these two.
tried the "search", but did not find any DIRECT comparison between these two. so..anybody tried these one after another? care to provide some feedback?

Originally Posted by bmroxm5

They are in a different league really.

BMW performance suspension is a very good spring and shock setup for a bit of all round driving.

KW V2s are actually adjustable, and I imagine the handling would be a LOT better without a real deterioration in ride comfort.

Not sure what the price difference is, but for my situation, which is driving occasionally to work, some spirited weekend driving and only a handful of track days a year, I'd definitely go straight to coilovers as opposed to BMW performance suspension.

I couldn't have said it better myself. In all honesty, you can't really compare the two products as they're not on the same level. The BMW Performance suspension is simply a shock / spring combo where as the KW V2 is a true 2 way adjustable coilover system. On a performance standpoint, the KW V2 is going to have the BMW Performance setup beat by far. It really comes down to what you're goals are for the car and what you're looking to do with it. Remember, you will NOT be able to adjust the height of your car and you will not be able to adjust the stifness of the ride with the BMW performance system. Where as, the KW V2 is going to give you the ability to adjust both the height of your vehicle and the rebound damping characteristics. In all honesty, the KW V2 is going to be your best bet in terms of getting a great system that good for everyday street driving as well as the occasional spirited canyon or track event!

[Juan.sidarta]

Seems that you guys have a valid point, but OEM is always the safer bet if you wanna keep your warranty regarding the suspension part. :P

[Stuart@BMRAutowerkes]

KW provides warranty on their coilovers.

Don't see why you would need warranty on OEM shocks and springs sitting in your garage.

[dkha01]

are KW's good for winter as well? would they rust?

[DaFish]

Originally Posted by dkha01

are KW's good for winter as well? would they rust?

it is a good question... my mechanic at the dealer said that there was maintainence on the C/O ... I have also read stories of the C/O's getting stiff in a year or 2. I can't confirm though - anybody?

It comes down to what you want to do with the car - can you answer that?

[fisherbln]

Originally Posted by dkha01

are KW's good for winter as well? would they rust?

KWs have a coating on them that prevents rust. I used them on my E36 M3 for years during harsh, salted midwest winters with absolutely no rust.

[remmib]

The KW inoxline don't rust, I use my KW v2 in the winter without problems.

[wp326]

I will not track my car, and the deal breaker is the price.

so, the general consensus is:
heavy tracking/adjustability: KW V2
some spirited driving: OEM performance suspension

for the price of KW v2, i can get oem performance suspension kit + oem front strut bar, shipped to my door.

[Stuart@BMRAutowerkes]

Originally Posted by wp326

I will not track my car, and the deal breaker is the price.

so, the general consensus is:
heavy tracking/adjustability: KW V2
some spirited driving: OEM performance suspension

for the price of KW v2, i can get oem performance suspension kit + oem front strut bar, shipped to my door.

that should be, for the price of OEM performance suspension kit you can get KW V2s!

it's not just for 'heavy tracking' that the KW excels, it is a far superior suspension setup. It's still comfortable for street aswell. It will do everything that the OEM Performance can and more.

[ManyMoonsAgo]

Originally Posted by wp326

I will not track my car, and the deal breaker is the price.

so, the general consensus is:
heavy tracking/adjustability: KW V2
some spirited driving: OEM performance suspension

for the price of KW v2, i can get oem performance suspension kit + oem front strut bar, shipped to my door.

Personally, after hemming and hawing over this question, I came to the same conclusion. I have no doubt that both setups are quality setups, but ultimately each is geared towards different applications.

I opted for the BMW performance suspension because ultimately I was looking for a well matched spring/shock/strut combo that would improve my car's fun-factor as a daily driver.

I looked closely at Dinan's Stage 2 suspension, and while I have full respect for Dinan's products and the Koni yellows used in the setup, I just could not justify spending the $1,000 difference between that kit and BMW's Performance Suspension.

[Jeef Beef]

Just what is the difference in price between Perf suspension and KWs? I'm probably going for V1s instead of V2 which I believe should close the price disparity.

[johnsonz1122]

i'd say kw. it's always good the hv the ability to adjust ur ride height. i am running on kw v1. the ride is smooth and comtfy.

[landau88]

How difficult/easy is it to adjust the height and firmness of coilovers once they are installed on your vehicle? What does it require? I'm thinking about doing a drop with coilovers, but like my xi's ride height when we get snow in the winter...

[rogerdiaz]

At the same height which suspension would give most comfy ride? Over bumps, normal city driving, etcc, thanks for input.

Performance vs kw v1

[o98eclipse]

Originally Posted by landau88

How difficult/easy is it to adjust the height and firmness of coilovers once they are installed on your vehicle? What does it require? I'm thinking about doing a drop with coilovers, but like my xi's ride height when we get snow in the winter...

Originally Posted by rogerdiaz

At the same height which suspension would give most comfy ride? Over bumps, normal city driving, etcc, thanks for input.

Perm vs v1

I'm curious to know opinions on the above as well.

[rogerdiaz]

Ne comments on performance vs zsp suspension e90 lci, thanks

[ttam]

Originally Posted by rogerdiaz

Ne comments on performance vs zsp suspension e90 lci, thanks

i dont have an e90 but i did have zsp suspension.
Overall, the performance suspension will be better than the zsp suspension. It reduces the body roll and allows for better handling. It was a big difference when I did my upgrade. I paired my performance suspension with Eibach Springs (which lowered my car a bit, but not too much). If one were to compare the zsp vs the performance, the performance setup will far exceed the zsp setup.

[f00dstamps]

Originally Posted by remmib

The KW inoxline don't rust, I use my KW v2 in the winter without problems.

How low is your car in your signature photo? I'm trying to decide on coilovers and the v2 and the r1's are my top choices. At your height setting, is the ride still nice? Does it get noticeably stiffer the lower you go? What are your rebound settings? What are your camber settings?

[remmib]

Originally Posted by f00dstamps

How low is your car in your signature photo? I'm trying to decide on coilovers and the v2 and the r1's are my top choices. At your height setting, is the ride still nice? Does it get noticeably stiffer the lower you go? What are your rebound settings? What are your camber settings?

Here's one more pic to show the ride height, pretty much no gap.

The ride is firm riding this low, but it's not that much stiffer than the OEM m-sport suspension that I had.

Rebound is, if I remember correctly, in the middle, but a bit on the hard side.

Camber was within the spec when I had the alignment.

[hipnotic]

get the kw without a doubt