[ronmeister]

After many months of seeking advice from the E90 Post members I finally pulled the trigger on these exceptional coilovers for my daily driver - and couldn't be happier!

For any new XI owners still riding an OEM suspension...STOP!

BMWs are NOT supposed to handle like this!!! Invest in a suspension upgrade ASAP!!! ANYTHING is better than the OEM for XI.

My KWs have been on the car for about a week now and I'm truly surprised not only at the improved handling - which is amazing, but also how truly better the ride quality is overall. So much so, that even the run-craps feel better - (although PSS will be the replacements when the time comes).

I know there are some varying opinions here about the best suspension options for the XIs, but the consensus with my research was that there would be no second thoughts or second guesses with the KW acquisition - and it was hard to find any criticisms anywhere about them. They were more money, but the suspension is such an integral part of the BMW experience, I viewed it as an investment both in the car and in my enjoyment of driving it. I was also wary of trying the spring-only route only to pay more later (as many members cautioned).

In summary: the general ride quality increased exponentially; the cornering is noticeably and substantially more balanced and sharper; the steering control is more responsive; and at high-speeds 100-140km/h (80-90 mph) it is RIDICULOUSLY stable and confidence inspiring (ie: instant lane changes with barely a spec of body roll).

Aesthetically, (which was a secondary/tertiary concern to me) it looks way slicker - going from almost a 2-2 1/2 finger gap (OEM) to 1 finger. I'm running stock 19s @ 225/255 and did have to remove my rear 15mm spacers to avoid rubbing, but I suppose that can be adjusted. I'm still not sure about the 'rake', so any suggestions would be appreciated. I have 18s for the winter and they should fit comfortably without any adjustments each season. Here's a pic after the install, and some before/after close-ups of the gaps.

[Sackett]

Radical. I'm about to pull the trigger on a set for my 11 xdrive.

[belcom]

How much did you lower? Did you do alignment after? Was it out of spec?

Doing the same very soon. Next week most likely. Really looking forward to it. Already have PSS installed

[Dhillon92]

Looks great! Coilovers are up next for me as well, debating between kW v1 and sonic tuning s3. The main reason for the sonics are they are cheaper and can also adjust dampening, kW are only height adjustable. On that note, do you feel the dampening on the kW are spot on? Would you prefer it softer or stiffer at any times?

Thanks for the review bud definitely helps out.

[Sidewinderpb]

Right on! I went V3's and never looked back. +1 to everything you said.

[SLOWER]

Looks great.

[neverdone]

I have the exact same car as well and ibe been debating pretty hard about what to get. I think I finally decided I'm going to pull the trigger on these really soon.

[ronmeister]

Originally Posted by belcom

How much did you lower? Did you do alignment after? Was it out of spec?

Doing the same very soon. Next week most likely. Really looking forward to it. Already have PSS installed

I'm not sure precisely what drop was calculated by my installer on the threads, I can only say that it appears about 2 fingers less - in fact, I can barely get a flat ruler in there at present. The alignment is coming next week for sure.

[ronmeister]

Originally Posted by Dhillon92

Looks great! Coilovers are up next for me as well, debating between kW v1 and sonic tuning s3. The main reason for the sonics are they are cheaper and can also adjust dampening, kW are only height adjustable. On that note, do you feel the dampening on the kW are spot on? Would you prefer it softer or stiffer at any times?

Thanks for the review bud definitely helps out.

Truth be told, after driving it for the first few hours, I thought it would be stiffer, but having said that, the more I drive it the more perfect it feels.

If I planned to track it more than 3-4 times a year (and if $ wasn't an issue) I'd probably consider the V2 and V3 for the adjustability but as a daily driver I truly doubt I'd ever tinker with it enough to make it worthwhile.

I had the opportunity a while back to drive a ///M3 with EDC...it was awesome!

[pavproch]

Yeah, I went down the same road... gave KW V1 in approx. a month ago (front went down by some 30mm, rear dropped less - 20mm) and .... enjoyed ever since. Stiff, but not overly so. Sharp cornering now becoming a pleasure, not a must

Speaking of daily car - this truly is a recommendable chassis upgrade.

[jonluc88]

Nice review! Drove the car in winter with V1s and I was amazed with the handling ! Not planning to go back stock.

[Bladerunner]

I've had the V1's on my 2011 for about 3 years, 3 of them have started leaking. I've decided to go with TCKline instead of throwing them back on once rebuilt. I'll put them up for sale once they fix them. I'm pretty disappointed they crapped out after such a short time!

[neverdone]

Originally Posted by Bladerunner

I've had the V1's on my 2011 for about 3 years, 3 of them have started leaking. I've decided to go with TCKline instead of throwing them back on once rebuilt. I'll put them up for sale once they fix them. I'm pretty disappointed they crapped out after such a short time!

Do you get snow where you are?

[Bladerunner]

Originally Posted by neverdone

Do you get snow where you are?

I'm in the Toronto area so yes we do get some snow, no issues in bad weather. I just got a set that didn't last!

[neverdone]

Ya but that could definitely lead to them not lasting long. I live in calgary so I'll be in snow too, but nothing I haven't done before by driving with coilovers in the winter.

[jezzy]

That's what scared me and sold my v1 before even installing them. I need durability.. Got bilstein sports.. Guaranteed the v1 would have been more comfortable!

[StevenY.]

Originally Posted by jonluc88

Nice review! Drove the car in winter with V1s and I was amazed with the handling ! Not planning to go back stock.

Nice avatar.

I've had my V1s for a year now and love them! Probably hands down the best mod I purchased for the car.

[jezzy]

Grr.. (Jealous!)

[neverdone]

I have a question, now that I think about it, since we have adaptive headlights, do they auto adjust for the lower ride height?

[pavproch]

In my case (adaptive bixenons) they do NOT. I had to play with angle adjustement knob a bit (fortunately, its range is large enough)

[MassBimmer]

Originally Posted by neverdone

I have a question, now that I think about it, since we have adaptive headlights, do they auto adjust for the lower ride height?

Originally Posted by pavproch

In my case (adaptive bixenons) they do NOT. I had to play with angle adjustement knob a bit (fortunately, its range is large enough)

This. They do not auto adjust, they will likely aim too low. You can adjust them using the adjustment knob under the hood.

[oneha1980]

KW V1 was my first mod done to my car about a year ago and been great so far.. I just got the same set of 19 313 wheels.. i added 12mm spacers all around.. think couldve gone with 15mm in front but love the way it looks now..