Is the BMW iX3 a good car?

The BMW iX3 is the company’s electric SUV and replaces the Audi
e-Tron, Mercedes EQC, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and Skoda Enyaq.

 

It’s Monsters Inc. is equivalent to the BMW of the story. Until
now, the company has used horrible old petrol and diesel to generate
electricity, but now they’ve found that a minute of laughter electricity
actually works a lot better for everyone, and will make you smile too. Is.

 

So the iX3 is new, but doesn’t just look. Up front, there’s the
usual BMW grille, but it’s all a clever trick as it doesn’t need to cool the
engine, so it’s been sealed to help reduce drag and give the car a little boost
in range. A dimpled pattern breaks up what would otherwise be a large sheet of
black plastic.

 

The 20-inch wheels are unique to the BMW iX3 as well. Their heavily
sculpted design helps smooth airflow around the sides of the car, improving
range, although they look unusually vulnerable to stopping.

 

Various blue highlights to designate the electric model dotted
around the iX3 – most notably on the rear bumper where you’d normally see some
exhaust pipes – round off the styling changes. There are also highlights of
blue around the ‘grill’, badges, and seals.

 

Under the skin is a solitary 286hp electric motor that also
produces 400Nm of torque and drives the rear wheels.

 

There’s an 80kWh battery pack that gives a range of up to 285 miles
– according to the latest official testing procedures. That’s slightly more
than key alternatives like the Audi e-tron and Mercedes-Benz EQC, but slightly
less than the Jaguar I-Pace. In the real world, it will be slightly below that,
especially in cold, wet conditions.

 

The iX3 should be compatible with almost any type of charging
station or power outlet, including super-fast 150kW chargers, which can deliver
an 80% recharge in just 34 minutes. That means you can add 60-ish miles of
range in about 10 minutes. There aren’t many 150kW chargers in the UK, but the
network is growing.

 

Charging from less powerful outlets will take longer (such as a
home wall box charger or three-pin plug) – BMW reckons a full charge from empty
will take around 12 hours. Although electricity prices have risen recently,
they haven’t been rising as fast as petrol or diesel prices, so an electric iX3
would still be a lot cheaper than a conventional X3.

 

All electric cars feature brake regeneration – a system that uses
the electric motor as an additional brake that can provide energy to the
batteries that would otherwise be wasted when the car decelerates. It always
happens when you press the brake pedal, but the iX3 joins many modern electric
cars in giving the system the ability to bring you to a stop when you lift off
the accelerator pedal. can. This allows for one-pedal driving, which (once you
get used to it) is a very comfortable way to tackle city traffic.

 

It’s not the fastest version of the X3, but it’s still quite quick
with a 0-60mph time of 6.8 seconds. Top speed is limited to 112mph, which helps
keep the range safe. This is more than enough for UK drivers anyway.

 

The first thing you notice when you step out and into your iX3 is
just how quiet it is. There’s no noise from the engine and transmission, so you
notice a bit of wind and road noise as you get up to speed.

 

Adaptive suspension is fitted as standard in the iX3, so it’s
fairly comfortable, although the Mercedes EQC still beats it for ride quality
out and out. However, the suspension prevents the iX3 from rolling too much
during cornering. The iX3 also grips firmly, and its handling is no doubt
helped by the fact that the batteries are stored on the floor, lowering the
center of gravity. Flicking the suspension in the Sport model firms things up a
lot, to the extent that it makes the ride too firm, but it definitely sharpens
the handling and gives the iX3 a distinctly sporty feel.

 

All iX3s come well-equipped. The entry-level M Sport gets a
12.3-inch digital driver display and a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment
system, wireless phone charging, electrically adjustable leather seats, and adaptive suspension (which lets you choose between soft, comfortable settings
and stiff, supportive settings). comes with). , and a panoramic glass ceiling.
The top-spec M-Sport Pro gets a Harman Kardon audio system, head-up display, and
automatic parking system.

 

If the BMW iX3 is an upmarket electric SUV that ticks all the right
boxes for you, be sure to check out our BMW iX3 deals page to see how much you
can save when buying through Carwow.

 

How much is the BMW
iX3 worth?

The RRP for the BMW iX3 ranges from £64,165 to £67,165. However,
with Carwow you can save £4,533 on average. Prices start from £59,737 if paid
in cash. Monthly repayments start at £686. Prices for a used BMW iX3 start at
£44,500 on Carwow.

The iX3 looks good value compared to other electric SUVs, for
example, the Mercedes-Benz EQC costs around £5,000 more in base trim. The iX3
is priced about the same as the Jaguar I-Pace, with a similar overall range, so
that’s fine too. When you compare it to the Tesla Model Y or the Audi Q4
e-tron, the problems start to multiply. Now, theoretically, these are smaller
cars, but both have the same amount of cabin space as the iX3, and both can be
bought for less cash and longer range.

 

Does the BMW iX3 line up with Audi’s bigger, bigger e-tron quattro
SUV? Sort of, but it’s closer to BMW’s pricier iX. It’s also worth noting that
the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 both have more room inside than the iX3, but
are much cheaper. Think a Hyundai or a Kia can’t compete with a BMW? Think
again – both have more range, and both have elegant, high-tech cabins.

 

Efficiency and drive
comfort of BMW XI3

In town

Around town and at slower speeds, the BMW iX3 is very, very
comfortable and easy to drive. As with most electric cars, noise levels are
kept well in check. By knocking the gear selector to the left, you can put the
iX3 into ‘B’ mode which boosts regenerative braking, slowing you down without
having to use the physical brakes, which is useful in city driving. In fact, B
mode will bring the vehicle to a complete stop without ever touching the brake
pedal if you have enough room — proper ‘one-pedal’ driving. The turning circle
is fine, nothing special but it’s fine, and the steering is nicely light so
maneuvering is very easy. The suspension, with adaptive dampers, handles bumps
well but is a touch firm compared to the likes of the Mercedes EQC. It is the
same as the Jag eyepiece. One annoying thing — the brakes often make an
annoying squealing sound, like someone leaning back in an old chair.

 

On the highway

 

The refinement continues when you take the iX3 out on the motorway.
While you’ll start to notice a little more tire roar and wind noise, it never
really gets out of hand. The sheer grunt of the BMW iX3 ‘s
single-rear-wheel-drive electric motor helps when you join the fast motorway as
it rockets from 40mph to 70mph, and the well-tuned suspension means it
will stick firmly over long distances. Turn on the ramp. The EQC and Audi
e-Tron are, again, a bit quieter than the BMW, but not a huge difference.

 

On a bend in the road

 

The BMW iX3 is really, properly quick. Other EVs with two-motor,
four-wheel drive systems can hit a top speed of 62 mph, but the BMW lives up to
its on-paper time of 6.8 seconds — in fact, it might even beat that. as we were
able to obtain. 60mph in just under 60s.

 

Speed is one thing, control is another, but the iX3 is all about
it. The battery pack is mounted low on the floor of the car, so its center of
gravity is actually lower than a standard diesel or petrol X3, meaning you can
move it around with considerable confidence. The weight and feel of the
steering is great, and if you put it in Sport mode it tightens up, but the
problem is that the suspension does, too, and then things get a little too
messy.

 

To be honest it’s best left in comfort mode. It’s still fun to
drive, though it doesn’t have quite the bullish tendencies of the Ford Mustang
Mach-E. It won’t slip and skid despite being rear-wheel drive – try to do that
and it understands like a giant electric lump. Even so, it gets BMW’s new-ish
traction control system, where the control module is mounted directly on the
electric motor so that it can react faster and more precisely whenever you
start to lose traction. That said, you won’t be going very far on the road with
rear-wheel drive only and a ride height that loses 2cm compared to the standard
X3.

 

Space and
functionality

Pragmatics

The cabin of the BMW iX3 is essentially the same as the standard
X3, so practicality levels are quite good. In front of the gear selector,
you’ll find two large cup holders and a storage tray that also houses the
wireless phone charger. There’s another decent-sized storage area under the
armrests between the front seats, and the door bins are pretty big too. The
glove box isn’t the biggest, but it’ll do. People space is also fine, although
subjectively it doesn’t feel as spacious inside as EV SUV Audis, but it’s on a
par with the Merc EQC.

 If you want a decent amount of stretch-out space in your
EV crossover, maybe consider the Hyundai Ioniq 5…

 

Space in rear seats

 

The combination of a slim battery pack and reclining front
seatbacks means there’s plenty of room for knees, legs, and head in the rear
seats. The rear seats are also well designed so you’re not sitting awkwardly
with your knees up, so you’ll have less back pain on long journeys in the back
of the BMW iX3. The rear seats recline too, so it’s easy to get very
comfortable. The middle back seat is raised a little higher than the others,
but it’s not too bad and you should be able to fit three people in the back
comfortably (especially if they’re teenagers).

 

The boot space

 

Behind the electric tailgate, the BMW iX3 has a nice square boot
with a flat floor, so there’s no load between the bumper edge and the boot
floor. It makes loading heavy boxes and bags very easy. You get handy storage
areas all around with nets for keeping fragile items, and a 12-volt socket for
anything that needs charging. There are useful tie-down points on the floor and
a handle just inside the boot edge that allows you to lower the rear seats.

 

When they’re folded down, the boot expands from a standard 510
liters (up to the luggage cover) to 1,560 liters (if you load it on the roof).
That’s 40 liters less than what you get in the standard X3, and you also lose
the useful underfloor storage area. There’s a small under-storage space,
usually full of charging cables, but space that usually allows you to slot in a
retractable luggage cover and so on for a rear-mounted electric motor. have
taken Annoyingly, even though the motor is in the back and there’s no longer an
engine up front, BMW hasn’t added a front boot (fruit?) to the iX3, so there’s
no convenient under-bonnet storage space.

 

Interior styling,
infotainment, and accessories

You know how we’ve been saying the BMW iX3 has the same bits and
pieces as the standard petrol and diesel BMW X3? Yes, get ready for more of the
same because… the cabin of the iX3 is essentially the same as the standard X3.
Well, what did you expect?

 

The only real difference is that the iX3 gets a few small bits of
metallic blue trim, which to be honest look a bit cheap, but they remind you
that you’re driving an EV rather than a smelly old diesel. It’s a very
comfortable cabin though, and we like the thin-rimmed steering wheel that’s great
to grip compared to the overstuffed, over-padded wheels of some sportier BMW
models.

 

The infotainment system in the iX3 is iDrive version 7.0, not the
ritzier version 8.0 you’ll find in the larger iX electric SUV and the low-slung
i4 electric four-door coupe. The 8.0 gets a dramatic curved touchscreen that
runs halfway across the dash in front of the driver. The iX3 works with the old
system, which has separate 12.3-inch screens for instruments and infotainment.
To be fair, both work well—the instrument panel can be configured with
different displays between the rev counter and speedo, and there’s an optional,
and very useful, heads-up display that flashes your speed and wind. Sets the
on-screen nav directions.

 

The central infotainment display is a touchscreen, but you can also
use the old-school BMW iDrive click-wheel on the center console, which is
probably a bit safer to use when you’re on the move. The menu layout is fairly
simple, and the fact that BMW has put proper physical controls for the air conditioning
makes things a little easier and simpler. You get wireless Apple CarPlay and
Android Auto connections, although these can be a bit hit-and-miss when it
comes to connectivity, so you might be better off just using a physical cable
most of the time.

 

The sat nav has a clever feature that detects when you’re
approaching an area with slower speeds and can automatically start slowing the
car down using regenerative braking. By topping up the battery a bit you are
sure to hit the right limit at the new speed zone. It looks a little strange at
first – like the car has developed a mind of its own – but you can turn it off
if you don’t like it.

 

In general, it’s a good system but BWM’s new version 8.0 setup is
still better, and we prefer – if only – Mercedes’ MBUX infotainment system.

 

Range, charging, and
taxes

You don’t get a choice when it comes to the BMW iX3 ‘s battery and
motor — the only choice is an 80kWh (total, actual usable capacity is 74kWh)
battery and a single rear-mounted electric motor developing 286hp.

 

Now, BMW claims a range on a single charge of up to 282 miles,
which is competitive with the likes of Jaguar’s I-Pace and Mercedes EQC, but
about what you’ll get from the Tesla Model Y, or indeed the likes. It’s a
little behind. Kia EV6 or Hyundai Ioniq 5.

 

During our testing, we managed a respectable 3.6 miles per kWh and
got 281 miles from the battery. That’s 91% of its claimed range, tied with the
Kia EV6 for the joint-highest percentage in the test. Its performance figure
was decent but still behind the best of the day at 3.7 mph, achieved by the EV6
and Ford Mustang Mach-e.

 

If you can find a 150kW public charger, the iX3 can add 237 miles
of range in less than 30 minutes, which is good. Plus, BMW is part of the
IONITY High-Speed Charger Consortium, so you’ll get access to these chargers at
cheaper prices than your go-to customers. For slower AC charging, the iX3 can
charge up to 11kW which is handy when you’re using curbside or shopping center
chargers.

 

Oh, and with zero exclusions you won’t pay any VED excise tax in
your first year. Nothing. Zip Nada.

 

Safety and Security

Euro NCAP, those nice helpful people who crash new cars into walls
so you don’t have to, haven’t tested the BMW iX3 themselves, but the standard
X3 received a full five-star safety rating. Includes a 93% score for and 84%
score for children, both of which are impressive.

 

As standard, the iX3 comes with active radar-guided cruise control
that can slow you to a stop in heavy traffic, steering that keeps you in your
lane on the motorway, and a speed limiter that Reads road signs and warns you to
slow down. down if you need it and an active side collision protection system
that prevents you from moving into the path of another car when changing lanes.

 

The BMW iX3 comes with LED headlights as standard, but these can be
optionally upgraded to BMW’s laser lights, which can throw a main beam 600
meters above the road, and have active elements that prevent
surprising other road users. M-Sport Pro models also come with Parking
Assistant Plus which not only has a surround-view camera system but which