BMW iX3 SUV review - is it actually a good EV?

I have got a new 2023 model Y Standard RWD edition on order but considering the BMW instead. Any thoughts which one I should go for? I can buy the BMW at a reduced price which puts it $10,000 more than the base model Y?

Never buy an ix3 bmw all electric as they state 285 miles but it will never achieve more than 180 miles and it is cheaply made . It’s not cheap at 65 k , avoid Too many issues eg with roof lining made cheaply . Made in China and the quality has dropped enormously

£60.000, BMW are havin a laugh, I'll stick with my Range Rover Evoque 👌🏾

I have probably a controversial opinion, but I like this car and actually consider buying it. I just visited event, where I sat in Ionic5, EV6, Enyaq, ID4, Mach-e and I have to say that iX3 provided to me the most comfort sitting inside in front and in back. Most of other cars I didn’t fit comfortably with my head on backseats (I am 187cm) or front seats are too low so you cannot squeeze your legs underneath from back.
+ infotainment is rather classical like real buttons etc.
I know it’s not pure EV, but I just loved it most. And when I realised that car which is not older than 1 year and with 10000 km is cheaper than all mentioned cars (new though)

The blue accents are a bit meh.

Such a boring car, ugly for an EV

The grill !! I can't un-see silly sunglasses. It's obvious that BMW, and all car makers, are worried that people won't be able to process a car that doesn't have a conventional body design...worried about lost sales due to unfamiliar car shapes!. Design 'must be familiar' to ensure a purchase! Anyways...all your reviews are super spot on, thank you for doing...

This EV is really bad: There is big news for the coldgating issue for the pre-LCI iX3. According to BMW AG, there will be no pre-heating feature software update for the pre-LCI:
BMW Netherlands:
Thank you for your message dated 10 February 2022. You write to us that the BMW iX3 LCI was introduced to the European market a few months after purchasing your BMW iX3. This has the option of preheating the battery pack of the BMW. However, your BMW does not get this functionality. You are very disappointed with this and ask us for a response. We would like to respond to your comments with this e-mail.

We are sorry to read that your BMW does not have the app to preheat the HV battery of your BMW. This can help to achieve the highest possible charging curve, especially under cold weather conditions. So as an early adopter of the BMW iX3, we can imagine your request for a solution for your BMW. Customer satisfaction is of paramount importance to the BMW organization. That is why we have contacted BMW dealer Keram Maastricht to discuss your complaint. In addition, the technical experts of BMW Group Netherlands have brought your issue to the attention of our parent company BMW AG in Munich. She has confirmed that unfortunately it is not possible to preheat the HV battery of the BMW iX3 and that this function will also not be available. BMW Group Netherlands is still awaiting a formal statement from BMW AG. As soon as we have more news, you will be informed about this via your BMW dealer.

We would like to thank you for your feedback. It helps us to keep improving BMW Group's products and services. If you have any other technical questions, your BMW dealer will be happy to help. Despite the message of our e-mail, we wish you a nice day.

Heat pump ? Lane keeping / overtaking/ distance control, overtaking lights in the wing mirrors ?

they are 30% cheaper in China fyi

Temperature sensor referee to battery temp, this have impact on charging speed overall. Also those models are coming with hook for hangers up to 750kg total weight.

Ppl should treat this car as an EV touring with a good ground clearance... Curious if they put some batteries in the driveshaft tunel to make that space useful

Those new BMW grilles look like the car's wearing specs. Eric Morecambe front end.

Do the brake lights come on when it’s in B and slowing to a stop?

Another great electric car with a piss poor towing limit.

As an enthusiastic i3 owner, I am so disappointed with BMWs follow up electric cars. This iX3 is utterly uninspiring to me. BMW have lost direction with their electrification. The i3 is their only dedicated EV platform offering, and them claiming the X3 was always conceived to be an EV too, is BS in my book.. with a bonnet that long? Really? This is just another desperately rushed out ice based design with a motor and batteries thrown into it. BMW need to seriously up their game.

In my opinion you'd need to be crazy to consider this over an ionic5 considering the price and tech difference. The badge is probably a draw card to some, but even the BMW devotees would have a hard time defending this one I think.

🤢🤮 that front grill

As a brummie I cringe whenever I see my city in vids or on TV, it's such an ugly place 🤢 Although not quite as ugly as BMWs front end designs these days .

SHANG CHI

That’s the old model. New facelift version has been announced now.

I3 WERE HORRIBLE and expensive and this continues the great tradition.... of I was a toool, I men first adapter.

Truly aghast at this ugly thing. Electric is an opportunity to rethink car packaging now were no longer constrained by the need to put a big engine and transmission somewhere. BMW’s answer? Carry on taking up a third of the car’s length with a largely empty bonnet. Add fake covers where an exhaust used to be. Seriously? This is lazy, cynical engineering at it’s worst. No wonder the likes of Tesla and Hyundai are killing it

Forget how it looks, forget the SUV snobbery, forget how much it costs, it has actual buttons on the dash and is therefore better than nearly every other ev on the market.

It has way to many compromises.

"if they didn't put the accents on it, it looks the same" = Boring

A 'thumbs up' for you Jonny but not for the car, which is dull dull dull!

The hideous grill. Whatever else it is, it’s ugly. Who would drive such an ugly car. Sorry.

It's got a pair of sunglasses pasted on the nose. Can't unsee.

If u know Toyota harrier Japan version, it’s got plastic part in the front grill, It’s break when driving and something hit.

How does it compare to Ioniq 5 in your opinion? I think they are very direct competitors, but you don’t mention Ipniq 5 or EV6 even once. Do you think they are a dofferent class?

That's the laziest piece of design that I've seen for a long time. As a BMW driver/owner for 20 years the IX3 leaves me cold (actually it's more than that - it pisses me off), and that has nothing to do with it being an EV. Compared to the i3 the iX3 has nothing to offer in terms of advancement. BMW design team has fallen asleep at their desks.

A car that wears sunglasses! That grille is very Audrey Hepburn.

So, now you've viewed all three (iX3, EV6 and Ioniq 5), which would you choose if you had to drive one for the next year? Keeping in mind the Chinese one is 50% more expensive. Or perhaps, money no object?

Great show and getting better. Loving my e-golf. Best decision I ever made going EV on the car.. but I have a BMW K1300 bike in the garage. Eventually I will get rid of the bike and buy a decent e-scooter for city rides. Clutch and shift is still fun though on the bike. I have a electric skateboard and that little thing is amazingly quick.

how those piano black nostril covers will look after a few hundred miles of bugs and stone chips? eeek!

It's interesting most EV reviews just don't mention Teslas when comparing, especially when it comes to ADAS. I wonder why?

The car is boring. If you want boring, great. I think BMW are really losing out here.

The front is pathetic. Looks like some sunglasses. I guess they spend millions on the design.

BMW jumped backwards. Boring, old design. It seems as the few creative and cool people left. They will find their buyers in Germany as we are boring people but if globally.. no.

I can't believe this is a 2021 car. It looks like a 2010 BMW 1 series.

Love Your review as always, BUT ONE THING. How can you not understand that the temperature showed in the driver’s display is for showing the temperature of the batteries. I was a bit surprised that you of all people didn’t now this? Otherwise a great review as always, and you get better and better every episode. Ps love your square you put in the videos with alla the data and features, well done 👏

Made in China... need we say anything further in this review? I guess if you don't like the massive amounts of money you're spending on this going to workers, worker protections, responsible environmental policy, greener grid energy... this is the car for you. What a disappointment from BMW.

ugly pos, overpriced, outdated and please don't put this car in the same sentence with Tesla. only Joe Archillies will say this is the best EV on earth.

Are we ever going to see a production electric car that's not a crossover or a chunky city car?

Surely a convertible electric would be a pretty different experience...? Tesla did it once but are we really only going to get these giant things now?

Wow. When 1st saw it, I thought, huge frunck. But no. Just a waste of space. Crumple zone I guess, but what a missed opportunity for exceptional storage.

This is evidence that BMW have decided they can only appeal to BMW drivers. The i3 and i8 could have been the jumping off point to a future completely liberated from the same old cheesy, conservative BMW schtick and yet they choose to paint themselves into a corner with this.

All BMWs I've owned have terrible electrics. An all electric BMW sounds like a proper nightmare.

So Zimmer composed the BMW "BONG!" of doom. That sound haunts me.

it's not a true BMW because you felt like using the indicators all the time