The iX3 is a really important car for BMW. Not only is it leading the charge for the company’s “Neue Klasse” design scheme, but it’s also the first vehicle to feature BMW’s sixth-generation electric drivetrain system, with new high-voltage batteries and an 800-volt architecture. Being a mainstream global product, it’s the German carmaker’s best shot at making serious inroads through the highly competitive EV market.
BMW’s just revealed final range numbers and a starting price for the iX3 in America, and going by these figures, I think the company is off to a good start. The iX3 50 xDrive will start at $62,850 including destination, and gets an official EPA-estimated range of 434 miles—the fourth highest range of any pure EV on sale in America today.
A starting price of over $62,000 might sound like a lot—and for many people it is—but in the grand scheme of EVs, it’s a pretty damn good price if range is a priority for you. The next highest-range vehicle, the Lucid Gravity, can travel 450 miles on a charge, but it starts at $81,550. Want more range than that? You can get a Silverado EV, but with the long-range battery pack and its 493 miles of range, you’re looking at around $78,000 out the door.
Even if you want to compromise a bit on range, you’ll still be spending more for some of the better performers out there. The Rivian R1T gets up to 420 miles on a charge, but the cheapest examples start at $74,885. Its SUV equivalent, the R1S, is slightly worse, with a starting price of $78,885 and a maximum range of 410 miles.
Here’s another way to look at this: dollars spent per mile. Simply divide the car’s price by its EPA-estimated range, and you get an idea of the value you’re getting for every dollar you spend (this isn’t a definitive ratio to live by, but it gives you a rough idea). With the iX3, that figure works out to $144 per mile. For the Gravity, that figure is $181 per mile. And for the R1T, that figure is $178 per mile. For the longest-range car on sale, the Lucid Air Grand Touring, the number is a whopping $219 per mile of range (higher is worse).
It’s only when you get to more budget-friendly options like the Tesla Model 3 or the Chevy Bolt that you get a dollars-spent-per-mile figure that’s actually lower than the BMW’s. The Model 3’s figure is $121 per mile, for example. But for its most direct competitors, the Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class EV and the Audi Q6 e-tron, the BMW blows those cars out of the water, either beating or matching them on price and handily outperforming them on range. The only car that you could argue comes close is the Tesla Model Y, though I don’t think that car can match the iX3 on creature comforts.
The iX3 isn’t some bare-bones, stripped-out box on wheels prioritized to save weight by cutting out features. It’s a real-deal electric X3 equivalent, with a massive head-up display spanning A pillar to A pillar acting as the instrument display, as well as a 17.9-inch infotainment screen that features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto—something the Model Y doesn’t have. The Tesla also doesn’t have an 800-volt architecture, which means its max charging speed is limited to 250 kW. The BMW, meanwhile, can charge at up to 400 kW, able to recouperate 185 miles of range in just 10 minutes, or a 10-80 percent charge in 21 minutes—provided you can find a charging station that outputs a constant 400 kW, that is.
It’s also worth noting that the iX3’s range figures vary wildly depending on which wheels and tires you choose. And the tire that most people will choose, the 20-inch all-season, actually slices the most range from the EPA estimated numbers. Here’s the full chart:
While this isn’t a problem if you live in a place where it doesn’t snow, customers in the Rust Belt might be pretty miffed to learn 11 percent of their range gets instantly deleted if we choose rubber we can actually use when there’s a bit of slush on the ground. It just goes to show how important tires are for efficiency.
Either way, I think the iX3 will be a hit. It’s already proving to be of interest to buyers even before production begins, with over 50,000 preorders for the car racked up as of March, according to BMW Blog. For U.S. buyers, you can build your car on BMW’s configurator right now and put down a $1,000 deposit before deliveries start in late September, in case you want to reserve your spot.
Top graphic image: BMW
it’s just so f’ing ugly
This might be sacrilege for me to say, but BMW’s model-naming standard is a relic that should be left behind. I’m not sure car shoppers a generation (or two) younger than me relate to a model name that sounds like half of an algebra problem.
Man, can you imagine what ranges would look like if they could get by with smaller brakes and normal (18? 17?) wheel sizes?
I guess it’s nice to see something out of Munich without enlarged kidney disease. Regardless, there will never be one of these in my garage.
I feel like this is a bit “old man yells at clouds” complaint, but the the phrasing of this in comparison to other similar range SUVs seems oddly optimistic in the BMWs favor. The BMW gets praise for getting similar range while being cheaper than cars that are in a complete class/size above it, but there isn’t any mention of that size/class difference which is the primary reason for the cost difference. Yet, when higher value range per dollar cars are brought up, suddenly class/size distinction becomes mention-able. Shouldn’t that be said for both cases? Or do we just do it the one time so the BMW looks better?
Also weird that they didn’t so much as mention the Rivian R2, which is the clearest cut competitor to this. Heck, it’s weird that they haven’t written anything about the R2 even when Rivian released the full specs and pricing a few months ago.
Exactly. Reading this you think it would be directly competing against a Gravity or R1S, which it isn’t.
Also, I want them to embrace friggen lists/charts more. If you are going to start spouting a bunch of $/mile range, make a list.
Chevrolet Equinox EV = $116/mile
Rivian R2 Standard = $141/mile
Chevrolet Blazer EV = $144/mile
BMW iX3 = $144/mile
Rivian R2 Premium = $164/mile
Rivian R2 Performance = $176/mile
Cadillac Lyriq Luxury AWD = $199/mile
Plus, this is just a weird metric in general. I’d wager not many people would look at this and cross shop the Equinox EV to the iX3, but I’d wager a fair amount actually would cross shop the iX3 to the Lyriq.
It may be because the R2 that would surpass this (R2 standard) won’t be out for another year. The R2 performance does a little worse than the best iX3 config. Of course, it sure does drop off fast if you touch the tires.
There isn’t an R2 that would surpass this in miles or price.
The R2 standard is $48,490 / 345mi = $140/mi, edging out the $144/mi for the iX3
Oh, you’re using the indirect metric. I was using the metrics individually (price or miles). The R2 is cheaper across all levels, while also having less range across all levels.
Yeah, I was trying to match Brian’s ‘unique’ metric.
Stop making so much sense.
I mentioned this in my other comment-I really don’t think the difference between 300 miles of range and 400 miles of range is all that different in the real world, and the R2 is significantly cheaper and more attractive
Agreed. Especially considering how sensitive EVs can be to personal driving styles, arguing over the last 20% of range is moot when applied to a large audience.
Also, yeah, this iX3 face/side profile is a real woofer. The R2 is a lot better, especially with the sneaky hidden trailing edge of the roof line.
Just Marketing 101
I wonder how much more range we’d get if they actually made longroofs with the same platform/specs.
*whine* But I don’t want another stupid crossover! Can we just have actual cars again?
Good range, for sure, though. Maybe they could just stick that in a package that doesn’t look like it has techno-pox and has a normal, comfortable, easy-to-use interior that isn’t full of pointless tech, and doesn’t have a giant, heat-maximizing glass roof? And mechanical door handles.
Both the 21″ all seasons and the presumably stickier 20″ summers having better range than the 20″ AS makes me think BMW just cheaped out on the base tires. And if they did that, where else did they cheap out?
Conversely, do we know how much those packages that come with those options cost?
The 20″ summer tires and 20″ all seasons are included in the base price as no-cost options for each other.
The 21″ options are $600. Pretty reasonable all things considered.
Comparing the AS options, it seems like there has to be additional variables not represented. Could the 20″ version of the tires be that much worse than the 21s?
That’s what doesn’t make any sense. On the configuration page the wheel options are the same for both AS and summer, so it’s not as if the 434 mi range requires some super secret wheel that only comes with summer tires. It looks from all accounts that the 20″ all season tires are just duds.
I’m not surprised they cheaped out on the base tires, but I am surprised they didn’t get super low rolling resistance tires on the cheap like seemingly so many other companies do to further boost range/efficiency numbers. The fact that they presumably upgraded both performance and range by going with the stickier tires seems….. silly.
434 miles per charge behind the wheel of what looks like a puckered ass.
I’ve been a defender of this design…but I just saw one in person in Berlin yesterday and it was like meeting someone from a dating app who had a picture that was at least 5 years old and not at all representative. The side profile is downright ungainly and very minivan-esque.
One of these has been on my shopping list for a while but I don’t think that’s the case anymore. I really don’t know why you’d buy this over an R2 unless the BMW badge really means something to you. I mean yeah, 100ish extra miles of range is pretty sweet…but I don’t think you’re going to feel the difference in real world applications.
The Rivian is significantly more attractive and significantly cheaper. I actually think $62,000 is very, very optimistic…
Can we have a moment to note how the Tesla went from being compared against BMW when the Model3 was first dropped that it was a “luxury” car by the media to being called out as the “budget” EV next to the Chevy Bolt?
Teslas, even (maybe especially) the Model S, were never luxury cars. Just expensive cars.
I don’t hate the current BMW grille treatment as much as some, but I’m still kind of amazed they managed to come up with something worse… Looks like it consumed something very sour.
They realised you can’t see the godawful front end from the driver’s seat, so they slapped that abomination of a steering wheel in there for ya.
That whole interior is a giant *don’t*.
Here’s a palette cleanser for you, from some actually good old days:
A proper place for DRIVING, not “infotainment”:
https://flic.kr/p/2sbys6b
I’m gonna go hug the dash in my mini
An automaker willing to make a GOOD LOOKING price-competitive EV continues to elude us.
I quite like the look of the Ford Mach-e if I gloss over the mustang logo.
The Mach-e has nowhere near this range, though.
I actually think the new Mercedes crossover this competes with is pretty attractive from the outside but the absolute aneurysm of an interior that’s basically 98% screens ruins it for me. I guess the Audi Q6 looks…alright? I mean it looks like every other Audi but at least it’s not weird for the sake of weird…