[hugo_nz]

     Featured on BIMMERPOST.com

Hi folks!

After only a short 5/6 months I am dumping my e-tron and ordering an iX. The e-tron is pretty capable and the ride and handling are excellent but Audi’s MMI and car software are a hot mess and now that there’s a BMW alternative I’m coming back home.

Our order spec:
Xdrive40 Sport
Mineral white metallic
Amido interior
Comfort and Enhancement Packages


I drove the iX (test car photos attached) this week and wrote a quick comparison to the e-tron. All prices mentioned are in NZD:

https://evforum.co.nz/quick-reads-bm...on-50-quattro/

BMW iX Xdrive40 vs Audi e-tron 50 Quattro

Another fresh new entry into the local EV market comes in the form of the BMW iX Xdrive40. Just landed at Auckland City BMW I jumped at the chance to do a quick comparison to my Audi e-tron. I wish I had more than an hour with it because there is simply so much new tech to take in. I have since done a second test drive in the iX and have updated this post (updated 30 December 2021).

Let me start by saying that this is the freshest design from BMW in a very long time. It’s unlike anything else in their portfolio and according to the salesperson (and some quick research on my part) the iX shares almost no interior components with other BMWs. Underpinning it all is the now-familiar CLAR platform which is also shared by the upcoming i4. The design is very polarising in the press photos, but my test car came in a rather normal dark shade of grey which makes the design much easier to stomach.

• The interior is splendid. Almost nothing you can touch feels cheap and the interior takes on a modern twist not seen in any recent BMW. Notable exceptions are the steering column stalks and the lower part of the centre console. These don’t feel particularly premium and are a bit out of step with the rest of the interior. I have never been a fan of BMWs crystal glass appliqués but in person, they don’t look too bad. Having now seen press photos of the standard trim I will say that I much prefer that to the optional Clear & Bold crystal version. I also experienced something raised by some reviewers which was the crystal seat controls on the passenger door reflecting light into my eyes while driving. Just another reason to stick with the standard trim. The massive panoramic glass roof lends an airy feel to the interior, and it has a party trick too…it goes from see-through to milky white at the touch of a button. A-la Maybach. This removes the need for a mechanical sunshade which also frees up some extra headroom.
• The seats are probably the most comfortable I’ve experienced in any car in a long time. The way they have been bolstered and clad in sustainable leather is fantastic. And by sustainable I mean that BMW uses olive leaf extract during the tanning process. There are cloth and faux-leather (Sensatec) options available for those so inclined. As standard the seats come with a plethora of adjustments, heating and a massage function with 3 programmes. As an option you can add ventilation to them too. The only adjustment I found lacking was extending thigh support. Moving the seat controls to the door makes them easier to reach but also offer fewer adjustment options, requiring you to use the iDrive screen for fine-tuning the remaining settings. Not a big deal, though changing any of those settings on the move is just a tad trickier.
• Jam-packed with impressive tech. The iX comes with BMWs latest iDrive 8 and, honestly, I have nothing bad to say about it. Much like iDrive 7, it’s dead simple to use. The HUD in the iX is even better than the iX3 and then there’s augmented reality navigation too that shows you when to turn through arrows superimposed on the main iDrive screen using the front view camera. I also love the theme BMW has designed for iDrive 8. It suits the design of the cabin as a hole perfectly.
• The iX comes with an 18 speaker, 655-watt harman/kardon sound system, and it’s pretty damned impressive. The optional Bowers & Wilkins system would be an impressive 1615-watt upgrade (at $8.5k) but it’s overkill for all but serious audiophiles.
• Driving dynamics. If I had to compare the driving comfort with anything I would say Range Rover or X7. It’s just incredibly effortless. It’s a big car, there’s no denying that, but it is plenty fast enough and easy enough to manoeuvre. There is plenty of power on tap, and comparing it to the iX3 it feels a bit more “normal” to drive. The pedals feel pretty much like any other car. The steering wheel on the other hand may take some getting used to. Why BMW decided to go with a 6-sided steering wheel is a mystery. BMW marketing-speak says that the polygon shape makes for easier switching between active and automatic driving, as well as affording a better view of the digital driver display. I say, meh, at least they didn’t pull a yoke on us. The numerous driver assistance systems are easy to figure out and BMW has hinted at increased levels of autonomous driving being made available through over-the-air updates.
• Cabin noise/operation. The cabin is dead quiet. If your goal is to waft from place to place in effortless silence then the iX may be the car for you. As with pretty much any modern BMW, everything is simple to operate. One minor complaint is that the climate control is hidden a level deep in iDrive, and at a glance, it’s not all that intuitive to use. I may just take some getting used to, and then there’s also “Hey BMW” to help do most things for you.

There’s no denying that the iX is damned expensive…as in more expensive than the BMW X7, Mercedes GLS, Audi Q8. The Xdrive40 starts at $163k* followed by the Xdrive50 at $197k* but at either of those price points you get something truly special, and unlike anything else on the market. The exterior design is polarising, yes, but in crisp polar white paint without the titanium bronze trim pieces it looks rather striking. If I’m being honest the e-tron interior feels rather pedestrian compared to the iX but driving around town today on roads I drive every day the e-tron holds its own very well. Comparing standard equipment between the e-tron 55 Quattro Advanced to the iX Xdrive40 the BMW makes a more compelling buy.

Would I buy an iX…after two test drives I say absolutely (and I have lol). It all depends on your priorities though. If you’re looking for a premium EV-SAV the iX3 makes a strong case for itself, but if you need a massive towing capacity and 4-wheel-drive then the iX is the one to go for. In my opinion, the Xdrive40 offers pretty good range and enough standard equipment to make it the logical choice between the two launch models even without ticking any of the optional extra boxes.

[Tallest]

This is a no brainer as far as EVs go if you go from Etron (for me, as I dont need that extra room etron carries), and I think you made the right call, and enjoy the ownership.

I also agree that in flesh it is a lot nicer, darker colors suit it of course. I wish grille could be all blacked out.

Please report what you have gotten range wise from it. I think you have a perfect, warm climate for this car which performs best at your temps also. So your range would be great for those who dont suffer the cold weathers, and so less volatile reading which we can just cut 20% or so for winter climates.

[________]

Nice "damned" write up. A few bits surprised me, I haven't seen it in person yet but now I'm curious. Had no idea it was this nice.

And wow are cars expensive there, just like housing I suppose.

Merry Christmas

[Cadillac]

Originally Posted by Onesie

Nice "damned" write up. A few bits surprised me, I haven't seen it in person yet but now I'm curious. Had no idea it was this nice.

And wow are cars expensive there, just like housing I suppose.

Merry Christmas

I am assuming NZD quoted…if so the exchange rate is approx. 0.68.
NZ prices are still lower that Australia where we get ripped off even more with luxury car tax to protect the local car manufacturing industry we no longer have.

[Jaysoowavy]

The iX Does Not Start That High In The U.S At All. It starts like 83k for the 50 I think

[Deja011]

Originally Posted by Cadillac

I am assuming NZD quoted…if so the exchange rate is approx. 0.68.
NZ prices are still lower that Australia where we get ripped off even more with luxury car tax to protect the local car manufacturing industry we no longer have.

Yea totally agree the Luxury car tax is a killer, there is no local manufacturing in OZ anymore, still they want to keep charging. Almost 25k luxury car tax on iX 50

[M2Cmtl]

aside from the lack of wheel interface, I kind of like audi's MMI. Idrive is much easier to use in the end, but it wouldn't sway me one way or the other. The etron's faults are range and 0-100 (if you care about that...).

Here anyways, the Etron is priced just 5-7% bellow the iX, so audi would need to update the range and such to be competitive (I'm sure that will happen in 2023...)

[stein_325i]

Originally Posted by M2Cmtl

aside from the lack of wheel interface, I kind of like audi's MMI. Idrive is much easier to use in the end, but it wouldn't sway me one way or the other. The etron's faults are range and 0-100 (if you care about that...).

Here anyways, the Etron is priced just 5-7% bellow the iX, so audi would need to update the range and such to be competitive (I'm sure that will happen in 2023...)

Rumor is that the E-Tron is getting a 300+ mile range for its facelift.

[AWE46M3]

awesome! looks like a great car! will look into it when it hits the states

[OnlyGerman]

Welcome back home

[Saejin]

Great recap, but I’d wait for the next gen e-tron or the Q6 e-tron that’s coming out in late 2022. The current e-tron is still based on an ICE vehicle platform, but the new Q6 and everything else coming out from Audi will be based on a new EV platform from the ground up. Plus the improvements in battery, range, and charging times are going to be significant. We’re looking at 300-350+ range and charging times less than 20min to get to 80% or more.

You mentioned the climate control being buried in the menu on the iX. This is something that Audi is doing different…they have mostly hard buttons to control HVAC with the rest being in the the touch screen.

It’ll be interesting to see how the new Audi EVs will compare to the iX after they are both widely available next year.

[________]

Originally Posted by Saejin

Great recap, but I'd wait for the next gen e-tron or the Q6 e-tron that's coming out in late 2022. The current e-tron is still based on an ICE vehicle platform, but the new Q6 and everything else coming out from Audi will be based on a new EV platform from the ground up. Plus the improvements in battery, range, and charging times are going to be significant. We're looking at 300-350+ range and charging times less than 20min to get to 80% or more.

You mentioned the climate control being buried in the menu on the iX. This is something that Audi is doing different…they have mostly hard buttons to control HVAC with the rest being in the the touch screen.

It'll be interesting to see how the new Audi EVs will compare to the iX after they are both widely available next year.

Audi went back to buttons for HVAC in 2023 models? Source?

[Saejin]

Originally Posted by Onesie

Audi went back to buttons for HVAC in 2023 models? Source?

Here’s a pic of the Q4 e-tron interior and the Q6 is said to be similar.
https://www.carwow.co.uk/audi/news/5...ease-date#gref

[________]

Originally Posted by Saejin

Here's a pic of the Q4 e-tron interior and the Q6 is said to be similar.
https://www.carwow.co.uk/audi/news/5...ease-date#gref

Funny how they use buttons in an electric car and a screen on ICE models… not sure why but I feel it'd be the other way around… go figure!

[Saejin]

Originally Posted by Onesie

Funny how they use buttons in an electric car and a screen on ICE models… not sure why but I feel it'd be the other way around… go figure!

I think they got a lot of negative feedback from the dual screen setup in their current models; Q7, Q8, A6, A7 and the subsequent S and RS models. It’s one reason why we didn’t look at them either.

Since the e-tron was their first EV and based on these models they used the dual screen setup. The e-tron GT was the first to use the hard buttons for the HVAC and some other controls, and it looks like that will be how the rest of the lineup will be setup. Hope Audi also moves their ICE modes to the same config.

[FCX5]

Originally Posted by hugo_nz

Hi folks!

After only a short 5/6 months I am dumping my e-tron and ordering an iX. The e-tron is pretty capable and the ride and handling are excellent but Audi's MMI and car software are a hot mess and now that there's a BMW alternative I'm coming back home.

Our order spec:
Xdrive40 Sport
Mineral white metallic
Amido interior
Comfort and Enhancement Packages


I drove the iX (test car photos attached) this week and wrote a quick comparison to the e-tron:

https://evforum.co.nz/quick-reads-bm...on-50-quattro/

[SIZE="4"]BMW iX Xdrive40 vs Audi e-tron 50 Quattro[/SIZE]

Another fresh new entry into the local EV market comes in the form of the BMW iX Xdrive40. Just landed at Auckland City BMW I jumped at the chance to do a quick comparison to my Audi e-tron. I wish I had more than an hour with it because there is simply so much new tech to take in.

Let me start off by saying that this is the freshest design from BMW in a very long time. It's unlike anything else in their portfolio and according to the salesperson (and some quick research on my part) the iX shares almost no components with other BMWs. The design is very polarising in the press photos, but my test car came in a rather normal dark shade of grey which makes the design much easier to stomach.

• The interior is splendid. Nothing you can touch feels cheap and the interior takes on a modern twist not seen in any recent BMW. I have never been a fan of BMWs crystal glass appliques but in person, it doesn't look all that bad. The massive panoramic glass roof lends an airy feel to the interior, and it has a party trick too…it goes from seethrough to milky white at the touch of a button. A-la Maybach.
• The seats are probably the most comfortable I've experienced in any car in a long time. The way they have been bolstered and clad in sustainable leather is fantastic. They are ventilated and come with massage programs too. I did not play around with the seat configuration much and thus my only minor complaint would be that the seats could grip you better around bends.
• The iX comes with BMWs latest iDrive 8 and honestly, I have nothing bad to say about it. Much like iDrive 7, it's dead simple to use. The HUD in the iX is even better than the iX3 and then there's augmented reality navigation too that shows you when to turn overlaid on the main iDrive screen using the front view camera.
• The Xdrive40 comes with Harman Kardon sound, and it's pretty damned impressive. The Bowers & Wilkins system would be an impressive next step up (at $8.5k on the Xdrive40) but the Harman Kardon system should suffice for most people.
• Driving dynamics. If I had to compare the driving comfort with anything I would say Range Rover or X7. It's just incredibly effortless. It's a big car, there's no denying that, but it is plenty fast enough and easy enough to maneuver. There is plenty of power on tap, and comparing it to the iX3 it feels a bit more "normal" to drive. The pedals feel pretty much like any other car. The steering wheel on the other hand may take some getting used to. Why BMW decided to go with a 6-sided steering wheel is a mystery.
• Cabin noise/operation. The cabin is dead quiet. If your goal is to waft from place to place in effortless silence then the iX may be the car for you. As with pretty much any modern BMW, everything is simple to operate. One minor complaint is that the climate control is hidden a level deep in iDrive, and at a glance, it's not all that intuitive to use. I may just take some getting used to, and then there's also "Hey BMW" to help do most things for you.

There's no denying that the iX is damned expensive…as in more expensive than the BMW X7, Mercedes GLS, Audi Q8. The Xdrive40 starts at $163k followed by the Xdrive50 at $197k but for that price, you get something truly special and unlike anything else on the market. If I'm being honest the e-tron interior feels rather pedestrian compared to the iX but driving around town today on roads I drive every day the e-tron holds its own very well. Would I buy an iX…probably, but I'd wait for a demo rather than paying a premium for a brand new one.

Thanks for the review. We are looking forward to our iX 50 sometime in June. It will replace a Tesla Model Y.

FWIW, I first got interested in the iX when I met a developer on the iDrive 8 system at a conference and he was telling me how iD8 and the iX was totally going to blow away the Tesla Model X for most people and how much effort had gone into all aspects of the engineering. He used to work at Google before BMW.

[spool twice]

Congrats! I really hope the ranges of BMW's BEV's will exceed EPA ratings like other German makers. I mean, even it's sister Mini has exceeded EPA testing so I would think the BMW would be the same.

[hugo_nz]

Originally Posted by Saejin

I think they got a lot of negative feedback from the dual screen setup in their current models; Q7, Q8, A6, A7 and the subsequent S and RS models. It’s one reason why we didn’t look at them either.

Since the e-tron was their first EV and based on these models they used the dual screen setup. The e-tron GT was the first to use the hard buttons for the HVAC and some other controls, and it looks like that will be how the rest of the lineup will be setup. Hope Audi also moves their ICE modes to the same config.

I’ll admit that this is one area I feel Audi absolutely nailed it. The lower screen for climate control is excellent. When it was first revealed I wasn’t convinced but using it every day I can say that no other touch screen based climate system comes close.

The iX by comparison has some persistent controls on the iDrive screen but I think they want you to use “Hey BMW” as much as possible.

[cfm56d7b]

Interesting review. Thanks for sharing.

What are your thoughts about iX "touch screen only" controls? I personally find them distracting.

[secret agent]

Just read your F15X5 vs E-Tron article on the NZ thread. Not sure why u compared your older generation X5 with the newer tech E-tron. Of course you're gonna love the latest car tech and new car feeling hence change over to the e tron. And sadly you changed it quickly to the iX. Either you have a lot of money to chuck around or you really aren't sure what you want. In essence, BMW still has one of the best techs, performance and build quality as a whole. Have an i4 M50 on order. Wouldn't be ordering the likes of Tesla as build quality and durability are questionable. Would love a Taycan S, but a bit out of price range. 😉

[Saejin]

I’m not quite convinced yet. Watched a few different review vids on YouTube and still have doubts. Also read this is built on a on-off platform that won’t be used in any other EVs coming out from BMW. BMW will/is developing a common platform to be used by both EV and ICE vehicles in the future. Not sure what that means for the iX.

Also range seems to be still up in the air. I’ve seen for the iX50 300 up to 391 for range. And all seem to take a hit when you really get on the power which happens to all other EVs as well.
Just would like to know what the true range is during a summer in Texas, running the AC at 68, ventilated seats on, etc…or in the winter in Colorado with heater at 73, heated seats and steering wheel on as well.

Interior styling is interesting. Not sure why everything has to be controlled via touch screen. BMW has a great setup now to with the HVAC on its own hard button controls. I know you can adjust temp independently on the screen in the iX, but I’ve had situations where I need to adjust temp and airflow for the rear, defrost, vent speeds up front, etc. Would hate to do this all via touch again as we owned an XC90 that used a screen for everything.
Also switching drive modes via the touch screen and not a button is a step backwards.

And why does the screen have to look like an afterthought on the dash. It’s just like they built the dash and then bolted the wide screen on there. Would like to see a better more seemless integration.
And how the center console with the idrive controller sits above the cup holders and wireless charger. It looks like I’d have to reach below and tilt a drink sideways to get it out. Much prefer the single center console where the cup holders are in the front for easier access.

And why the seat controls on the door now instead of the actual seat. That’s a Mercedes design trait and not BMW.

Second on the split tailgate. It’s been a trademark of the X5 and X7.

Back on the touch screen. It’s gonna be so distracting using that to adjust things while driving. And some will say you need to adjust anything…just set it and forget it. For most that will probably be how they drive everyday. I find myself adjusting quite a few things while driving like drive modes depending on traffic, lane keep assist on and off depending on road conditions, HVAC as the sun sets and things get cooler or sunrise and things get warmer, and entertainment sources/tracks/stations.

Hopefully a lot of things are built into the steering controls and idrive controller…also didn’t see the typical BMW preset buttons we’ve all come to love.

2022-2023 will see a bunch of new EVs come out from Audi, Porsche, MB, etc so I’d hold off on calling this the winner. I built a fully loaded one at $104K…you can get the others for just as much fully loaded.

[nosnoop]

Originally Posted by Saejin

I’m not quite convinced yet. Watched a few different review vids on YouTube and still have doubts. Also read this is built on a on-off platform that won’t be used in any other EVs coming out from BMW. BMW will/is developing a common platform to be used by both EV and ICE vehicles in the future. Not sure what that means for the iX.

Nothing. Why should you need to worry about what platform iX is built on, or whether it would be used for other cars?

Not sure why everything has to be controlled via touch screen.

The trend is to move towards touch screen and voice control.
Mercedes is doing the same thing with Hyperscreen.

And why does the screen have to look like an afterthought on the dash. It’s just like they built the dash and then bolted the wide screen on there. Would like to see a better more seemless integration.

This is not at all an afterthought. The dash is designed like that.
Seamless integration means thick and large dash. The traditional design was done out of necessity to hide the thick instrument panel. This is no longer necessary, allowing much more airy interior with a low dash.

The curved screen is like a floating design, and I think it looks great.

So far, almost all the reviews were very positive about the screen, iDrive 8 and all the controls.