2024 BMW iX xDrive50

　　

2024 BMW iX Review

byMark TakahashiCorrespondent

　　Mark Takahashi has worked in the automotive industry since 2001. He has written thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Mark has also contributed to Motor Trend, Auto Aficionado, Chevy High Performance and several motorcycle magazines in various roles. Mark is also a juror on the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards and can be seen regularly on the zzdcar YouTube channel and sometimes representing the company in media interviews.

　　, rating written byMark TakahashiDirector, Vehicle Testing

　　Jonathan Elfalan has worked in the automotive industry since 2005. As a director of vehicle testing at zzdcar, Jonathan has tested and reviewed thousands of cars and written thousands of car-related articles over the course of his career. Jonathan got his start testing cars for Road & Track magazine as a newly minted mechanical engineer grad from University of California, Irvine, and has also contributed to Motor Trend and the Associated Press. He likes to say he learned to drive a manual transmission in a rear-wheel-drive mid-engine vehicle but often omits it was his family's 1991 Toyota Previa minivan.

　　The 2024 BMW iX is among the top-rated all-electric luxury SUVs, and for good reason. It's about the same size as the automaker's midsize X5 and stands out with its roomy seating and impressive power and range. Even the entry-level xDrive50 has two electric motors, all-wheel drive, 516 horsepower, and more than 300 miles of range. Alternatively, you can pick the M60 version that dials up 610 hp and can rocket from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below

　　

BMW iX EV Insights

Trim:iX xDrive50

　　xDrive50 4dr SUV AWD (electric DD) (Most Popular) - $87,100 MSRP

　　

Range

　　307 miles

　　EPA Estimated Range

　　EV batteries lose 1-2% of range per year. Est. range for this car is 261 miles after 8 years.Electric cars typically experience 1-2% of range loss per year with slightly faster degradation over the first 50,000 miles as the car settles into its long term state, according to Recurrent's study of 15,000 EVs.

　　Estimated range mapThis map is a visual representation of the possible one-way and round-trips by this vehicle (on a full charge) from the geometric center of Rutland, North Dakota. The depicted ranges are based on the estimated new vehicle range value provided by the EPA, rounded down to miles for one-way and miles for round-trip. Actual range will vary depending on the condition of this vehicle’s battery pack, how you drive, driving conditions and other factors.Map display generated using: © openrouteservice.org by HeiGIT | Map data © Recurrent contributors | Recurrent

　　from 58067

　　

EV Battery Warranty

　　8 yrs or 100,000 milesThe federal government requires that EV batteries be warrantied for a minimum of eight years or 100,000 miles. The EV battery warranty includes replacement if your battery capacity drops below a certain percentage of the original capacity.

　　

Charging at Home

　　11 hours

　　Total Charging Time (240V outlet)

　　SAE ComboStandard port for most electric models. Supports Level 1, Level 2, and DC Fast charging.

　　Plug Type

　　

EV Tax Credits & Rebates

　　$400

　　Available Rebates. Restrictions apply.

　　Utility EV Charger Offer

　　$400

　　Restrictions: Otter Tail Power offers EV owners a rebate of up to $400 towards the installation of a Level 2 charging station. To qualify for this rebate, the customer and/or charging station must meet the following requirements: Receive electricity from Otter Tail Power.

　　To learn more, visit Recurrent

　　Complimentary Charging Offer

　　Restrictions: This program is a charging agreement between BMW of North America and Electrify America. Customers who purchase a new BMW iX will receive 2 years of complimentary 30-minute charging on the Electrify America network. Participation requires the MyBMW app. Complimentary charging expires 2 years from vehicle purchase date. Offer is non-transferable. See your participating dealer for details.

　　

Cost to Drive

　　$87/mo

　　iX

　　vs

　　$229/mo

　　SUV Avg.

　　Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　

Am I Ready for an EV?

　　EV ownership works best if you can charge (240V) at home or at work This typically means a 240V home installation, but you could also have a similar setup at your office or other places your car is already parked for several hours each day. Don't expect a regular household outlet (120V) to suffice unless you've got a plug-in hybrid, in which case overnight charging at home is feasible.

　　If you can’t charge at home, charging at a charging station could take at least 10x longer than at a gas station With public charging infrastructure still in its infancy, the user experience can be maddeningly inconsistent. Tesla owners tend to rave about the reliability and speed of the company's proprietary Supercharger stations, but rival DC fast options have thus far been plagued by technical issues and overcrowding. It's an evolving landscape and our best advice is to do your research on the available options for the EV you want to buy.

　　Adding a 240V home charging system could cost up to $1,600 or more If your existing electrical service can handle the additional demands of EV charging, you may be able to add Level 2 charging at home for less than a grand, including installation. But your costs will multiply if you need to upgrade your electrical panel or add a dedicated circuit.

　　Such performance can seem a little superfluous for a vehicle that is ultimately meant to be a family-friendly hauler, but such is the new world of EV performance. Besides the Tesla Model X, there is a new Mercedes-Benz EQE that is a direct rival to the iX. Audi is also making significant changes to its e-tron, which is now called the Q8 e-tron. Check out our Expert Rating below to see our test team's scoring of the 2024 iX's real-world range, comfort and more.

　　

What's it like to live with?

When the BMW iX debuted in 2022, it quickly became one of our favorite all-electric SUVs. It made perfect sense to add one to the zzdcar long-term test fleet to see how it fares over the course of a full year and 20,000 miles. Check out our latest impressions from Recurrent. Our test vehicle is a 2022, but nearly all of our impressions still apply to the 2024 model.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Great

　　8.4

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

8.5/10

　　How does the iX drive? Electric SUVs are redefining how large vehicles are supposed to handle, and the iX is a prime example. The weight of batteries mounted low under the floor really helps provide a hunkered-down feeling. The iX isn't really exciting to drive, but it corners with ease, and the light-effort steering creates the illusion of the iX being lighter than it actually is.

　　Our test vehicle came with the optional 22-inch wheels and tires. They provide decent levels of cornering grip and, in our emergency braking test, helped slow the iX down from 60 mph to a dead stop in an impressive 114 feet. In typical driving, the iX can provide plenty of regenerative braking, and that makes it easy to drive around using just the accelerator pedal and letting the regen handle the braking.

　　Brakes are important because the iX can boogie. Accelerating to 60 mph took only 4.2 seconds in our testing. That's quicker than most EVs (including the Jaguar I-Pace and Audi e-tron) and not too far off from BMW's gas-powered X5 M.

　　

Comfort

8.5/10

　　How comfortable is the iX? The iX has some of the coolest-looking upholstered seats on the market today, and thankfully they're also comfortable to sit in. The front seats offer a generous range of adjustments and have effective seat heaters. The iX rides quite nicely on the road too. There's still a hint of sporty firmness rather than total cloud-like softness, but we suspect our test car's larger 22-inch wheels may have played a part here. It's also a quiet SUV, and wind and road noise is minimal on the highway.

　　Much of the iX's interior controls are touchscreen-based, and that includes those for the climate system. At least the primary temp settings are easy to access and make adjustments to. Rear passengers get two climate zones as well, plus a range of vents for excellent coverage. Overall, the system does an excellent job of maintaining a comfortable cabin.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below