BMW iX Overpriced in the UK?

[Kurokawa]

I’ve not been in the F34 or F36, maybe I was spoilt with the 6, but I do recognise what you’re saying about the F series in general seemingly going down. The i4 is presumably underpinned by the G series cars which do seem to be on the way back, albeit at a price.

You need to own the Tesla for a while and see how you get on. There’s plenty to like, there’s also some stuff that might frustrate, but that’s the thing, we all like a different mix of things and there’s now choice, I own a Tesla so the mix for me is good enough at the moment

my neighbour 6s GT is way better build/material than my F series despite my F series is several year newer
I will be honest I quite like the i4 40 before putting order on the TM3, the main put off is the price. When adding all the options i want the TM3 just more value for the money. I am still abit hesitate and have my doubt on TM3 iPad especially coming from BMW iDrive (I still think iDrive is the best system).

 

[Leejmoff]

This is is with all the "old school" car manufacturers. They still price their cars with loads of addition extras. You add them all up and they are normally a lot more money than the current Tesla's. Yes they might feel more luxurious but with them being more efficient and more money.....why would you go for one?

 

[spdpsba]

my neighbour 6s GT is way better build/material than my F series despite my F series is several year newer
I will be honest I quite like the i4 40 before putting order on the TM3, the main put off is the price. When adding all the options i want the TM3 just more value for the money. I am still abit hesitate and have my doubt on TM3 iPad especially coming from BMW iDrive (I still think iDrive is the best system).

It is going to be difficult and have seen lot of beemer fans in this forum struggling to accept their Tesla, so make up your mind before you change your car.

 

[Lord Farquad]

The more reviews I watch of the i4 the more I’m pleased I got my M3. The weight and efficiency of the M3 are in a different league to the i4 and most other EVs. After 4 months of M3 ownership I’m quite satisfied with the UI, my only observation is that I use Autopilot quite a lot as the lack of intuitive physical controls can require more concentration than it should.

 

[MrAliG]

As many comments coming now are about interior quality.

Although the design of the iX was nice inside, the standard leather was very rough and the plastics much lower quality than in my Model X. Also the headliner was no where near as nice as the alcantara.

 

[MrAliG]

The Taycan vs i4 M50 review in Autocar today made me check the i4's price in the USA. The i4 price does not seem crazy in the UK to me.

The i4 M50 lists at $65900, add VAT and convert into GBP and you get £58,600. The list price here is £63,905. Metallic is free here, $550 in the US. The standard leather in the UK is a $1,450 option in the US. Heated seats require the $950 premium package in the US, this gets you a heated wheel which is £220 in the UK. Harmon Kardon standard in the UK is a $875 option. The UK also gets wireless charging, $200 and HUD, $1000 as standard. The £1050 sunroof is standard in the US (It is also decidedly old school) So the real comparison is USA 65,900+550+1450+950+875+200+1000=70,925 equivalent to £63,050. Versus £65,175. So the i4 costs 3% more in the UK than the US, adjusted for taxes and spec.

The iX M50 Sport is $87,600. Add VAT, 10% tariff as it is US made and convert to GBP and you get. £85,650. The UK price is £96,905. On top of this £795 metallic is free in the US and £3,500 Sky Lounge (glass roof). So the equivalent UK price is £101,200. So an 18% premium plus the 10% tariff.

I can't really explain why the iX has such a huge premium in the UK and the i4 does not.

The iX of course is further impacted by the tarfiff. Another way to think about it is the US list price of the base iX is 33% more than the i4. In the UK it is 52% more expensive. The difference is considerably larger adjusted for spec 23% more in the US, 55% more in the UK. Very strange indeed.

Just to show this is odd and not a consequence of cars being more expensive in the UK. The X5 40i MSport costs $71,550 in the US, which converts to £69,960 including VAT and 10% tariff. The UK list price, spec adjusted is £67,785, so it is 3% cheaper in the UK than the US. Or again put another way, an iX M50 without options costs 30% more than an X5 40i Sport in the US, but 45% more in the UK.

Not really my concern as I am not buying an iX, but if I was buying one I would be quite concerned re the depreciation, which is why, I think, leasing costs seem so high.

I should note that all the reviews do continue to say the iX is an excellent car to drive. They don't seem bothered about the price as they aren't buying one!

 

[Mrklaw]

isn’t it odd how fragmented the different ‘base’ specs are by country? I suppose if you have a mature production pipeline you can handle that but you have to assume there would be some savings having a simpler setup with fewer options

 

[MrAliG]

I do wonder how much this saves Tesla and if it is meaningful why other companies don't do it. In general it does Tesla buyers a favour as Teslas come with a lot of things which seem to be options in other cars such as electric seats, glass roofs etc. Although some other things are missing. The annoying thing here is now you often have to buy packs of things you don't want to get specific options. I think this is due to having to do WLTP tests for different option packages, but on the last BMW we got for my parents meant having to buy a couple of thousand in options they didn't want and have never used.

Again the assumption is that cars are better equipped in the US than the UK, but this is not as true as it used to be. The i4 seems better equipped here. The £3500 glass roof on the iX being included in the US is pretty galling. Again, all Teslas have glass roofs as standard, often a very expensive option on other cars. I was pretty shocked to see the i4 has an old school sunroof.

 

[Tony Hoyle]

It's just the way cars have always been sold.. make a 'poverty spec' car and add in loads of options, but don't let the customer know what the real price is until they've been talked into wanting all those options by the dealer. There are likely thousands of combinations. Their production lines are setup that way too - once you decide options an order is labelled 'your car' and 'your car' gets built to your exact spec - that's why it takes them so long..

Tesla just say.. SR, LR, P. Take yer pick - not that they're entirely innocent of the option ladder.. I'm pretty sure white paint vs blue paint doesn't cost them £1k, or an extra £1k to change the interior colour.. But in general they treat cars like making baked beans.. make a bunch, stick them on the shelves (well, boats..) and sell them.

 

[blert]

Not an exhaustively researched theory of mine is that when selling a used car it's the model and trim level which tend to determine the price - all of the option boxes which were ticked when new may make it more saleable if you happen to find someone looking for a particular feature but you are very unlikely to recoup the same percentage cost of them as the car model/trim has retained. To me it's one of the attractions of Tesla's approach even if a traditional brand's car ends up at a comparable price with the same specs achieved using the options list.

 

[MrAliG]

That’s a good point that probably helps reduce depreciation on a Tesla.

On a BMW most of the options will lose most of their value when you come to sell it.

On the other hand you won’t get a discount on a Tesla.

I tend to do a simple calculation of what the net loss in value would be over 3-4 years to guess my cost to own a car. In this I have to assume the discounted price paid including options and the retained value. I then ignore this and buy the car I like but I want to know I’m not making a crazy decision.

In the spreadsheet I ran before ordering my second Model X, for example, the Audi Q7 came out quite cheap to run with high depreciation offset by massive discounts. I had no real intention of buying one, it was there from 2017 when I bought my current The Model Y would also be quite cheap to run. In a table that includes the new Model X and new Range Rover, BMW X7, EQS, Taycan and so on the iX was looking like by far the most expensive car to run. If you want a very expensive looking car for a reasonable cost I would suggest a Taycan or the new Range Rover, shame it’s not an EV yet.

 

[spdpsba]

But in general they treat cars like making baked beans.. make a bunch, stick them on the shelves (well, boats..) and sell them.

I wouldn’t say like baked beans but like an iPad - you have three models (iPad, iPad air, iPad Pro) and then 4G/no 4G and then storage. The production line is simple, uncomplicated and easy to set up. But the whole process has to be reengineered for this model to be a success so what Elon did was the real innovation or disruptive business model - get rid of dealerships. They are the ones who make money not the car manufacturers. And finally make them in China, design them in California or now in Austin - Not sure whether they are still based here!

 

[Alex Russo]

I made a similar comment elsewhere but I’m not sure what bmw have been up to on the EV front. Made a decent start with the i3 and i8 then just fell asleep until we got this monstrosity.
There was also a looooong thread elsewhere on the motoring internets with almost unrelenting hate for the look of the xM concept too. Have bmw lost their way?!
View attachment 756332

look like a scam to me

 

[Mrklaw]

I much prefer Tesla’s approach. Not only do I hate the nickel and diming of traditional options but like you say the ‘packs’ these days are presumably deliberately designed to upsell you on things you don’t need by putting things you do want alongside forced other choices.

Also the options are often a minefield. I wasn’t able to get carplay on my last BMW because I didn‘t spec enhanced bluetooth, despite the car already having bluetooth and enhanced was described as being for two users to have their phones connected which I didn’t need. Doesnt’ help if the sales people don’t know how their own systems work.

 

[phil4]

Did anyone see RSymon's video on 0-30? Not the speed difference, but the way the BMW scrabbles around all over the place.

It strikes me that they didn't just reuse the body/shell of the ICE version, but use the T/C also... it really shows up the difference.

 

[browellm]

Not only do I hate the nickel and diming of traditional options but like you say the ‘packs’ these days are presumably deliberately designed to upsell you on things you don’t need by putting things you do want alongside forced other choices.

Well sure, but the same could be said for EAP. I couldn't really care less for autopark and summon.

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

I much prefer Tesla’s approach. Not only do I hate the nickel and diming of traditional options but like you say the ‘packs’ these days are presumably deliberately designed to upsell you on things you don’t need by putting things you do want alongside forced other choices.

Also the options are often a minefield. I wasn’t able to get carplay on my last BMW because I didn‘t spec enhanced bluetooth, despite the car already having bluetooth and enhanced was described as being for two users to have their phones connected which I didn’t need. Doesnt’ help if the sales people don’t know how their own systems work.

Even Tesla do it - want parking aid, in the US where you can’t option EAP it’s $10k!! I prefer to be able to customise my car and I’d certainly prefer Tesla to offer some of the things BMW do like head up display, adaptive suspension, car play etc. seems odd to moan about not having an option on your last car because you didn’t pick an option when no money on the world can get it on the Tesla

Did anyone see RSymon's video on 0-30? Not the speed difference, but the way the BMW scrabbles around all over the place.

It strikes me that they didn't just reuse the body/shell of the ICE version, but use the T/C also... it really shows up the difference.

I read elsewhere that can had a fault, and it’s the only review that had the problem. Carwow had an almost similar issue but it was the same car.

Bjorn has posted an iX video.. it passed the moose test!!! He liked it, and he’s becoming a BMW convert