Tesla really needs to step up their SUV game (BMW iX impressions)

My situation is I'm getting divorced, and I either need to refinance my current car or get a new one. Today I test drove a 2024 BMW iX and I left blown away.

Yes, it's a little smaller (5 seats vs. 6, but considerably more useable cargo area). It lacks air suspension (they stopped that after 2023 apparently). It's not quite as fast to 60mph (I tested).

That said, the interior comfort is on a completely different level. Real leather seats with a decent massage function, the ability to change bolster shaping, outstanding sound system (I tested the Bowers & Wilkins upgrade w/ the bass shakers in the seats), the list really goes quite a bit on.

The HUD was excellent, as was the parking camera and a few other little features the X lacks. Car Play on a big, wide screen is just great. There isn't a back screen but after having that for a year in the X I'm convinced it's not a value add in any way.

The handling is considerably better, and the drive overall is very nice with much better road noise isolation than a model X.

It might not be your taste or whatever, but the important point is this: I can get a lease of an absolutely loaded out iX for less than I pay for my X currently. It's a better car in almost every way. I'll miss the windshield, and air suspension, and.... that's about it TBH.

I'm a huge Tesla fan, but IMO they really need to step up what they're offering for six figures if they want to stay competitive.

"BMW iX electric SUV in Costa Rica" by mariordo59 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Admin note: Image added for Blog Feed thumbnail

 

[GoVols!]

Sorry about your divorce and I don’t know how old you are but you’re better off with the BMW if you want to best attract your future companion.

Yeah and I wouldn’t buy a Tesla or BMW ev to attract a younger hotter companion.

To original thread starter:
If I was a new bachelor mode, I’d probably look at a M5, X5M, Audi Q8 or HummerEv for starters. Basically, something fun, a bit practical but not absolutely irresponsible douchemobile(use your imagination). Heck, I have a well cared for white on black leather Bentley S convertible for sale. Every single female that sees this car, loves it. I work at Grayson BMW/Mini and it’s amazing what women find attractive vs what Men think will help attract the opposite sex. Sorry to hear about the divorce. Good luck with your purchase and curious to hear what you end up with.

 

[holeydonut]

Yeah and I wouldn’t buy a Tesla or BMW ev to attract a younger hotter companion.

To original thread starter:
If I was a new bachelor mode, I’d probably look at a M5, X5M, Audi Q8 or HummerEv for starters. Basically, something fun, a bit practical but not absolutely irresponsible douchemobile(use your imagination). Heck, I have a well cared for white on black leather Bentley S convertible for sale. Every single female that sees this car, loves it. I work at Grayson BMW/Mini and it’s amazing what women find attractive vs what Men think will help attract the opposite sex. Sorry to hear about the divorce. Good luck with your purchase and curious to hear what you end up with.

Women find M5's and Hummer EVs cool? I feel like the only people you're attracting with a M5 or Hummer EV are going to be men.











Yes, this comment is tongue in cheek.

 

[bpobill]

Yeah and I wouldn’t buy a Tesla or BMW ev to attract a younger hotter companion.

To original thread starter:
If I was a new bachelor mode, I’d probably look at a M5, X5M, Audi Q8 or HummerEv for starters. Basically, something fun, a bit practical but not absolutely irresponsible douchemobile(use your imagination). Heck, I have a well cared for white on black leather Bentley S convertible for sale. Every single female that sees this car, loves it. I work at Grayson BMW/Mini and it’s amazing what women find attractive vs what Men think will help attract the opposite sex. Sorry to hear about the divorce. Good luck with your purchase and curious to hear what you end up with.

Hes going through a divorce and he should attract a woman thats a gold digger? Doesnt seem to be good advice.

 

[Msicario]

Yeah and I wouldn’t buy a Tesla or BMW ev to attract a younger hotter companion.

To original thread starter:
If I was a new bachelor mode, I’d probably look at a M5, X5M, Audi Q8 or HummerEv for starters. Basically, something fun, a bit practical but not absolutely irresponsible douchemobile(use your imagination). Heck, I have a well cared for white on black leather Bentley S convertible for sale. Every single female that sees this car, loves it. I work at Grayson BMW/Mini and it’s amazing what women find attractive vs what Men think will help attract the opposite sex. Sorry to hear about the divorce. Good luck with your purchase and curious to hear what you end up with.

LOL definitely can’t beat a convertible Bentley, if you have about $350K
But good looks, great dancer, smack talker, & decent job can get you a fine woman too; Even with an Accord or Camry

 

[GoVols!]

Hes going through a divorce and he should attract a woman thats a gold digger? Doesnt seem to be good advice.

What’s wrong with that? He was just married, time to have some fun with younger hottie and not all of them are gold diggers. But, what a female sees is someone that is potentially successful and isn’t boring to hang out with. If they are truly a gold digger, just move on to another prospect.

 

[GoVols!]

LOL definitely can’t beat a convertible Bentley, if you have about $350K
But good looks, great dancer, smack talker, & decent job can get you a fine woman too; Even with an Accord or Camry

True story! I can get you a nice well cared for used drop top Bentley for $95k and it looks like new. You only live once Used Car Dealership in Knoxville, TN | MINI of Knoxville

 

[holeydonut]

What’s wrong with that? He was just married, time to have some fun with younger hottie and not all of them are gold diggers. But, what a female sees is someone that is potentially successful and isn’t boring to hang out with. If they are truly a gold digger, just move on to another prospect.

Here's a vehicle that will be a gold digger, that could also attract a gold digger.

2019 Land Rover Range Rover V8 Supercharged 4WD, 59,438 mi

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventorylisting/viewDetailsFilterViewInventoryListing.action?zip=37341&entitySelectingHelper.selectedEntity=d156#listing=350832816

 

[10dot]

True story! I can get you a nice well cared for used drop top Bentley for $95k and it looks like new. You only live once Used Car Dealership in Knoxville, TN | MINI of Knoxville

I've gotta be honest, it warms my heart that this turned into a thread w/ dudes trying to make sure I have the proper lady-bait-mobile Whatever I get has to easily fit a car seat, since I still have a 1 y/o... the iX might not be the sexiest outside, but the interior is absolute fire and I can in fact fit a car seat in the back!

 

[Richbot]

Cool cars are how to meet dudes

 

[digitaldriver]

I am a product strategist at a software company, I lead product design, vision, and customer expectation and success. I have driven other vehicles with "limited" level 3 driving systems. What supports my statement with Tesla, is it is responding every microsecond to visual data. Others only confirm known pre-mapped data and will never work in unmapped areas. In addition will never work in changing mapped areas. Yes, the system is still in beta and fails in some edge cases now and then, but the sheer ability to respond to visual input constantly adjusting to its environment puts Tesla miles ahead. I am surprised you have such a hard line with software development on what is considered complete. You should know as well as I that software design is never complete and will be released in many stages of functionality starting with an MVP or beta solution with constant feedback and improvements. If your take is to only talk when it is complete and approved by all regulatory authorities, then I guess we won't be talking.

Did you forget elon fraudster promising real fsd in 2016 and then robo taxi shortly after. Isn't it about time i can actually send an email while being on autopilot on a freeway? Tesla's fsd in ok, still level 2. Not sure what are you bragging about. I test it with my friend's plaid and its like a stupid, spoiled teenager driving the car.

 

[DBV1]

I just don't get it. BMW and comfort?! I guess one must be a real MB hater for this.
Just another strange post about perceived BMW superiority.
Sure, anyone can find something more appealing in BMW than in Tesla. The choice of colors maybe...
But if you decide to go with old design, charging unfriendly, expensive vehicles, iX just suks (pardon my French) in comparison with EQS.
So I don't get it with the BMW. CP/AA is a crutch. I would consider MB's software against Tesla, but BMW until recently at least was a joke, so sure they want Car Play. Perhaps BMW should better focus on bikes, its car sales are going down anyway.

BMW has much better software than Mercedes. iDrive is by far the easiest system in the car business, especially when compared with HUD. I think the EQS looks like a bubble, which is really too bad. I don’t like the front of the IX either though. The BMW i5 looks a lot better.

 

[holeydonut]

The incentives in California this month for BMW iX and i4 and Mercedes EQS / EQE are nutso. Just go take a look at the German BEVs without rose-colored Tesla glasses on.

Since our household FUBAR tesla experience. We've turned the same monthlies and negative drain to vehicle equity from what was a 2023 Model X and a 2021 Performance Model 3 into:

2023 MB GLS450,
2023 MB EQS450,
2023 BMW i4 eDrive35

I mean that performance Model 3 would have depreciated $10k alone from June to today anyway with all the Tesla price cuts. We might as well enjoy some German cars with good interiors instead of bag holding Tesla's mega depreciation in 2023.

 

[Msicario]

The incentives in California this month for BMW iX and i4 and Mercedes EQS / EQE are nutso. Just go take a look at the German BEVs without rose-colored Tesla glasses on.

Since our household FUBAR tesla experience. We've turned the same monthlies and negative drain to vehicle equity from what was a 2023 Model X and a 2021 Performance Model 3 into:

2023 MB GLS450,
2023 MB EQS450,
2023 BMW i4 eDrive35

I mean that performance Model 3 would have depreciated $10k alone from June to today anyway with all the Tesla price cuts. We might as well enjoy some German cars with good interiors instead of bag holding Tesla's mega depreciation in 2023.

It comes down to Musk being so much smarter than any who purchased a Tesla.
He definitely knows how to make money.

Some of us who paid top $ for a Tesla a few years ago, could have bought two for almost the same price in the first months of the year Year .

 

[Tiger]

I've gotta be honest, it warms my heart that this turned into a thread w/ dudes trying to make sure I have the proper lady-bait-mobile Whatever I get has to easily fit a car seat, since I still have a 1 y/o... the iX might not be the sexiest outside, but the interior is absolute fire and I can in fact fit a car seat in the back!

If you bait a lady with a car it's the car that gets her hot not you Just be yourself and you'll get someone who likes yourself, but that ofcourse includes driving whatever you like

 

[strider]

Is the regen in the iX as strong as Tesla and can it be set to always be in high? I have read that some cars have adjustable regen on the shift paddles and such and that they default to less than max on every drive.

 

[holeydonut]

Is the regen in the iX as strong as Tesla and can it be set to always be in high? I have read that some cars have adjustable regen on the shift paddles and such and that they default to less than max on every drive.

BMW BEV i4 and iX (I don’t know about i7 or i5) have a “D” and a “B” mode.

The D mode is normal drive mode where regenerative slowing only kicks in when the brake pedal is depressed. The car will also creep forward when the vehicle is at rest and the brake pedal is released. If you’re used to a Tesla one pedal driving, D mode will drive you nuts.

So if you pull down on the gear selector a second time, the BMW goes into B mode. This feels more Tesla-like. It’s still only about 80% of what our 2021 Perf 3 felt like for one pedal driving.

Mercedes EQS has no B mode. Sad.

 

[holeydonut]

Whoaaaa I was wrong about Mercedes.

There are paddle shifters that toggle the regenerative braking. The left hand paddle shifter puts the car into what amounts to a Tesla style one foot driving mode. And there’s a setting to turn off forward creep when the car is stopped and the accelerator pedal isn’t being depressed.

 

[holeydonut]

Is the regen in the iX as strong as Tesla and can it be set to always be in high? I have read that some cars have adjustable regen on the shift paddles and such and that they default to less than max on every drive.

Lol I didn’t even notice this Mercedes had paddle shifters until my kid was like “what are those?”

 

[strider]

Whoaaaa I was wrong about Mercedes.

There are paddle shifters that toggle the regenerative braking. The left hand paddle shifter puts the car into what amounts to a Tesla style one foot driving mode. And there’s a setting to turn off forward creep when the car is stopped and the accelerator pedal isn’t being depressed.

Thanks for the update. Do you have to hit the left paddle every drive or does it remember?

 

[holeydonut]

Thanks for the update. Do you have to hit the left paddle every drive or does it remember?

In the EQS (non AMG), you have to manually tag the paddle shifter and manually put the car in sport mode every time. Disabling forward creep is a permanent setting.

The BMW i4 can default into sport mode but the B driving mode has to be selected with an extra toggle each time. B mode has no forward creep, but D mode and Reverse always have a creep. Maybe there’s a way to hack the BMW with “bimmercode” but I don’t know how that works.

Small price to pay to avoid dealing with a stalling car… and avoid dealing with Tesla service ever again.