Wife replacing BMW X3M40i - looking at Model Y or BMW iX3 - decision time!

We already have a Tesla Model 3 Performance that is my daily driver - this is a 2023 model year (that has USS fitted).
The wife has a 4 1/2 year old BMW X3M40i that we want to replace and it makes sense to look at replacing it with an SUV EV - as she prefers a higher riding vehicle than a sedan.
We test drove a BMW iX3 and a Tesla Model Y Performance - to see which one she prefers.
Below are our observations on both cars & their test drives:-

BMW iX3
This has single motor and in fact rear wheel drive vehicle - despite being an X car!
The external styling looks very nice and the interior quality is way better than a Model Y.
0-60 is much slower than the Tesla at around 6.5 seconds - but mid range acceleration was perfectly acceptable.
The car we tested was fully loaded and had more toys than the Tesla - including Head Up Display, Apple CarPlay, sports seats and USS!

Advantages of the iX3
Full suite of safety sensors - USS, 360 view cameras, blind spot, radar, auto parking, auto cruise control with lane keep.
Full leather interior with very comfortable sports seats
Head up display
Apple CarPlay
Runflat tyres (we had a puncture in our Model 3 and had to be towed to a tyre place by Tesla recovery service)
999,999km full service contract (all BMWs in this country are supplied with a service contract that includes replacement wiper blades, brake discs, pads etc as well as the regular sercviing)
200,000 km full warranty
Panoramic sunroof


Disadvantges of the iX3
No frunk
Slower performance than the Tesla
No YouTube, Netflix etc.
More expensive than the Tesla - especially after the Tesla price reduction this week!
Two wheel drive - compared with the Tesla’s twin motor 4WD


Model Y Performance
This is familiar territory as we already have a Model 3.
It was interesting to compare the ride quality & performance with the Model 3 - I was pleasantly surprised at how well it rode over bumps, having read that the Model Y suspension was too firm. We never found any problems with the ride quality - even on the large 21” wheels.
The performance & handling felt very similar to the Model 3.
Disappointing that the demo we drove and the ones that are available in stock do not have USS (with no visibility when this function will be restored)

Conclusions
The BMW iX3 is the facelifted version compared with our M40i - so is a welcome interior upgrade.
For our needs - the BMW wins hands down over the otherwise excellent Model Y Performance.

What actually swung it even further in the BMWs direction was the full suite of sensors - including front radar and the USS.
We get very extreme fog here in the winter and the radar can spot vehicles through the fog - that we cannot see with the vision system on the Tesla.
We are also very disappointed by the way Tesla removed USS - without first sorting out the software to replace it by vision (if that will ever be possible)

Interested to hear other people’s views!
Cheers
Steve

 

[BocaGuy]

I completely missed that you were not in the US even though I now see another poster mentioned it. The issue with importing a GV60 (even to FL) is that local Genesis dealers are not authorized to work on them. Fortunately our car has not needed service. If it really breaks, I'd have to flatbed it to Virginia!

 

[renowels]

We have had our Model Y Long Range with FSD Beta since January 2022. I'd say I'm happy with our choice as our original order was August 2021. We had considered and driven the Subaru Outback but delivery was iffy for the color and trim level we were after. Yes, still and ICE car. At that time all the other options were either much smaller or vaporware, or quite a bit more expensive.

What sold us was the charge network, watching @IowaTeslaGuy's YouTube Channel and then the test drive. We were moving from Nissan Murano that had been totaled. We've driven almost 15,000 miles since taking delivery. Several long road trips to Colorado and Arizona which included pretty remote locations. Charging was never an issue.

FSD Beta has been less than stellar and will never be actual full self driving. But, as enhanced cruise control it has the capacity to be better than just adaptive cruise control and lane guidance. Self parking was a selling point for us for parallel parking, but now we are waiting on the next big software improvement to gain that back. I only ever got it to work three times. One of those times was at the Super Charger in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

As far as fit and finish, Tesla are no BMW. The feel of the finishes and how stuff works is middle of the scale. Not at all what one would expect on a car of this out the door price, closer to $70K than not. Suspension is harsh, yet sure handling. The car isn't pitched around and tracks well enough for its size, but comfort it is not. The ride quality is hard like an oversprung sports car, but sure handling like a large German Sedan.

The latest software update we have added Apple Music to the mix, which has been nice to have. One can only hope someday CarPlay will come to the vehicle.

One big selling point that is also a bit of a bug is the car's ability to be update via software. This offers the potential to continuously improve the software, but it also means that the car needs. to be continuously updated.
Just like our computers, phones, any and all smart devices we've littered our lives with. So, yeah more of that.

We made our choice based on what was available at the time of similar size, hip room, headroom, leg room and cargo capacity. In addition we considered the charge network. Determining what the various networks looked like across the country was not a simple Google search back in August 2021. I don't know if it is now. But, I learned from @IowaTeslaGuy was enough to push the buy button.

If we were buying today I expect there are more choices. Back when we ordered the Mach E had just hit the market and was quite a bit smaller in hip room and cargo space.

My personal take on range is that I do not navigate by fuel stations, but by restrooms. With kids, this becomes all the rest stops. It would be nice if charge points were set up as rest areas/food and light exercise/recreation spots.
Now as far as travel range, we have found that traveling across the Southwestern deserts in summer, we spend the extra time to charge to +100 miles past our next charge point. For that just in case we need it power. We've needed that twice when the interstate was closed due to flooding or accidents.

 

[BrendonHolt]

The only reason I went with a Tesla was the charging network. In almost every other area they are / have squandered their advantage.

Parking Tech
Ride Quality
Build Quality
Customer Service
Accessories

No way will the next EV be a Tesla.

:Late comment, but spot on mate.

 

[ikarusk]

If your wife is going for the MY RWD, which is much cheaper than the Performance, its good value and a good car. Cheaper than a BMW.
If you are going for the 70k Performance version I would suggest stay with BMW.
I have the MYP for 5 weeks now and I had 3 BMW before this. Wanted to go electric and Tesla seemed the best pick.
Its superior in range, motor and infotainment and most of all is really quick and fun to drive.
But... if you come from a premium BMW it's kind of hard to get used to the Tesla, for me that is.
You have to live with imperfections in build quality, really crappy automatic wipers, no parking aid on a 70k car (which I honestly can't live with) and NON-EXISTENT customer service and loyalty like BMW has.
BMW dealers know you, they do everything to keep you buying a BMW and listen to your concerns.
Tesla couldn't care less about you. I will spare you the details but you just can't compare the way Tesla operates to BMW.

The BMW's have less range, a motor that is not up to what Tesla is offering, they currently have no supercharger network,... But if you value BMW as a daily driver for luxury, driving dynamics, build quality and the way they treat customers... you're better of going for BMW. I wish I had.
Just knock on the metal of the Tesla and knock on the metal of the BMW. Open and close the doors of a tesla and those on the BMW. Can you accept going back to cheap metal and flimsy doors?
Maybe it's me not getting used to my Tesla, I dunno.

 

[Zcd1]

We sold my wife's 2018 X3 M40i and my 2018 Macan GTS when we moved from CA to FL last year. We bought a 2022 MYP as our sole car. As far as I'm concerned, the MYP is a worthy replacement for either car. It has the neck snapping acceleration of the M40i ( and it clearly beats the Macan GTS which had turbo lag). The handling and interior of the MYP was no Porsche or BMW, yet the ride is quite acceptable (and even fun to drive) and the interior seems more roomy than both.

Would your wife be happy with the MYP? Hard to say. Although my wife was happy with the MYP, she missed the 360 parking camera, the heads-up display and missed having buttons/controls for A/C, wndshield washer etc. - ie, she is not a voice command person or even an App person. But her Bluetooth Android phone let her in the car, at least when she remembered to turn on Bluetooth .

Three months ago we decided that sharing 1 car was too much of a compromise and she wanted a second SUV. Long story short, she thought the new
Genesis GV60 Performance was cute (you either love or hate the quirky design). I read the good reviews and was reassured by it being a sibling of the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5. Only problem was that it was not being sold in FL. So we took a leap of faith and I went to NJ to buy one (without markup).

And wow - she found her M40i replacement right down to the clunky key fob and start button on the dash . She loves the thing. Buttons galore, excellent acceleration, windshield washer stalk in the right place, 360 birds eye camera, incredible heads-up display, real radio buttons with her favorite Sirius XM channels, and more (she doesn't use Apple Car play or Android Auto but it has it (not wireless at this moment).

So Genesis was a great option for her. I agree with her for the most part. Range is rated less but in the real world is similar to the MYP. In the US you get three free years of Electrify America charging and the 350kw charge rate at some stations can take you from 10 to 80 percent in 18 minutes. The App however is way behind Tesla - it takes 30 seconds to check SOC, and you have to press 3 buttons to locate the car. It doesn't do real time car tracking or sentry and If you want to see static pics of all 4 quadrants, you make a request in the App and then wait a couple of minutes.

So there is no perfect EV SUV. Yet, I didn't know a thing about EV's last year and now I wouldn't drive anything else!

We also bought a GV60 Performance for my wife. She loves it, I really like it and it’s a soothing pleasure to drive.

 

[arbitrage000]

If your wife is going for the MY RWD, which is much cheaper than the Performance, its good value and a good car. Cheaper than a BMW.
If you are going for the 70k Performance version I would suggest stay with BMW.
I have the MYP for 5 weeks now and I had 3 BMW before this. Wanted to go electric and Tesla seemed the best pick.
Its superior in range, motor and infotainment and most of all is really quick and fun to drive.
But... if you come from a premium BMW it's kind of hard to get used to the Tesla, for me that is.
You have to live with imperfections in build quality, really crappy automatic wipers, no parking aid on a 70k car (which I honestly can't live with) and NON-EXISTENT customer service and loyalty like BMW has.
BMW dealers know you, they do everything to keep you buying a BMW and listen to your concerns.
Tesla couldn't care less about you. I will spare you the details but you just can't compare the way Tesla operates to BMW.

The BMW's have less range, a motor that is not up to what Tesla is offering, they currently have no supercharger network,... But if you value BMW as a daily driver for luxury, driving dynamics, build quality and the way they treat customers... you're better of going for BMW. I wish I had.
Just knock on the metal of the Tesla and knock on the metal of the BMW. Open and close the doors of a tesla and those on the BMW. Can you accept going back to cheap metal and flimsy doors?
Maybe it's me not getting used to my Tesla, I dunno.

I just don't know how you can go from a 3.7s MYP to a 6.8s iX3 (0-100km/h). That would ruin any amount of solid door satisfaction for me. LOL

 

[ikarusk]

I just don't know how you can go from a 3.7s MYP to a 6.8s iX3 (0-100km/h). That would ruin any amount of solid door satisfaction for me. LOL

Some like speed above all I guess Yes it feels slow at first, but you get used to it and it's still faster than decent ice cars. It comes down to what you are looking for in a vehicle.

 

[arbitrage000]

Some like speed above all I guess Yes it feels slow at first, but you get used to it and it's still faster than decent ice cars. It comes down to what you are looking for in a vehicle.

Have you considered looking for a lightly used late 2022 MY with USS? It seems that lack of USS is your biggest gripe with the car.

 

[ikarusk]

Have you considered looking for a lightly used late 2022 MY with USS? It seems that lack of USS is your biggest gripe with the car.

Yes, I'm emailing with Tesla as we speak. They will send me a proposition to take the car back. If the price is too low I should first try to sell the car. But yeah, I'm looking into that option also. Also will rent a iX3 for 2 weeks. Want to know after 2 weeks if I miss the Tesla or love the iX3 more.

 

[dagug]

In my opinion, if you like both vehicles, the biggest factor is how far you plan to drive in a given trip.

If you're staying within range, will almost always be charging at home and if you have another LONG range vehicle... then I would say go with whichever car you find more enjoyable when you're behind the wheel.

If you are planning on traveling long distances with it, using public chargers, or this is your only vehicle... the model Y (thanks to supercharger network) is the only truly viable option that won't give you headaches or inconveniences down the line.

 

[kpanda17]

As stated, we own MYP. Before the purchase, we tried learning at the dealership about the GV60 and we were turned off. quoting them: "yes you can test drive in the parking lot with the sales person, there is a 20% premium over list, and we don't feel we are competing with Tesla" wow, next day made the Testa purchase
We talk about alternatives to Tesla, but really compare the customer experience for mine was, pre purchase, research, test driveS! alone, the APP, forums, community, post purchase, charging network, service, etc have been amazing. The legacy dealer experience is smoke and mirrors, no ecosystem, nation, fairness, transparency, empathy, etc.
its about time this legacy club dealership experience was broken up, for its never fun, everyone has a bad story, contracts, pressure, lack of transparency, etc

 

[kpanda17]

Def check in with those whom have attempted to move out of Tesla Nation/Tesla Ecosystem and they have regrets. Its a total experience, not about just the vehicle, the interior, its about all that makes up the ecosystem. Apple macbooks are not the best individually, but the Apple ecosystem is the most superior for its ecosystem vs Dell and Microsoft. Tesla ecosystem is superior for transportation and energy. My next steps are solar and powerwalls.

 

[SteveM3Perf]

Def check in with those whom have attempted to move out of Tesla Nation/Tesla Ecosystem and they have regrets. Its a total experience, not about just the vehicle, the interior, its about all that makes up the ecosystem. Apple macbooks are not the best individually, but the Apple ecosystem is the most superior for its ecosystem vs Dell and Microsoft. Tesla ecosystem is superior for transportation and energy. My next steps are solar and powerwalls.

Agreed - and that is why they just get away with substandard build quality, no instrument binnacle, no head up display and no USS (and it’s related functions) on their most popular models!

 

[StewartK]

We already have a Tesla Model 3 Performance that is my daily driver - this is a 2023 model year (that has USS fitted).
The wife has a 4 1/2 year old BMW X3M40i that we want to replace and it makes sense to look at replacing it with an SUV EV - as she prefers a higher riding vehicle than a sedan.
We test drove a BMW iX3 and a Tesla Model Y Performance - to see which one she prefers.
Below are our observations on both cars & their test drives:-

BMW iX3
This has single motor and in fact rear wheel drive vehicle - despite being an X car!
The external styling looks very nice and the interior quality is way better than a Model Y.
0-60 is much slower than the Tesla at around 6.5 seconds - but mid range acceleration was perfectly acceptable.
The car we tested was fully loaded and had more toys than the Tesla - including Head Up Display, Apple CarPlay, sports seats and USS!

Advantages of the iX3
Full suite of safety sensors - USS, 360 view cameras, blind spot, radar, auto parking, auto cruise control with lane keep.
Full leather interior with very comfortable sports seats
Head up display
Apple CarPlay
Runflat tyres (we had a puncture in our Model 3 and had to be towed to a tyre place by Tesla recovery service)
999,999km full service contract (all BMWs in this country are supplied with a service contract that includes replacement wiper blades, brake discs, pads etc as well as the regular sercviing)
200,000 km full warranty
Panoramic sunroof


Disadvantges of the iX3
No frunk
Slower performance than the Tesla
No YouTube, Netflix etc.
More expensive than the Tesla - especially after the Tesla price reduction this week!
Two wheel drive - compared with the Tesla’s twin motor 4WD


Model Y Performance
This is familiar territory as we already have a Model 3.
It was interesting to compare the ride quality & performance with the Model 3 - I was pleasantly surprised at how well it rode over bumps, having read that the Model Y suspension was too firm. We never found any problems with the ride quality - even on the large 21” wheels.
The performance & handling felt very similar to the Model 3.
Disappointing that the demo we drove and the ones that are available in stock do not have USS (with no visibility when this function will be restored)

Conclusions
The BMW iX3 is the facelifted version compared with our M40i - so is a welcome interior upgrade.
For our needs - the BMW wins hands down over the otherwise excellent Model Y Performance.

What actually swung it even further in the BMWs direction was the full suite of sensors - including front radar and the USS.
We get very extreme fog here in the winter and the radar can spot vehicles through the fog - that we cannot see with the vision system on the Tesla.
We are also very disappointed by the way Tesla removed USS - without first sorting out the software to replace it by vision (if that will ever be possible)

Interested to hear other people’s views!
Cheers
Steve

View attachment 916485View attachment 916486

Traded a 2017 X4M40i for a MYLR, havent looked back

 

[SteveM3Perf]

Traded a 2017 X4M40i for a MYLR, havent looked back

Not surprising!
The Model Y has a very small rear window viewing aperture!

 

[StewartK]

Not surprising!
The Model Y has a very small rear window viewing aperture!

So did the X4

 

[Dunromin]

We chose a MY LR, 2023 Jan delivery.
We had a BMW, great car, brutally expensive maintenance and service. You may love USS but wait till you get the bill to replace one after a parking lot bump ($2,500).
Both more comfortable in the Tesla.
2023 has comfort suspension, matrix lights and now USS-free parking assist.
Also: price, AWD, range, charging speed, charging network, OTA updates, Autopilot, route planning and performance.
We are 6,000km in to a 10,000 km road rtip in the southeast US and it is superb. No charging effort or problems, 15-20 min stops and we have spent $312 CDN on fuel so far.

 

[SteveM3Perf]

As a follow up to my first post in this thread - we tested some more cars!

Mercedes EQC
Nice interior but so sluggish & very boring from the outside!

Mercedes EQB
Like a mini G Wagon - but in our market it does not come with Adaptive Cruise Control - so immediately ruled out.

Volvo XC40 Recharge
Great drivetrain and power - but so dull looking from the putside

Audi Etron 55 Sportback.
Really nice looking car - with a fantastic interior.
In this market it does not come with head up display or lane assist during auto cruise control (that our BMW X3 had - as does the Tesla Model Y).
The car I tested was twin motor and had 402hp - but it was very sluggish to 60mph from a standing start and mid-range performance was very disappointing.
It had paddles on the steering wheel - and instead of being used to change gear - they were used to adjust the level of regen braking.
The salesman that accompanied me on the test drive hardly knew anything about Audi EVs - so could not tell me if it had better regen than I was experiencing and whether it had real one-pedal driving mode.

BMW iX40MSport
This was the last car that we tested and despite its slightly challenging looks - was by far the best overall car that we tested for my wife’s requirements!
Unlike the iX3 - these cars are built on a more dedicated EV platform with twin motors, adaptive suspension and more power - giving much better and smoother drive.
The car we tested was absolutely fully loaded - including the most luxurious interior - full leather interior with cooled massage seats, panoramic roof which turns from see through to opaque electronically- at the push of a button.
It has a 1615W Bowers & Wilkins sound system with 30 speakers - some of which were in the seat backs and head rests - so that you both feel and hear the sound!
The wide screen dash is the latest ID8 system - with very crisp and highly configurable options for the screen, dash display & the head up display.
The satnav has augmented reality - which overlays arrows onto a live front camera view - to show you exactly where to turn
Car also has Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, 360 camera, auto parking, drive recorder, OTA updates etc.
As with the iX3 - it also comes with 999,999km service contract & 200,000km full warranty.

Conclusion - we are heavily leaning towards buying the BMW iX40

 

[gx9901]

As a follow up to my first post in this thread - we tested some more cars!

Mercedes EQC
Nice interior but so sluggish & very boring from the outside!

Mercedes EQB
Like a mini G Wagon - but in our market it does not come with Adaptive Cruise Control - so immediately ruled out.

Volvo XC40 Recharge
Great drivetrain and power - but so dull looking from the putside

Audi Etron 55 Sportback.
Really nice looking car - with a fantastic interior.
In this market it does not come with head up display or lane assist during auto cruise control (that our BMW X3 had - as does the Tesla Model Y).
The car I tested was twin motor and had 402hp - but it was very sluggish to 60mph from a standing start and mid-range performance was very disappointing.
It had paddles on the steering wheel - and instead of being used to change gear - they were used to adjust the level of regen braking.
The salesman that accompanied me on the test drive hardly knew anything about Audi EVs - so could not tell me if it had better regen than I was experiencing and whether it had real one-pedal driving mode.

BMW iX40MSport
This was the last car that we tested and despite its slightly challenging looks - was by far the best overall car that we tested for my wife’s requirements!
Unlike the iX3 - these cars are built on a more dedicated EV platform with twin motors, adaptive suspension and more power - giving much better and smoother drive.
The car we tested was absolutely fully loaded - including the most luxurious interior - full leather interior with cooled massage seats, panoramic roof which turns from see through to opaque electronically- at the push of a button.
It has a 1615W Bowers & Wilkins sound system with 30 speakers - some of which were in the seat backs and head rests - so that you both feel and hear the sound!
The wide screen dash is the latest ID8 system - with very crisp and highly configurable options for the screen, dash display & the head up display.
The satnav has augmented reality - which overlays arrows onto a live front camera view - to show you exactly where to turn
Car also has Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, 360 camera, auto parking, drive recorder, OTA updates etc.
As with the iX3 - it also comes with 999,999km service contract & 200,000km full warranty.

Conclusion - we are heavily leaning towards buying the BMW iX40

If you could afford the iX and like the way it looks, I don't know why you'd consider the others you're looking at. Does the iX cost in the same range as the others on your list in your market? In the USA I'm pretty sure it costs way more than the others. I've never been in one but by all accounts the iX is an awesome vehicle other than the looks department.

 

[GoVols!]

As a follow up to my first post in this thread - we tested some more cars!

Mercedes EQC
Nice interior but so sluggish & very boring from the outside!

Mercedes EQB
Like a mini G Wagon - but in our market it does not come with Adaptive Cruise Control - so immediately ruled out.

Volvo XC40 Recharge
Great drivetrain and power - but so dull looking from the putside

Audi Etron 55 Sportback.
Really nice looking car - with a fantastic interior.
In this market it does not come with head up display or lane assist during auto cruise control (that our BMW X3 had - as does the Tesla Model Y).
The car I tested was twin motor and had 402hp - but it was very sluggish to 60mph from a standing start and mid-range performance was very disappointing.
It had paddles on the steering wheel - and instead of being used to change gear - they were used to adjust the level of regen braking.
The salesman that accompanied me on the test drive hardly knew anything about Audi EVs - so could not tell me if it had better regen than I was experiencing and whether it had real one-pedal driving mode.

BMW iX40MSport
This was the last car that we tested and despite its slightly challenging looks - was by far the best overall car that we tested for my wife’s requirements!
Unlike the iX3 - these cars are built on a more dedicated EV platform with twin motors, adaptive suspension and more power - giving much better and smoother drive.
The car we tested was absolutely fully loaded - including the most luxurious interior - full leather interior with cooled massage seats, panoramic roof which turns from see through to opaque electronically- at the push of a button.
It has a 1615W Bowers & Wilkins sound system with 30 speakers - some of which were in the seat backs and head rests - so that you both feel and hear the sound!
The wide screen dash is the latest ID8 system - with very crisp and highly configurable options for the screen, dash display & the head up display.
The satnav has augmented reality - which overlays arrows onto a live front camera view - to show you exactly where to turn
Car also has Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, 360 camera, auto parking, drive recorder, OTA updates etc.
As with the iX3 - it also comes with 999,999km service contract & 200,000km full warranty.

Conclusion - we are heavily leaning towards buying the BMW iX40

This may sound nutty but have you actually tried using the cup holders in the iX? I use this feature every single day and it’s an absolute deal killer for me. I thought my old G-Wagon cup holders suck but BMW upped the ante and designed the ix ones to be the worst ever.