[sward]

     Featured on BIMMERPOST.com

I testdrove the BMW iX 40 today as one of the first customers in Sweden. My car is a BMW X5M Competition so that's what I'm comparing the iX to.

I really didn't like the BMW iX when I first saw the pictures of it. But it has grown on me, but I still had doubts about the interior. Not any more, the iX is a great looking car both inside and out. It's not as luxurious as my X5M but it's not far off. I haven't seen one single photo of a white iX that I liked but seeing the white iX in real life. WOW, its stunning

Its more space inside the car compared to the X5M, a lot more legroom in the backseat. It's a big difference. I had worries about the new dash but it works. There is a lot of space between the dash and the cupholders. I like the new idrive screens more than I thought I would.

My only real complaint is the cargo space. Its small. Almost the same size as the i4. It should have been larger

So, the testdrive. Well, we started the car and then we needed to turn the music off. Easier said than done. There is no button on the dash. Finally, we could lower it on the steering wheel but I'm sure the gesture control would have worked but at the time I didn't think of it. The car is quiet, really quiet. There are 2 driving modes, D and B. B is hard on the regenerating when lifting the gas pedal. The car stops hard. B made med nauseas. I didn't like that mode. But D was really good. During normal drive it acts like a normal petrol car but when you get close to a stop it automatically adds regeneration so you never really need to break but in between stops you never feel the backside of regenerating.

When we returned and parked the car, we faced the next problem. How to open the doors from the inside. There is no handle. Instead, there is a button to push to open the door. So, they removed the volume noob but they added buttons to open the door. I'm sure I will get used to it, but I really don't see why we can't have a normal handle on the inside of the door.

Will I replace my X5M Competition for an iX. Yes, most likely. But I need to wait for the M60 that they said had more than 600 hp and 0-100 km/h in under 4 s. But overall, I really like the iX a lot more than I thought I would. It's a car you really need to see in real life. Pictures doesn't do it justice.

[bavarianride]

iX curb weight is like 5800lb, right? How does it feel in corners?

[sward]

Originally Posted by bavarianride

iX curb weight is like 5800lb, right? How does it feel in corners?

It felt fine. Not like 5800.

[brask]

I was also at the same event today in Stockholm and agree with you Sward that the car has grown to me as well. Was worried about all talks about the front but looks great in real life!

Waiting for my iX 50 now in November but they still haven't got any production slots yet so guess it will be somewhat delayed

Added some pictures to compare it with my current X5 45e, the iX is without the sport package but Sophisto Grey as my X5. However, it looked somewhat darker, even more on the pictures than my X5. None of the cars are washed though

**EDIT** Doubled checked and my X5 is actually Arctic Grey so that's the color comparisment. Thanks BruutMooieWagen for noting!

Great car to drive and it felt quicker than my current being all-electric with no gear changes - even if it's actually somewhat slower. So the iX 50 will be great.

The biggest downside from my side is that the trunk is somewhat smaller than the X5 45e, the ambient lighting is not as good as the X5 (my opinion) and there's no Oyster leather option so I guess I have to get used to Altair / Sensatec.

[WhereItsAt]

In regards to the headrests, are the seats comfortable? My daughter has an i3 and the seats are similar in that the headrest and backrest is one piece. With the headrest being static, finding a comfortable position for a long drive is impossible. Our heads are pushed forward when the backrest is in a comfortable position. On my wife's X5, GO5, the seats are the 18 way adjustable and unbelievably comfortable. We're hesitant on the iX due to the seats.

[slampert]

I had exactly the same impression regarding the front seat head rests after finally getting to see and sit in the car at a BMW event this past weekend in Anaheim. The only way I could get kind of comfortable and not have the sensation that my head was being pushed forward was to recline the seat back.

Otherwise I loved the car, and the B&W system was completely over the top. It blew away the B&W system in the X5.

But the fixed headrests......

[nosnoop]

Originally Posted by sward

So, the testdrive. Well, we started the car and then we needed to turn the music off. Easier said than done. There is no button on the dash.

Actually, they retained physical dials/button for that.
But now it is down below the iDrive controller.
There is a scroll dial for volume, and I presume press for mute/unmute?

[sward]

Originally Posted by nosnoop

Actually, they retained physical dials/button for that.
But now it is down below the iDrive controller.
There is a scroll dial for volume, and I presume press for mute/unmute?

Ahhh. Relocated. That will take some time getting used to.

[sward]

Originally Posted by stein_325i

Thanks for the quick review. Any more info on the drive or was your time too limited to get a good feel?

It was I little to short. But it felt like a BMW. Not like some electric cars can be.

[zamboni]

Don't like the cluster instrument on all BMW new design.

[clutchdj]

Interesting. No radio button. Every automobile should have a radio knob. It’s not like removing a knob from a cabinet, where it looks good AND the cabinet would still be useful. The exact opposite happens with a vehicle where your eyes are on the road. Too many product designers in the jellybean jar nowadays. Despite my complaining I’m really intrigued by the ix. The front clip absolutely has some clean symmetry.

[Sedan_Clan]

The front is growing on me. When I saw the photo of the iX next to the X5, my eyes were drawn to the iX.

[sward]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

The front is growing on me. When I saw the photo of the iX next to the X5, my eyes were drawn to the iX.

What I'm missing on the iX is a M-sport bumper. I know that en electric car doesn't need air intakes but I really think larger intakes (real or fake) would make it look better.

[P1]

Thanks for putting the iX next to the X5. It always appeared much smaller in photos when parked by itself.

[GOLFFRR]

getting use to the regen braking def is something that takes time. The door handle button also (same as tesla)

Glad you were able to drive one, looking forward to getting some seat time myself in one soon hopefully

[Matt 335is]

We were very much leaning towards an X5 as our next vehicle purchase, but after a couple weeks of seeing pictures and watching videos, the iX seems to be the superior vehicle for everything we want.

To me, the iX looks better inside and out, and seems to have a whisper quiet and more luxurious ride, along with amazing tech.... exactly what we want in an SUV.

Just not sure we're ready to go full electric.

[SW19]

Originally Posted by stein_325i

This, why offer an electronic gauge cluster if you aren't going to give the user any customization options? Not to mention the base layout is incredibly illegible.

So they don’t have different options for the design of the digital gauges that are displayed?The one shown in these pictures is the only design?

[TXSchnee]

Originally Posted by WhereItsAt

In regards to the headrests, are the seats comfortable? My daughter has an i3 and the seats are similar in that the headrest and backrest is one piece. With the headrest being static, finding a comfortable position for a long drive is impossible. Our heads are pushed forward when the backrest is in a comfortable position. On my wife's X5, GO5, the seats are the 18 way adjustable and unbelievably comfortable. We're hesitant on the iX due to the seats.

I have the 18 way Sport seats in my Cayenne with the fixed headrest, they are very comfortable. Only time I have any issue is if I have my hair up, and a small adjustment to the seat back angle fixes it.

[Masander]

I would like to have one ix with m57 35d

Thank you very much

[bpu]

Can't get behind the removal of all the climate buttons. I change the fan speed constantly, now I have to press menu and use the touchscreen to do it every time. The climate screen is a mess too, they couldn't even fit all the controls at once so you have to scroll to the right to turn on passenger seat heat, are you kidding me?

The volume knob was better placed close to your hand below the vents, but maybe could get used to it on the center console.

The iDrive knob is still there but the capacitive buttons that you have to glance down at to use are terrible. And even that isn't long for this world, going by the 2 Series AT release with no iDrive knob at all, a first for BMW in...20 years?

There's nothing you can say about the connected screens or removal of physical controls that makes the car genuinely better, it's just chasing fads. Wish they'd be an innovator in this space and focus on ergonomics like they used to.

[ggalanis]

Originally Posted by bpu

Can't get behind the removal of all the climate buttons. I change the fan speed constantly, now I have to press menu and use the touchscreen to do it every time. The climate screen is a mess too, they couldn't even fit all the controls at once so you have to scroll to the right to turn on passenger seat heat, are you kidding me?

The volume knob was better placed close to your hand below the vents, but maybe could get used to it on the center console.

The iDrive knob is still there but the capacitive buttons that you have to glance down at to use are terrible. And even that isn't long for this world, going by the 2 Series AT release with no iDrive knob at all, a first for BMW in...20 years?

There's nothing you can say about the connected screens or removal of physical controls that makes the car genuinely better, it's just chasing fads. Wish they'd be an innovator in this space and focus on ergonomics like they used to.

Yup. Removing the buttons is a bad choice. I almost never change the climate control settings and yet I still am annoyed to have to go through the infotainment screen to adjust them. I used to change the face vent temp a lot in my previous cars (one of the most misunderstood and under appreciated features BMWs have had for a while) but they buried that in the infotainment now in my X5 and I am annoyed with that decision and hardly ever actually use that function anymore.

Originally Posted by stein_325i

Here's the photo I made from the iDrive 8.0 Press Release a few months. These are the two main display modes that BMW highlighted despite being both horrible and too similar. No way to get rid of the ugly trapezoidal design scheme they are using.

Although I don't like the instrument cluster in the iX (also don't like the one in my current X5 either), it wouldn't bother me too much because I hardly look at it at all. The HUD for me negates most of that mess in the dash. However, I get what they are trying to do to make it look more modern. What I don't get is why they didn't just add a "classic" display option that would essentially be old traditional looking cluster. This way BMW can have the esthetics they want and the people who want their 1980's gauges can have them too.

I would go a step further and even open it up to allowing users to upload a custom one if they wanted to. But hey, what do I know...

[clee1982]

thanks for the write up, I kind dig the front now, but back still a bit mini van like? Though really looking forward to when people start test drive i4