[VasilisV]

As the title said, thinking to trade my 40i with the hybrid one or with the iX. Anyone that has the hybrid one has any feedback? Is it worth it? I'll start working again from the office so my commute will be 60-75mi daily.
TIA

[jiggie]

I don’t think there are many on the road, if at all, to get ownership feedback. Might get more info from some of the YouTube reviewers out there.

[Neotwo]

If you have charging at your work place then you might able to go full electric on 45e.

There is guy from england who has done one year review with 45e and it is quite informative for daily driver .

[PittsDriver]

I guess the iX would have to be worth another $30-40K over the 40i. Most of the configurations I see online are pushing $100K for an iX. I keep hearing that the performance of the iX is pretty amazing - comparable to an M50i.

[viperdoc]

I can only comment on going from the 40i to the 45e…. The 45e is well worth the switch. It is faster (by the numbers marginally faster but the driving experience is better), more comfortable, and still has great handling…and the savings in gas are incredible.

I was in the market for an additional vehicle recently and looked at the iX. I feel like for what it is, it is way overpriced. Looks aside (I am someone who thinks it is hideous), I didn’t like the ride height and body shape. Looks too much like a station wagon to me, rather than An actual utility vehicle. The interior is way too spartan as well.

It is fast enough for sure, but with electric motors these days, all EVs will out perform ICE vehicles. And EV motor tech is advancing quickly now that there is a larger market for them. I like driving an SUV and that it what I will wait for. Likely a Rivian, though in the next 5 years there will be a ton of EVs available for more reasonable prices that perform just as well as, or better than, the iX. At the end of my car search for a third vehicle, I ordered another 45e

[amphiprion]

Originally Posted by viperdoc

I can only comment on going from the 40i to the 45e…. The 45e is well worth the switch. It is faster (by the numbers marginally faster but the driving experience is better), more comfortable, and still has great handling…and the savings in gas are incredible.

I’m making the same switch in approximately two weeks. I’ve missed the eDrive and it will be EVs or PHEVs for me going forward.

I looked briefly at the iX, but for the same reasons you mentioned, I passed. I watched Matt Watson’s review, where he shows that the hood roundel comes off and was actually how you filled up the washer fluid reservoir. Yeah, that just about sums up what I think of the design.

The i4 on the other hand, the front end is starting to grow on me and the interior appears more livable and conventional than the iX. It would be a nice compliment to the 45e, so I’m starting to consider making more room in the garage..

[taek]

Even beyond the savings in gas costs for the 45e, the $7500 federal tax credit makes it a compelling choice (assuming you owe at least $7500). And this will likely be lowered as early as next year with the new bill, or if there is never a new bill the credit will get phased out altogether as BMW hits 200k vehicles. So it's something to take advantage of now.

If you're doing any kind of city driving with frequent stop-starts, EVs just handle this better. And the 45e comes with air suspension which is very nice QOL option.

iX is a different price point as they realistically start at $100k. Personally I don't do first year of a new platform, they always have some issues once they hit the real world no matter what the manufacturer.

[boneca]

I was on the waiting list since September 2021 to order new iX, I have changed my mind in late December 2021 and got 40i instead.

You in SF and it might make more sense to you as for East coast we are not there yet, I'd say another 2-5 years for infrastructure to kick in.

[XGoober]

If you can get a good sale price on your 40i and can find a dealer that won't rip you off on the 45e, then it would probably be a nice upgrade. Given you are in SF, I'm guessing your commute will have a decent amount of freeway driving, with the inevitable heavy traffic in the city? The hybrid could be a great fit for you in that case. Obviously you will still be burning a decent amount of gas given your commute distance, so don't expect to save a fortune at the pump.

Not sure if you are familiar with the Extended Traffic Jam Assistant, but I would consider it a must-have for the Bay Area these days. Keep that in mind if you decide to order.

All-electric would obviously be better but getting an iX without giving up a kidney might be a tough ask right now :-) You could wait a year or so and see what happens with the hybrid powertrain. We might get more range and the iX pricing might come under control somewhat.

[medphysdave]

We looked at the IX. I agree with comments above. IX looks bad, interior really turned me off. I think the M sport versions will look better. We really like our 2020 xdrive. The 45e is a real win with current used prices and tax rebate.

[VasilisV]

Originally Posted by medphysdave

We looked at the IX. I agree with comments above. IX looks bad, interior really turned me off. I think the M sport versions will look better. We really like our 2020 xdrive. The 45e is a real win with current used prices and tax rebate.

Honestly you're the first one that saying about the interior. 😆I think the car looks for sure far with what we used but it's futuristic if you want to phrase it that way.

[viperdoc]

Originally Posted by VasilisV

Honestly you're the first one that saying about the interior. ��I think the car looks for sure far with what we used but it's futuristic if you want to phrase it that way.

I'll be another one to chime in on the interior. Looked low rent to me. Yeah, nice materials I guess, but overall the interior didn't have the details that make an X5 look so impressive (and certainly nowhere near the X7/7 series level). Now, I only saw an iX with the cloth seats, so maybe the leather interior would be better.

I also DESPISE the new move toward eliminating all the physical buttons. I know that isn't unique to the iX but that's part of the reason I ordered another current model 45e

[VasilisV]

Originally Posted by viperdoc

I'll be another one to chime in on the interior. Looked low rent to me. Yeah, nice materials I guess, but overall the interior didn't have the details that make an X5 look so impressive (and certainly nowhere near the X7/7 series level). Now, I only saw an iX with the cloth seats, so maybe the leather interior would be better.

I also DESPISE the new move toward eliminating all the physical buttons. I know that isn't unique to the iX but that's part of the reason I ordered another current model 45e

I might seeing it with a different point of view since we already have a Tesla that doesn't have buttons at all. I don't know how better the iX drive but I'll find out soon once I test drive it. My commute is changing and the majority will be highway drive so I don't expect much difference from a 40i to 45e.

[Pictor]

iX interior, like the Tesla interior, were made with low cost of production in mind. There seems to be a need to make tradeoffs like this for EV's. It's not a good thing and while the iX interior is in a different league than Tesla, it's still not to the standard of other BMW's of this price range. Tesla has mistaken austerity for minimalism. BMW has done a better job but it's forgetting it's ergonomic roots and pushing the minimalism or 'shy tech' a bit too far. BMW's made similar mistakes with their mainline cars a few years ago in an attempt to reduce the number of buttons and the results were mixed. I fell like the iX will follow a similar pattern.

I'm not sure what the concern is with EV's and infrastructure unless the concern is from people who live in apartments or rental units. The charging infrastructure for most folks is your home power supply. Our X5 lease is up next Jan and we'll be looking at the 45e (or 50e) as an option. I don't think the iX is for us despite really wanting an EV in our home but my concern has more to do with the price-luxury-sport differential between today's EV's and gas cars.

[medphysdave]

Originally Posted by viperdoc

I'll be another one to chime in on the interior. Looked low rent to me. Yeah, nice materials I guess, but overall the interior didn't have the details that make an X5 look so impressive (and certainly nowhere near the X7/7 series level). Now, I only saw an iX with the cloth seats, so maybe the leather interior would be better.

I also DESPISE the new move toward eliminating all the physical buttons. I know that isn't unique to the iX but that's part of the reason I ordered another current model 45e

The loss of buttons was something that I didn't like. I think it's going to be a mental hurdle. I for some reason associated the buttons and "stuff" with value or "premium". Not logical, but I noticed it about my own behavior. Higher price and emptier space felt like paying more for less.

I also looked at the model with the low spec interior. I'm certain it would look much better decked out in leather.

A trend I'm noticing is that manufacturers are starting to feed us interiors made from renewable materials. In my opinion charging the same price as leather for a lower cost option. Increasing margin. As vehicles move towards being disposable items, I can see the need for this. Vehicles will be recycled and wasting a resource like leather on an interior seems pointless. I see the iX being an early adopter special. Battery tech is moving too swiftly to buy in now. Once I can get between 400-500 Mike range I'll make the switch EV. I don't think the current charging infrastructure can support a mass adoption of EVs in the near term. Some charging stations have been recorded charging more per mile for electric than gas. As supply and demand for charging increases I think the price gouging for the electricity will increase. I think these PHEVs are the ticket for the next 5 to 7 years if you can commute daily with the battery only range.

[XGoober]

When I see interiors like this it reminds me we are sliding inexorably towards all cars being fully automated. Who needs controls when the car does absolutely everything? In many ways that will be a relaxing way to travel, but I do lament that in time the driver will be a thing of the past. I want to believe we are still a long way from that happening, but I have been surprised at how quickly all of this has been progressing over the years so it's likely gonna happen much sooner than most of us around here will be truly ready for.

[VasilisV]

Originally Posted by XGoober

When I see interiors like this it reminds we are sliding inexorably towards all cars being fully automated. Who needs controls when the car does absolutely everything? In many ways that will be a relaxing way to travel, but I do lament that in time the driver will be a thing of the past. I want to believe we are still a long way from that happening, but I have been surprised at how quickly all of this has been progressing over the years so it's likely gonna happen much sooner than most us around here will be truly ready for.

I can speak of my experience since I have my 40i for 2 years now. On a daily basis I barely use any buttons on the console, I believe you can do certain actions with voice commands without getting distracted. All the automobiles unfortunately are moving to the new tech and futuristic platforms, in couple years that design might be good for everyone. As for the EV infrastructure I'm in SF and never experience anxiety about our Tesla model 3 range, even when I was using public chargers and not superchargers. I neither experience higher prices compared to Gas. Right now I need almost $130 to fill my suv and will be good for 380-400mi depends conditions and if you do mix drive(highway-city) I'm not seeing the Gas prices to get cheaper anywhere soon. I 100% agree that EVs are not for everyone yet but in 1-2 years will see a lot of improvement on the technology and ranges, don't believe the design is going to change tho.

[natemg]

I'm getting an I4 M50, pre-ordered in October. My wife got jealous and wants a new car so we are getting her an X5 45e, should be here in a month or so (April allocation).

I was hesitant of getting the 45e, saw a few reviews that didn't like it, and assumed that it would be slow when running on electric only. Luckily I went to drive a demo i4 and look at the x5's. My salesman said they had no 45e's in but luckily there was one out front he didn't know about. The 45e drove great in electric mode.

The way I see it we will plug it in most of the time when it's at home, charge it overnight. During the week, my wife doesn't do more that 30 miles a day back and forth from my kids school and other errands (she works from home), so that pretty much means it will be 100% EV during the week. The car also gives us the benefit of going on a road trip or driving around in the city more that 40 miles in a say on weekends. Really the best of both worlds.

I don't hate the ix, don't love it though. My wife didn't like it when she saw it. With the 45e and our driving habits, I don't see why I would go for the IX.

[Pictor]

Originally Posted by XGoober

When I see interiors like this it reminds me we are sliding inexorably towards all cars being fully automated. Who needs controls when the car does absolutely everything? In many ways that will be a relaxing way to travel, but I do lament that in time the driver will be a thing of the past. I want to believe we are still a long way from that happening, but I have been surprised at how quickly all of this has been progressing over the years so it's likely gonna happen much sooner than most of us around here will be truly ready for.

That's clearly Tesla's 'excuse' for not including things like rear seat heater buttons. However, if you still have to remove your eyes from the road to adjust climate controls then the design has failed. Voice commands are good but good luck with that when you have passengers or...uh... Scottish. We're still years away from no physical buttons and touch screens are a horrible human interface if you need to keep your eyes on the road.

[Tch-Nrd]

Originally Posted by Pictor

That's clearly Tesla's 'excuse' for not including things like rear seat heater buttons. However, if you still have to remove your eyes from the road to adjust climate controls then the design has failed. Voice commands are good but good luck with that when you have passengers or...uh... Scottish. We're still years away from no physical buttons and touch screens are a horrible human interface if you need to keep your eyes on the road.

[Mr. Hand]

I commute from the Santa Cruz area to Redwood City several days a week. It’s ~45 miles each way.

I picked up my new 45e a week ago. I’ve managed to use electric mode almost full time except when driving up Highway 17. I am able to recharge at work for free. My gas tank is still at 90% full after driving 400 miles so far.

I couldn’t be happier with my purchase!

[medphysdave]

Originally Posted by Mr. Hand

I commute from the Santa Cruz area to Redwood City several days a week. It’s ~45 miles each way.

I picked up my new 45e a week ago. I’ve managed to use electric mode almost full time except when driving up Highway 17. I am able to recharge at work for free. My gas tank is still at 90% full after driving 400 miles so far.

I couldn’t be happier with my purchase!

Living the dream. That's great to hear. I'm hoping our order comes up soon. My wife will be able to do her full commute on electric. She's pumped.