BMW iX3 Review 2024

BMW was one of the vanguards of electric cars, but has lagged behind in recent years, especially when it came to the lucrative electric SUV sector, offering nothing to compete with rivals until 2021. This saw the German brand launch not one but two electric SUVs - the iX and the iX3. While the iX is the flagship SUV in the range, the iX3 is designed to have a broader appeal. Has it been worth the wait? Find out in our BMW iX3 review. 

The majority of buyers spending upwards of £60,000 on an electric SUV are looking to make a statement. Take the Jaguar I-Pace, for example, with its incredible concept car styling, or the Tesla Model X with its Falcon Wing doors. Then there's the Audi e-tron with its digital door mirrors and the Mercedes-Benz EQC with its bespoke body styling (despite being based on the GLC).

Not only is BMW late to the party with the iX3, it's played it straight with a dull 'casual shirt and chinos' approach. The iX3 is based on the standard X3 SUV and looks exactly the same, save for some natty alloy wheels or blue exterior trim.

We don't think that's a bad thing, though. The BMW X3 is a perfectly handsome SUV (particularly compared to some of the brand's more recent models) and not everyone wants to shout about their eco credentials.

It's an even bigger challenge to spot the difference inside. There's a blue engine start button and a few other bits of blue trim here and there, but generally it looks just like the standard X3. That means you get a practical cabin with lots of soft-touch materials and the brand's excellent navigation system.

You lose a tiny bit of boot space compared to the standard car, but only in the underfloor boot area that most of us don't bother using anyway. The BMW iX3's clever layout actually means it's got a bigger boot than the plug-in hybrid X3.

It's certainly practical enough to use as your main family car – while a 279-mile range will be more than enough for covering the school run or popping to see the grandparents. If you want to travel further afield, the iX3 has that covered, too. A 150kW rapid charger can add 62 miles of range in just 10 minutes, while the battery can be charged from 0 to 80 per cent in a little over half an hour.

Like most electric cars, it's both easy and fun to drive. More fun than a lot of competitors, in fact. There's just one electric motor, producing 286PS and 400Nm of torque. That means it's pretty nippy, with instant responses the second you touch the accelerator (no waiting for the gearbox to drop down a gear or for the revs to build).

The electric motor is positioned on the rear axle, which means – like many good BMWs – the iX3 is rear-wheel drive. It'd be interesting to see how the iX3 copes in snowy conditions compared to its four-wheel-drive competitors, but it means it's very agile and fun to drive on a twisty road. It's not got the most compliant ride, but it is a heavy SUV that's loaded with batteries.

It's also loaded with kit, although it's a little surprising that you need to opt for the top-spec Premier Edition Pro for features like adjustable lumbar support and adaptive LED headlights. We reckon the majority of buyers will go for this top-spec model, though – the £3000 premium representing good value for money, even if it doesn't look as flashy as alternatives.

Looking for a second opinion? Why not read heycar's BMW iX3 review.

If you're expecting to go off-road in your BMW iX3, you might want to think again. While the Audi e-tron and Mercedes-Benz EQC each use a pair of electric motors (one positioned on each axle), the BMW iX3 makes do with just the one. All of its power, therefore, drives the rear wheels.

This sounds like a recipe for wheelspin but, even in wet conditions, we've been surprised by the amount of grip provided by the iX3's chunky tyres. Sure, the traction control light will flicker if you attempt a quick getaway in the wet, but don't expect any disconcerting slithering around.

While the BMW iX3 remains relatively flat during cornerning, a trade-off of that is the harsh suspension. With the standard adaptive suspension left in Comfort mode it's manageable, if a little firm. Selecting Sport means the dampers will firm up and you'll bounce around on anything but the smoothest of tarmac.

The BMW iX3 is an easy car to drive around town thanks to light steering and decent visibility. There's plenty of technology to help out, too, especially on the top-spec Premier Edition Pro. This comes with the Parking Assistant Plus pack, which features a reversing camera, Active Park Distance Control (which'll apply the brakes if it detects an impending collision during a reversing manoeuvre), and BMW's bird's eye view Remote 3D View system. 

While some electric vehicles are available in a variety of different configurations, BMW's keeping it simple with the iX3. There's just one electric motor available, providing 286PS and 400Nm of torque. It drives the rear axle via a single-speed gearbox. Like all electric cars, it's very simple to drive – there's a gearbox selector (like you'd find in an automatic car) and two pedals.

There are a variety of regeneration modes available. These can increase the amount of retardation when you lift off the accelerator – in its most severe mode, it'll slow down quite dramatically as soon as you take your foot away from the accelerator pedal. This is useful around town as you can almost resort to one-pedal driving, saving wear on the brakes and pumping energy back into the battery.

The iX3 also has clever adaptive recuperation system which uses navigation data to increase or decrease the amount of regenerative braking. When approaching a junction, for example, the system increases the braking as soon as you lift off the throttle. On an open road, it decreases the amount of regen to allow the car to coast freely.

If you've not driven an electric car before, you'll be surprised by how lively the BMW iX3 feels. It'll accelerate very cleanly, with an instant response as soon as you floor the accelerator. That said, the iX3's 6.8 second 0-62mph acceleration time isn't as impressive as something like a Tesla.

When Euro NCAP crash-tested the standard BMW X3, it was awarded a maximum five-star safety rating. We'd expect the iX3 to be just as safe as this – if not safer, thanks to some of the technology on offer.

BMW's Driving Assistant Professional pack is standard across the range. This features all the usual semi-autonomous driving functions – from things like lane assist to an emergency braking system.

Opting from the iX3 Premier Edition Pro brings with it a range of driver assistance features, including adaptive LED headlights, automatic high-beam assist and parking assistant plus.

The beauty of the BMW iX3's similarity with the regular X3 is just how practical it is. Even with all those batteries positioned under the floor of the passenger compartment, the iX3 is a very spacious family SUV.

In the front of the BMW iX3, there's loads of headroom and enough space between the driver and passenger to prevent any awkward elbow bashing. There's all the storage you could possibly need, too – a decent cubby under the centre armrest, big door bins and a generous glovebox; you name it, it's got it.

Passengers in the rear will be equally comfortable, provided you don't attempt to squeeze three adults side by side. A pair of grown-ups will fit in fine, however, with a surprising amount of headroom and adequate legroom.

In the boot, you'll find room for up to 510 litres of luggage with the BMW iX3. That's slightly smaller than the Audi e-tron and Mercedes-Benz EQC, and 40 litres less than the standard X3. The difference in the real-world is negligible, though – you only really lose the underfloor compartment which most of us rarely use, anyway. The boot is usefully square in shape and actually slightly bigger than you'd find in a plug-in hybrid xDrive30e. There's an electric tailgate as standard, too.

If you need more space, the rear seats drop easily (splitting 40:20:40) to provide a pretty flat floor and up to 1560 litres of luggage space.

The BMW iX3's interior doesn't make a statement like the minimalistic Tesla Model 3's, but it's hard to fault in terms of quality. Everything you touch feels perfectly-finished, with soft-touch materials and no signs of creaks or rattles from our test car.

All iX3 models come with Vernasca leather seats – that's actual, proper leather – while the dash is covered in synthetic leather. Ambient lighting adds to the feeling of quality.

It's a really comfortable choice, too. The seats are wide and supportive, although it's a shame that only the Premier Edition Pro comes with adjustable lumbar support. You sit high up, giving you that desirable SUV driving position.

No matter which BMW iX3 model you buy, you'll get the brand's excellent Live Cockpit Professional media system. This includes a 10.25-inch display on the dashboard as well as a slick 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster in place of conventional dials behind the steering wheel.

It's a superb setup. The infotainment screen has clear graphics and lightning fast reactions, while there are a number of ways to control it. As well as using the touchscreen, you can navigate it using the rotary iDrive controller positioned between the front seats. This is much easier to use on the move than touchscreen-only systems.

There's also a voice-activated personal assistant, similar to Alexa or Siri. Simply say 'hey BMW' followed by your command and it'll follow your instructions. Most of the time, anyway. Premier Edition Pro models also come with BMW's gesture control system, which lets you perform tasks like skipping tracks or turning up the volume simply by waving your finger in front of the screen. It does the job but turning a knob or pressing a button feels a little less silly.

Smartphone integration is provided as standard, featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. These can both be connected wirelessly (so you'll be pleased to find the standard wireless phone charger, too). We rate both of these symptoms for accessing apps from your phone on the move – great for using Google Maps or playing your Spotify playlists, for example.

The BMW iX3's near-£60,000 price tag might seem hard to stomach if you're used to the price of conventional petrol or diesel SUVs. You can buy a petrol X3 for £20,000 less and that buys an awful lot of fuel.

It's comparable to rivals, though – at the time of writing, the Audi e-tron starts from £61,350; Mercedes-Benz EQC £64,925 and Jaguar I-Pace £65,195.

There's a £3000 price walk between the Premier Edition and Premier Edition Pro. We suspect most early-adopters will fork out for the top-spec model. It comes with quite a lot of appealing features, including the fancy Iconic Electric Sound system that pumps whooshy noises into the cabin (a bit of a gimmick), Harmon Kardon premium stereo and Comfort Access.

That said, we doubt you'll be disappointed with the marginally more affordable Premier Edition model. It comes comprehensively kitted out, including metallic paint, 20-inch alloy wheels, leather seats (heated in the front) and adaptive LED headlights.

While BMW iX3's retail price is fairly hefty, its low running costs ought to go someway towards balancing out the monthly PCP or lease payments. Let's start by doing some maths around the electricity costs.

If you charge the iX3 at home, you'll probably pay around 14.4p per kWh (depending on your electricity tariff). To charge the iX3 entirely from 0-100 per cent, that means you'll pay around £11.20. That works out at a very reasonable 4p per mile – considerably cheaper than an equivalent petrol or diesel model. Using a standard home wallbox, the iX3 can be charged overnight (although BMW is yet to provide more exact figures).

When you're on the road, it'll cost a little more to charge the iX3. Think of it as filling up with fuel at a motorway service station – you pay for more the convenience. A top-up at a rapid charger could cost as much as £40, but usually it'd be around half that.

If you find a charger capable of supplying electricity at a rate of up to 150kW, the iX3's high-voltage battery can be charged up to 80 per cent in a little over half an hour. An extra 62 miles can be added to the iX3's range in just 10 minutes.

In terms of other running costs, insurance should be fairly reasonable, although electric vehicles can be a little more expensive to insure than petrol or diesel models. The BMW badge won't help here, either, so shop around if you're a new driver or have a licence covered in penalty points.

Although the BMW iX3 has zero tailpipe emissions and therefore qualifies for a discount on VED car tax, it has a list price of more than £40,000 which means you'll pay the government's premium car tax. This is £325 a year for five years from the second time the car is taxed.

At the time of launch, the BMW iX3 is offered in two different trim levels: Premier Edition and Premier Edition Pro.

The BMW iX3 Premier Edition features metallic paint and 20-inch black alloy wheels as standard. Inside, you'll find leather seats (heated in the front), ambient lighting and BMW's Live Cockpit Professional. Driving Assistant Professional and Parking Assistant are both standard, as well as adaptive LED headlights and adaptive suspension. There's an automatic tailgate, too, as well as a panoramic sunroof.

The iX3 Premier Edition Pro adds Comfort Access, acoustic glazing and lumbar support. The Iconic Electric Sound system is standard, as well as Automatic High Beam Assist and Parking Assistant Plus. There's a head-up display, Harman Kardon surround sound and BMW's Gesture Control system.