I drove BMW's $96,000 Tesla rival. Take a full tour of the luxurious — and polarizing — iX SUV.

Believe it or not, scrappy Tesla has shot past BMW and Mercedes-Benz to become the best-selling luxury car brand in the US.

Source: Automotive News

2022-12-06

But the German brands are clapping back to claim what's theirs: The driveways of America's dentists, doctors, and finance bros.

To that end, BMW recently unleashed the iX, a big, luxurious family-hauler that serves as its first all-electric SUV for US customers.

I got to drive the new model and am here to give you a full tour.

From the outside, the iX is definitely a head-turner. Whether that's for good or bad reasons is for you to decide.

The iX has caught heat for its divisive, beaver-tooth grille. But chuck all the insults you want at it — it's made of a plastic that heals itself of any nicks and scratches.

While I wouldn't say the iX is conventionally attractive, it definitely has a presence and a drama to it that makes it hard to look away from.

Like a lot of EVs these days, the iX gets slim, futuristic LED lights in front and in back.

In place of standard door handles, you get sleek slots with a button inside.

Read more: REVIEW: The $96,000 electric BMW iX's luxurious interior will make you forget all about its weird looks

From snout to tail, it's almost exactly as big as BMW's gas-powered X5 SUV.

The nicely optioned iX xDrive50 model that BMW lent me came out to $96,000. A base 2023 model will run you around $84,000.

It came with glitzy, gold-colored accents scattered across the exterior and interior.

The iX dazzles when on the move, too.

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It glides smoothly down the road, absorbing bumps and potholes.

Read more: Tour the luxurious, leather-filled interior of BMW's $96,000 electric SUV, the iX

It's also remarkably quiet inside.

All you hear is the tires hitting the pavement and the Hans Zimmer-composed driving sounds pumped into the cabin.

And it's shockingly quick. Hit the accelerator a bit too eagerly and the iX bursts forward with a startling amount of force — especially for a 6,000-pound SUV.

The all-wheel-drive SUV has 516 horsepower and 564 pound-feet of torque.

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It claims to hit 60 mph in a little over four seconds.

There's also a high-performance version for sale, but I don't see why anyone would need it.

Read more: I drove Mercedes-Benz's $141,000 Tesla rival. I loved its luxurious interior and extra-long range, but it's not perfect.

A range rating of up to 324 miles from the Environmental Protection Agency puts it near the top of the market and in the same league as Tesla's Model X.

The real star of the iX is its interior, a lavish lounge that feels incredibly refined and pleasant to spend time in.

My test car came with a massaging driver's seat and copious amounts of leather.

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Everything from the various knobs to the turn signals felt sturdy and high-end to the touch.

The seat controls on the door were the same metallic gold seen elsewhere in the vehicle.

There's a substantial and satisfying-to-use glass dial that controls the infotainment system.

And there are lots of other nice touches that set the iX apart from your standard e-SUV.

The digital instrument cluster and main touchscreen both lie on a single panel that's stylishly suspended above the dashboard.

The iX's glass roof goes from transparent to opaque at the press of a button, perfect for extra sunny days.

A thoughtful slot at the end of the center console perfectly fits a smartphone.

A hexagonal steering wheel makes little sense from a usability standpoint, but it is a quirky break from the norm.

If you can get past the iX's off-beat looks and appreciate its stunning interior and performance, the SUV is an awesome electric option.