Zander Drives Cars

I feel like we, as a society, should be past the point of being shocked and in awe when BMW comes out with a controversially designed vehicle. Sure, we can still gawk and be taken aback by certain design choices, but expecting BMW to be subtle and aligned with their 2006 ideology is an excellent way for us to be constantly disappointed. These Bavarians will continue to do what they’re doing whether you like it or not, and the iX is proof that they, in the best possible way, don’t care what you think.

Let’s get this part over with. The BMW iX is not a great-looking vehicle, but you already know that. BMWs design team knows that in order for people to care about another new, big, luxurious SUV, they had to be radical. And damnit, they were. I mean, give them some credit for making a new car that people can actually remember after they drive away from it. I mean, if we’re all being honest, it doesn’t look any less pretty than say, the Mercedes EQS SUV. So who’s really winning or losing here? While I’m at it, the side profile doesn’t look too bad either, it just needs bigger wheels. But, while my compliments towards their philosophy and mild respect towards BMW for being interesting don’t change my opinions on the physical look of the iX, it doesn’t go without pointing out that there was considerable effort to make this thing look the way it does, for better or for worse.

While the exterior can definitely turn some people off, trust me, it almost worked on me, opening the driver’s door and sitting in the iX’s cabin makes you forget its looks. This is an excellent place to be. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t perfect, but this is very good, even by BMW standards. The minimalistic design works well as the slim screen takes up less eye space than its competition. Particularly, the bronzed trim pieces found on the dashboard and steering wheel. However, it isn’t all rainbows and sunshine. The center console does look very good, and the crystals throughout are so flashy it’s brilliant, but I’ve yet to find a car that can pull off this wood-like trim with embedded buttons. It looks great but feels flimsy. And while we’re at it, the steering wheel is an awkward shape. I’m all for fun designs, but steering wheels should always be steering wheel-shaped.

BMW’s iDrve system is about 20 years old and in its 8th iteration. For a while, it has been one of, if not the best, systems to use. But, with this newest generation, I’m sorry to say that the iDrive’s busyness is starting to kill it. This newest sysetm has every conceivable thing and menu and app that you would want on an infotainment screen, but you have to search for it in pages and menus before you finally find what you’re looking for. That being said, the Drive system is still very good at what it does and has a boatload of features that can help you. For one, there’s this AR navigation screen that puts up big ol’ arrows to point you in the right direction. You also have very easy-to-use on-screen climate controls, which is a rarity today. Plus, putting the car in sport mode yields that very nice mountain design on the center screen, but more on that sport mode later.

Like the center screen, the iX’s driver’s display is more or less the same. Busy, but there’s enough available for you that it balances out. You have the ability to not only change what is shown on the screen but do so in three different designs. They all look good and while the whole thing is super-duper gimmicky, it’s a fun little time waster if you’re waiting in the car for someone. However, the steering wheel controls themselves were a bit janky to use. I would have preferred buttons over a scroll-wheel-type thing.

I feel like I’ve said this a million times, but because this is an EV, and especially because this is a BMW, this car is loaded with all kinds of stuff. This includes heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel, heated windshield and rear window, three-zone climate controls, an auto-parking feature, a frosted “moonroof”, a full 360-degree backup camera, USB-A and C ports, a wireless charger, wireless Bluetooth, CarPlay, Android Auto, a Harmon Kardon Soundsystem, a BLIS system, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, and lots and lots of crystals.

The car I drove came out to around $93,000, which is pretty middle-of-the-road for the i50 models. It is important to note that all the crystal options are optional extras, along with stuff like a B&O Soundsystem, and ventilated seats. Overall, for a $90,000+ SUV, the equipment here is average, if not slightly above that of the competition.

The BMW iX i50 is powered by a 111.5 kWh battery that produces 516 hp and 564 lb-ft of torque, sent to all four wheels. The iX’s range is a very solid 324 miles, or 302 miles on the M60 version, supposedly. Weighing in at a little over 5,600 lbs, this thing isn’t heavy, but god willing, it’ll do 0-60 in four seconds. Yes, four. BMW and Motortrend will say something along the lines of 4.2, but I got a flat four, which is insane.

The iX is one of the better-driving BMWs out there. What do I mean by that? Well, simply put: this thing goes like hell, feels sporty, and rides well. Hallelujah. For a car of its weight, this thing feels very firm and when pushing it through corners, doesn’t feel like you’re driving something that is heavier than the state of Iowa. And what’s more, this thing doesn’t break my back. I don’t know if it’s the seats or the ride, but this is one of two BMWs I have gotten out of without back problems. Curse you, X3. I know I was being sarcastic there, but this thing does genuinely drive very well. I know how difficult it is for manufacturers to make an EV, especially a heavy one, both have that mix of relaxing comfort and hard, performance driving characteristics. So, congratulations to BMW for getting closer than anyone else I’ve seen so far.

The BMW iX is, in simplest terms, a great car. My complaints about the exterior are almost dwarfed by how well-built, good to drive, and economical the rest of this car is. This is the vehicular equivalent of that one super ugly, super weird kid in your class that not only won prom king, but his date was that 10/10 that nobody could get near for the whole year. And guess what? He’s taking her home after the dance, and he’s gonna laugh at you while he walks out the door. That’s what the iX is. It laughs at you and your Audi E-Trons and Tesla Model Ys as you attempt to make fun of it, because this car knows how good it is, and it doesn’t friggin care what you think.

As always, huge thanks to BMW Annapolis, and more specifically Dan, for letting me come down and hoon this thing around for the afternoon. They’re great people and have a great inventory. Click here to view their site.