BMW iX long-term test
BMW's largest electric SUV might be super luxurious, but it's also expensive to buy. Can low running costs justify the price and make it a great long distance cruiser? We're living with one to fi...
The car BMW iX xDrive60 M Sport Run by Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer
Why it’s here To see if BMW’s largest electric SUV can be used as a long distance cruiser that’s both luxurious and easy to live with.
Needs to be comfortable on a long commute; be efficient enough to keep running costs low and justify the price tag; offer practicality that deals with lots of passengers and long weekend luggage.
Miles covered 7787 List price £93,205 Best price £93,205 Price as tested £107,000 Official range 426 miles Test range 275 miles Options fitted Technology Pack (£3250), Panoramic Glass Sunroof (£3200), Front and Rear Air Suspension (£2050), Comfort Pack (£1650), Integral Active Steering (£1400), M Sport package Pro (£1350), Arctic Race Blue (£900), Iconic Glow Kidney Grille (£500), Sky Lounge Sun Protection glass (£500).
23 January 2026 – A taste of the sweet life
Arguably the best thing about visiting Cadbury World is the amount of free samples that you get but, while they give you a quick taster, you can’t beat having the full ‘sharing’ size Dairy Milk.
To me, my new BMW iX fulfils much the same role. How? Well, being part of the road testing team has afforded me the opportunity to try all sorts of electric cars, with long and short ranges alike, but usually only for a couple of days. With the iX, I’m getting a proper taste of what it’s like to live with an EV for an extended period.
It’ll have its work cut out – these days I seem to only travel long distances, with my life spread across pretty much every corner of the country, and even my commute measuring some 300 miles as a round trip. In theory, range anxiety still shouldn’t be an issue though, thanks to the iX xDrive60’s 109.1kWh (usable capacity) battery giving it an official range of up to 426 miles.
As you might expect, I’m yet to see anywhere near that figure in the real world, with the UK’s cold weather and mainly sticking to motorways reducing the range to around 275 miles, even when sticking to Efficient mode. With that in mind, I’m very curious how much it’s going to cost me to constantly charge that massive battery.
So far, I’ve been impressed. In my first two weeks with the car, charging overnight at home has allowed me to drive some 500 miles at the princely sum of just £22.56. The only issue I’ve had is my home charger disconnecting from my WiFi and refusing to work for a couple of days following those miles, but that's hardly the car's fault. After enjoying such cheap mileage, the £53.69 cost of public charging the iX for the first time really did sting.
Even so, provided that I can avoid those expensive public chargers as much as possible, the thought of driving a luxurious electric car around with such small running costs is very appealing.
Luxurious really is the key word when you look at the spec I chose. You see, while mid-spec M Sport is already very well-equipped with 21in alloy wheels, automatic air conditioning, electrically-adjustable and heated front seats, keyless entry/start and a brilliant Harman Kardon surround sound stereo (the latter being quite important to me), I’ve still opted to add some optional extras.
The aim was to turn the iX into the ultimate long-distance cruiser. To that end, I’ve added air suspension, the M Sport Pro package (which adds even more supportive M electric front seats with a massage function), the Comfort pack (which includes front seat ventilation, a heated front windscreen and heated rear seats) and Integral Active Steering, giving me four-wheel steering.
In my previous company car, a BMW X7, I found the latter to be really helpful when it came to weaving that massive car around tight car parks. While the iX isn’t quite as big as its petrol cousin, I’m hoping that the added agility will help the car to shrink a bit on some of the smaller roads and car parks that surround my favourite hiking spots, as well as the What Car? office.
You could also argue that choosing a smaller car would have solved the issue of navigating small spaces, but the interior space was actually a big draw of the iX. For want of a better phrase, it’s huge. Indeed, even with my tallest friends and family members filling many of the seats, I’ve had no complaints so far on multiple long jaunts.
It’s actually been quite the opposite, with my front seat passengers enjoying the novelty of having a massage seat, while those in the rear (who are usually left out when it comes to fun seating features) get to enjoy the heated outer seats and can recline.
I’m yet to test the iX to capacity, though, and I’m excited to see how luxurious my passengers find it when every seat is occupied. Likewise, I suspect that the 500-litre boot is going to come in handy for many plans that I have in the diary.
Over the next few months, I'll be seeing if the iX can fill the substantial shoes of the X7 that I used to drive while proving that you can use an EV as a long distance cruiser – hopefully without huge electricity bills. Here's hoping that, unlike my favourite chocolate bars, I won't have to share it too much.
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