BMW iX3 long-term test: report 2

We rate this electric SUV so highly that, back in January, we crowned it our overall Car of the Year. Now, we’re running one to see if we made the right choice...

Mark Pearson

Published23 June 2026

The car BMW iX3 50 xDrive Run by Mark Pearson, used cars editor

Why it’s here To see if it can live up to the hype, and to give us a taste of what to expect from future BMWs

Needs to It’ll need to be comfortable, refined and efficient, and it’ll need to dispatch long-distance, commuting and family life duties with ease

Miles covered 1629 Price £57,750 Best price £57,750 Price as tested £64,262 Official range 498 miles Test range 380 miles

4 June 2026 – The best of both worlds

It is a sad fact that humans reach a peak in height and then, as they age, begin to get shorter. However, the same seems to be true of the SUV. Indeed, one of the things I like about my BMW iX3 is that, although it’s a sizeable car and very definitely an SUV, it’s not actually that tall – it stands at 1635mm, which is lower than the car it replaced by 33mm.

This is a good thing because, all other things remaining the same, a lower car usually rides and handles better than a taller one. Ah, you say, but isn’t the point of an SUV meant to be that it is high so that it offers a raised driving position and better practicality? Well, my iX3 does all that, thanks to its new and bespoke Neue Klasse packaging. With its battery pack placed low down in the car, and the top of it acting as the floor, the centre of gravity is lowered, the car doesn’t have to be unfeasibly tall, and it liberates enough space to create a capacious interior.

The driving position is excellent, thanks to a steering wheel and an electrically operated driver’s seat that offers loads of possible adjustment. True, I would have preferred the seat’s controls to be down on the side of the seat rather than on the door, in Mercedes-style, and I would have preferred it if the otherwise comfortable seat had adjustable lumbar support, but these are minor quibbles in what is otherwise a quite lofty driving position.

There’s a huge amount of space in the car’s interior, too. Up front, there’s room for even the tallest of drivers and front-seat passengers, and there are plenty of nooks and crannies for storage, as well as cupholders and slots for phones.

In the rear, it’s even more impressive, with room for a six-footer to sit behind another similarly tall front passenger or driver with room to spare. There’s more rear space here than you’ll find in rivals like the Audi Q6 e-tron or the Tesla Model Y, and the head room is so generous that you can even wear your favourite hat, should you want.

On top of that, there’s plenty of space for three to sit abreast, and the seat bases are also high relative to the (flat) floor, which is good for comfort but also impressive when you consider all that available head room. Clever packaging indeed.

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