BMW iX3 long-term test

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

Updated14 May 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 1203 Price £57,750 Best price £57,750 Price as tested £64,262 Official range 498 miles Test range 380 miles Options Technology Plus pack (£1700), Digital White bicolour interior design (£975), BMW Iconic Glow (£950), Ocean Wave Blue paint (£875), 20in alloy wheels (£550), sun protection glass (£450), heated steering wheel (£250)

4 May 2026 – In a new class of its own

They say that nothing succeeds like success, in which case you can probably guess why, when the time came for me to choose my new company car, I opted for a BMW iX3. What greater recommendation can there be than running the car we’d picked out ourselves only a few months ago at our Car of the Year Awards as our overall favourite?

There was more to my decision than that, though. This second-generation iX3 is the first of a new wave of electric BMWs, all radically different from the brand’s existing models and many of which will share the same all-new underpinnings and bold styling of this car. My curiosity to run it would have tried the patience of a thousand cats.

So eager have I been that, when I first ordered this car, there was only the one version of the iX3 available, the dual-motor, four-wheel-drive 50 xDrive. Soon, there will be a cheaper, single-motor, rear-wheel drive iX3 40, but for now, this one will do nicely, thank you.

You see, this 50 version packs a large 108.7kWh (usable capacity) battery that gives my car an official range of a truly impressive 498 miles. It can charge at up to 400kW too, which is mightily fast, although you’ll need to find an 800v charger to take advantage of that. It also punches out 463bhp from its dual motors, and that means that, despite the not entirely unexpected avoirdupois of my 2360kg car, it can accelerate from 0 to 62mph in just 4.9sec.

Trim-wise, you can have it in its standard form, as I have it here, where it’s simply called ‘iX3’, as an M Sport version or as an M Sport Pro. I think my standard car is well equipped, with such goodies as 20in alloy wheels, a powered tailgate, two-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, heated front seats and LED headlights with an automatic high beam. You can also add in electrically operated front seats and wireless charging.

However, I have to admit I’ve run amok with the options list, so my car is even more dolled up. For starters, I couldn’t resist the Ocean Wave Blue colour, a subtle hue that I think complements the iX3’s classy demeanour. It seemed only fair to add a touch of sparkle to the wheels, too, so next I opted for the Bicolour aerodynamic wheels, which are claimed to reduce both weight and air drag for efficiency gains as well as looking pretty smart.

Then it seemed right to give the interior a spruce up with the digital white bicolour design, which adds in plenty of white or off-white elements, including the synthetic leather seats, and an optically illuminated instrument panel. By the time I’d added the Technology Plus pack, with its three-zone air-con, 3D head-up display and Harmon Kardon surround sound audio system, the sun protection glass and the iconic Glow feature for the front grille, my iX3 had hit and overtaken the £60k barrier, topping out at £64,262.

Now that’s quite a lot, but considering you might pay similar for an Audi Q6 e-tron or a Genesis GV60, or even the higher-spec versions of the Ford Capri, I think it’s still reasonable value, despite my uncontrollable box-ticking.

First impressions? Well, we all know looks are an entirely subjective matter, so everyone will have an opinion on the styling of this new iX3. Indeed, my BMW-driving nephew wasn’t impressed by the new frontal design, nor was my car-mad neighbour. All I would say is that it’s worth remembering that when you’re inside the car, you can’t see the outside of it.

Having said that, my iX3 is attractively low in the window line, a trend that looks like it’ll be carried on through the other Neue Klasse models. This gives you a good side and front three-quarters view of the road. However, this new styling pattern also puts the bonnet line a little high, which means it can be difficult to place the front of the car by sight alone. Luckily, there are a plethora of radars to alert you to the oncoming wall or parked car or errant child, so it shouldn’t be a huge problem in practice.

Otherwise, my iX3 feels cool, calm and comfortable. With such excellent statistics, range anxiety should be a thing of the past, too. Yes, I have a feeling our next few months together are going to be very successful.

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