New BMW iX vs new BMW iX3: costs
The BMW iX takes a clean-sheet approach to facing the future, but does that make it a better electric SUV than the less radical iX3?...
Buying and owning
Costs, equipment, reliability, safety and security
The BMW iX costs a lot more than the BMW iX3. Even in this entry-level Sport trim, it will set you back around £6000 more than the top-spec iX3 as a cash purchase. What’s more, the iX3 will cost private buyers less to run over three years; it’s cheaper to service and is predicted to lose its value at a slower rate.
Of course, if you opt for a PCP finance deal, depreciation won’t matter so much, but the iX will still cost £29 more per month, based on an agreement with an £8000 deposit, a 36-month term and a 10,000-mile annual limit.
On the other hand, as is the case with all electric models, both make perfect sense as a company car, keeping benefit-in-kind payments to a minimum. Anyone in the 40% bracket will have to sacrifice just £38 a month for the iX and £35 a month for the iX3.
When it comes to topping up the battery, both cars can be charged at a rate of up to 150kW, at which a 10-80% charge should take 31 minutes for the iX and 33 minutes for the iX3, accounting for the latter’s slightly bigger battery. This also means that a 0-100% charge from a 7kW home wallbox will take 15 minutes longer for the iX3.
Both cars have lengthy kit lists that include heated front seats, full LED headlights, automatic windscreen wipers and adaptive cruise control, but you’ll need to spend a lot of money on options on the iX Sport if you want to match the equipment that comes with the iX3 M Sport Pro. The latter adds a heated steering wheel and keyless entry, as well as the panoramic roof and electrically adjustable sports seats that we mentioned earlier.
Neither car compromises when it comes to safety gear, though; both have lane-keeping assistance and automatic emergency braking as standard. The iX scored five stars (out of five) when it was tested by Euro NCAP for safety in 2021, while the iX3 shares a five-star rating with the BMW X3 on which it’s based. However, that car was assessed back in 2017, when the tests were less stringent than they are now.
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