2023 BMW iX1 (inc. 0-100 & autonomous) review

If you detest the Tesla Model Y, but still want an electric SUV, look no further! But, has BMW nailed the formula? Paul Maric reviews the 2023 BMW iX1 to see if it's worth spending money on.
Hardness tester, noise and lane keeping results: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
More BMW content: www.carexpert.com.au/bmw
More BMW iX1 content: www.carexpert.com.au/bmw/x1
Skip Ahead:
Intro: 00:00
Exterior: 00:57
Interior: 03:30
Infotainment: 04:52
Safety Tech: 06:16
Practicality: 07:01
Charging: 10:30
On the Road: 11:10
Performance: 20:38
Verdict: 23:55
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#bmw #ix1 #review

[@abovebeyond5309]

This is a bit random but thank you Paul for the car reviews over the years, this is by far one of the most enjoyable car review content (for me at least) in KZbin.

[@CarExpertAus]

Thanks mate!

[@JetBMWtube6972]

Got mine delivered in early June with MSport, and traded the previous gen X1 25i It comes standard with Adaptive Dampers. This helps with a super smooth drive in town and highways. It also keeps car surprisingly flat in corners. The front bias Paul mentioned is extremely rare in daily use. It’s certainly better than most other front biased chassis. Car is also much quieter than previous gen and on par with other BMWs in this price range. Overall ride is actually much better than some popular EVs on the road today. Road feel through the steering may be lacking but the tightness in Comfort vs Sport is perfect. It adjusts on the go and makes tight turns super easy with its adaptive ratio. Couple of key points to add - heads up display and the mobile app. HUD is super helpful for driving and using driver aids. The mobile app is essential, given the EV’s charging requirements. But it’s also makes navigation easy and to schedule heating and cooling times. Another point for Paul to test is the lane change assistance, which is mostly useful on freeways. Upon delivery, the max range was showing as just 390km. But after a few cycles, I can see 430km range. I mostly only charge to 80%, which gives around 320. Some cons for this car: Not the best use of interior space. Journey planner in the car and mobile app is incomplete and needs more work. Servicing does not seem to be EV centric and too expensive for the package. Love your reviews Paul and CarExpert!

[@Adamlllllllllllljjjljljjjjj]

“As an electric car it still looks like a normal car instead of a science experiment” This is so true.

[@Bmontepeque11]

You know what? I actually quite like this iX1 a lot! I have gotten to really like small SUVs now (They are maximum practicality without being that much bigger or heavier than a regular sedan or hatchback for example :) ) And even though iDrive 8 is too complicated, I think this FWD iX1 actually is my favorite BMW to use as a daily car :) ❤️

[@SmithLord117]

Good review as always. My MIL just bought one of these. It wouldn't have been my first choice but she loves BMWs. I'm also really glad to see you responded to feedback so quickly and removed the typing sound effect with the "Help me car expert" banner. That's way less intrusive now. Keep up the good work team!

[@hiteshshingadia9560]

I was checking the channel twice a day to find this review. Thank you, yet to watch it but am sure it will help me make my buying decision.

[@CarExpertAus]

😁

[@icecreammm2]

I got one about 2 months ago. I drive in the default mode, so the steering is indeed not very communicative, but I can take corners quickly with confidence. I was looking for a car in the 450cm range, so I know range would be a bit less than the longer competition cars but it's more than enough. I actually have no complaints about the cars, it feels roomy inside for a car of this size and longer drives do not feel fatiguing at all, which is great. Performance is more than enough. And I think it's great that my car isn't yelling "look at me, I'm an electric car!!!". I also get a lot of compliments about how the car looks (Black M Sport version with black glossy grille), so I guess most people will find this an attractive car.

[@adrianoconnor4120]

Excellent 👏 been waiting for the X1 Review

[@simoncouch1523]

Another wicked review, thank you 🙏

[@luisfernandez-maldonado7654]

Hi Paul, will you be testing/reviewing the GWM Tank 300 any time soon??

[@dejanr2703]

Bravo Pavle samo napred, Matt Watson (carwow) watch out Paul is coming!! Graet job mate

[@andrejristevski3858]

Great review as always Paul.Can you do the GWM cannon XSR in the future. No.3

[@Grudlin74]

Thank you for mentioning turning circle measurements

[@khuzainisani]

Thanks Paul. Took delivery of an M Sport package last week after 8 months of waiting and absolutely love it! Played around with the modes but honestly can't see them being useful for short drives. I imagine changing it up and activating the massage would be quite nice to wake you up on longer drives. Btw, love lthe integration of Android Auto maps in the drivers display! The fam loves it and although the Model Y seems to trump it in most things, we still love that it looks like a normal car. I actually thought the handling was good given it's set up for more comfort. Maybe it's just horrible in the rain. Disappointed that steering heating requires a $349 subscription though.

[@oscar7476]

Which model did you pick up again? Those subscriptions are usually for low end models. You could get a higher end and more features would come standard:)

[@khuzainisani]

@@oscar7476 iX1 xDrive M Sport. Definitely needs subscription for the steering heating but seat heating is included.

[@khuzainisani]

Update - I had the opportunity on some spirited drives on some bends and now agree that the handling is not amazing, although I'm not comparing apples with apples - previous car was an M135i Xdrive, which was on rails. But for the type of driving that we do, ie mostly low speed corners, it feels like the low centre of gravity from the batteries hold the car down quite well.

[@oscar7476]

@@khuzainisani Got it! Congrats anyways.

[@berdugosocials9854]

What’s the 0 to something in reverse Paul? 😁

[@atlasko1]

Had one for about a month now. Mainly work/home commute in inner suburbs/city - which is what this car is designed for - so the range is more than enough. Most people will have a bigger ICE car to take the family for holiday road trip. Iconic sound turned off since day 1. Agree that steering and handling is a backward step from my previous g20 330i, but then this car is aimed at a different demographic. Biggest reason for choosing this is the HUD - not available in the Tesla or the Volvo xc40. Also it comes out cheaper and more available than the Korean ioniq5/ev6. Also the perceived interior quality is better in my opinion.

[@User-cb4jm]

I’d be happy to buy a depreciated G20 330i one day off an upgrader like you 😉, the iX1 looks fine but I’m more of a sedan guy and I think the G20 is the best looking BMW of late before their design team went off the wall. Any reason you chose this over an i4? Agreed, a HUD is one piece of tech that’s actually genuinely useful. All our cars have one, and even “affordable” cars like a Mazda 3 have a great crisp clear one, that going to a Toyota Echo style centre speedo on a Tesla Model 3 is unimaginable.

[@atlasko1]

@@User-cb4jm chose this over an i4 because of the new FBT exempted novated leasing savings.

[@khuzainisani]

Agree on the HUD. It's exceptional.

[@ryanhotrod5416]

Should add a watch collection to your videos best watches for driving what car because you wear that wrist piece really well Paul

[@CarExpertAus]

Great idea! Would love that.

[@ajiththomas3324]

Can you please review ix2 edrive 20

[@bishalbhandari1663]

Hey Paul, Please do a review for Honda ZR-V hybrid. Just waiting for your review to decide if I should buy one. 😁

[@RayHayHay]

Paul, out of interest, this is the first review of iX1 where I've seen someone place a large case in, may I ask what dimensions your red case is? I've ordered an iX1 through a scheme at work but to get a stock car (and not a many-month lead time) I needed to jump at the offer quickly, so I've not managed to view it in person. I suspect your cases are similar to the two I use when going away, but it'd be nice to reassure myself I'm not going to need to buy new cases.

[@ByteSkills]

Hi Paul, could you please review Honda ZR-V?

[@kubo73]

I ordered one of these in November last year and expecting delivery of it at the end of the month. Drove the ICE version and found the back seat to be far more spacious than what you showed, the ICE did not have the massage seats. From the video, they do look to be far thicker than the seats in the ICE variants. If it was available with non-massaging seats I would have chosen that, as they do look to have taken up that valuable rear passenger space. I also did initially order a Volvo XC40 Recharge but cancelled it after waiting almost 6 months for Volvo to allocate me a car and settled on the iX1 and got a build allocated immediately (take note Volvo).

[@matttavani]

We have the ICE version and there is indeed a surprising amount of rear passenger space (and much more than shown in the video). The rear seats are also on rails so can be moved forward and backward a bit.

[@Australiano87]

I considered the eletric one but the 400km max range turned me off, so bought the Xdrive 20i Msport and having the car for just over a month I couldn’t be more happier. Love the Msport design and the petrol 2L turbo is punchy assss!

[@THEAC83]

Yeah I’m happy with my xDrive20i M Sport also! Love it!

[@TN_AU]

With a family of 5, 3 kids under 13, I found the X1 on the small side and the X5 on the big side, so I opted for the X3 xdrive30i M Sport which I got back in late 2020. I did manage to get an X1 while my car was getting serviced, nice car the X1, if I was single or had a partner I would go for the X1. I much prefer a turbo petrol over an electric car, thats just me :)

[@d.k.1394]

Nice

[@TheSpyNZ]

An improvement idea that can be made in your future EV review videos is to do the 0-100 test as close as to 100% mark as P=VI and I noticed on the screen that the iX1 0-100 test was done with 49% battery level so that would skew the results quite a bit.

[@jozuafrancis9763]

How do you unlock the car from the buttons on the key? You didn't say. I like the look of the car besides the fact that it will be a bit harder for car spotters like myself to recognise that it is an EV. Keep up the good reviews!

[@User-cb4jm]

3:35 it’s just a normal key with buttons on the side, lock is the BMW logo as it’s always been, there’s a tiny lock logo beside it for the unfamiliar.

[@nabillarif]

The whole world enjoying hot summer, meanwhile in Australia 😅

[@1991Vn2nV]

It is winter after all!

[@daweigo6851]

It's winter

[@petermercer5968]

Hi Paul the new Bentley is in Australia. Can you do a review and I believe the new Rolls-Royce may be here as well. Go on Paul make my day 😊

[@ScottPritchard-zb3oh]

Hi I've never seen a segment on all the options for no spare tyre. I think it it possably should have a real time segment how these option are applied. Consideration that Aus is a big place, how realistic and safe are temporary repairs to tyre are. Also how in the dark is reality of an inexperienced person inflating or repairing a puncture. Yes I do understand about road side service, but that depends on your location. Regards Scott

[@blakewilson7438]

When was the last time you got a flat tyre?

[@dejanr2703]

@@blakewilson7438 good question

[@ScottPritchard-zb3oh]

I've had 3 flats over the last 5 years. One on a motorway and 2 in the country. I was able to help myself with the aid of a full size spare. I have never been in position to use run flats, repair kits, temp spares or self inflatable spare tyres. Hence my question of how effective and safe they are?

[@daweigo6851]

​@@blakewilson74383 over last 12 months,

[@fl.sal.27]

Maybe a competitor for Y in terms of price, and a really good alternative, but the Model Y is quite bigger, especially its width.

[@martinbrand7514]

When will you do the Haval tank 300

[@CarExpertAus]

Soon! We have a review ready, but embargo is another couple of weeks.

[@mrkesh7617]

You have new shoes!

[@eDENTECHNOCYBERHUB]

YOUR BIGGEST KENYAN FAN RIGHT HERE, 08/07/2023

[@jeffs6090]

So they're shipping these to Australia but not the US?! Interesting... 🤔🤔🤔

[@jasdeepsran3762]

Please do a review on MahindraXUV700

[@CarExpertAus]

Next week.

[@clives4501]

And another thing. Since the major reason for adopting ev's to the exclusion of ICE, how about ranking them in order of the (arguable) benefits they have for the environment. Reduction in effects on climate change, pollution, whole of lifecycle cost etc etc. Nobody is doing that stuff - I wonder why!

[@nigelbennett316]

What kind of psycho has 27 missed calls and 39 unread text messages 😮 my OCD has gone absolutely Radge seeing this 😂😂

[@wangeddykk]

Interesting you found iX1 is not AWD

[@Amritbhangal]

Hi Paul can you review Mahindra xuv700? Please

[@CarExpertAus]

Next week

[@tomli123001]

Help me CarWow sounds familiar

[@c3vzn]

Does an i4 feel $15k more than this?

[@oscar7476]

an i4 should be double this cars price

[@brownhairydog6472]

Looks nice but 20k too expensive

[@oscar7476]

The one he tested was around $85k. The cars base model with no options starts at around $60k. This is BMW's cheapest lineup so you may be looking for a different manufacturer.

[@quentin221990]

How does this compete with the model Y? It’s clearly a lot smaller

[@clives4501]

And how does it compare with a similarly equipped and performing ICE vehicle?

[@techwhizard]

I totally agree that BMW should not be in same category as Tesla. This BMW is a luxury vehicle with all the bell and whistles while the Tesla is so basic specially inside with it empty baron landscape with rattling sounds heard from everywhere. The Tesla should compete with $40k to $50k category

[@oscar7476]

@@techwhizard definetly.. tesla is more of a premium brand rather than luxury. Their prices are much cheaper and tech and materials are too basic.

[@bravocharliedelta]

That's a slow charging speed when you add in the availability + reliability of charging stations across Australia for road trips unfortunately. A long, long way behind Tesla superchargers.

[@juhan42]

I just can't understand why cables under the boot. So if you go for holiday every 300 + km's you have to lift out all luggage. It's just most stupid idea

[@MM-tt7hy]

No because the fast chargers have a fixed cable.

[@panathaninf]

Well done BMW...

[@paulredfern2252]

this is one platform imo that is not suited to being electric. Too small range, too inefficient, and just not needed.

[@AKA001]

I don’t get why people will spend thousands of dollars more for less… BYD Atto 3 at half the price, Polestar 2 at 3 quarters and Model Y Long Range at the same if not less. Faster, 500km real range, proper autopilot, way more space and superior tech.

[@TheSpyNZ]

lol autopilot in Tesla is garbage. carexpert even showed how bad it was in their model y performance reviews few weeks ago. BYD is no luxury. can it self park? can it self reverse? has it got wireless carplay and wireless android auto? has it matrix headlights? has it got augmented reality navigation? has it got 22kW AC charger on board?

[@AKA001]

@@TheSpyNZ Carplay and Auto only exist because of the poor infotainment systems of legacy manufacturers. The fact that you get your Autopilot opinion from a car journalist who is reliant on propping brands, because they otherwise would be out of a job, says enough really.

[@daweigo6851]

Most German cars sold for the badge

[@daweigo6851]

​@@TheSpyNZhalf the cost was the point made

[@leonwakefield7285]

Like the interior but the exterior looks like a MG.

[@Grudlin74]

I love the normal look.

[@vishnuvenugopalan910]

Hi Paul, could you review the new Mahindra Xuv 700 plz

[@MichaelMengo]

An expensive Mini Cooper? 😂😂😂

[@mrmysterious6006]

I will never buy an electric vehicle that has a chassis not designed for it. No wonder why its all over the place. Will pass

[@SelmanYasirSezgin]

terrible touch responce at 5:17 like an android cheap phone from 2010, pain to watch. I got sick just by watching it.

[@mrnicktoyou]

Love your channel but you need to start varying the structure of your reviews. It feels like exactly the same review with the same camera angles every time.

[@danny2xx7]

Consistency is key

[@kevincaldwell4707]

Seems this car is a disappointing drive, which is a bit of a shock as it's a BMW, even if it's an EV.

[@Cars_with_max]

The M sport version would handle a lot better

[@videos1332]

There is no difference between the msport and the xline on the iX1. Same suspension. Same performance. The msport adds a boost paddle but the actual power is identical.

[@Cars_with_max]

@@videos1332 no it adds M sport suspention

[@videos1332]

@@Cars_with_max There is no suspension difference for the iX1 Msport and Xline version. The EV (iX1) version of xLine and the Msport both have the “adaptive” M suspension. Which isn’t really adaptive.

[@oscar7476]

@@Cars_with_max M sport doesn't change a thing lol. Its a design package.

[@tonybennett638]

Not serious.. lick it up WTF.......

[@ainslieberrafella]

Lovely inside and top shelf performance, but I just can't stand these modern BMW SUVs. They're ALL ugly dogs. That enormous, fat grill is hideous.

[@mosswilson]

third comment

[@martinbrand7514]

1first

[@clives4501]

Why is practicality all about coffee cup holders and where to stick your water bottle? e.v's have significant downsides which fall under the practicality umbrella. They are impractical for all but a very few city dwellers - please tell it like it is.

[@CarExpertAus]

What’s impractical about them?

[@clives4501]

@@CarExpertAus Range & charging are the obvious candidates.

[@CarExpertAus]

@@clives4501 How often do you travel more than 400km in a day?

[@clives4501]

@@CarExpertAus Hi Paul - BTW I love your videos. To answer your question, I live 250km north of Perth and once a month or so I travel into Perth and return the same day. Round trip in excess of 500km. I am currently doing the big lap and in the past 30 days have travelled 8,000 km towing a small camper trailer. Not so unusual a situation for many Aussies. So that gets back to e.v's perhaps being of some use to city dwellers. Always assuming that there will be sufficient charging facilities - and we appear to be a long way from that happy state of affairs. Perhaps not so happy for the taxpayers who will foot the bill for all the new infrastructure to feed the beast. On the face of it 400km seems like a pretty good range. However a small ICE car will leave that for dead and would it really be so terrible for the environment/planet? So what's the rationale for banning ICE and effectively mandating e.v's? The mandate of recent years has (arguably) not turned out so well and perhaps demonstrates that the heavy hand of government over reach is better left out of peoples pockets and lifes. Bonus answers: 1) My diesel Fortuner is averaging 10.5l/100km. 2) Why the push for e.v's - they are surely not going to save the planet. John Cadogan has some excellent fact based videos digging deep into the subject. He's not to everybody's taste and there are many credible sources which raise doubts about the relentless propaganda pushing e.v's adoption. 3) The whole net zero agenda is highly politicised and many intelligent and credentialed critical thinkers believe it to be a scam. I tend towards that point of view. There is so much more to say. Rgds Clive

[@CarExpertAus]

@@clives4501 I don't agree with banning ICE vehicles - but I think you're an outlier case. According to the last census, the average Australian travelled less than 40km per day. We've had an EV now for 4 years and would have charged on public infrastructure less than 10 times during that period. Most of our charging is done at home and most of our long distance travel is done with an ICE vehicle. Public infrastructure is terrible and I disagree with taxpayer funded charging infrastructure that doesn't have an SLA on the provider. We had John on our podcast recently and we chatted EVs, you can listen here: www.thedriversshow.com.au So while EVs may not work for your scenario, for the average Australian they do the job. It's just a question of whether you're willing to pay the price premium over an equivalent ICE vehicle.

[@mtadc1545]

I really miss what BMW used to be. The German company that made sporty luxury cars that were rear wheel drive and handled beautifully. Now they’re all bland, boring to drive and look hideous.

[@joseph1232581]

I would call it chocolate brown leather. Still another over priced Ev glad it has indicators as they will become useless once’s it’s driven off the lot.

[@clives4501]

Overpriced, overhyped and over here!

[@Bacender]

1:04 reminds me of the old BMW E36 "dunkelgrun" colour (google it). Love to see it.

[@daviddudz]

As soon as I hear it’s electric I’m out.

[@kdegraa]

I’d rather have an electric BMW than one powered by petrol or diesel. BMW thinks it’s fine to make engine parts out of plastic that fails after five years.

[@clives4501]

Yup, they are a waste of time and will soon (hopefully) be recognised as such.

[@Neverlost3234]

Ok Einstein

[@HaruHaruman]

Almost a $100k for this??? Makes the Kia EV9 look like a bargain of the century. Hell, I'd rather take the IONIQ5.

[@oscar7476]

$85k mate not $100k. $100k can get a 330i with some options. BMW is for people with money to spend.. not for everyone. Kia is on the budget side. Same as the Ioniq5. This is why we see much more BMW's then Kia's nowadays.

[@trancenut81]

So its expensive, has a smallish battery but poor consumption, does not have the tech but has stupid gimmicks and costs more than a Model Y Long Range? This isnt even competitive with a Kia let alone a Tesla.

[@oscar7476]

Its not competitive with a kia or tesla... because its higher end. even though this is BMWS cheapest car.

[@trancenut81]

@@oscar7476 lol higher end shit is still shit

[@oscar7476]

@@trancenut81 alright.. ur opinion.. i respect that