BMW iX: The UGLY Truth

[@fullychargedshow]

What do you think about the iX? Tell us below...

[@avarell54]

PLEASE SORT YOUR MICS OUT! YOU SOUND MUFFLED! IN CASE YOU THINK IT IS ME, I AM USING AN M1 MACBOOK AIR. AND ON MY HOME CINEMA SYSTEM I HAVE A 6.1 SPEAKER SET THAT SOUNDS OWSOME UNTIL I WATCH ONE OF YOUR VIDEOS.

[@terryrodbourn2793]

The only problem today is charging speeds that you guys seem to ignore!

[@Its-Just-Gizmo]

Jack's concern for BMW's future is completely valid! BMW should do the i8 again, but make it fully electric, then start to move it's products away from ice and more to electric. Otherwise they will be complaining with Fiat that they "haven't had enough time"

[@InfoSopher]

Would like to see a special on this digital control system version 9 or whatever it's called. That seems to me to be one of the most telling positive pieces here. Would love to learn more about the efficiency. Worried about that.

[@ouethojlkjn]

Bobby at the end was very funny as ever, but funniest was he was pointing at thin air.... no links.

[@LAZARUSL0NG]

This car is truly innovative. For instance, ‘Carsickness’. Before this car, the term only applied to people inside the vehicle.

[@christianokolski9701]

LMAO

[@JackScarlett1]

Might have to invent a “comment of the week” segment just for you

[@MrCurlay]

Best comment I’ve read on KZbin for quite some time. 😂

[@onetwothreefour-s1n]

😆 🤣

[@sterlingarcher4989]

Bravo Sir, 👏

[@swisstrader]

Absolutely love my ix 50. Easily the best driving experience I’ve ever had. Don’t really get him saying the car is enormous. For me it drives like a sedan and just super roomy and comfortable inside and yet shorter than my 7 series was. Cabin is stunning…feel like I’m in a spaceship and all buttons perfectly placed. Quality materials all over. And crazy acceleration and EV range. This thing is a rocket ship.

[@dalstein3708]

The grille is self-healing, so even if you decide you've had enough and make a dent in it, you're still stuck with it.

[@davidpowell3396]

So taking a hammer to it to make it look good isn’t an option then🤣

[@neohimself]

It shouldn´t be self-healing it should be able to heal my eyes after having them damaged from looking at it. But no, it heals itself to be around longer to be seen by other unsuspecting humans. Pure evil.

[@jericoba]

@@davidpowell3396 I, for one, would not stop you if you came swinging that hammer. :-D

[@Spyker8921]

It's the new Christine

[@lukasmurmann625]

I love how Jack is making a big deal out of how big the car is, meanwhile Americans call it a "midsized SUV"

[@achenarmyst2156]

Americans lost almost any sense of proportion.

[@Appalling68]

@@achenarmyst2156 As well as lost their collective minds.

[@marcbungener1877]

40% of the US population is obese and so are their cars, this is very very sad

[@EPeltzer]

Personally I would go no larger than an X5 , but yes we have Tahoe, Navigator, Yukon, Escalade, Suburban, Sequoia, Armada, Lexus LX, Land Cruiser. And of course the de facto family car in much of the non-urban US, the four door full size pickup. You might be more familiar with these, as we used to call them, monster trucks. I would love to see Jack's reaction when confronted with a Dodge Ram 2500, or Ford F250, which at this point are not far from a normal family vehicle in much of the US, and I am not kidding.

[@radbaron]

yeah. I just looked up the dimensions of the family's Ford Edge , and it's barely smaller than this one. From Google: Is the Ford Edge a small or midsize SUV? At 188.8 inches long, it's on the smallest end of the midsize SUV spectrum.

[@gothmog2441]

“the Ultimate Tailgating Machine” - I laughed out loud. They should make that the tag line to their ad campaign. Genius

[@BrBill]

It's funny because it's accurate

[@malcolmhedges7346]

@@BrBill "Alla bit Clare's Accessories" :)

[@delboy7039]

The bit that made me laugh, Jacks comment about the indicator stalk.... We all know that they don't get used....!!!

[@hamshackleton]

Another ridiculous Teutonic Tank that the owner will think is a Formula E car, and try to drive it like one, barging through traffic like Michael Schumaker used to do on the race-track.

[@skasteve6528]

'Festooned with gizmos & gadgets' 'Bespoke BMW electric architecture' Over-engineered then, just like every German car ever.

[@mikeowen3478]

@hamshackleton Best comment on here. Just plain ridiculous. Where are we going as a species?

[@mikadavies660]

Lovely interior. But big outside and tiny inside. Useless boot space. Fantastic for people that love people to look at them. The only positive is that it was designed from the ground up as an EV.

[@eaaeeeea]

Yes this is an important car for BMW anyway, because they learn more about BEV tech with this.

[@David-bl1bt]

@@eaaeeeea they should have learned about EV tech 8 years ago when they launched the I3, but decided to sit on their backsides thereafter laughing at Tesla. Huge mistake.

[@petergorton9848]

even as a 'ground up EV' they failed.

[@anemeth9281]

It is def not tiny inside!

[@JohnnyZenith]

I've driven one. It missed extremely roomy inside. Stop parroting.

[@jochem1986]

The styling is approved by executives of the brand. Don't think for a second that designers have the final say. All they do is come up with and refine proposals, and hand a finalized Class-A model over to the engineers.

[@phillippereira6468]

Not sure i would call this thing class A. B grade maybe But not class A

[@timmurphy5541]

I was at Nokia in Ulm many years ago when BMW came to hire us as we were about to be laid off. They wanted to get started on advanced computing - developing a linux based OS for their cars. I wonder if that maturity is what makes the difference regarding responsiveness.

[@timrothwell33]

Code efficiency plus choice of chipset

[@doctormo]

As far as we know, all car operating systems are linux. Except perhaps Apple's. You'd have to be completely mad to try and build anything these days on Microsoft's kernel, or completely sycophantic to build on Apple's. You may however be a super rebel with your BSD kernel, but then, er, ok then.

[@timmurphy5541]

@@doctormo it wasn't as clear in 2012 when this happened to me iirc. The big difference as far as I can tell is what distribution or build tool it is all based on e.g. buildroot or yocto/bitbake. Then there's the choice of gui e.g. Qt and whether they use dbus for everything. Then graphics drivers etc etc.

[@doctormo]

@@timmurphy5541 There are lots of stack choices. Although the maths for FOSS is such that you have be quite bloody minded to DIY your gut levels. Using dbus is amusing as a FDo spec, but *shrug* whatever works. I've seen people use Firefox and Chrome full screen windows as their GUI, even Flash (gnash) and other weird stuff too. Thought BMW's is probably a little better engineered than a html widget. ;-)

[@timmurphy5541]

@@doctormo well, Tesla use Qt .

[@andrewcumming4018]

I can't come at the price. I don't see the point of it. There again I'm an old geezer who wants a small electric car for under £10000. I enjoy Jack's approach to his job. He puts so much thought into his presentations.

[@strayobject]

I too cannot wait for that BYD dolphin car reviewed not that long ago to start shipping to Europe, alas it does not look like coming here before 2023 :(

[@themomentalist]

You can currently get used Leafs and Zoe’s for around £6000. If you want a brand new car for sub-10k, I think you’ll have to wait until next Spring, when you will be able to buy a Citroen Ami for around £5.8k

[@thumper1747]

If you’re not going on long trips and like many, and average 50 miles a day, get 33kwh (60amp) BMW i3. It’s a unique car with an aluminium chassis and carbon fibre reinforced polymer shell, so it’s light. It’s also spacious, rear wheel drive and a joy to drive.

[@SierraLimaOscar]

I didn't find the exterior nearly as offensive as you did - but I get your point. Philosophical arguments about what an EV should be aside I am only going to say this: I loved every minute I spent behind the wheel of this car. I was lucky enough to be invited to drive the same fully laden e50 model. It is over the top, too big, ostentatious and exaggerated, but boy do I want one!

[@elektrotehnik94]

The front looks bad, but it can grow on you to not be that hideous IMO... as you might have noticed, not a high praise ^^ :D

[@queensberryrulez5306]

Amazing car mate… its just a lazy narrative that copycat channels like this push.

[@steveb.5617]

Jack is OUTSTANDING at the way he presents a car. that is outstanding... More Jack please...

[@GaryJohnWalker1]

Then again, I and quite a few others had a similar reaction when Chris Bangle's efforts were launched 20 odd years ago. Biggest negative for me on this is that it's another very big SUV.

[@JackScarlett1]

We don't speak of the Bangle era.

[@fenderstratguy]

I loved the Z3, but never the Z4. Loved the 635CSi, 850i, 740iL, and so many others. The current 5- series isn’t bad. But I hated the Bangle era cars and still do. And these giant grille models have made a bad situation even worse. Those are truly ugly kidneys.

[@ouethojlkjn]

Bangle BMW’s looked like they had been pre-crashed before delivery. Although to be fair this one looks like it’s bashed a wall nose first…

[@fenderstratguy]

@@ouethojlkjn Ive owned two 3- series beamers and used to love their styling up to about 2000. Still love the Hofmeister kink on that C pillar. But I truly despised the blocky-looking Bangle butt era trunks. The giant unneeded grilles going practically down to the ground are heinous; don’t copy Lexus, for heaven’s sake.

[@hamshackleton]

@@JackScarlett1 - Ah, those words you never ever shout on an aeroplane - - Hi Jack!

[@YourFinancialIndependence]

As a past owner of two i3's both with a range extender, I have been dismayed at BMWs lack of progress over the last 5 years. For anyone who had a i3 and just wanted something with more range, some normal doors that worked in carparks and 5 seats instead of 4. That is a car that would be suitable for a family... They totally and utterly failed to deliver. In addition to that, they actually made the i3 worse by dropping the range extender which was a God send for those of us who wanted to do the extra miles. Such a long wait for a stupidly overpriced car. I wont be buying BMW electric again ever. They simply do not care about their EV customers. They have spent the last years flogging a range of plugins for their existing range that have a pitiful mileage range on the electric charge. They are not to be trusted and don't deserve our business.

[@delboy7039]

They have dropped the ball since the i3 and i8...!!

[@lauriemiles1842]

Another i3 driver here - although I like our non-range extender version :-) BMW had the chance to capitalise on moving their i3 development into the rest of their range, including new EVs - and just didn't bother. Instead we get this utterly ugly beast, which I would never buy, however good it was, because of its looks

[@peterszczesiak6025]

I have an I3 Rex as well, it's a great car this thing is a lump of cak! The last thing we need is a car blocking 2 charging points its just to big and unnecessary. It's ugly in a big way yes the interior is lovely but 3 cars could have been made from the materials used in it! I don't think BMW will listen to us if they did the current I3 would be a Rex and better for it

[@roberthill2566]

100% agree

[@nitramluap]

As the owner of two i3 vehicles, I have no plans to replace them with anything BMW is currently offering, or planning to offer. They jumped the shark on their EVs...

[@caryoutismusic4515]

I imagine jack sneaking up behind unsuspecting vans all afternoon to test the adaptive cruise control theory, causing many of the drivers to resign from the job and receive counselling

[@jaymillx]

I could listen to Jack say "Bespoke EV architecture" all day. Interesting vision that BMW is taking for their electric future. Can't wait to see what Jack things about the i4 sedans!

[@jrgq]

I am a long time BMW owner and I am scared with how ugly some new models are. It seems like sabotage.

[@manup1931]

As a longtime bmw owner you should remember how people hated e39 and e60, now the are loved

[@TiagoMorbusSa]

Oh, come on, BMWs have been getting uglier and uglier for years

[@stereoreviewx]

I think it is sabotage BMW could make redundant so many ice cars if they made good looking electric cars . they are saying if you want electric your gonna have to accept this .

[@Neojhun]

But they sabotaged their legendary M3/M4. It's their poster child but they ruined it.

[@richardgoldsmith7278]

You may have hit the nail on the head. I don’t think they want excess demand, as I think they are still convinced that Hydrogen is the way to go and this represents a “stalling” effort.

[@kevinskeete9074]

It’s a re-imagined Pontiac Aztek!

[@sahirgahlot]

Wud be perfect upgrade for that meth cook after he becomes rich

[@harry-eto]

I don't see a scenario where i'd like to have dynamic regenerative braking decided by the car. Just don't lift your foot, as easy as that.

[@Leftplayer1]

Lol, did he really get excited about this feature? My 2015 Mercedes B-Class EV has it too...

[@briankavanagh7191]

@@Leftplayer1 So does my Kona 2021

[@elektrotehnik94]

I didn't know ANY EV had this function ^^ So it is worth mentioning. It also seems very functional to me, so great

[@briankavanagh7191]

@@elektrotehnik94 When in ACC and try to use regen it tells me "I am in auto regen and uses it when I am coming upto a car" so I assume this is similar?

[@Leftplayer1]

@@briankavanagh7191 the B Class does it even when it’s not on cruise control. In fact it doesn’t have ACC, just fixed speed cruise control, but it does have this adaptive regen.

[@stuartbrown7873]

I've been following the development of this vehicle for some time. The external appearance looked terrible at first, but it grows on you. Most car manufacturers play this game. But I agree with everyone else, that the thing is excessive . I suppose that';s what the X means. With the i3, which also looks unconventional, BMW had a vision for the future - light, small, efficient. That's what the world needs.

[@ferkeap]

It's a gangster car, it says, you aren't important to me.

[@SandmanV3]

I love how every BMW fanboy always justify their recent design language.. “it grows on you”. If this was slapped with a different badge, this won’t see the light of day in the show room. It’s hideous like the rest of their recent debuts.

[@SDK2006b]

@@SandmanV3 - no one is forcing you to buy one. If you don’t like it fair enough. Thing with design is that it moves on. Jag did a re-design of the XJ in mid 2000’s knowing they would upset their current clients. You either move & embrace change or get left behind!!

[@thorsev6960]

I think a lot of car makers are making a mistake by not including some strong design elements on the front end of their EVs like BMW, it will be crucial to differentiate the brand.

[@SandmanV3]

@@SDK2006b You definitely need to get your eyes checked if you think this is the “future” for BMW and bringing Jaguar’s shift in design into the comparison.

[@Muppetkeeper]

BMW stopped presenting lovely looking cars when their marketing department over emphasised what they thought they heard from their Chinese focus groups. That said, any car with a green sticker on the number plate always looks better to me.

[@AnonYmous-rw6un]

Yes, it's styled for the nouveau riche. Gaudy sells.

[@chunlinli9493]

Of course it is Chinese's fault. As always.

[@Muppetkeeper]

@@chunlinli9493 No, it’s the Germans fault, for selling their brand soul to break a new market.

[@carolinebois5777]

BMW grilles could be graded by Bra Size. They used to be a pert 34B. Then they developed into 36C. Things began to get out of hand when they blossomed into 38GG. Now they're at least 48K implants. Burlesque show-inspired? At least they make you laugh out loud when they drive by - Bravissimo!

[@billytrack]

Well this model certainly has its knockers

[@playframe6231]

BMW is sure to go barnkrupt with this philosophy.

[@Tysto]

13:00 “Naught to 60: 4.6 seconds. That doesn’t sound *that fast*…” Tesla has spoiled us. A 2005 Porsche 911 could do it in 4.8 seconds. A BMW X5 took 7.2 seconds.

[@hamshackleton]

0 - 60 time is only important if you take part in the traffic-lights grand prix.

[@ErraticPT]

Who cares? Its going to spend most of its time illegally parked near schools blocking access while its owner adjusts their equally ugly makeup waiting to pick up her equally brainless offspring.

[@kiae-nirodiariesencore4270]

Yes it’s ugly and yes the price is silly but if it provides an alternative for people who normally take Piers to school in a diesel or petrol V8, that’s fine by me. As for design, my goodness BMW could learn a thing or two from Kia which interestingly enough won the premium car of the year award in Germany...must have ruffled a few feathers there. As for the ‘auto’ regenerative breaking, I have that in my 2019 Kia e-Niro which took me a while to get the hang of as at first I used the paddles... but ‘auto’ mode responds to wherever I am, in the mountains, on the autoroutes here in France or in the city. Nothing special about that, though I would expect BMW’s system to be better at that price. As usual an entertaining and brilliant review by JS, the jewel in the FCS crown.

[@JohnnyZenith]

It isn't ugly to me. I ignore the bandwagon comments. What matters is what I think about a design. I'm not interested in others.

[@kiae-nirodiariesencore4270]

@@JohnnyZenith Well, beauty is in the eye of the beer holder...or something like that. My yardstick however is not our current car, the Kia e-Niro which is a practical purchase for our retirement but I have owned some interesting and truly great designs in the past. We had a Peugeot 205 in the 1980s which won the ‘car of the decade’ award in one of the UK car mags, it still looks great. I owned a BMW 525 E39 for 10 years...1997 model and they still look the business when you see one today. As Jack says, some great designs have come out of Munich over the decades but this one....nah.

[@JohnnyZenith]

@@kiae-nirodiariesencore4270 I disagree. It's fine.

[@kiae-nirodiariesencore4270]

@@JohnnyZenith Of course it’s fine. I am sure we agree that the E39 5 series was a lovely car design.

[@JohnnyZenith]

@@kiae-nirodiariesencore4270 Agreed.

[@slartybartfast666]

Jack is really nailing these reviews! He's just a great watch. I'm really glad that he's in the team. I have weirdly started to like the grill on the m4 but on that monster it's not what you would call a classic... but hey there's bentega and cullenan and they are selling well.

[@SledgeOfHouseHammer]

The ubergrille is one of the worst styling trends (*shakes fist at Audi*)

[@acemcgraw1]

Seeing this car and all it's packaging issues, weight and massive cost really does put me in mind of buying laptops in the early 90s. Yes they were new and funky, but you had to fit wheels to them to take them anywhere as they were so heavy, you needed a new, bigger table to put them on as they were so big and they were as expensive as a small house. You have to think (and for the future success of EVs as a breed), you really ought to wait for a few years and either pick one of these up second hand for half price, or until the technology has filtered its way down so it's affordable, is practical and doesn't take 3 tonnes of stuff to build.

[@davidpereira9238]

But they were prettier than this, and their weight and performance improved, unlike this one. What a huge waste of resources

[@milesforrest6920]

Jack, I think you're spot on with this review. You reminded me of Clarkson when he was funny in the early days of top gear. I agree no one likes the look. Looking at BMW Facebook posts there are 1000s of negative comments and not one single positive. How on earth did it get signed off unless they are focusing on the Asian Market maybe? You're description of the interior made me laugh out loud.

[@joshuafrederick8374]

It's too bad the exterior is such a mess because the interior is really great. What a nice combination of traditional BMW cues and futuristic modern design. I especially like the crystal dial and the haptic laser etched "buttons" in the wood. Maybe the interior team needs to have a say on the exterior.

[@experimental_av]

The fact that you can buy a car with that much range these days is pretty amazing. even though the prices still need to some down obviously.

[@eclecticcyclist]

BYD are bringing prices down. Their Blade battery comes at under $100 /KW which means price parity between ICE and electric.

[@logicalChimp]

Unless I missed something, it only have slightly over 300-mile range? And there are plenty of cars that have longer range than that (real-world, not just claimed on the sticker)... and for a lot less money.

[@emile345]

I'm the same height as the presenter and seeing him in the back was very impressive. Having enough room to seat two people of that height behind each other is something that you don't find in every car.

[@JackScarlett1]

Being tall and fitting in the back comfortably is a rare treat indeed!

[@darrenaitcheson795]

@@JackScarlett1 It looked to me like you actually had more room in the back of the EV6 and Ioniq 5 - I don't recall your knees touching the back of the seats in either of those...

[@XENONEZZ2]

@@darrenaitcheson795 I agree... the actual leg room in this looked a bit compromised.

[@dommo31dm]

What a monstrosity. Personal vehicles this big shouldn't be legal on UK roads.

[@F15HHOOKS]

This is one of the very few cars where I'm happy to see the registration plate obscuring part of the front. My eyes hurt! Don't like that they've carried on the shape of the faux grille to the steering wheel either. Great subtle word play when describing it's hideousness Jack, it's a fine line.

[@w0nd3rlu573r]

That was my first thought too!

[@raydoherty5419]

Jack really is excellent at this!!! As for the car, as a previous i3 owner I kinda think BMW have lost the plot a little and are missing the boat. They need to see whats taking all the sales (Model Y) and get into that space.

[@TecnamTwin]

Ford's Mustang Mach-E GT is the prettiest electric SUV on the market right now IMHO, even if I prefer the Model Y and its superior specs.

[@alex8449]

Model Y is disgusting

[@raydoherty5419]

@@alex8449 it’s the best selling EV in the world and it’s technically excellent

[@LesBrecknell]

Thank you Jack for a superb critique, I found it a well balanced yet fearless appraisal. I cant help feeling that your stay with The Fully Charged Show will be brief as a major production company will surely come a calling - talent such as yours is worthy of a bigger stage.

[@reubenwilkinson6493]

sshhhh, don't say it out loud he might not realise:-)

[@ggj666]

One great thing about this car and price is that I can absolutely state right here and now that "I will never have one" BMW indicator stalk, who the hell who drives a BMW will know how to use that.

[@EugeneLambert]

Another great episode, with Jack on his usual great form. Some fantastic lines that made me laugh out loud, as well as lots of useful insights. I have to say though that it left me very worried. Why so? Because, believe it or not, I found myself quite liking the front of the iX when seen from a distance. The big UK number plate helps of course, hiding the worst of the kidney-shaped excess. Actually, thinking about it, I did have my Covid booster earlier today, so I think I will put this unnatural liking of the iX's 'face' down to a weird and uncommon side-effect. :-)

[@robadr13]

It did look much better in white as well. By the end of the video I was a little more sanguine about the overall appearance. I do hope you can code delete the darkened rear windows though. I'd really want people to know that I don't operate a drug cartel.

[@beinghappy1312]

The honesty makes me much more interested in watching your show. I love the honesty about everything, what it costs, how it looks, how it sounds, what you get, etc.

[@schneidnix]

Jack, I simply love your car reviews!

[@kooooons]

"This car only weighs as much as the moon" That had some serious Jeremy clarkson vibes to it :D

[@lauriemiles1842]

Our EQC also has an Automatic regen braking setting, which looks at the map, traffic info, speed, etc to determine the amount of regen. It only works properly with cruise control on - and it's amazing to approach a roundabout on a dual carriageway and have the car kick in the regen and slow the car down to a reasonable speed round the roundabout. It does work OK, but kicks in a little late for my liking in acute situations - e.g. a car pulls over too near in front of you on the motorway. The BMW may however have a better system - it ought to, for the cost!

[@hamshackleton]

It only lacks some cannons in the front - You dare to pull in front of me - cop this - - BRAAAAP!

[@markharding44]

My EQA has it too. As you say it isn’t perfect but it works well, most of the time 😊

[@scottwills4698]

My A250e has it and my ID3. Hardly new tech, I think the Kona and Niro had it 3 years ago.

[@juniorsdca]

The hottest thing in this video was Jack! The vehicle is ugly, no matter the color. The interior is cool looking, but no way would I buy it. The BMW i3 was actually the first time I ever drove an electric car (at an auto show presentation) and I really liked how it drove but hated the styling. BMW has doubled down on weird styling again with this. Not sure why. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is a great example of cool futuristic styling. It seems like they purposely made this car ugly so it won’t compete with any of their ICE sales. Terrible, but easy to scratch off the shopping list. Look for amazing discounts on the secondhand market, just like the i3.

[@raymondmclellan1363]

Impressive engineering as you would expect. Maybe 2025 represents their best guess on financial crossover from conventional vehicles to EV. Either way I wouldn't bet against them in the long run.

[@maxkick7656]

Fair enough, that grill looks hilarious!!

[@bhatkrishnakishor]

That leather was squeaking the entire time the interior was being showcased 😁

[@JackScarlett1]

that's my jacket! Sorry about that, won't be wearing that squeaky boi on a shoot again 😂

[@clasqm]

Yes, but Hans Zimmer designed that particular squeak, so it must be better!

[@SingleTrackMined]

Behemoth Made Worse - an electric Aztek. Beautiful video tho, production qualities are superb, Jack is an amazing host, great channel.

[@selldivision]

On that grille: Its a pity the whole car can't "heal" itself in the sun.

[@laser_simon922]

This car seems like some designers finished a prototype, then an engineer showed up put some actual lights and indicators on it, they all wend to the Oktoberfest and called it a day (or week). Inside and outside it just looks like a concept car…

[@edsilvester]

Not sure Im as interested in the exterior of cars anymore. (Maybe that’s just because I drive an i3?)

[@steveholliday1599]

I like i3 styling. Can't say same of the new set of BMW electric cars including this one.

[@edsilvester]

@@steveholliday1599 My i3 has grown on me. It still looks like a pigmy hippo. But they’re cute, right?

[@ibrahimmongy4457]

The videography on this channel is on a another level!

[@gavbansal967]

I'm isolating at home recovering from covid and feeling miserable, and when Jack says @1.25 'at least you won't lose it in a carpark' it was the first time I've laughed out aloud in quite a while. Thank you thank you, probably not your intention, but I'm feeling much better now :-) P.S Great Review, but don't find the car appealing

[@fullychargedshow]

Take it easy Gav. Rest is best.

[@grahamstevenson1740]

There's MORE room in the back of my Saab FFS ! That actually looks far too tight.

[@marklegato]

Had to pause the video at Claire's Accessories. I couldn't hear it as I was laughing so much. Jack, you're hilarious.

[@JackScarlett1]

thanks dude!

[@vorlon81]

@@JackScarlett1 Wow You do read the Comments Jack 😲

[@usaverageguy]

My fathers Continental Mark IV would put this car to shame. 5264 lbs 228" long. 8 mpg. Worth 20% of it's original value, just 4 years later.

[@Najeebster]

Absolutely the best and most balanced review I've seen of this car so far. If I was going to spend £100-£120k on a luxury SUV, I'd get this over an ICE vehicle. Yes, it looks odd but it makes a statement and the attention to detail inside is simply amazing. Completely agree with Jack's concerns about BMW pace of progress on EVs, if I am going to spend anywhere between £40-£60k on an EV in the next couple of years then BMW isn't going to get a look-in. The pace of change in technology means that my loyalty to German brands is severely undermined - I'm looking at you as well VW/Audi, Mercedes😡 I'd certainly be just as happy to look at Tesla, Polestar, Kia/Hyundai and maybe Xpeng or Nio.

[@davidianmusic4869]

Excellent production values, for the video. You guys are my fav. Would watch further but don’t want to give anyone at BMW a sense of relevance.

[@autolitics]

amazing review. Jack is simply the most eloquent and thoughtful car reviewer on earth today. His take on the iX was illuminating and resonant. One request: when you post dimensions, could you include Imperial metrics as well? I've no idea what 2400 kg means in pounds.

[@ryansmith1312]

dude, you are typing this on a computer or smartphone. If you can't open the "calc" app and multiply two numbers... I don't know what to tell you. The world uses metric. This is the way.

[@yashchirka4060]

this design just screams egocentric narcistic arrogance. so it will probably sell well.

[@Alphatone1]

Another great review from Jack. The interior is fabulous, the exterior isn't. The rear light signature has won me over.

[@TecnamTwin]

Really? Lights? What about things that matter like its substandard charging speed?

[@imjustthegarbageman759]

Truly gruesome. Im not a BMW fan at all but this one is just shocking

[@LeonRamkumar]

People hated the Bangle years, but BMW sales did not reflect the sentiment. They actually did really well. The X6 was designed specifically to be a huge, obscene hunk of gaudiness, for people who wanted you to know that they didn't care, because they (appeared to) have money. This car is no difference. It's nice that we won't have to hear it though, I can always look away. When BMW eventually get a decent competitor, I will drop my Model 3 LR in a flash!

[@TriviaChallenge]

You'll miss that Tesla.

[@LeonRamkumar]

@@TriviaChallenge I'm not a Storm Trooper.

[@PaulHo]

I'm only watching because Jack is daddy 🥺

[@molepatrol7529]

Jack is brilliant. The interior tech is fantastic. Love his future vision hopes for a bespoke 3 series. Hope he’s right.

[@michaellupton1593]

Great review . I like the automatic distance from the vehicle in front feature...that will be 6” then...

[@petesplaneta9340]

Great review from Jack. Sums up a huge capable car really well. So many things I just don’t get about it though. What is under that massive bonnet that doesn’t open. Where is all the space? Jack should have been able to stretch his legs out onto a foot stool in the back with that length of vehicle. Can’t they just go for mass market and make an 3 series touring equivalent, that takes the best bits of this, and could we have that next year please BMW? Still can’t really see any sensible alternative to my Tesla Model 3, and I would love to see one.

[@efiu12]

Am I the only one getting a hint of Clarkson's humor in Jack ?

[@Vormulac1]

I think the biggest downside (apart from the eye-watering price tag) is the bizarrely small boot. People who can afford this thing are going to have some very nice luggage and go on long drives to nice places - but they aren't going to be able to pack very much. Is this really intended as a city car you only have to charge every six months instead?

[@SteveAkaDarktimes]

when the boots open: look at the inside wall of the trunk and the distance to the outside. that's probably good 40cm of absolutely nothing.

[@Vormulac1]

@@SteveAkaDarktimes Being a 'premium' vehicle that space will be crammed full of NVH damping material.

[@SurfarenTM]

15:48 I don't need to flip a switch to decide how many meters away I should be depending on the speed even in my non-posh Golf from 2016. The distance setting for the adaptive cruise however is useful for different kinds of traffic in different regions/cities. Where I live now I might want it on "4" but in the city where I grew up that's a huge gap that a lot of other motorists will go for, if I leave it at "4" (so I don't). But my main point is that any decent adaptive cruise since years ago wouldn't make you change the setting depending on your speed, it already figures out that "4" (for example) should be just a few meters at crawling speed but many more meters when doing 70.

[@MrDuncl]

The same in my 2013 Golf. Driving a BMW 420 with non adaptive cruise control was interesting/frightening. Why isn't the car slowing down ? as I approached large trucks on the motorway.

[@gentlestorm]

An EV made from the ground up as an EV without a frunk? Great engineering...

[@crackedemerald4930]

It's where they keep all the german engineering

[@marlasota]

I think a frunk is unnecessary. Why would I need one?

[@crackedemerald4930]

@@marlasota cus the trunk is small lol The whole car us unnecessary, it's the whole point.

[@doomsday9973]

Most EV’s don’t have frunks. And many that do are virtually useless

[@simonyapp]

You nailed it Jack! Nice work team!

[@markpirateuk]

I certainly agree that it looks hideous, BMW have lost the plot as far as styling is concerned!

[@nformby]

Brilliant presenter, it’s great to hear some honesty instead of skirting around the negatives like a lot of ‘reviews’

[@GlennBroadway]

Why would I want a practically silent car to hum at me out of the speakers? Ludicrous.

[@JackScarlett1]

I personally like a bit of synthetic noise. As a recovering petrolhead, the absolute silence still feels odd to me. Each to their own I suppose!

[@NickFoster]

I don't understand it either. The near silence is one of the attractions of EVs to me, although I admit I do like the gentle whine of the electric motor when I boot my Model 3 :)

[@17addidas]

Looks vs Performance . As a driver of an i3 ( 90000 Km ) ... it can also be said that it too has an unsettling appearance and It does grow on you .. I value much more the practicality and overall relaxed fun driving experience ..than its looks . I recently saw in the back lot of my BMW dealer an iX . It also stands out , it has presence and singularity as does the i3 and i8. Performance ,Driving precision ,enjoyment and quality finishes are what is expected from BMW. ...Give this guy a chance .

[@DarksideRogan]

I actually really like the exterior. It's nice and hefty.

[@Spyker8921]

I bet you also like the design of the Prius and the Ioniq 5

[@emilenoronha9802]

Absolutely love the last section where Robert has a real go at “JACK”.

[@ironmantooltime]

Jack's not got signs of dementia 😂

[@sterlingarcher4989]

I look forward to watching all those mums try to park it in a standard Tesco parking space.

[@patrickjr11]

I am thinking that the decision by Jaguar to bin a fully developed new EV platform just seconds away from launch was a huge mistake, when you consider that this car is similar in that the underlying platform gubbins might not filter down but at least it moves the story along and lets people know what is coming to the other cars in due course. It is in reality a major marketing exercise, in that they have built effectively a concept car for the road with very distinctive brand image. You aint going to miss it, or not talk about it! What it also shows is that it is quite straightforward to build a very good EV, with little effort, so leaving the R&D time and money to the design over the technology. We are used to living in a time where the engineers / accountants watered down the designs because how do you build that???? but in EV land, that is now no longer the case. So, I fully expect weird and challenging designs will be more and more on sale. Having said all that, another bloated, over expensive, far too big, unsustainable SUV, when hat we really really need is a new IX3 for those who like some thing different, and new I3s for those that dont.

[@sneaky_krait7271]

Polestar answers your needs :)

[@JohnBatty]

I was a BMW driver for 20 years (523i, 528i, 530d, 535dm) but I wouldn't accept that "exquisite" top of the range, iX in exchange for my 6 year old model S.

[@xj650t]

BMW has lost it’s way. EV manufacturers have lost the plot, so many enormous, expensive, heavy and inefficient cars being released.

[@JohnDoe-bd5sz]

Truth of the matter is that when it comes to EV, the price is not that different if you make a small one or a large one. The only difference is that a large one can be sold for more money aKa more profit, and they do not have the production capacity to make enough EV's so they choose to focus on the big ones as they will make the manufacturer, the most money. Also...If they mass produced cheap affordable EV's they would have a problem getting enough raw materials, for the batteries for example, so again, they focus on making the cars that will make the biggest profit, with the raw materials they have available.

[@ARepublicIfYouCanKeepIt]

Agreed. Rather than leading the electrification evolution of transport--breaking the cycle of ever bigger, ever faster--EV manufacturers just keep pumping out ridiculously sized vehicles that accelerate faster than anyone ever really needs, while topping out at autobahn speeds (while most of us either barely more than idle on multi-lane parking lots, or top out at 35-45 mph as we leap frog from traffic light to traffic light. I get it, being nailed to your seat while rocketing from 0-60 mph in under 4 seconds, or pulling a sub-10 1/4 mile in a stock Plaid, is cool. Really, really cool. However, on the practical side, who the hell *needs* that?

[@JohnDoe-bd5sz]

@@ARepublicIfYouCanKeepIt i agree, i never understood the idea of touting the 0-60 miles times. Honestly, i could not care less if the car takes 5-10 or 15 seconds to go from 0-60, i am more interested in how far it goes between charges and how fast it will charge if i am in a hurry. I bet i would get there a lot faster if i stick to 10 second 0-60 times, rather than 5, because if i do the faster ones i would have to stop and wipe up the puke, when the kids in the back gets sick from all of that fast acceleration :)

[@ekhaat]

Great review, but: "so if there's a clear road ahead, it will just coast" Provided you lift off the accelerator pedal, or what? "When you're using CC down a 30-40 mph road, you can pull a bit closer to the car in front; when your on a motorway, you want to stay a safe distance away. I don't need to flip a little switch to ..." Neither do I in my 2019 Kona, but it still lets me choose to have my own say by adjusting the setpoint from which to base the speed-dependent distance.

[@irnbrukidsm]

Every single car reviewer highlights the ‘grill’. And talks way too much about the ‘grill’. Well done BMW you’ve got everybody talking about your iX. Brilliant way to generate a talking point

[@julianshepherd2038]

Have you seen the new BMW, it's ugly ?

[@supersnail5000]

You can integrate design elements that people will talk about without them being hideous. Every video on an Audi will spend a minute just discussing it's headlights, then that's something you can show off when you get the car. Meanwhile this design is actively turning away (at least western) buyers. All publicity isn't good publicity if you want to sell something. You don't want to tell someone you spent £100k on a car and the first thing they will say is "does it have a stupid grill"

[@clasqm]

But not a selling point.

[@anthonydevono8833]

This is biggest problem with ev cars in general to many high end cars and not enough bog standard entry level to choose from

[@Adrian-jn9ov]

If the car looked as good outside like it does inside, it would be a great car

[@SamuelHauptmannvanDam]

It looks better on the outside than on the inside. xD

[@nigelweir3852]

I removed the steering wheel from my 1973 allegro , nice to see it again

[@JaakkoIsWatching]

Twice the weight, one meter longer, over three times the power, about three times the range, and it can easily be found in the carpark. As an i3-driver, I want one so much!

[@j0nny93rs]

the 2002 ti is probs my all time fave silhouette

[@rogerwilliams7234]

A BIG backward step from the original i3 which was spacious, practical and still looks fun - certainly compared to this monster. Aweful!

[@Wol747]

Robert - you have serious competition! However - and I know that KZbin has ads to make it “free” - the number and length of ads is fast getting too much for me. Is there any other platform?

[@Wombat-blue]

Yes yes yes! I completely agree. It’s truly a pig of design! So ugly, so sad 😞

[@Sneaker_Net]

Great stuff Jack, thanks.

[@richardgoldsmith7278]

I think BMW does have a master plan that I would categorise as flawed. I believe they are holding out for a Hydrogen powered future. Incidentally, Jack, so are Hyundai and Kia so they won’t be the ones to fill the void. BYD will, and a few other Chinese brands, along with Tesla, of course. Tell me I’m wrong, and see how well that would age in a year’s time!

[@JackScarlett1]

Interesting take. Time shall tell!

[@TheRealFarzin]

Nice review. But I am surprised your version which was supposed to be fully loaded didn’t have passenger seat with massage. Mine has both seats with massage function.

[@Darx97]

Is not only the grille that looks bad, the whole thing has bad proportions, saggy ass, no front trunk even tho it has a huge front, is just bad

[@benwinfrey]

“At least you won’t lose it in the car park”. Perfect opener!

[@temistogen]

Probably the ugliest car that I ever saw.

[@nigelpage612]

Will Jack ever get a BMW for a test drive again? Is this car really suitable for UK roads, car parks and garages? Why did Jack wear his wooly hat in such a luxurious car? Was the heating not working?