BMW iX: A reasonable substitute?

[Dortreo]

I’m not looking for a new car until fall of 2022, when we’ll let our son take one of our old cars to college. So, I’ve put in reservations for the Lucid AGT and the BMW iX. We need winter driving range of at least 220 miles to make a regular drive from Boston to Vermont. Obviously, the Lucid AGT has more than enough range for a lead foot to drive the distance, but I don’t think the BMW iX will make it in cold weather with an estimated EPA range of 300 miles. Otherwise, it’s a daily driver for your usual bumper to bumper slog on Boston highways.

Which car would you take for these kind of circumstances? Lucid: Brilliant engineering and design, but first car, unknown track record, and unknown future. BMW: So-so engineering, inefficient design, but predictable.

I’ve thought about the EQS but think the ergonomics will drive me nuts. And I have trouble with Tesla, given quality concerns and general untrustworthiness.

I think the BMW iX will be a bit over $100K spec’d to my liking. The Lucid AGT is $140K. Is the $40K difference between the two cars worthwhile? And when you look at a Lucid AGT (which I’ve never seen in real life), do you see $140K in value there?

 

[WildRide47]

I ordered the Lucid AGT in July and today I ordered the BMW i4-M50 for my wife.(she prefers a smaller car)

 

[hmp10]

We need winter driving range of at least 220 miles to make a regular drive from Boston to Vermont.

I used to live in South Burlington and know Vermont winters well. If I were you, I'd get the Rivian R1S when its 180-kWh battery pack (with around 400 miles of range) becomes available. At long last, there's an Electrify America charging station coming to Vermont, in Colchester I think.

 

[Dortreo]

The R1S is definitely under consideration but with Riven’s emphasis on delivery vans, I don’t think that they’ll be readily available anytime soon. I’m tentatively planning for that in a few years. I’m in Stowe, where the Alchemist Brewery (home of Heady Topper) has a 50 kW CCS that’s apparently being upgraded too 200 kW. So, drink and charge could be a thing.

@hmp10, what are your thoughts about the value of the Lucid Air compared with the Plaid that you just got?

 

[hmp10]

The R1S . . . I don’t think that they’ll be readily available anytime soon.

I'd like to think they'll be available by fall of 2022. However, I get your point. I reserved a Launch Edition R1S in early 2019, planning it as the replacement for our 2015 Tesla when its extended warranty expired, as I knew by then Lucid would not have the Air to market in time.

When Rivian then went through three rounds of delays, I dropped plans to get the R1S and replaced the Tesla with a Model S Plaid which we were able to get just as the extended warranty expired.

What are your thoughts about the value of the Lucid Air compared with the Plaid that you just got?

That's a hard one, as we don't yet have actual experience owning and driving the Air. My expectations are:

- The Lucid will not have the barn-storming acceleration off the line that the Plaid has. That's not a problem, though, as the Plaid goes light on the front end under hard acceleration, and we have never gone -- and probably never will go -- all the way into the throttle.

- Although the Plaid interior is much improved over our earlier Model S, it still falls well short of the Air in terms of roominess. On the subjective level, I like the Air interior's styling, materials choice, and user interfaces with switches and screens much better.

- The Plaid, being a Tesla, has fit and finish issues with exterior panels and interior trim pieces. It is a reasonably quiet, very comfortable, roomy (at least in the front seat), and compliant ride, though. However, I expect the Air to better the Plaid in all these aspects.

- The Plaid was in the service center for corrections twice in the first month, and we have let some more minor issues slide. I am betting the Lucid will fare better in terms of quality off the assembly line.

But value? Will the Air be worth the $35,000 more we're paying for it? It will be for us, as we have always been early adopters when it comes to cars and have paid the premiums to get the cars we like best. If someone is looking for the best performance-to-dollar ratio using the criteria most car buyers use, neither the Plaid nor the Air are a particular value.

 

[MikeTz]

When it comes to driving dynamics the IX and the Lucid have very little in common. The IX rides like a RR while the Lucid is now the ultimate driving EV that the BMW four door sedans used to be and no longer are. Software wise, the IX with its new version 8 Idrive, is at least a year or two ahead of the Lucid. No comment on the looks.

 

[Steveinarizona]

When it comes to driving dynamics the IX and the Lucid have very little in common. The IX rides like a RR while the Lucid is now the ultimate driving EV that the BMW four door sedans used to be and no longer are. Software wise, the IX with its new version 8 Idrive, is at least a year or two ahead of the Lucid. No comment on the looks.

I am a BMW owner/driver and like the way their cars handle and I did a test drive in an IX. Of course, a sedan will handle a lot better than an SUV. On the other hand, I also used to live in Massachusetts and for winter driving, I would want an AWD car and probably an SUV for getting through the snow.

I, for one, couldn't get past the looks of the IX. But BMW has actually done a very good job of engineering and its efficiency is excellent.

The AWD Lyriq is another alternative.

 

[Dortreo]

I finally saw an iX in the wild this weekend as well as an i4. (The Auburn Electrify America is like a watering hole on the Serengeti.)

The BMW iX in real life looks far worse than I imagined. Like, laughably bad. For a company known for some of the most beautiful cars ever, it’s embarrassing.

 

[Steveinarizona]

I finally saw an iX in the wild this weekend as well as an i4. (The Auburn Electrify America is like a watering hole on the Serengeti.)

The BMW iX in real life looks far worse than I imagined. Like, laughably bad. For a company known for some of the most beautiful cars ever, it’s embarrassing.

That was my experience. I walked off a golf course with my golf partner, both of us BMW owner/drivers, and there was an IX parked next to me. We both walked up to it and exclaimed: "my gawd...this is ugly". It is not just the grille...it is the whole thing.

 

[VVS Wraith]

I’m not looking for a new car until fall of 2022, when we’ll let our son take one of our old cars to college. So, I’ve put in reservations for the Lucid AGT and the BMW iX. We need winter driving range of at least 220 miles to make a regular drive from Boston to Vermont. Obviously, the Lucid AGT has more than enough range for a lead foot to drive the distance, but I don’t think the BMW iX will make it in cold weather with an estimated EPA range of 300 miles. Otherwise, it’s a daily driver for your usual bumper to bumper slog on Boston highways.

Which car would you take for these kind of circumstances? Lucid: Brilliant engineering and design, but first car, unknown track record, and unknown future. BMW: So-so engineering, inefficient design, but predictable.

I’ve thought about the EQS but think the ergonomics will drive me nuts. And I have trouble with Tesla, given quality concerns and general untrustworthiness.

I think the BMW iX will be a bit over $100K spec’d to my liking. The Lucid AGT is $140K. Is the $40K difference between the two cars worthwhile? And when you look at a Lucid AGT (which I’ve never seen in real life), do you see $140K in value there?

The IX has a real-world range of around 375 miles

 

[BradSholl]

Depending on how much you need to haul in snowy weather, the RS1 might be appealing. I regret not ordering before the price increase, but I did before the new EV tax credit changes. Might not matter, but what the heck. I see they are starting to deliver the early models currently. Personally, I'm waiting to see the numbers of the dual motor version. Don't need 4 motor/800hp as I don't plan on crawling over any rocks.

 

[Tesla2.0]

Hexagonal steering wheel? Front hood cannot be opened? Rear shade rod cannot be stored in lower compartment? Rear seat table extension not working correctly? Water spray for camera lens? There are so many design look so wrong and weird… What happened to BMW 80’s designers?

iX at about double the price of Ioniq5. I think R1S is better at 60% of Range Rover.

 

[Dortreo]

Hexagonal steering wheel? Front hood cannot be opened? Rear shade rod cannot be stored in lower compartment? Rear seat table extension not working correctly? Water spray for camera lens? There are so many design look so wrong and weird… What happened to BMW 80’s designers?

iX at about double the price of Ioniq5. I think R1S is better at 60% of Range Rover.

Also, if you buy an iX, is that the face you make every time you look at it?

 

[Dortreo]

The IX has a real-world range of around 375 miles

Wow, it's been a long while since I wrote that about the iX vs. the AGT. I'm overall happy with the AGT and after seeing an iX in real life this weekend, I'm also overall happy I avoided buying one.