2022 BMW iX
I took a look at the all new 2022 BMW iX—BMW’s first all-electric SUV and all I have to say is wow. Let’s dive deeper into the pros, cons, and how well it works for a family.
Exterior
We’re jumping right into controversy by starting with the front end—specifically, the grill. The iX has BMW’s standard “kidney grill,” but people are saying this one looks more like giant beaver teeth on this car (lol). At first glance, I had to look away, but the second time… I couldn’t stop staring. I kinda like it. Maybe I’m crazy, but I think it fits the vibe.
Moving on to the side, there are some beautiful 20 inch wheels and shadow blacked out trim. The door handles are beyond interesting. They’re not even really handles… they’re more like indents? I don’t love it—it feels overly complicated and hard to use. The charging port is also on the side, which I’m not personally a huge fan of.
The back end is kind of boring, with some pretty narrow and small tail lights. It looks similar to a Porsche Cayenne, but overall for the exterior, I give it a thumbs up. It’s futuristic enough but not so head turning that people will wonder what the heck you’re driving.
Interior
Front
Let’s start with the driver’s side door. There’s no trim on the top of the window, so when the door is open it’s just exposed glass—pretty chic. The door panel has an orange-ish/red-ish leather and rose gold accents. But, according to Gen Z… rose gold is out, so that’s a bummer, although I still think it looks pretty good. One weird thing is that it’s super not easy to figure out how to open the door… I mean, it turns out there’s just a button you need to push, but I’m really getting the vibe that no one at BMW asked if people liked this feature. Anyway, the cubby is decent-sized, but the cupholder in the door is trash garbage. The seats are not great, either. Do you remember the thumb people from Spy Kids? Yeah, they look like those. They’re not that comfy either, so… not a win.
I want to talk about the tech in this car, though, because I’m loving it. It has what can only be described as one of the biggest screens I’ve ever seen in a vehicle. I love it and how the dash flows directly into the display (plus, there’s heads up display). You can use the screen as a touch screen or use the knob to navigate everything. It comes with iDrive, which includes a great little “personal assistant,” but the car also integrates (wirelessly) with Apple CarPlay (you know this is a fav for me). Safety features-wise: I love the seatbelt sensor feature that tells you who is buckled and unbuckled, and there is an interior camera (although given the placement, I’m not sure how helpful it is).
One issue I have is with the climate control. They didn’t pull any buttons out for that, so it all has to be done with the touch screen—and it’s not easy. There are way too many options and it’s just… clunky. I mean, what’s more frustrating than hot air blasting in your face while your kids scream at you and you’re fumbling through a million digital buttons?
One last fun feature: the sunroof. It’s panoramic… sort of. It doesn’t actually open, but instead it’s either frosted or clear (you can push a button to change it). It’s different and really beautiful!
Second Row/Car Seat Setup
It’s a pretty spacious back seat, honestly. I installed a forward-facing Graco Extend2Fit and a rear-facing Clek Liing and had good clearance with both. I squeezed between the two, though, and that’s going to be a no for me.
There are lower anchors on both outboard seats and tethers across the bench, which is great… but things get kind of tricky with a front-facing install. The headrests are fixed (can’t be adjusted up or down) and there’s no pass-through… So, when you’re using the tether anchors, BMW recommends you go all the way over the headrest. It works, I guess, but I don’t love it.
Anyway, there are a few good amenities in the second row, like heated outboard seats and USB-Cs for charging in the back of the front seats. There are also mounts on the back of the front seats where you could put a tablet. There aren’t ceiling vents, but there are side-vents, which I do like for kids in carseats.
Trunk
My UppaBaby Vista fits beautifully back there—it’s a good size for this type of car. There’s also a deep space under the floor for a little extra storage. You can put the second row seats down from back there and it has a super light power tailgate. Overall, good little trunk!
Drive
I don’t always talk about the drive, but I wanted to mention a few things since this is a fully electric vehicle. First of all, I love the way it drives—it’s so zippy and just… fun. It drives like a golf cart, but in a great way. The range is about 300 miles (depending on the specific wheels and package you get), which is pretty standard for this type of vehicle.
Overall, the iX is really pricey (this one MSRP’d around $90k), but I think it’s a great electric vehicle and it would totally work for a family with up to two carseats (as long as you don’t need to squeeze between them too often), if you’re able to spend the money.
