I think the below website gives you the easiest way to compare the BMW SUVs without sitting in them side by side at a dealership. East Bay BMW did actually line up a X7, X5, and iX for my wife to sit in. We also brought 2 kid car seats to see what room was left with those two seats installed in the back of each.
Naturally she thought the only BMW SUV to get was a X7. I kind of did that to myself I guess.
What isn’t as apparent is how the battery/tray kind of elevates the seating a teeny bit in the iX vs X5. With the lower roofline, the iX just feels cramped.
While the iX is larger than a X3 or X4, it doesn’t feel like you don’t get much space. And 3-wide seating is tough in a iX vs X5 due to those few little inches you lose.
Like I said, if you put a X7 into a comparison test with a iX or X5, you’re going to go home with a X7 unless the X7 shits the bed during the test drive (which ours did).
I’ve had a 2022 X5 and now I have a 2024 IX. Any difference in space seems marginal to my family. If anything, when comparing space, we prefer the IX because of the flat floor. The bigger difference is the X5 front seats are just much more comfortable.
Remember the X5 has the smallest backseats in the segment, more comparable to RDX or GLC. It’s not carseat friendly at all. The GLE backseat is significantly bigger.
Ya the problem is more so the space between two car seats. In the X3 my wife couldn’t fit in between. Now that we don’t have rear facing car seats anymore, it’s not as tight for legroom. On longer car rides my wife just likes to sit between them
We have twin 5 year olds and came from an X5. To me it feels like our kids have more leg room and the width feels the same in the IX My wife is thin and in a pinch could sit between them, but it’s not very comfortable or recommended for long drives. The car works well for us 90 percent of the time. The X7 is nice but it’s a lot of extra space we just don’t need right now in our life. We used our X5 for many short distance trips and it worked fine. More space just means you bring more stuff you don’t need. I don’t expect any issues with our long weekend trips with the IX
Everything might change in three years which is nice about a lease. I am not real inclined to buy a car so I can haul my kids friends or neighbors kids around.
I couldn’t believe the lack of bolstering in the drivers seat and in the back seat.
The rear seat felt bigger, but the materials were very unlike other bmws. Also, the doors feel solid, but the frameless windows make it sound flimsy.
Honestly, the drive was pretty nice and I don’t hate the looks. I was just hoping it would feel closer to an electric x5. I don’t think I can swallow the feel of the cabin
To be honest- I don’t sit in the back seat. Both my kids do and they are in car seats. So I can’t speak for that, nor do I really care as they will be in car seats until the lease is over. As a kid most of my cars had frame-less windows, so it doesn’t bother me at all. The drivers seat took some adjustment, I had to go on the screen and was able to find a comfortable seating position.
It really came down to money. Did I want to buy out my old x5, and are some of these issues worth spending 350 more a month? So far we don’t have any regrets. We love the power and how quiet it is. We also enjoy not having to go to gas stations. Its not a forever car, but works for us well so far
