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Apr 30, 2023

BMW iX M60 Review: A Moderately Interesting Performance EV

It's not the most conventional BMW, but that's ok. By fate, I've become a BMW

It's not the most conventional BMW, but that's ok.

By fate, I've become a BMW Guy. I'm no diehard, but my current fleet consists of a 1991 E30 325i, a 1991 E34 M5, and an M2. I've owned countless others before those. Want me to list them? Fine: E60 M5, E39 M5, E36 M3, Z3 M Roadster, 850i, a Spec E30. They're just good performance cars. For better and worse, BMW's model range has come a long way from its performance-oriented classics, and the iX M60 is a clear example of that.

To get acquainted with BMW's new EV crossover, I took it on a soft-roading camping outing. Over roughly 400 miles of highway and backroad driving, I came to appreciate the iX for what it is: an aggressively styled alternative electric people hauler with normies can gawk at and enthusiasts can appreciate as a competent, light-duty performance SUV.

It's no E34 M5, and that's just fine.

- Interior is spacious

- Gives EV customers a good reason not to buy another Tesla

- A comfortable highway cruiser

- Insulates its occupants from the loudness and stress of city driving

- Its looks take some getting used to. Not for everyone

- Adaptive cruise-control tech isn't the most confidence-inspiring. Some automated lane changes are abrupt

- Like many EVs currently on the market, you really feel its weight in the corners

- Pricey

The biggest thing when considering this car is its looks. I and most of the car enthusiasts I showed this car to had immediate reservations about its styling. But, interestingly enough, some of the non-car-passionate folk didn't seem as put off by it.

Up until recently, we haven't seen design language like this from BMW. That in itself, as a BMW enthusiast, is its own pill to swallow. Also, overall, the car is bulbous and a bit whale-like.

By the end of my time with the iX, I mostly came around to it. But it's a tough sell.

The iX M60 packs a dual-motor, all-electric powertrain that BMW says puts out 610 hp and 811 lb-ft of torque. For a moderately sized crossover, that's a lot. But it also weighs an insane 5769 lbs.

Even packing all those pounds, though, the car moves its weight very well. BMW claims a 0-60 time of 3.6 seconds, and you very much feel its potency when you step on the throttle. It carries real speed.

Thanks to its previously mentioned whale-like structure, the interior is very airy. It's a nice place to pack on the miles, even if you're carrying all your friends or family. BMW's Panoramic Sky Lounge LED Roof also adds to this open-air feeling. It allows the interior's sky view to go from fully transparent to opaque at the touch of a button.

The iX M60 comes standard with adaptive air suspension with adjustable height functions. With that hardware, you can adjust the car's ride through drive modes, a feature that is welcome and expected on a high-trim crossover that starts at $106,000.

On the highway, the iX absorbs most road imperfections well. But even with all that adjustability, on a bumpy dirt road or a cratered city street, the iX M60 still suffers mildly from classic BMW suspension harshness. Overall, it's comfortable enough. If anything, the extra suspension feel is a reminder that this car sports an M badge on the back.

BMW sells the iX M60 with 21-inch wheels or optional 22-inchers with a variety of rubber options. Our tester rode on the standard 21-inch dual-color wheels wrapped with Pirelli P Zero tires. Though some of the larger wheel options have more design flair, these 21s fit the car well. I didn't get the car into any sticky traction situations, but in normal road use, they held up just find during our limited test.

The M60 trim also comes with blue M brake calipers which BMW says "provide extra stopping power" over the base-model iX. Hauling nearly 6000 pounds of electric whale around, you definitely want the best brakes you can get. These didn't disappoint. The iX also has adjustable regenerative braking which is easy to get accustomed to, especially if you have previous EV experience.

My charging experience with the iX M60 was limited to bouncing between DC Fast Chargers. Since I was camping in the woods, an area with limited electricity of any kind, I didn't risk running the battery down to the oughts.

In Car and Driver's testing, the iX M60 outperformed its 288-mile EPA range, delivering 290 miles of range

The iX feels strongly BMW overall, but there are some quirks around the car that give it extra pizzazz. Some more ridiculous than others.

Here you can see the crystal-looking infotainment control. This material also makes an appearance on the door-mounted seat adjusters. Another neat quirk of the iX is its exposed carbon fiber that peaks out around the car, for example, around its open tailgate. Then there's the fancy button-controlled tint sunroof I mentioned earlier, and the odd, reach-in exterior door handles.

I'm not even sure you can call those handles, by their design.

I enjoyed my time with the iX. It's a weird car. It brings character, in its own strange ways, to what could otherwise be another cookie-cutter EV. It's not just another model range hole filler. But it is pricey.

For an enthusiast, it's fun (in its own oddball way) to dig into its right pedal and toss the iX's weight around corners. If you have the range for all that horseplay, that is.

If you're looking for a luxury electric crossover and you have the extra coin to spare, it's absolutely worth considering.

A native of the famously car-loving city of New York, Road & Track's digital director is constantly surrounded by beat-up old project cars. Brown's daily driver is a problematic manual-swapped 1991 BMW 325i sedan, but for special occasions he pulls out his E34 M5 of the same vintage. Before R&T, Brown worked at Jalopnik, The Drive, and Business Insider, starting in the industry in 2015.

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