It’s always good to get some perspective on new and innovative ideas. Often times, we can get caught up in petty arguments about small details, such as exact range figures and 0-60 mph times. However, when you can get a different perspective on an electric car, from someone who’s been testing and reviewing cars since the ’90s, it can help to better understand said car. Such is the case with the BMW iX and this new video from Harry Metcalf.
Harry Metcalf was one of the founding members of EVO Magazine back in the ’90s. Since then, even though he no longer owns it, he’s tested and reviewed some of the greatest cars on the planet. He’s also owned countless fantastic machines, the sorts of timeless classics that us nerds can only dream of owning. So when he tests out a very new, clean-sheet design like the BMW iX, it’s well worth listening to his opinion.
In this new video, Metcalf walks us through the exterior design, the interior design, its performance, and its range. Through the video, it really surprises me how much Metcalf seems to like the iX. He even said he’s getting used to the grille, which is shocking.
More importantly, though, is that he likes the way it drives. It’s bonkers fast, thanks to its 516 horsepower and 564 lb-ft of torque from its dual electric motors. And, while the steering feel itself is quite numb, the iX is a more agile car than it looks.
The BMW iX is also a shockingly comfortable car with among the quietest interiors on the market. In fact, Metcalf did some instrumented testing and found that the iX is the quietest car he’s ever tested.
Are there flaws? Of course. For one thing, the new touch-everything controls are frustrating. Just putting on heated seats requires using the iDrive screen, which is foolish. Also, the BMW iX is expensive, we’re talking Range Rover Autobiography-expensive. However, Metcalf seems impressed with the iX as a whole; its drive, its tech, its interior, its range, and even how it’s made. Check it out.
