Ian Sanford drives a BMW iX3 M Sport Pro 80kWh 2022.

This is Ian’s first electric car, he’s owned the BMW iX3 less than 1 year and drives under 5,000 miles annually. The current mileage of the car is between 1,000-5,000 miles and he achieves 265 miles from a full charge.

Why did you choose the BMW iX3?

Because I’ve had a BMW X3 Diesel and all the controls are familiar to me. The car comes with everything including a full length sunroof, the only extra being an electric tow bar. Also, the car received excellent write ups in the motoring press and has proved to be very reliable scoring 99.3% in What Car? magazine’s 2023 reliability survey.

Positives – List 3 or more reasons why you love this electric car

• Build quality
• the way it drives
• virtually everything included in the price.

Negatives – List 3 or more things that you really don’t like about this electric car

Nothing to speak of. Some people have said that it’s a shame it doesn’t have a ‘frunk’ but personally I wouldn’t want to open the bonnet each time I needed access for something, especially as the car has plenty of other storage space. In any case, an aftermarket liner can be obtained to create a ‘frunk’ if so required.

Compared to when you first bought the car, does your battery still charge at the same rate & do you still get the same range?

Yes to both. The range at the start of a journey may only show 225 miles with a full battery but with regenerative braking I have, on one occasion, achieved more than the 283 quoted mileage and regularly achieve 265 miles in all weather conditions.

Have you experienced any faults with the car? If so, what have they been?

No faults – the only time the car has had to go into a garage was for a software update and for the replacement of the driver’s side window after being cracked by a stone thrown up by a passing vehicle. The cost of which was paid for by my insurer.

What are the standout technological features of the car?

• BMW’s excellent iDrive system
• regenerative braking system
• adaptive suspension system
• all-round camera system
• lane departure system
• automatic lights and wipers
• control of functions of the car from the BMW App e.g. ability to prepare the car remotely before leaving which is particularly useful in both hot & cold weather conditions.

Surprise us! Tell us something people wouldn’t readily know about this electric car

The instant acceleration! Although the claimed 0-62 mph time is 6.8 seconds it feels much faster, especially in Sport mode, really useful in tight overtaking situations. The superb build quality makes the car feel really special.

What’s the biggest or funniest myth you’ve heard about EVs?

Poor battery life – in practice many electric cars are now reaching 10 years old or more and still have 90% of their battery capacity even though the technology is dated compared to the latest electric cars.

What electric car(s) are you interested in next and why?

Probably another BMW after my experience so far with this one.

Home charging unit – outline both positive & negative elements 

EN+ 7 kW home charger controlled by a Monta App. I have recently renewed my contract with E.ON and can now charge my car overnight for 9.5 p per kilowatt so a full charge to 100% costs me the princely sum of £6.65 for around 265 miles of motoring! An equivalent diesel powered X3 would, I estimate, cost around £40 for the same mileage. I don’t find the App particularly intuitive but I use the settings in the car itself to control the charging times.

Electricity supplier & tariff – outline both positive & negative elements

E.ON’s (1 year) Next Drive Fixed tariff which has a day rate of 33.607 pence and a night rate of 9.5 pence with a standing charge of 43.657 pence per day.

What public charging networks would you recommend to others and why?

I’ve only used one public charging point so far when I was on holiday. I have a Shell Recharge card and when I used the fast charge point at a Shell garage in Cheltenham it worked without any problem and my card was debited with the cost a month later. However, the man in the Toyota next to me couldn’t get his car to charge and, after trying for 30 minutes, drove off very frustrated.

My main gripe is the lack of charge points and the fact that, when you do find one, they will often be out of service. I am retired so charging at home works for me but if I was still working and had to travel long distances I would have to think twice about having a fully electric car because of the poor charging infrastructure in many parts of the country.

Insurer – outline both positive & negative elements 

SAGA Insurance – at a cost of £581.66 per annum, a fixed price for three years. The policy even covers recovery of the vehicle by the RAC should I run out of power. My claim for the cracked window was initially rejected because I used my BMW dealer to replace the glass rather than one of their approved repairers. But when I explain to SAGA’s CEO that the work entailed dismantling the driver’s door which contained lots of electrical wiring etc. and not merely fitting a windscreen, they agreed to pay for the work.

Please itemise where you’re saving money (or not) owning & running a BMW iX3

£70 per month.

See other BMW iX3 Owner Reviews here