Finished R2 demo test drive? Share your review / impressions

[Millbarge]

If I were choosing a daily family hauler, strictly for the city, I'd go iX3 99/100. Where I believe the R2 offers the most compelling use case is it offers 95% of what my Wrangler and Bronco did without compromising any semblance of road manners.

BMW makes a great product, but personally, I just think the R2 looks so much better than the iX3.

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[graytag]

BMW makes a great product, but personally, I just think the R2 looks so much better than the iX3.

agree. I didn’t mention aesthetics as it’s so subjective but I prefer a boxy look.

 

[Jeremy3292]

The aesthetics of R2 is bringing a lot of different types of people into the fold to purchase it.

 

[rvnxyz001]

If I were choosing a daily family hauler, strictly for the city, I'd go iX3 99/100. Where I believe the R2 offers the most

Right, I assumed the iX3 was still a fairly compact SUV, like the X3 used to be, but apparently its cargo floor is even slightly longer and wider than the R2’s, based on the measurements I found online. That small difference could matter for some families.

The BMW does not offer a spare-tire option, though. If you are not getting the spare for the Rivian either and mostly drive on-road, then the decision may come down mainly to price versus range. The iX3 can offer close to 400 miles of range, which could be a major advantage for people who take more road trips.

And CarPlay/AA in bmw will be a huge advantage for some, for sure.

 

[yesimahuman]

Right, I assumed the iX3 was still a fairly compact SUV, like the X3 used to be, but apparently its cargo floor is even slightly longer and wider than the R2’s, based on the measurements I found online. That small difference could matter for some families.

The BMW does not offer a spare-tire option, though. If you are not getting the spare for the Rivian either and mostly drive on-road, then the decision may come down mainly to price versus range. The iX3 can offer close to 400 miles of range, which could be a major advantage for people who take more road trips.

And CarPlay/AA in bmw will be a huge advantage for some, for sure.

For us, the decision to go with Rivian and the R2 in particular is just capability and practicality. I could be wrong but I think a BWM owner is going to find the R2 cheap feeling. If you're just driving around the city and want a luxurious ride I don't know how compelling the R2 is going to be for you. I find it spartan in the way I found my Model Y spartan, which there are pros and cons to of course. The R2 feels less like a rental car than my MY LR did at least.

Before this we were about to get a Lexus RX for my wife but we felt like it was too focused on people that don't really use their SUVs for anything but driving themselves around (the fact that the rear seats didn't fold nice and flat tells you everything). Her and I do a lot of home renovations and she does a lot of vintage furniture refinishing so we're always picking up random furniture or hauling messy things, so the R2 is perfect as our second car. We also have young kids and don't want the stress of them damaging a high end luxury car interior. I doubt we will do much if any offroading but do need good snow capability and will occasionally be on poor dirt roads in remote parts of the state. ymmv

 

[rvnxyz001]

I could be wrong but I think a BWM owner is going to find the R2 cheap feeling.

I’m not convinced the ix3 will feel much more premium than the R2. BMW probably gets better pricing on materials because of its scale, but the ix3 still has an expensive EV drivetrain and battery, and it will be imported from Hungary. It also doesn’t cost that much more than the higher R2 trims.

I also don’t think the $54k–$58k R2 should be judged like a car that was designed from the start to cost $58k. Rivian had to engineer the basic vehicle around a roughly $45k starting price, so the more expensive versions are mostly paying for more battery, performance and equipment, not necessarily a much more expensive interior.

The BMW has some of the same cost pressures, plus shipping and import costs, so I wouldn’t automatically expect a huge jump in material quality. It may still feel better put together, quieter and more refined, but the actual cabin materials could be pretty similar.
I also assumed China is one of the main markets BMW had in mind with this design, where fancy screens, ambient lighting and shiny controls seem to matter a lot...

 

[Jeremy3292]

iX3 is $10k more roughly for the same features as R2 Perfomance, not to mention any (likely) dealership markup.

However, near me in SC they just built the massive BMW battery plant in Woodruff so the electric X vehicles should be made in USA shortly like all the gas X vehicles are. Not sure what the exact models will be but the new battery plant is massive.

 

[mclark2112]

I am driving an i4 right now after turning in my R1S. I have to say BMW makes a fantastic EV, and it is still 100% BMW, which is a good thing. Even though I am currently waiting on a VIN for the R2, I am having doubts. I could keep the i4 for commuting and get a sub $20,000 truck (like a used Maverick or Ridgeline) for my weekend and MTB needs. The BMW is super efficient, and I commute about 80 miles a day. I'm pretty sure I'll get the R2, but BMW is making it hard.

 

[rvnxyz001]

iX3 is $10k more roughly for the same features as R2 Perfomance, not to mention any (likely) dealership markup.

However, near me in SC they just built the massive BMW battery plant in Woodruff so the electric X vehicles should be made in USA shortly like all the gas X vehicles are. Not sure what the exact models will be but the new battery plant is massive.

I had never really looked at BMW before, but I was under the impression that dealers can negotiate discounts because they are not as desirable or reliable as Toyotas. I might be wrong, though.

 

[Lionel_Hutz]

For us, the decision to go with Rivian and the R2 in particular is just capability and practicality. I could be wrong but I think a BWM owner is going to find the R2 cheap feeling. If you're just driving around the city and want a luxurious ride I don't know how compelling the R2 is going to be for you. I find it spartan in the way I found my Model Y spartan, which there are pros and cons to of course. The R2 feels less like a rental car than my MY LR did at least.

Before this we were about to get a Lexus RX for my wife but we felt like it was too focused on people that don't really use their SUVs for anything but driving themselves around (the fact that the rear seats didn't fold nice and flat tells you everything). Her and I do a lot of home renovations and she does a lot of vintage furniture refinishing so we're always picking up random furniture or hauling messy things, so the R2 is perfect as our second car. We also have young kids and don't want the stress of them damaging a high end luxury car interior. I doubt we will do much if any offroading but do need good snow capability and will occasionally be on poor dirt roads in remote parts of the state. ymmv

Remains to be seen on interior quality. The R2's interior quality is far nicer than the newest gen ICE X3, which has a lot of economy quality touchpoints and bad plastics. I haven't been in the iX3 yet.

 

[Jeremy3292]

I had never really looked at BMW before, but I was under the impression that dealers can negotiate discounts because they are not as desirable or reliable as Toyotas. I might be wrong, though.

Only if they can’t sell them.

 

[mellowthecat]

Right, I assumed the iX3 was still a fairly compact SUV, like the X3 used to be, but apparently its cargo floor is even slightly longer and wider than the R2’s, based on the measurements I found online. That small difference could matter for some families.

The BMW does not offer a spare-tire option, though. If you are not getting the spare for the Rivian either and mostly drive on-road, then the decision may come down mainly to price versus range. The iX3 can offer close to 400 miles of range, which could be a major advantage for people who take more road trips.

And CarPlay/AA in bmw will be a huge advantage for some, for sure.

I’m not convinced the ix3 will feel much more premium than the R2. BMW probably gets better pricing on materials because of its scale, but the ix3 still has an expensive EV drivetrain and battery, and it will be imported from Hungary. It also doesn’t cost that much more than the higher R2 trims.

I also don’t think the $54k–$58k R2 should be judged like a car that was designed from the start to cost $58k. Rivian had to engineer the basic vehicle around a roughly $45k starting price, so the more expensive versions are mostly paying for more battery, performance and equipment, not necessarily a much more expensive interior.

The BMW has some of the same cost pressures, plus shipping and import costs, so I wouldn’t automatically expect a huge jump in material quality. It may still feel better put together, quieter and more refined, but the actual cabin materials could be pretty similar.
I also assumed China is one of the main markets BMW had in mind with this design, where fancy screens, ambient lighting and shiny controls seem to matter a lot...

Remains to be seen on interior quality. The R2's interior quality is far nicer than the newest gen ICE X3, which has a lot of economy quality touchpoints and bad plastics. I haven't been in the iX3 yet.

Driven both cars. Materials used in the R2 are nicer. Not as much hard plastic. The dash material is nicer. Seats are more comfortable in the iX3. I could go back and forth and make this very long- If you are just comparing the interiors, there ends up not much between them, and the iX3 does not justify it's $10K price difference. However, the difference is huge in the way they drive. Apples and oranges.

 

[Lionel_Hutz]

Driven both cars. Materials used in the R2 are nicer. Not as much hard plastic. The dash material is nicer. Seats are more comfortable in the iX3. I could go back and forth and make this very long- If you are just comparing the interiors, there ends up is not much between them, and the iX3 does not justify it's $10K price difference. However, the difference is huge in the way they drive. Apples and oranges.

What's your impression on driving? I've been waiting months for an iX3 demo drive at this point.

 

[mellowthecat]

It's a BMW. It drives like a sports car. The 2 biggest differences:

The BMW is buttery smooth. Both the regen and the acceleration are smooth, and the car has plenty of get up and go.

Considerably less body roll in the BMW. Made the R2 feel like a boat

What's your impression on driving? I've been waiting months for an iX3 demo drive at this point.

 

[SANZC02]

My suggestion, anyone interested in the R2 go take a test drive, form your own opinions.

There are so many posts in this thread that make me wonder if I even drove the same vehicle they are talking about.

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