Rival: 2026 BMW iX3 reviews are impressive... R2 has its work cut out

[emoore]

iX3 and the Scout Traveler squeezing Rivian in the middle. Scout will have real off-road chops, >350 mlies range, 800V charging, and starts under $60k (and Rivian electronics / software). R2 will struggle if they have cheaped out on the range or if the charging curve is disappointing. The 400V is not a deal killer in itself. Even at 200kw, you can go from 10-80% in 20 minutes on a 100 kwh battery (with a perfectly flat charge curve). We will have to see what sort of black magic LG and Rivian have up their sleeve to get a decent ~350 miles of range and good charging. Holding out (a little) hope.

I'd be way more willing to believe the iX3 starting price estimate vs. Scout. No way Scout will start under $60k.

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[DuoRivians]

iX3 and the Scout Traveler squeezing Rivian in the middle. Scout will have real off-road chops, >350 mlies range, 800V charging, and starts under $60k (and Rivian electronics / software). R2 will struggle if they have cheaped out on the range or if the charging curve is disappointing. The 400V is not a deal killer in itself. Even at 200kw, you can go from 10-80% in 20 minutes on a 100 kwh battery (with a perfectly flat charge curve). We will have to see what sort of black magic LG and Rivian have up their sleeve to get a decent ~350 miles of range and good charging. Holding out (a little) hope.

It’s an unknown at the moment, but Lucid will be announcing their $50K midsize suv soon too. It’ll have great charging and efficiency, if their other cars are any indication. Slated for 2027 release.

 

[TexasBob]

I'd be way more willing to believe the iX3 starting price estimate vs. Scout. No way Scout will start under $60k.

Why is that? VW is ~4x the size of BMW. They have far more purchasing scale to drive out cost, and BMW has to cover a 15% tariff that Scout will avoid. Not saying you are wrong, but they did broadcast under $60k pretty widely.

 

[emoore]

Why is that? VW is ~4x the size of BMW. They have far more purchasing scale to drive out cost, and BMW has to cover a 15% tariff that Scout will avoid. Not saying you are wrong, but they did broadcast under $60k pretty widely.

Unless they decide to go cheap on the interior there is no way they can meet those starting prices in 2027/2028. A Chevy Tahoe starts at $60k. Not a chance that a Scout starts under that.

 

[DuoRivian]

Well is that the case with other BMWs? Is it 1:1 for an X3 or 5 series?

3 series : 330e Sport GBP47k, 330i $47.5
X3 : X3 30e is GBP55k, 30 Xdrive $51k
X5 : X5 50e M Sport GBP80k, 50e $75k
i4: 35 GBP54k, 40 $58k
iX : 45 GBP76k, 45 $75k

Pretty much 1:1 especially for the i models.

 

[Kaitlyn2004]

Not having 800v is going to come back to haunt R2. Imo. Unless they really beefed up battery cooling for these new cells.

whats the TLDR of why no 800v will prove to be a big mistake? R2 will be my first EV

 

[DuoRivians]

whats the TLDR of why no 800v will prove to be a big mistake? R2 will be my first EV

IMO, the competition is quickly offering 800v charging as the standard. Ie you can get 800v charging capability without paying more.

Rivian decided to stick with 400v for cost reasons. But, the possible mistake is that the industry is quickly evolving to 800v faster than Rivian might have anticipated.

 

[mkhuffman]

whats the TLDR of why no 800v will prove to be a big mistake? R2 will be my first EV

I don't think it is a "big mistake". My R1 can go from 10% to 80% in around 30 minutes. That is pretty much perfect. Sure, a 800V solution could do it in 20 minutes. So what? If I am going to spend 20 minutes peeing and eating some food, another 10 minutes is no big deal.

All of Tesla's vehicles except the Cybertruck are 400V, and they sell just fine. Better than fine.

 

[DuoRivian]

I don't think it is a "big mistake". My R2 can go from 10% to 80% in around 30 minutes. That is pretty much perfect. Sure, a 800V solution could do it in 20 minutes. So what? If I am going to spend 20 minutes peeing and eating some food, another 10 minutes is no big deal.

All of Tesla's vehicles except the Cybertruck are 400V, and they sell just fine. Better than fine.

I agree that 800v is not the most important thing but charging speed and thermals matter. Hopefully Rivian has fixed that for the R2.
Some of the Rivian innovations like the zonal ECU architecture appear here in the BMW.

 

[usulio]

whats the TLDR of why no 800v will prove to be a big mistake? R2 will be my first EV

800V architecture in theory can charge much faster (up to twice as fast) as 400V. However, I don't agree about it being a big mistake because I doubt most charging infrastructure can take advantage of 800V. Between that and the fact that the battery packs aren't that large, I don't see it as a dealbreaker.

 

[windblowlc]

IX3 and R2 are both great EVs but R2 can't match the 800V, 400KW charging, 400 miles range, fit & finish and especially the BMW ride and handling. I'm reconsidering my R2 reservations.

 

[mkhuffman]

I agree that 800v is not the most important thing but charging speed and thermals matter. Hopefully Rivian has fixed that for the R2.
Some of the Rivian innovations like the zonal ECU architecture appear here in the BMW.

I definitely hope the Gen3 R1 has 800V charging, but after the OTA update that optimized the charging curve, I have to admit it is pretty great. Much, much faster than my Mach-e was.

My limit is about 40 minutes. If I need to charge longer than that, it is very painful. I love traveling now because it isn't painful. Not at all.

The other thing to consider is the impact of 800V when charging on a 400V charger. The Lucid Gravity has the best approach to that, but some 800V vehicles choke on a 400V charger. It is an extra cost and extra headache Rivian doesn't need if they can make the R2 charge as fast as the R1 on a 400V charger.

 

[Kaitlyn2004]

is this 800v architecture really only a charging speed thing? I have to imagine it, at least in theory, offers benefits in other areas?

 

[DuoRivian]

I definitely hope the Gen3 R1 has 800V charging, but after the OTA update that optimized the charging curve, I have to admit it is pretty great. Much, much faster than my Mach-e was.

My limit is about 40 minutes. If I need to charge longer than that, it is very painful. I love traveling now because it isn't painful. Not at all.

The other thing to consider is the impact of 800V when charging on a 400V charger. The Lucid Gravity has the best approach to that, but some 800V vehicles choke on a 400V charger. It is an extra cost and extra headache Rivian doesn't need if they can make the R2 charge as fast as the R1 on a 400V charger.

All fair points. I don’t do much fast charging so I am not too concerned on this point. The BMW is very competitive in other areas including efficiency and range. We should hopefully have the R2 configuration in the next 3 or so months.

 

[Mark_AZR1T]

Both vehicles tested were priced at about €85,000, roughly $100,000 USD, equipped with the large battery. At a steady 70 mph in light rain in Spain, he estimated the real-world range at around 320 miles.

Am I thinking of a different review, or is this the one you saw?

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