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

[savethemanual]

Tariffs on vehicles, auto parts, steel, aluminum and copper, remain in effect and are not impacted by the ruling.

They were placed under different law.

It's still a shit show

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[Mark_AZR1T]

Funny stuff.
US businesses and consumers pay 90% of tariff costs, New York Fed says

Silly and uninformed response. BMW, VW, Mercedes and Porsche are reporting internal financial losses and margin compression because of tariffs. Why? Because they are eating them. No article states that any of those companies have raised prices in the USA due to tariffs. Zero evidence at the dealer level of any MSRP increases because of tariffs.

They can't raise the prices because it is their largest market. The same holds true for Toyota, Lexus, Hyundai.

 

[TexasBob]

Silly and uninformed response. BMW, VW, Mercedes and Porsche are reporting internal financial losses and margin compression because of tariffs. Why? Because they are eating them. No article states that any of those companies have raised prices in the USA due to tariffs. Zero evidence at the dealer level of any MSRP increases because of tariffs.

They can't raise the prices because it is their largest market. The same holds true for Toyota, Lexus, Hyundai.

Ahhh the Dunning-Krugerite arrives. Here is a short summary of the tariff effects for autos so far:

Impact on New Vehicle Prices
The overall average price of a new vehicle in the U.S. surpassed $50,000 for the first time in late 2025 and early 2026.

• Average Increase: Estimates for the average per-vehicle price hike range from $2,000 to $6,400.
• Imported vs. Domestic:
  • Fully Imported Models: These have seen the most drastic increases, with some luxury brands and foreign-made vehicles rising by $5,000 to $10,000.
  • Domestically Produced Vehicles: Despite being assembled in the U.S., these models have increased by an average of $2,500 to $3,000 due to the high volume of imported components (engines, transmissions, electronics) now subject to the 25% duty.
• Specific Brand Adjustments: BMW and Porsche recently announced 2026 model year price hikes ranging from $400 to $1,500 specifically citing tariff pressures.

 

[Virtio]

The Polestar 3 also sort of competes with the R2 (especially at the current price) since they are $20K off for all new 2025 models. The one I looked at was $55K for dual motor and Pilot pack. They are also upgrading all 2025 Polestar 3s to the latest Nvidia chip with 254 TOPS. Sadly, the dealer network is not great and the one near me closed recently so that is a worry.

 

[mkg3]

The Polestar 3 also sort of competes with the R2 (especially at the current price) since they are $20K off for all new 2025 models. The one I looked at was $55K for dual motor and Pilot pack. They are also upgrading all 2025 Polestar 3s to the latest Nvidia chip with 254 TOPS. Sadly, the dealer network is not great and the one near me closed recently so that is a worry.

You might know this already but all Polestar vehicles are serviced at Volvo dealers now. I guess you probably have to drive up to San Jose for one.

 

[Virtio]

You might know this already but all Polestar vehicles are serviced at Volvo dealers now. I guess you probably have to drive up to San Jose for one.

I was wondering about that. Good to know. Thanks!

 

[savethemanual]

The Polestar 3 also sort of competes with the R2 (especially at the current price) since they are $20K off for all new 2025 models. The one I looked at was $55K for dual motor and Pilot pack. They are also upgrading all 2025 Polestar 3s to the latest Nvidia chip with 254 TOPS. Sadly, the dealer network is not great and the one near me closed recently so that is a worry.

The 2026 Polestar 3 has improved motors and they upgraded to 800v architecture for faster DCFC, so a pretty big deal. The prices now are probably not going to hold when the '26 models go on sale though.

 

[Bubbsgrampa]

Man, I hate to be that guy...but the styling is growing on me a bit. I hate it, but can also see myself overlooking it based on those specs. Only time will tell if I warm up to it when it comes stateside.

I'm thinking the same thing....

 

[Shoeshear]

I'm gonna jump in this speculation train for fun. I think if Rivian puts out the R2 AWD that has 300 miles and it costs $60k USD or more, the IX3 is going to be looking mighty appealing (assuming that is actually also delivered as claimed $60kish, 400 miles, etc.).

I also think the BMW is growing on me visually (I hate myself for that), but the R2 is hands down way better looking, IMO. If the R2 is way more comfortable, the might still win me over (ultimately, my wife's car, so her choice, and she thinks the BMW looks super ugly).

 

[runwithscissors]

I'm gonna jump in this speculation train for fun. I think if Rivian puts out the R2 AWD that has 300 miles and it costs $60k USD or more, the IX3 is going to be looking mighty appealing (assuming that is actually also delivered as claimed $60kish, 400 miles, etc.).

I also think the BMW is growing on me visually (I hate myself for that), but the R2 is hands down way better looking, IMO. If the R2 is way more comfortable, the might still win me over (ultimately, my wife's car, so her choice, and she thinks the BMW looks super ugly).

I just drove the X3 rental which is a hybrid that got 30 mpg at 80+mph for a 4+ hour round trip to Savannah. It was pretty impressive and I enjoyed the electronics on it (especially HUD). Driver assistance was rock solid except for having to keep my hands on the wheel a lot. I think BMW is putting out great stuff but I'm not the typical BMW enthusiast who prefers the old design language. The more competition, the better!

 

[Shoeshear]

I just drove the X3 rental which is a hybrid that got 30 mpg at 80+mph for a 4+ hour round trip to Savannah. It was pretty impressive and I enjoyed the electronics on it (especially HUD). Driver assistance was rock solid except for having to keep my hands on the wheel a lot. I think BMW is putting out great stuff but I'm not the typical BMW enthusiast who prefers the old design language. The more competition, the better!

Ah, I definitely miss the older BMWs. E46 M3 was such a good looking and timeless car when I was the most impressionable. I think the pre-facelift M2s looked good, but BMW has done nothing to tug at my heart strings since the M2 comp.

My wife stamped the IX3 as “definitely ugly”, so I’m guessing an R2 is in our future. The R2 is definitely the vehicle that would make me look back after parking. Not sure I can say that about the BMW. The competition is definitely good. Even if Rivian ends up getting swallowed up, the products at the end will hopefully be much better because of the competition.

 

[blipit]

BMW iX3 40 sdrive specs leaked. (single motor, base model)

82.6kwh usable
315hp/370tq
200kg lighter than 50x model
40sdrive and 40xdrive under $55k. Sdrive closer to $50k.

 

[Virtio]

BMW iX3 40 sdrive specs leaked. (single motor, base model)

82.6kwh usable
315hp/370tq
200kg lighter than 50x model
40sdrive and 40xdrive under $55k. Sdrive closer to $50k.

Yep, expected in November 2026 in USA.

 

[MaskedRacerX]

BMW iX3 40 sdrive specs leaked. (single motor, base model)

82.6kwh usable
315hp/370tq
200kg lighter than 50x model
40sdrive and 40xdrive under $55k. Sdrive closer to $50k.

Any info on the 40 xDrive? I figured the 40 was the single motor flavor, but a 40x would be AWD so two motors, so maybe a different output spec (and maybe smaller battery) vs. the 50x?

That aside, can't wait to see some M-spec (M60?) numbers for the iX3

 

[Virtio]

While not a luxury vehicle, the 2026 PHEV RAV4 is pretty popular and was recently updated with over 50 miles of all electric range. They also dropped the starting price below $42K. Fully loaded around $52K. It's almost like an EV with a range extender now that the EV-only range is over 50 miles. Personally, I don't want or need a gas engine but for many this is the best of both worlds (or the worst, depending on how you look at it). The interior is pretty spiffy.

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