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

[TexasBob]

I was pointing out that the regulation is stupid and unnecessary. We can't make vehicles pedestrian proof. If you get hit by a 4,000 lbs vehicle, it is going to be bad. Should the government mandate foam on the front of all vehicles? Maybe they can put air bags on the front instead. Stupid. Accidents happen. We don't need to regulate everything.

Would it matter to you if you learned that the regulation is sensible and life-saving?
TLDR these and similar "stupid" regulations saved around 20,000 lives over the past 10 years. In the US, we could prevent around 3,000 deaths a year if we adopted similar strategies and if we adopted safer vehicle styles.

Here is some data just in case it might be of interest:
The Buehler & Pucher study in Transport Reviews (Vol. 41 No. 1, 2021) is the canonical source for per-km comparisons. Key numbers:

• 1990–2018: US pedestrian fatalities per capita fell 23%. UK/Germany/Netherlands/Denmark fell 66–80%.
• In 2018, US pedestrian fatalities per km were 5–10× higher than in those four countries.
• 2010–2018 alone: US per-km pedestrian fatality rate rose 17% while EU peer rates fell or held flat.
• Streetsblog summary of the same study: 11.2 US pedestrian deaths per 100 million km walked (2016–2018), versus roughly 1 in the Netherlands.

CDC also published a 2025 MMWR paper covering 2013–2022 across 28 high-income countries. US pedestrian death rate rose 50% (1.55 → 2.33 per 100k); the median across the other 27 countries fell ~25%. The US has the highest pedestrian death rate of the group.

IIHS injury risk curves (2024, Monfort et al.):

• Pedestrian struck at 20 mph: ~1% fatality risk.
• At 35 mph: ~19% fatality risk.
• At 50 mph: >80% fatality risk.

So "it's going to be bad" is empirically false at urban speeds — unless the vehicle's front end is tall and blunt, which shifts the entire curve left.

IIHS 2023 study (n ≈ 18,000 pedestrian crashes):

• Vehicles with hood height >40 inches are 45% more likely to kill a struck pedestrian than vehicles with hoods ≤30 inches and a sloping profile.
• For hoods between 30–40 inches, blunt/vertical front ends raise risk further.
• Flat hoods (≤15° angle) carry a 25% higher fatality risk regardless of height.

IIHS 2024 follow-up (Monfort et al.):

• Same impact speed produces worse injuries in the US than in Germany, and the gap is fully explained by US fleet composition (taller pickups/SUVs).
• Vehicle weight is not the dominant factor — "any vehicle, even a small car, vastly outweighs a person" (IIHS). Front-end height and shape are what determine where the body is struck and whether it goes under the wheels.

Tyndall (University of Hawaii): every 10 cm of additional front-end height = 22% increase in pedestrian fatality risk. His earlier work attributed >8,100 US pedestrian deaths between 2000–2019 specifically to the substitution of pickups/SUVs for passenger cars.

Journal of Safety Research (2022): children are 8× more likely to be killed when struck by an SUV or light truck than by a passenger car.

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[mkhuffman]

Would it matter to you if you learned that the regulation is sensible and life-saving?
TLDR these and similar "stupid" regulations saved around 20,000 lives over the past 10 years. In the US, we could prevent around 3,000 deaths a year if we adopted similar strategies and if we adopted safer vehicle styles.

Here is some data just in case it might be of interest:
The Buehler & Pucher study in Transport Reviews (Vol. 41 No. 1, 2021) is the canonical source for per-km comparisons. Key numbers:

• 1990–2018: US pedestrian fatalities per capita fell 23%. UK/Germany/Netherlands/Denmark fell 66–80%.
• In 2018, US pedestrian fatalities per km were 5–10× higher than in those four countries.
• 2010–2018 alone: US per-km pedestrian fatality rate rose 17% while EU peer rates fell or held flat.
• Streetsblog summary of the same study: 11.2 US pedestrian deaths per 100 million km walked (2016–2018), versus roughly 1 in the Netherlands.

CDC also published a 2025 MMWR paper covering 2013–2022 across 28 high-income countries. US pedestrian death rate rose 50% (1.55 → 2.33 per 100k); the median across the other 27 countries fell ~25%. The US has the highest pedestrian death rate of the group.

IIHS injury risk curves (2024, Monfort et al.):

• Pedestrian struck at 20 mph: ~1% fatality risk.
• At 35 mph: ~19% fatality risk.
• At 50 mph: >80% fatality risk.

So "it's going to be bad" is empirically false at urban speeds — unless the vehicle's front end is tall and blunt, which shifts the entire curve left.

IIHS 2023 study (n ≈ 18,000 pedestrian crashes):

• Vehicles with hood height >40 inches are 45% more likely to kill a struck pedestrian than vehicles with hoods ≤30 inches and a sloping profile.
• For hoods between 30–40 inches, blunt/vertical front ends raise risk further.
• Flat hoods (≤15° angle) carry a 25% higher fatality risk regardless of height.

IIHS 2024 follow-up (Monfort et al.):

• Same impact speed produces worse injuries in the US than in Germany, and the gap is fully explained by US fleet composition (taller pickups/SUVs).
• Vehicle weight is not the dominant factor — "any vehicle, even a small car, vastly outweighs a person" (IIHS). Front-end height and shape are what determine where the body is struck and whether it goes under the wheels.

Tyndall (University of Hawaii): every 10 cm of additional front-end height = 22% increase in pedestrian fatality risk. His earlier work attributed >8,100 US pedestrian deaths between 2000–2019 specifically to the substitution of pickups/SUVs for passenger cars.

Journal of Safety Research (2022): children are 8× more likely to be killed when struck by an SUV or light truck than by a passenger car.

I think there are a lot more variables than the strength and shape of the hood. The USA has a much higher percentage of big vehicles. Big trucks. Big SUVs. The vehicle makeup is vastly different from the EU. Yet in 2007, their fatality rate was so much higher? It makes no sense based on the data you provided. In fact, why has it increased in the USA?

Maybe it is related to all the regulations they have put in place in the EU to limit traffic in cities, where pedestrian risk is the highest. Fewer cars, fewer interactions with pedestrians. Maybe that is the real reason.

Definitely the increase in the USA has nothing to do with hoods, because we didn't change anything. And we are driving those stupid EU cars here also. Lots of them.

 

[mellowthecat]

Fast charging doesn’t matter to me so much but the EX60 and iX3 are compelling options.

BMW: Fast charging, 400+ mile range, 4.6s 0-60, $60k ish, base spec with cheap color options

Volvo: Fast charging, 330 mile range, 4.6s 0-60, $58k ish, good spec (glass roof, heated/cooled seats, premium stereo) with cheap or free color options

Rivian: medium charging, 330 mile range, 3.6s 0-60, $58k ish, good spec (comparable to Volvo) with potentially $2-4k for paint and interior color options.

Depending on what is important to you, you have choices.

Does anyone know when the iX3 and EX60 pricing will be out? Claude was trying to tell me that the p12 EX60 is going to be $70-80k

 

[Jeremy3292]

iX3 is starting at $60k. The Rivian R2 is starting at $45k. So wait and see what you actually get for $60k with BMW. My guess is the “trim you want” is probably $70k or so. Will be interesting to see if you get this crazy 400+ mile range for $60k or it’s like a base model R2 with far less range.

This wording on BMW’s website doesn’t really make you feel good it does:

The first-ever iX3 50 xDrive is coming summer of 2026, with an MSRP starting around $60,000, and an estimated range of up to 400 miles.

 

[mellowthecat]

iX3 is starting at $60k. The Rivian R2 is starting at $45k. So wait and see what you actually get for $60k with BMW. My guess is the “trim you want” is probably $70k or so. Will be interesting to see if you get this crazy 400+ mile range for $60k or it’s like a base model R2 with far less range.

This wording on BMW’s website doesn’t really make you feel good it does:

The first-ever iX3 50 xDrive is coming summer of 2026, with an MSRP starting around $60,000, and an estimated range of up to 400 miles.

If a ex60 p12 or a ix60 xdrive is needed to get the 400 mile range, and they’re above $65 or $70k, I’m out. These are very interesting at $65k or below. Above that I rather have an R2 premium.

 

[Jeremy3292]

If a ex60 p12 or a ix60 xdrive is needed to get the 400 mile range, and they’re above $65 or $70k, I’m out. These are very interesting at $65k or below. Above that I rather have an R2 premium.

Agreed. 99% of the time manufacturers market you the starting price but show you the highest trim features. It’s a tale as old as time. The ole starting at $50k but “as shown here $80k” lol. They wouldn’t say “up to 400 miles” if all the trims have the same miles. My guess the $60k trim is in the low 300s miles same as every other similar EV in this price range.

 

[TexasBob]

iX3 is starting at $60k. The Rivian R2 is starting at $45k. So wait and see what you actually get for $60k with BMW. My guess is the “trim you want” is probably $70k or so. Will be interesting to see if you get this crazy 400+ mile range for $60k or it’s like a base model R2 with far less range.

This wording on BMW’s website doesn’t really make you feel good it does:

The first-ever iX3 50 xDrive is coming summer of 2026, with an MSRP starting around $60,000, and an estimated range of up to 400 miles.

We actually know that the ix3 50 AWD with 400+ miles of range and 20" wheels is the 60k version. The ix40 and other variants will be next year.

 

[Jeremy3292]

We actually know that the ix3 50 AWD with 400+ miles of range and 20" wheels is the 60k version. The ix40 and other variants will be next year.

Sorry, where was that confirmed? I must’ve missed it. BMW confirmed the starting price of $60k gives you 400 miles of range? Bc it says “up to” and “starting at” which means there are multiple trims other wise it wouldn’t say “up to”. But if what you said is true then that’s good for $60k.

 

[mellowthecat]

The first-ever iX3 50 xDrive is coming summer of 2026, with an MSRP starting around $60,000, and an estimated range of up to 400 miles.

Doesn’t BMW have 2 trim levels, X and E drive? With X drive being the higher of the two. If around $60k is the upper level trim, this is very compelling.

 

[blipit]

Sorry, where was that confirmed? I must’ve missed it. BMW confirmed the starting price of $60k gives you 400 miles of range? Bc it says “up to” and “starting at” which means there are multiple trims other wise it wouldn’t say “up to”. But if what you said is true then that’s good for $60k.

BMW iX3 40 sdrive and xdrive both will start under $55k. The 50 xdrive with 400+ mile range starts at $60k.

Pulled from BMW press release:
"The first-ever BMW iX3 50 xDrive debuts in summer 2026 with a starting MSRP under $60,000 and an estimated range of up to 400 miles, followed in early 2027 by the iX3 40 sDrive and iX3 40 xDrive, both starting under $55,000 with ranges just over 300 miles."

Also supposedly the official EPA figure for 50 xdrive will be 434 miles. It was leaked on BMW site for a couple days.

 

[Jeremy3292]

BMW iX3 40 sdrive and xdrive both will start under $55k. The 50 xdrive with 400+ mile range starts at $60k.

Pulled from BMW press release:
"The first-ever BMW iX3 50 xDrive debuts in summer 2026 with a starting MSRP under $60,000 and an estimated range of up to 400 miles, followed in early 2027 by the iX3 40 sDrive and iX3 40 xDrive, both starting under $55,000 with ranges just over 300 miles."

Also supposedly the official EPA figure for 50 xdrive will be 434 miles. It was leaked on BMW site for a couple days.

Yes, it’s the “up to” wording that has me cautioned. Seems unnecessary to add if the range is 400 or 434 miles for the $60k trim. Maybe I’m just paranoid but I’ve seen this dog and pony show with many OEMs before. Thank you for sharing the info though. I hope BMW delivers!

 

[blipit]

Yes, it’s the “up to” wording that has me cautioned. Seems unnecessary to add if the range is 400 or 434 miles for the $60k trim. Maybe I’m just paranoid but I’ve seen this dog and pony show with many OEMs before. Thank you for sharing the info though. I hope BMW delivers!

The $60k 50 xdrive is only one battery size(112kwh), so nothing really to be paranoid about. The ranges will vary by wheel size, like all brands. The 434 EPA number was likey done with the smallest 20 inch wheels.

BMW always has underrated all their specs, including range numbers of their EVs. They do it with their ICE vehicles with HP/TQ. They always dyno over stated specs. Bjorn just tested 50 xdrive 100-0% in cold weather, constant 50mph resulted in 497 mile range(vehicle tester had 21 inch wheels).

 

[SASSquatch]

People generally dismissed BMW when it came out with the i3 EV in 2013. I think BMW is going to get the last laugh with the i3x. It looks extremely compelling, especially for soccer moms already driving an X3 ice equivalent...

 

[blipit]

People generally dismissed BMW when it came out with the i3 EV in 2013. I think BMW is going to get the last laugh with the i3x. It looks extremely compelling, especially for soccer moms already driving an X3 ice equivalent...

They seem to be leading in EV specs for the legacy brands. The new i3 with 440 miles and 400kw charging is another example.

It just leaked the new iX5 will have a 147kwh battery pack.

 

[DuoRivians]

They seem to be leading in EV specs for the legacy brands. The new i3 with 440 miles and 400kw charging is another example.

It just leaked the new iX5 will have a 147kwh battery pack.

That’s impressive. I wish the iX5 can accommodate 7 people. I’d seriously consider replacing our R1S if it did

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