[Ludwig Van Beemer]

I'm not new to Bimmers or electric stuff, as my PHEV X3 30e is my 15th BMW, and I also work for an EV manufacturer (although, admittedly, Powersports is different from Automotive and not everything correlates 1:1).

That said, full-EV is a decent-sized step for me, but it's honestly nowhere near as big of a leap as iDrive 8 or any of the other quirks of the iX.

So I just wanted to make sure that the weeks of reading I've done on this and other sites has given me the accurate info that I want. I hope you'll indulge me this long-ass post, and TIA for everyone who reads it and replies.

Charging to xx% - I see a bunch of threads asking to what percentage you charge your iX. I'm assuming this is in reference to when you're using a public charger or faster like Level 3? I always just plug my PHEV and my EV bikes into my home 120 charger at night and leave them plugged in until they charge up to 100%. That last ~10% takes the longest, and so when I use a public station with my bikes, I just charge enough to get home and then pop it into the wall. Is there any reason why I wouldn't want to go to 100% at home?

Iconic Sound - I don't necessarily mind it, but in my longer test drives I ultimately ended up finding it intrusive most of the time. It'd be great to (a) be able to just dial it down a bit so it doesn't overpower the radio, and (b) be able to leave it on in just the modes where it doesn't interfere. I see the threads on where I can turn it off, but it seems like that means it's off in all modes, no matter what?

Modes - speaking of which, is it true that Personal isn't customizable? Or that it's limited? I'm fine with the other modes being pre-set, but ideally I'd love to be able to completely customize my one go-to mode. And the Relax mode automatically turning on the seat massager was annoying. If I turn that off, does it stay off the next time I get in the car and select that mode? Or is that something I gotta futz with every time?

Model Years - I see a lot about updates, but they don't seem to be specific to any model year. I drove a '23 and I'm looking to buy a '24. Anything drastically different between the two years?

Window tint - finding the right % and color to match the rears on my previous BMW SUVs was a bit of trial-and-error, so I'm hoping someone out there has actually figured out the correct brand to use on the front windows so it doesn't look goofy.

Sunroof - All the M60s at my dealer have the sunroom, which wouldn't be my first choice since I don't see the point in having one if it doesn't friggin' open. Or at least have an actual shade. I was unimpressed with the 'dark' electronic setting, and am leaning towards a very mild tint on the inside. I don't buy the "it'll make it shatter in the sunlight" argument, but was looking for anyone who's tinted it and the % recommended.

Tires - the one I'm looking to buy has the optional 22s with non-RFT summer performance tires. I'm guessing that between the power/torque and the weight, they're not going to last long? Would love to hear from other M60 owners about how many miles they got out of em before having to spend another $2k+ on rubber lol.

Front license plate - despite living in a state where it's legally required, I won't run one. Even if it means the occasional ticket. But all the cars on the lot have a plate hanger on the front. Are they really just held on with sticky tape? If I remove it, I'm really hoping there's no holes drilled in the plastic behind it :/

Self-healing grill - I've seen photos of people who put a thin layer of tinted PPF on it and I love the way that dials down the apparent size. Anyone here done that? I can't imagine it'd screw up the sensors, but you never know...


Honestly, that's about it. I love the way the car drives, and I like the way it looks and feels. I'm bummed that there's absolutely nothing that can be done on this car (like VIM) with Bimmercode, so really I'm just hoping that I don't end up with a car that's too rigid in its factory setup that I can't enjoy it.

[LuisBoston]

Charging to 100%: you want to only to do this rarely. If I were you, I’d set it to 80 or 90% max and forget it unless you’re going on a road trip and will drive soon after it reaches 100%. Something about the battery being full is harmful in the long run, which since your buying, not leasing, matters.

23 vs 24: a pretty significant difference is idrive 8.5. 2024s get idrive 8.5 and you get Active Highway Assistant which means hands free at up to 85 mph. My 2023 can only go hands free up to 40 mph and is hardware limited to idrive 8. There’s a rumor that 24s might also be updatable to eye tracking hands-free lane changing. I’m almost certain that won’t come to 23s.

24s also have slightly revised seats to eliminate headrest discomfort for shorter people; on earlier vehicles there’s a service bulletin that provides a free “pillow” insert for the hole if requested.

[Ludwig Van Beemer]

Originally Posted by LuisBoston

Charging to 100%: you want to only to do this rarely. If I were you, I’d set it to 80 or 90% max and forget it unless you’re going on a road trip and will drive soon after it reaches 100%. Something about the battery being full is harmful in the long run, which since your buying, not leasing, matters.

This is fascinating to me, as on our EVs, they are limited to only charging to the nominal max and not the actual max kWh. So while the dash may read "100%" it's not the FULL capacity, but rather 100% of the nominal amount. It seems odd that BMW would engineer the charger to keep going to true 100% capacity, but I've seen stranger things than that.

Originally Posted by LuisBoston

23 vs 24: a pretty significant difference is idrive 8.5. 2024s get idrive 8.5 and you get Active Highway Assistant which means hands free at up to 85 mph. My 2023 can only go hands free up to 40 mph and is hardware limited to idrive 8. There’s a rumor that 24s might also be updatable to eye tracking hands-free lane changing. I’m almost certain that won’t come to 23s.

OK, so I looked up 8 vs 8.5 and it seems the big differences are having icons at the bottom of the scree and it's faster. That's cool. I honestly don't care about things like self drive, eye tracking, and lane changing, though. I know that's not the norm, but I'm really just looking for an EV that's as close to a normal BMW SUV as I can get. Features just don't do it for me, lol.

Originally Posted by LuisBoston

24s also have slightly revised seats to eliminate headrest discomfort for shorter people; on earlier vehicles there’s a service bulletin that provides a free “pillow” insert for the hole if requested.

I hadn't noticed the seats being different, but it's nice to know that the car I'm looking it is more comfortable

[Paladin1]

Charging to xx% - I see a bunch of threads asking to what percentage you charge your iX. I'm assuming this is in reference to when you're using a public charger or faster like Level 3? I always just plug my PHEV and my EV bikes into my home 120 charger at night and leave them plugged in until they charge up to 100%. That last ~10% takes the longest, and so when I use a public station with my bikes, I just charge enough to get home and then pop it into the wall. Is there any reason why I wouldn't want to go to 100% at home?p

Charging to 100% - and leaving it there - will degrade/reduce a Li-ion battery's maximum charge faster than not charging it to the max. Any Li-ion battery. How much specifically for the iX hasn't been determined AFAIK - too many variables in there, and too few years on the road. BMW did warranty their battery not to lose over 30% capacity during the 8-year warranty, so that's probably a good starting point. If you started with 105 kWh usable capacity battery, limited DCFC episodes (heat also degrades the battery), and charged conservatively, at the end of the warranty you should have a battery that will deliver no less than 71.5 kWh when fully charged and still be within warranty specs. Very likely it would lose much less than that, but for the sake of argument. If constantly charging to 100% causes it to degrade 10% faster, you'd be left with 63 kWh. But right now, no one knows that number. Real -world Teslas have lost about 10% over 3 or 4 years, maxed to 90% or less, average.

Iconic Sound - I don't necessarily mind it, but in my longer test drives I ultimately ended up finding it intrusive most of the time. It'd be great to (a) be able to just dial it down a bit so it doesn't overpower the radio, and (b) be able to leave it on in just the modes where it doesn't interfere. I see the threads on where I can turn it off, but it seems like that means it's off in all modes, no matter what?

Yep, off is off. I actually like the iconic sounds in Personal and Sport because they provide auditory feedback on what the car is doing, but some prefer silence. I haven't found them intrusive, other than the whacko Mode themes.

Modes - speaking of which, is it true that Personal isn't customizable? Or that it's limited? I'm fine with the other modes being pre-set, but ideally I'd love to be able to completely customize my one go-to mode. And the Relax mode automatically turning on the seat massager was annoying. If I turn that off, does it stay off the next time I get in the car and select that mode? Or is that something I gotta futz with every time?

The only customizable Mode is Sport (Personal isn't). The car will only start up in Personal, Relax or Expressive (Digital Art has disappeared for some reason). Relax and Expressive Mode will start with the massager on.

Model Years - I see a lot about updates, but they don't seem to be specific to any model year. I drove a '23 and I'm looking to buy a '24. Anything drastically different between the two years?

Depending on the actual date of manufacture, you will get iD8.0 or 8.5. All 2024 models will have v8,5, some 2023 models will have it (later in the year). iD8 is not upgradeable. Model years may differ on what options are available, again depending on date.

Window tint - finding the right % and color to match the rears on my previous BMW SUVs was a bit of trial-and-error, so I'm hoping someone out there has actually figured out the correct brand to use on the front windows so it doesn't look goofy.

My fronts are XPEL 35% and are slightly lighter than the rears (historically 20% from BMW, although some have measured darker), but not really noticeable to me..

Sunroof - All the M60s at my dealer have the sunroom, which wouldn't be my first choice since I don't see the point in having one if it doesn't friggin' open. Or at least have an actual shade. I was unimpressed with the 'dark' electronic setting, and am leaning towards a very mild tint on the inside. I don't buy the "it'll make it shatter in the sunlight" argument, but was looking for anyone who's tinted it and the % recommended.

My sunroof is also tinted with XPEL 35%, but the roof rejects heat very well as-is, and the frosted shading is effective.

Tires - the one I'm looking to buy has the optional 22s with non-RFT summer performance tires. I'm guessing that between the power/torque and the weight, they're not going to last long? Would love to hear from other M60 owners about how many miles they got out of em before having to spend another $2k+ on rubber lol.

Any performance tire will wear faster - owners have reported 10k.

[Ludwig Van Beemer]

Originally Posted by Paladin1

Charging to xx%
Charging to 100% - and leaving it there - will degrade/reduce a Li-ion battery's maximum charge faster than not charging it to the max. Any Li-ion battery. How much specifically for the iX hasn't been determined AFAIK - too many variables in there, and too few years on the road. BMW did warranty their battery not to lose over 30% capacity during the 8-year warranty, so that's probably a good starting point. If you started with 105 kWh usable capacity battery, limited DCFC episodes (heat also degrades the battery), and charged conservatively, at the end of the warranty you should have a battery that will deliver no less than 71.5 kWh when fully charged and still be within warranty specs. Very likely it would lose much less than that, but for the sake of argument. If constantly charging to 100% causes it to degrade 10% faster, you'd be left with 63 kWh. But right now, no one knows that number. Real -world Teslas have lost about 10% over 3 or 4 years, maxed to 90% or less, average.

Like I said, I work for an EV manufacturer. The only difference is that DCFC isn't an option for us right now. And the idea that an OEM would allow you to actually charge a battery to the true 100% seems unlikely. But thank you for the lesson in how Lithium and warranties work.

Originally Posted by Paladin1

Iconic Sound
Yep, off is off. I actually like the iconic sounds in Personal and Sport because they provide auditory feedback on what the car is doing, but some prefer silence. I haven't found them intrusive, other than the whacko Mode themes.

I'm glad you like them. I would like to have a choice in both engagement and volume, but alas.

Originally Posted by Paladin1

Modes
The only customizable Mode is Sport (Personal isn't). The car will only start up in Personal, Relax or Expressive (Digital Art has disappeared for some reason). Relax and Expressive Mode will start with the massager on.

Hilarious that Personal isn't the customizable one. Regardless, my question was about if I turned off the massagers in those modes, do they automatically reset back to 'on' when I restart the car--thus forcing me to manually shut them off every time I get in the car again.

Originally Posted by Paladin1

Tires
Any performance tire will wear faster - owners have reported 10k.

Performance tires wear faster. Got it.

[Paladin1]

Originally Posted by Ludwig Van Beemer

Hilarious that Personal isn't the customizable one. Regardless, my question was about if I turned off the massagers in those modes, do they automatically reset back to 'on' when I restart the car--thus forcing me to manually shut them off every time I get in the car again.

The car starts in the mode you left it in when you turned it off - for those modes with the "startup" option - Personal, Relax or Expressive. It starts with a blank slate - Personal with nothing, Relax and Expressive both start the massage function when you select them. Yes, you'll have to turn it off, just as if you selected them while driving. They are not customizable to start with massage off. The only customizable Mode is Sport, and it retains whatever settings you selected whenever you turn it on - unfortunately it does not have a "startup" option so you have to select it every time you want to use it - no start default.

[Ludwig Van Beemer]

Originally Posted by Paladin1

The car starts in the mode you left it in when you turned it off - for those modes with the "startup" option - Personal, Relax or Expressive. It starts with a blank slate - Personal with nothing, Relax and Expressive both start the massage function when you select them. Yes, you'll have to turn it off, just as if you selected them while driving. They are not customizable to start with massage off. The only customizable Mode is Sport, and it retains whatever settings you selected whenever you turn it on - unfortunately it does not have a "startup" option so you have to select it every time you want to use it - no start default.

That's what's so frustrating and making me not want to go ahead with the purchase. It's already a significant change in lifestyle to go to a full EV. I don't understand why BMW also chooses to then force you into a bunch of features you didn't ask for in settings you don't want.

The EQS is suddenly becoming much more appealing, in that outside of the drivetrain, it still operates like a normal car.

[LVBMW]

Originally Posted by Ludwig Van Beemer

That's what's so frustrating and making me not want to go ahead with the purchase. It's already a significant change in lifestyle to go to a full EV. I don't understand why BMW also chooses to then force you into a bunch of features you didn't ask for in settings you don't want.

The EQS is suddenly becoming much more appealing, in that outside of the drivetrain, it still operates like a normal car.

Personal mode is a bit of a misnomer, but it’s the only mode that allows you to customize the instrument panel display. Also, 2024 and newer models will have plug and charge capability. You mentioned the glass roof. It’s standard on all iXs in the U.S. Think twice about that EQS too. Consumer reports recently rated BMW the #1 auto manufacturer. MB was near the bottom, and none of their tested models were recommended.

[exxxviii]

• Charging to xx% - This question is almost always about home L2 charging. Few folks charge above 80% on public DCFC. I charge to 90% at home. The most common recommendation is charge to 80%, but the supportive science is dwindling. I never charge to 100% unless I am taking a trip. When charging on a DCFC, it is a complete waste of time to go above 80%.
• Iconic Sound - I thought I would not like it. I really like it. You can turn it off if you don't like it.
• Modes - I only use Personal. Mode customization and remembering your last selection is a BMW weakness. But it is totally fine.
• Model Years - 2024 is the key year. Those got the hardware update that supports iDrive 8.5 and highway assist up to 85 MPH. 2025 is mostly cosmetic but it may get some automatic lane change assist advances (not confirmed yet).
• Window tint - I did not try to match mine. I got the maximum legal tint in my state, and it is a little lighter than my rear windows.
• Sunroof - All US cars have the same panoramic glass roof. There is no other option. It always defaults to dark at the start of every drive, and I honestly do not notice it in bright sun.
• Tires - I got the 21".
• Self-healing grill - I left mine alone.

[javapro]

Originally Posted by Ludwig Van Beemer

This is fascinating to me, as on our EVs, they are limited to only charging to the nominal max and not the actual max kWh. So while the dash may read "100%" it's not the FULL capacity, but rather 100% of the nominal amount. It seems odd that BMW would engineer the charger to keep going to true 100% capacity, but I've seen stranger things than that.

No, BMW just like all other EV manufacturers does not let you use the full battery - usable battery capacity is a few kWh less.

Originally Posted by Ludwig Van Beemer

Sunroof - All the M60s at my dealer have the sunroof, which wouldn't be my first choice since I don't see the point in having one if it doesn't friggin' open.

Panoramic glass sunroof is standard in the US - there is no option to remove it or replace it with anything else. It can be electrochromically shaded to protect against direct sunlight.