What’s the best luxury EV? | BMW iX vs Mercedes-Benz EQS | Autocar
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- čas přidán 23. 08. 2024
- Quiet and smooth, battery electric cars should suit being luxury cars. But who does it better?
Step forward two masters of the art of executive travel, BMW and Mercedes. The Mercedes-Benz EQS is an all-new car that does luxury travel in the traditional, S-Class-ish sort of way. It’s a long and low, smooth hatch that looks a lot like a sedan. In EQS 450+ Exclusive Luxury trim it costs £113,995, has 329bhp and 419lb ft, can do 0-62mph in 6.2sec and has a top speed of 137mph. It has a usable 107.8kWh battery size and has a WLTP range of 407-453 miles. Its alternative is the SUV-shaped BMW iX, which we’re testing in iX xDrive50 M Sport specification, costing £94,905. In this form the BMW iX has 516bhp, 564lb ft, can do 0-62mph in 4.6sec and goes on to a 124mph top speed. It has a usable battery of 105.2kWh and a WLTP range of 341-391 miles. But which is the better electric luxury car? Join our testers Matt Prior and Matt Saunders as they put the two to the test.
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I tested both of these and ended up buying a EQS 450+ despite of it’s looks.
The interiors of both cars are epic and comfortable, especially with the EQS’ reclining back seats also the backseats are on similar levels. But the boot of the EQS, the closer position to the road (tired of SUVs after 5 in a row) and the faaaaar superior efficiency and range of the EQS made it my choice.
Good news, sitting inside either of these, one does not see their hideous exterieurs.
I own an EQS580 and have driven the IX. Both are spectacular driving vehicles. Though the EQS is more comfort oriented it handles with a level aplomb that would embarass some "sports" sedans it just does it without feeling hard edged or "sporty" it simply goes through anything in full comfort mode. Furthermore I would not consider 30% more range as a little more, its a TON more. The interior is a much more sophisticated and attractive place to spend time in. Finally, if the exterior design has been "polarizing", only BMW could top that by being actually repulsive.
They BMW iX grill looks ridiculous!
Yes it is, but looks better than EQS.
I would prefer the driving comparison made by the same driver.
Great analysis of two quite different approaches to electric luxury. I’d go for the BMW, on the basis that it has extraordinary ride comfort (I’ve test-driven one, so I have to agree on that point) and - importantly for me - room for two German Shepherds in the boot. Horses for courses, of course…
I don't get that they use a posh material and then it ends up the same weight as a much larger Tesla.
The Germans have just not started trying yet. Horrible packaging proven by lack of a big frunk.
It's not just Tesla, all American brands for some reason manage to do it.
Great informative video as always, although I am not sure about the fashion choice of a jumper over a hoodie Mr Prior
Gentlemen, let me tell you a secret. Girls love cars with big grills and bold designs!
So why did you guys not set up the MBUX 2.0 in Zero Layer mode? That is how it's supposed to be used......Then you get the whole benefit of Ai etc.
Absolutely perfect reviewing. Motoring journalism of the 'old school'. I'm left with no questions whatsoever. Maybe I'm of that age group now, but I completely agree with the analysis of the screens. Look great. However, I've driven quite a few 'glass cockpits', and it's often a relief to get back into my old daily hack with buttons. Of the two, I'd probably have the Merc, just on the looks alone.
The looks both inside and outside makes the choice for me, Mercedes
I'll IX any day!
Mercedes look like a Toyota
And the beemer looks like a beaver on cocaine😂 the merc is much better
Luxury can be defined as 'the removal of stress'. The old S Class used to reduce your HR.
The interactions required and nannying tendancies of modern cars (see here), seem at odds with the definition of luxury.
Yep, you should whoosh along without a care in the world. Luxury means you shouldn't be playing with screens, the car should already be set up "just so".
Please do an update with the eqs vs the i7 or the IX vs the eqs suv I think it would be a better like for like comp
The BMW has a purity about its design and execution that I really like. It's a very confident car. The Merc not so much. I agree with your conclusion.
21:30 😱
What have you done to that poor footwell?!?
For car reviewers especially, that’s shameful and disrespectful.
The sound is very muffled. Had to turn the volume up.
Maybe a mud lot isn't the best place to showcase your luxury vehicles. 21:30 made me cringe big time...
thought I was the only one to notice.
If BMWs mid-level EV beats Merc's top of the range EV, imagine what the i7 is going to be like. Anyway... As bad as the iX grille is, i still think the iX looks better than that EQS which literally looks like a slug. Yuck!!!
Great review! Thank you.
I'd rather walk !
Bodes well for the next 7 series if BMW has mastered comfort AND handling
Judging by the comments there's something terribly wrong with me, as I really quite like how the EQS looks.
Eight thousand pounds, and you have to turn it off at night because of glare!
The settings don't change when you are logged in.
Why are they avoiding using the main screen on the merc where it uses AI to avoid having to go deep into the menus then complain that they have to go through the menus? Its like watching Night Rider turn off Kitt and thrn try to fight crime.
Why all British automobile journalists make the new car presentations on dirt roads...?
WTF is up with the Germans? How are two car companies that are known for bringing us beautiful looking vehicles responsible for these monstrosities?
They want you to still buy the ice counterparts. The don't make a great profit from the cars, servicing and parts.
Two fantastic examples showcasing exactly what is wrong with modern EVs.
Get me a classic British sport car with an electric conversion kit over a modern EV anyday. I just want to drive.
So what is exactly wrong with those?
modern EVs compared to ..? classic EVs?😊
U nailed it Mr prior u have knowledge class enthusiasm energy hats off to u for that I m following u for the days of magazine now it's social media time u everything is changed except ur style and the simplicity the way u explain everything greetings from Toronto Canada 🇨🇦
Fantastic review !
We re about to compare the same pair here in Canada ! Exciting !
I still don’t get why a change in the powertrain makes the constructor feel like they must forget anything good has been done before for ergonomic and design
because their direct competitor is Tesla..
They both look horrid
Why all of this ugliness especially when they have more freedom to design!!?
Both cars seemed to be designed by someone who can not draw at all but was peer pressured to draw a car and SUV.
BMW for sure!!
As the ugliest car!
I feel that the review of the Mercedes is trying to find confirmation for a negative bias. On the one hand, the car is "trying" to be an old-school luxury saloon, on the other hand it is "trying" to be futuristic. There were a lot of weasel words. But the review of the BMW was strangely positive. Despite complaining about the user interface for a number of minutes and showing numerous faults, the summary conclusion was, that it was better than that of the Mercedes.
Definitely biased. By what mathematical calculation does the Merc get 20% better range? 400 miles vs 280. Back to 8th grade math class, mate.
Switch the bloody music off!
That BMW is the ugliest car on sale since the Ssangyong Stavic/Rodius... 🤮
But it is arguably the best Electric SUV.
@@richardlabeja Yes, on paper. Which is why I'm so disappointed they didn't make it look the part 😭
4:04 is this panel in central console sopous to move it or this is badly Assembled?
Of course it's supposed to move
Nice watch dude, very distracting when watching the interior stuff. Nicer too as it is analogue! Why am I saying that as I watche an EV video? lol
cw value air resistance 0.2 The lowest in the world at this moment . And with the new EQXX that is coming the cw value air resistance will be 0.18. Bmw doesn't come close to that. Thats why the shape of the EQS is pure aerodynamics and comfort.
Great comparison! I'm currently cross shopping these two at the moment so this was well timed indeed. Gotta say i'm leaning iX as well
Can't see the front end when you're driving!
the audi e tron is better
@@karlk.6819 sure if you want to settle for a 200 mile range...
The merc has lost the plot. I'd really, really like to see you guys do a proper night time driving experiment with a load of cars.
Try demisitng your windscreen on a rainy b road at half 7 at night with oncoming traffic. Try doing anything involving the screen actually.. And as for the screen turn off function, you can see its still got the back light on because of the blinking climate controls.. So you'll never get rid of it.
My go-to example.
Following a van, it belches out a load of smoke. How quickly can you hit recirculate before you inhale all that crap?
It is far too messy on the BMW entertainment system. Far from as intuitive as with EQS.
EQS all day long....Looks fantastic!!! Tesla turned the once regal and classy luxury model S into a
Zoom-Zoom-fast Dodge Challenger wanna-be with more speed, black accent
trim, ugly black wheels and an airplane yoke... WTF???. Mercedes has
just filled the gap with the EQS. I'm a former Tesla owner now. I traded
it for a 450+ and it is the bomb! 418 mile range and self-drives on
par or better in some ways than my Tesla did. It's plenty fast too. This is a car for
grown-ups who want every possible creature comfort, class, quiet cabin,
great build quality, long battery range with brick and mortar
dealerships in every town... This car is a dream to drive and turns on a
dime.
What's wrong with a car getting faster exactly, you never mentioned?
@@varunkamal91 Nothing! But most of us who originally made the model S famous bought it for its regal and classy luxury status. It is no longer that kind of car. And one could argue, unless you are racing on the track, highest speed limit in the United States is only 85 miles an hour…
@@jdmoney1000 See, logically the luxury is still the same, the speed went up... So what exactly is the problem? Or am i wrong about the luxury?
@@varunkamal91 Keep in mind I’m comparing the Tesla to the new Mercedes EQS. There is no comparison when it comes to luxury… I had a model S in my hands last month, but I did not follow through with the purchase after discovering the EQS for the reasons I stated in my original comment… So, no I don’t believe that the model S has anything to do with luxury at this point. 10 years ago when it came out, it was quite luxurious and unique. It’s still a good car. But evidently Tesla is trying to appeal to a younger audience. Frankly most of that audience cannot afford a plaid. And they are losing their original customer base because of cars like the EQS. That’s all I’m saying… And I will admit that the EQS we’re not exist had it not been for Tesla…
Actually IX looks nice once i have got used to it and it is priced very competitively considering it is such a luxous machine. EQS is over priced.
7 seconds in the video and already the car are so ugly I feel depressed about our future.
Doesn’t really matter how good either are when both look like… well… ugly
50% of your vehicle is your dealer. Buy from the one you think is going to give you the best service.
Porsche Taycan and etron GT top out at 270 kW charge eate with smaller batteries. Why not at least offer something equivalent? We're supposed to have PROGRESS! These luxury cars make you wait longer than even modern Koreans mid size cars.
Such big batteries and they top out around 200 kW of charge rate. Smaller Koreans achieve that on the roads already.
I really thought I wanted to get an EQS, until I thought about the cheap Koreans that are just better from a battery perspective. Why isn't the German battery a premium item? They barely top the original Audi etron which had a good and flat charge curve.
Porsche Taycan and etron GT top out at 270 kW with smaller batteries. Why not at least offer something equivalent? We're supposed to have PROGRESS!
The smaller Korean batteries will also last much shorter before they need replacement. What is your point? It isn't difficult to fast charge a bettery. The difficult thing is to make the battery last.
P.S. Why can we drive these yet not use a smartphone on the go?
I believe in many countries you can use a smartphone on the go, it needs to be held to the dash so you dont use both hands to operate it😊
apples to oranges
Why does everything have to be a Tesla killer? That is a moronic concept. There is plenty of room for all
It's difficult to understand the two of you - would be better if you both spoke slower and articulated more clearly.
You talk like a normal conversation, but videos require a different style of delivery which feels unnatural at first.
Battle of the exterior design, bar of soap vs something the cat vomited up. Ioniq 5 and EV6 show just how bad the styling of these two is…
Nice sir
The BMW styling is exceptionally ugly. The Mercedes styling is exceptionally boring. If you're looking for an EV with mediocre styling on the outside and top cool factor on the inside, buy a Tesla. If you want the best of all three, buy a Taycan. There is a reason it's the most prolific EV in central London in such a short time.
That merc is so ugly
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE BMW….call Chris Bangle back 🙏🏽
Why would you even spend a single second thinking about these two bits of rubbish?
The only question is this: WHICH TAYCAN MODEL?
why don`t you use a NOISE meter to measure noise inside car`s ! i even got that old dinosaur harry metcalfe to use one on "harry`s garage" after sending him MANY messages, remove the guesswork...............
Well since the EQS is the least ugly then it's the one I'd have. Not that either is a good looking car but the Beemer is much, much uglier. At least the Merc is nice on the inside.
*BMW = UGLIEST CAR EVER* 🤢
I would choose the BMW as my choice
One is uglier than the other. I hope this fad of making intentionally ugly grilles goes away soon.
EQS is horribly packaged to not have any frunk when Lucid Air gets a huge one together with more power.
iX is just a small cabin on a big heavy chassis, what's the point?
Either would be better if their drivetrain and chassis were applied to an estate body.
FRAN
100k lol
I still think that in both cars the software interface looks old. BMW kinda looks like Android. Mercedes looks like Microsoft.
I’ll say Mercedes is iOS and Tesla is Microsoft.
Does that really matter? No not really. Tesla has good software but drives like a wheelbarrow with a flat tire but some may like it that way i guess.
Both of them have multiple views with their software interface, with shortcuts on the home page and steering wheel. I don't have a problem with either of them.
The BMW looks like a fat castor..hideous looking vehicle.
Got to be the most boring presenters ever!
I almost fell asleep so I turned it off.
BMW looks absolutely horrendous 🤢. User interface in the Beemer looks less intuitive. Both uninspiring 😕
Boring zzzz
First
BMWs exterior design is awful
I'm much certain all this electric gadgets in all EV cars will cause some sort of underlying sickness long term because of the microwave at close proximity it emits.
Not a fan of both uglies.
Just wear a tinfoil hat to absorb the microwaves and turn them into better 5G signals.
"underlying sickness long term because of the microwave at close proximity it emits"
MIcrowave radiation from any kind of computer or mobile devices is not power enough to even penetrate the top layer of your skin, how is it going to cause any kind of sickness?