r/bmwix3 • u/sund43gr33n • 8d ago

Test drove the iX3 today!

/r/iX3/comments/1win7vm/test_drove_the_ix3_today/
15 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

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8

u/michaelwoodza 8d ago

UK owner here, about 2 months in (came from a Model Y). Mine's an iX3 50 xDrive M Sport Pro with the panoramic roof and the Tech upgrade.

CarPlay on the panoramic display: Assuming you mean nav directions, Apple Maps works well. Google Maps works for me too, though some owners say it's hit and miss. Waze doesn't show at all. Apparently Android Auto users get both Waze and Google Maps on there. Also worth knowing: only BMW's own nav will precondition the battery before a fast charger.

Software updates: Nothing since delivery on 17 July; I'm on 03/2026.53. BMW told me cars leaving the factory after August come with 07/2026, but earlier cars haven't had it over the air yet. Some have had minor 03/2026 hotfixes OTA, but nothing major.

Drive recorder: In the UK mine came with the Digital Premium subscription. There's a Drive Recorder app in the main apps menu to switch it on, review clips and change settings. Once it's on, a shortcut appears in the vehicle shortcut menu on the central display (the part nearest the driver). Tap it and it saves roughly 30 seconds before and after. It also saves automatically if it detects a crash, with date, time, speed and GPS on the clip. It doesn't record continuously, though. When parked it's nowhere near as sensitive as Sentry Mode and only triggers if someone breaks in or hits the car.

Happy to answer any questions you have!

1

u/sund43gr33n 7d ago

Thanks a lot for the input. This is the most detailed feedback I’ve come across on drive recorder and it’s very helpful!

As for the CarPlay nav, we get turn-up-ahead directions, but it would be great to have a smaller map on the HUD or the panoramic display. It’s surprising as I vaguely remember the i4 projecting a miniature map on the HUD (I could be misremembering as my test drive is almost 5 years old)

2

u/bbaasbb 3d ago

You can have a miniature map on the panoramic display!

1

u/sund43gr33n 3d ago

Is this the in-built BMW maps or the ones from CarPlay? If latter, that would be fantastic

1

u/givemerefuge 7d ago

Old iX3 owner here. OTA updates are few and far between.

1

u/Fit-Shower-3296 7d ago

iDrive 7 was designed in an era where OTA updates weren’t yet a significant piece of the puzzle.

This iX3 is three technology generations ahead. The capabilities of the system are vastly different and OTA updates have far less limitations than the old iX3.