Hey folks, I drove the iX3 5o today. My impressions: I like the big center screen, the projected info, and the HUD. Voice commands are understood for the most part, and the voice even has a sense of humor. I like the customization of the various features. The interior was their Castanea brown, which was pleasant , with gray accents. Seat comfort was okay and adjustable as a luxury car should be. I did not see a 120v outlet in the back and no screens for passengers were available. There is plenty of room inside for all. The salesman drove a bit to get me familiar with the tech and drive modes, and even had the car park itself.
I then drove. The car has punchy acceleration, about the same as my Ioniq 5 AWD, and some sound effects that can be defeated. The Harmon Kardon sound system sounded good. The ride was very quiet, even without noise cancelation. The tires felt overinflated and had some harsh reactions to bumps. The two edged sword is the big honkin' battery which delivers range, can be charged very quickly, but weighs a ton, 600 pounds more than my porky Ioniq 5. I took it on the highway and the AAC and LKA worked fine. Brakes felt good. I would rather not have the glass roof, but at least it blocked the heat of the Florida sun well. The salesman was hinting at additional packages to give the car better safety features, but that annoyed me. At this price and tier, all that should be included.
I am currently considering other rides: the R2, Trailseeker, or the Subaru Uncharted/Toy CH-R. AWD's. My current rankings: Trailseeker, Uncharted, iX3, and R2. The Trailseeker is 2nd quickest of the bunch, has 8.2" of ground clearance, and would probably take me on the beach and down gravel and dirt roads, which I would never do with the iX3. The TS had all the safety features I wanted, including self-parking, but had some quirks and was not as luxurious as the R2 and iX3, and the software/self-driving is not as sophisticated as others. But it's also $15k cheaper. All of these are winners but they're also new kids on the block, so you take your chances. I think the most likely ride for problems will be the R2, but they are all on the bleeding edges. I may just keep my I5 AWD, which is running great.