Does anyone own an i7 M70 and an iX M60?

[kwilkins]

I bought an M70 a couple of weeks ago and love almost everything about it. The one area missing for me is handling during spirited driving on twisty roads. I realize that is not this car's mission; it is big, heavy, and long; it is a luxury barge, not a canyon carver, and it will never drive like an M3. I don’t expect it to. Actually, I’m impressed with the driving dynamics, given the size.

I’m thinking about getting an iX M60, but it isn’t easy to test-drive one right now. I’m wondering if anyone owns both and would comment on the driving dynamic differences between the two. I’m guessing the i7 M70 is more comfortable on rough roads and has an overall smoother ride, and the iX M60 has sportier handling and isn’t as smooth. Is that the right way to think about the difference when it comes to driving dynamics and a comfortable ride? If so, are the differences small or very noticeable? Is the M60 a lot sportier?

I appreciate any insights from those who own or have driven both models. Thanks.

[darylp310]

Originally Posted by kwilkins

I appreciate any insights from those who own or have driven both models. Thanks.

I have Turo'd both of them over two weekends in Los Angeles to try them out.

I am a iX 50 owner, and I must say the iX M60 model is crazy fast. It literally scared me when I floored it a bit on the freeway, and within seconds I was going 110 mph in complete silence and stability. The iX felt perfect on the straights, and when taking it in the canyons I felt confident in the driving dynamics, and it did a good job handling the twists and turns. My only complaint is that because of the weight and SUV height, the cabin would lean more that I would like. Also the iX doesn't have sporty seats, so it doesn't hug you as much as it should to temper those lateral g-forces. I found myself sliding around in the seat a bit.

The i7 felt fast in a straight line, but somehow not as wicked fast as the iX. So compared to any ICE car I'd driven before, the instant torque on the i7 was amazing, and gave me that addictive adrenaline rush when in Sport Mode. However, the iX M60 acceleration was like a motorcycle or a roller coaster, it was exhilarating! In the twisty roads, the i7 felt more comfortable to me. I think it's because it has the active anti-roll stabilization which the iX does not. This keeps the cabin horizontal even when taking hard turns. Also the i7 seats are incredible, they hug you so snuggly, I didn't slide around at all in the turns.

One more thing which was important to me was the sound system. The Bowers and Wilkins Diamond audio in the iX M60 is the best I've ever heard in any car. The i7 comes close, but it can't beat the iX. Because the iX is a bespoke EV platform, BMW had more flexibility to place more speakers in the optimal listening locations. This aspect is critical to me and really enhances the driving experience.

In short, the i7 is much more comfortable overall, especially in curves, and the iX felt speedier, but less stable in twists. I'm interested in upgrading this year as well, so I'd be curious to hear what you decide.

[kwilkins]

Thank you very much for sharing your experience with both cars. I think the issue with sliding in the seats on the iX is a deal killer for me. I had an Alpina B7 where the seats didn't provide the proper support for hard cornering,,,,,, it drove me crazy.

[CaboM4]

Originally Posted by kwilkins

I bought an M70 a couple of weeks ago and love almost everything about it. The one area missing for me is handling during spirited driving on twisty roads. I realize that is not this car's mission; it is big, heavy, and long; it is a luxury barge, not a canyon carver, and it will never drive like an M3. I don’t expect it to. Actually, I’m impressed with the driving dynamics, given the size.

I’m thinking about getting an iX M60, but it isn’t easy to test-drive one right now. I’m wondering if anyone owns both and would comment on the driving dynamic differences between the two. I’m guessing the i7 M70 is more comfortable on rough roads and has an overall smoother ride, and the iX M60 has sportier handling and isn’t as smooth. Is that the right way to think about the difference when it comes to driving dynamics and a comfortable ride? If so, are the differences small or very noticeable? Is the M60 a lot sportier?

I appreciate any insights from those who own or have driven both models. Thanks.

I don't quite have exactly what you're asking ... I only have an xDrive60 i7 M-Sport, but have the iX M60.

The iX is a bit sportier to drive, but the i7 handles awesome for its size and is no slouch. The i7 is overall a much more comfortable ride.

I absolutely HATE the dogshit seats in the iX and got rid of it for that reason. The iX seats dont bother my wife who now DD's the iX. I never really go crazy on power with the iX or i7, so I didn't go for the M70, however if the price point was closer, I may have considered it. At $140k the i7 xDrive60 is already a little too pricey for what it is.

All of that said, my favorite recent BMW for canyon carving was the G29 I sold during covid (for a healthy profit). I liked the $12k profit on my lease I put $0 down on more than the Z4 I kept for weekend fun, so I dumped it. Considering getting a new G23 LCI to replace it soon.

[CaboM4]

Originally Posted by kwilkins

Thank you very much for sharing your experience with both cars. I think the issue with sliding in the seats on the iX is a deal killer for me. I had an Alpina B7 where the seats didn't provide the proper support for hard cornering,,,,,, it drove me crazy.

agreed ... you fly all around those iX seats when throwing it around. I don't have that problem in my i7

[CaboM4]

Originally Posted by darylp310

The Bowers and Wilkins Diamond audio in the iX M60 is the best I've ever heard in any car. The i7 comes close, but it can't beat the iX. Because the iX is a bespoke EV platform, BMW had more flexibility to place more speakers in the optimal listening locations. This aspect is critical to me and really enhances the driving experience.

I too am disappointed going from the iX M60 to my i7 with the BW Diamond system. The iX is hands down a much better sounding system than the i7's. I have written about this many times. No matter how hard I try to tweak the i7 system, I feel it is factory tuned for geriatrics and not for my music tastes.

[AlteBMW]

Originally Posted by CaboM4

I too am disappointed going from the iX M60 to my i7 with the BW Diamond system. The iX is hands down a much better sounding system than the i7's. I have written about this many times. No matter how hard I try to tweak the i7 system, I feel it is factory tuned for geriatrics and not for my music tastes.

I read somewhere that the ICE 760ix has different speakers than the i7. I happen to really like the sound system in my 760. But maybe it is because I am old (see my screenname).

[Ice4life]

I7 has one fewer speaker per b&w. Probably due to the battery.