Compare the2022 Jaguar I-PaceVS 2021 BMW X3 xDrive30e

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Jaguar I-Pace have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW X3 xDrive30e doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

Both the I-Pace and X3 xDrive30e have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The I-Pace has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The X3 xDrive30e’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

Both the I-Pace and the X3 xDrive30e have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The I-Pace comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The X3 xDrive30e’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Jaguar pays for scheduled maintenance on the I-Pace for 2 years and 24,000 miles longer than BMW pays for maintenance for the X3 xDrive30e (5/60,000 vs. 3/36,000).

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Jaguar vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Jaguar 19th in initial quality. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 20th.

The I-Pace’s electric motors produce 106 more horsepower (394 vs. 288) and 202 lbs.-ft. more torque (512 vs. 310) than the X3 xDrive30e’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

On the EPA test cycle the I-Pace gets better mileage than the X3 xDrive30e running on electricity (80 city/72 hwy vs. 59 city/61 hwy MPGe).

The I-Pace’s maximum EPA estimated driving range is 222 miles on a full charge. The X3 xDrive30e can only travel about 22 miles before it has to start its internal combustion engine.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Jaguar I-Pace higher (10 out of 10) than the BMW X3 xDrive30e (7). This means the I-Pace produces up to 11.8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the X3 xDrive30e every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the I-Pace’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the X3 xDrive30e:

For better traction, the I-Pace has larger standard tires than the X3 xDrive30e (245/50R20 vs. 225/60R18). The I-Pace’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the X3 xDrive30e (255/40R22 vs. 245/45R20).

The I-Pace’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the X3 xDrive30e’s standard 60 series tires. The I-Pace’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the X3 xDrive30e’s optional 45 series front tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the I-Pace has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the X3 xDrive30e. The I-Pace’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the X3 xDrive30e.

The I-Pace offers an optional space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the X3 xDrive30e; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed.

The front and rear suspension of the I-Pace uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the X3 xDrive30e, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The I-Pace has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The I-Pace’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The X3 xDrive30e doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the I-Pace’s wheelbase is 4.9 inches longer than on the X3 xDrive30e (117.7 inches vs. 112.8 inches).

The I-Pace’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (50% to 50%) than the X3 xDrive30e’s (47.6% to 52.4%). This gives the I-Pace more stable handling and braking.

The design of the Jaguar I-Pace amounts to more than styling. The I-Pace has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .29 Cd. That is lower than the X3 xDrive30e (.31) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the I-Pace get better fuel mileage.

The I-Pace’s cargo area is larger than the X3 xDrive30e’s in almost every dimension:

The I-Pace has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The X3 xDrive30e doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the X3 xDrive30e, the I-Pace has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the I-Pace to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The X3 xDrive30e doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The I-Pace has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The X3 xDrive30e doesn’t offer headlight washers.