Compare the2023 BMW iXVS 2023 Tesla Model Y

The iX’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Model Y doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The iX’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the front seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The Model Y doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The iX has a standard PostCrash iBrake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Model Y doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The iX offers an optional Surround View to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Model Y only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the iX’s standard Cross Traffic Warning with braking function uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and automatically engage the brakes. The Model Y doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The iX’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Model Y doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

The iX has standard BMW Assist, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model Y doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the iX and the Model Y have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 and rearview cameras.

The BMW iX weighs 1261 to 1406 pounds more than the Tesla Model Y. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the iX for 3 years and 36,000 miles. BMW will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Tesla doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Model Y.

There are over 2 times as many BMW dealers as there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the iX’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that BMW vehicles are better in initial quality than Tesla vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW above average in initial quality. With 61 more problems per 100 vehicles, Tesla is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Tesla vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks BMW third in overall reliability. Tesla is ranked 19th.

The iX xDrive50’s standard electric motors produces 191 more horsepower (516 vs. 325) and 89 lbs.-ft. more torque (564 vs. 475) than the Model Y Long Range’s standard electric motors. The iX xDrive50’s electric motors produces 61 more horsepower (516 vs. 455) and 77 lbs.-ft. more torque (564 vs. 487) than the Model Y Performance’s standard electric motors. The iX M60’s standard electric motors produces 155 more horsepower (610 vs. 455) and 262 lbs.-ft. more torque (749 vs. 487) than the Model Y Performance’s standard electric motors.

As tested in Car and Driver the iX xDrive50 is faster than the Model Y Long Range:

The iX can travel longer on a full charge than the Model Y on a full charge:

The iX’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s at 60 in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Model Y doesn’t offer launch control.

The iX stops shorter than the Model Y:

For better traction, the iX’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Model Y (275/40R22 vs. 255/35R21).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the iX has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the Model Y. The iX’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 21-inch wheels on the Model Y Performance.

The iX has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the iX flat and controlled during cornering. The Model Y’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The iX offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Model Y’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The iX has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The iX’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 Model Y doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the iX’s wheelbase is 4.3 inches longer than on the Model Y (118.1 inches vs. 113.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the iX is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 2.9 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Model Y.

For greater off-road capability the iX has a 2.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Model Y (8.8 vs. 6.6 inches), allowing the iX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the iX M60 is quieter than the Model Y Long Range:

The iX has .5 inches more front headroom, 5.1 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear headroom and 4.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Model Y.

The iX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Model Y with its rear seat up (35.5 vs. 16.9 cubic feet). The iX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Model Y with its rear seat folded (77.9 vs. 76.2 cubic feet).

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the iX’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Model Y doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

A Condition-Based Service Display is standard on the iX to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for vehicle inspections, vehicle inspection based on actual driving conditions. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Tesla doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Model Y.

The iX offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Model Y doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the iX has a standard rear wiper. The Model Y doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

Laser headlights, optional on the iX, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the Model Y’s LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the iX has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Model Y doesn’t offer cornering lights. The iX also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The iX’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model Y doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the iX keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Model Y doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The iX offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Model Y.