Compare the2023 Lexus RZVS 2024 BMW iX

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Lexus RZ 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 iX doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Lexus RZ are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW iX doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the RZ are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The iX doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the RZ and the iX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the RZ 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than BMW covers the iX. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the iX ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in initial quality. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in long-term dependability. With 33 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, BMW is rated lower.

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

On the EPA test cycle the RZ gets better mileage than the iX:

For better traction and acceleration, the RZ has larger rear tires than the iX (255/55R18 vs. 235/60R20).

The RZ’s standard 255/55R18 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the iX’s standard 60 series tires.

For better maneuverability, the RZ’s turning circle is 3.6 feet tighter than the iX M60’s (36.8 feet vs. 40.4 feet). The RZ’s turning circle is 6 feet tighter than the iX xDrive50’s (36.8 feet vs. 42.8 feet).

The Lexus RZ may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1100 to 1150 pounds less than the BMW iX.

The RZ is 5.8 inches shorter than the iX, making the RZ easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The RZ has 1.9 inches more front legroom and .2 inches more rear headroom than the iX.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the RZ’s rear seats recline. The iX’s rear seats don’t recline.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than BMW. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in service department satisfaction. With a 31% lower rating, BMW is ranked 7th.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The RZ offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The iX doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the RZ has standard extendable sun visors. The iX doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The RZ has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The iX doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.