Compare the2024 BMW iXVS 2024 Lexus RZ

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 RZ doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the iX and RZ have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The iX 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 RZ’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.

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 RZ doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, Full-Time Four-Wheel Drive is standard on the iX. But it costs extra on the RZ.

Both the iX and the RZ 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, 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, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The BMW iX weighs 1040 to 1492 pounds more than the Lexus RZ. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The iX’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the RZ’s (12 vs. 6 years).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the iX for 2 years and 26000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the RZ (3/36,000 vs. 1/10,000).

There are over 44 percent more BMW dealers than there are Lexus dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the iX’s warranty.

The iX xDrive50’s standard electric motors produces 315 more horsepower (516 vs. 201) and 368 lbs.-ft. more torque (564 vs. 196) than the RZ 300e’s standard electric motor. The iX xDrive50’s electric motors produces 208 more horsepower (516 vs. 308) and 243 lbs.-ft. more torque (564 vs. 321) than the RZ 450e’s optional electric motors. The iX M60’s standard electric motors produces 302 more horsepower (610 vs. 308) and 428 lbs.-ft. more torque (749 vs. 321) than the RZ 450e’s optional electric motors.

As tested in Motor Trend the BMW iX is faster than the RZ 450e electric motors:

The iX can travel longer on a full charge than the RZ 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 RZ doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the iX’s brake rotors are larger than those on the RZ:

The iX stops much shorter than the RZ:

For better traction, the iX’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the RZ (275/40R22 vs. 235/60R18).

The iX’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the RZ’s optional 50 series front and 45 series rear tires.

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

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 RZ’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The iX M60 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 RZ doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the iX’s wheelbase is 5.9 inches longer than on the RZ (118.1 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the iX is 2.6 inches wider in the front and 3.4 inches wider in the rear than on the RZ.

The iX’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (48.2% to 51.8%) than the RZ’s (54.2% to 45.8%). This gives the iX more stable handling and braking.

The iX xDrive50 handles at .88 G’s, while the RZ 450e Premium pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The iX M60 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the RZ 450e Luxury (25.5 seconds @ .74 average G’s vs. 25.9 seconds @ .7 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the iX has a greater minimum ground clearance than the RZ (8.8 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the iX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The iX has 2.9 inches more front headroom, 4.6 inches more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear headroom, 1.4 inches more rear legroom and 4 inches more rear shoulder room than the RZ.

The iX has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the RZ (35.5 vs. 34.9 cubic feet).

The iX’s cargo area is larger than the RZ’s in almost every dimension:

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the iX’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The RZ doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

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. Lexus doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the RZ.

The power windows standard on both the iX and the RZ have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the iX is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The RZ prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

If the windows are left open on the iX the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the RZ can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the iX has a standard rear wiper. The RZ 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 RZ’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 RZ 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 offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the RZ.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the BMW iX and the Lexus RZ, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the iX first among upper midsize premium suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The RZ isn’t in the top three.

The BMW iX outsold the Lexus RZ by over three to one during 2023.