600-mile test! New BMW iX3 vs Tesla Model Y ROAD TRIP

Key Points

▶ 0:22 The central question is whether newer rivals like the BMW iX3 can beat Tesla on both range and charging speed for long-distance driving.
▶ 1:44 The test route is a round trip from Twickenham to Whitby and back, covering well over 500 miles to test real-world range, charging, and efficiency.
▶ 3:04 The challenge aims to determine whether BMW has finally caught up with Tesla, or if a Tesla is still the smarter choice for stress-free long-distance EV travel.
▶ 3:39 The Tesla infotainment system is very easy to use, especially for navigation; setting a destination via typing or voice is "dead easy."
▶ 4:07 The route automatically includes charging stops when needed, showing convenient Superchargers, charging costs, and station availability.
▶ 4:34 The system is flexible—drivers aren't locked into the suggested plan and can stop sooner or later, with the route rescheduling charging automatically.
▶ 4:41 BMW iX3's sat-nav can reschedule charging stops flexibly, but Will's confidence in its charging integration quickly wanes.
▶ 5:03 Unlike Tesla's seamless Supercharger integration, the iX3 relies solely on third-party chargers—and some providers, including all Tesla Superchargers, show no real-time data at all [5:15–5:19].
▶ 5:21 The charging info is buried in more menu layers, making it less user-friendly than Tesla's interface and increasing time spent on the touchscreen instead of the road.
▶ 5:58 At 150 miles in, John's BMW iX3 has 56% remaining (79 kWh battery), while Will's Tesla Model Y has 64% remaining (108.7 kWh battery), highlighting their different battery capacities.
▶ 5:58 They deliberately plan a charging stop even though both cars could reach Whitby, because the hotel has no charging points and they want the drive to mimic a 500+ mile journey.
▶ 6:43 Will proposes the "30% Whitby rule": both cars must arrive at Whitby Abbey with at least 30% battery to ensure a comfortable buffer and enough range for driving in the North York Moors the next morning.
▶ 7:05 Will changes the trip rules mid-drive, requiring arrival at Whitby with at least 30% battery, while the Tesla’s route currently predicts only 25%.
▶ 7:16 The driver adjusts the arrival target in the Tesla’s infotainment via the three-dot menu, selecting “Arrival Energy,” raising it to 30%, and saving.
▶ 7:32 This change immediately recalibrates the route, inserting an extra Supercharger stop at York’s Designer Outlet instead of driving straight to Whitby; the driver notes the system is “really simple and very adaptable.”
▶ 7:59 The BMW’s route planner predicts arrival at Whitby Abbey with 38% battery, meaning no charging stop is needed.
▶ 7:59 The 38% forecast is comfortably above the driver’s 30% arrival target, providing enough buffer even if the estimate is off by a few points.
▶ 7:59 Because the drive skips a charging stop entirely, the driver expects to reach Whitby Abbey well before John, saving significant time.
▶ 8:21 After 250 miles, the battery is at 38%, prompting a quick top-up before continuing.
▶ 8:32 Plug-and-charge requires no apps, credit cards, or extra steps—just press a button and plug in.
▶ 8:46 Roughly five minutes later, they are back on the road, highlighting the speed and convenience.
▶ 8:50 Will arrives at Whitby Abbey in the BMW iX3 with range to spare, declaring it "fair to say" the iX3 takes the day-one victory.
▶ 9:09 John arrives in the Tesla Model Y, spotting that Will has already made it to the destination.
▶ 9:16 John confirms he is 14 minutes behind, making the BMW iX3 the clear winner of the first leg.
▶ 9:30 Will explains the charging stop was deliberately planned to avoid arriving with too little charge, with 30% set as the minimum.
▶ 9:43 John arrives at 36% after charging, yet Will's car has 38% without the same stop — revealing the charge discrepancy.
▶ 10:04 Will argues the real issue is not the 2% difference but the 14 minutes John lost, making the charging stop inefficient in both time and energy.
▶ 10:06 BMW iX3 trip computer shows 3.9 miles per kWh, considered respectable for a large electric SUV.
▶ 10:19 Tesla Model Y shows 218 Wh/mile, equivalent to 4.6 miles per kWh, which the presenter says "absolutely smashes" the BMW's figure.
▶ 10:38 Presenters note these are trip computer figures and proper calculations are needed later to determine actual real-world efficiency.
▶ 12:21 The Tesla Model Y's interior quality is the biggest improvement, with nicer stitching and materials, impressive given its lower price than the BMW.
▶ 14:18 The BMW iX3 has a much better, more SUV-like driving position than the Tesla's low, "jacked-up" feel.
▶ 14:32 A major flaw on the £60,000 BMW iX3: no adjustable lumbar support, which John found disappointing on a long drive.
▶ 16:38 The latest Tesla Model Y is only slightly firm over sharp ridges, but on sweeping Moor roads it can lack body control over dips and crests, occasionally unsettling occupants—though it is much calmer than earlier versions.
▶ 18:05 The BMW iX3 is far more rewarding to drive than the Model Y, mainly due to well-judged steering and a tied-down, sophisticated feel that makes it seem lighter and nimbler than its size and weight suggest.
▶ 19:18 Refinement is very close between the two, with similar decibel readings; performance is also nearly identical at about 0–60 mph in 4.5 seconds, while the iX3’s brakes are a highlight for being easy to judge and smooth.
▶ 20:07 Will checks in with John, who admits he created a problem for himself after enjoying the North York Moors scenery.
▶ 20:23 John's route planner warns he'll arrive at York Superchargers with minus 1% battery, meaning he'd run out; staying below 54 mph could leave 1–2%.
▶ 20:52 John heads to York, still showing minus 1%, so he drives incredibly slowly, having gotten carried away and ignored his battery.
▶ 21:08 John still has 21% battery (98 miles range) but must charge on the return, rejecting 150 kW chargers to preserve his car's theoretical charging-speed advantage.
[21:41–22:10] To keep that edge, John filters for 350 kW chargers near Harrogate, prefers Ionity for plug-and-charge, but settles for Gridserve when no Ionity is in range.
[22:18–22:55] Navigation predicts John arriving at 8% (better than Will’s -1%), while Will admits he’s driving very slowly just to make it—both aiming only to avoid running out on the roadside.
▶ 23:00 Will reaches the first charging stop and is cautiously optimistic that the chargers are free and working.
▶ 23:09 The car arrives with 6% battery remaining—a couple of percent lower than predicted.
▶ 23:17 Will plugs the car in to begin charging at the Gridserve location.
▶ 24:00 John frames the situation with a Mark Twain quote about tragedy, highlighting the irony that his feared breakdown didn't happen.
▶ 24:07 The car arrives at York Superchargers with 2% battery and 9 miles of official range, showing Tesla's range guidance was enough for a workable buffer.
▶ 24:20 The straightforward next step is to plug in, charge up, and continue the journey.
▶ 24:43 Joel confirms he reached his charging stop without incident, arriving with extra battery spare after just one stop in York.
▶ 25:03 Will also made a single 27-minute charging stop, and the car now says he doesn’t need to charge again.
▶ 25:10 The navigation predicts Will will arrive home with 15% battery remaining, which he calls a “fair buffer.”
▶ 25:15 Joel explains that despite the displayed range suggesting otherwise, he still needs to stop on the return trip from York to London.
▶ 25:15 The car’s route planner originally calculated three stops because charging speeds vary by battery level, but after a long lunch stop the range was ~200 miles versus ~236 miles remaining.
▶ 25:15 Joel overrides the planner’s odd suggestion of two very brief stops, choosing instead one longer 5–10 minute stop, while John points out he may not need to stop at all.
▶ 26:27 Will, driving the Tesla, skips the suggested additional charging stop, calling it “confusing,” and continues south for the final charge of the trip.
▶ 26:35 He jokes about stopping at an M&S Food Hall for a casual aside, showing he’s relaxed about the remaining range.
▶ 26:41 The BMW with John continues south in parallel, with no immediate stop mentioned at this point.
▶ 26:44 Will arrives near the office with 9% battery predicted, despite the car originally estimating 15% at his first charging stop.
▶ 27:14 He missed the car's planned second quick charging stop, but realized he had enough charge to skip it and still arrive safely.
▶ 27:30 The next step is to plug in both cars and calculate the total trip cost and real-world efficiency.
▶ 27:39 The section opens with playful banter as one presenter asks, "Have I beaten John?" comparing arrival times.
▶ 27:48 Will jokingly asks John what time he arrived, using the casual phrasing "What time did you kill this?"
▶ 27:51 John reveals he got there about four and a half hours earlier, setting up a lighthearted comparison of their separate road-trip journeys.
▶ 27:58 The cost comparison assumes both cars’ final charge back to 100% was done at the ~24.7p/kWh price cap, creating a fair basis.
▶ 28:11 The iX3 made its only public charge en route: 76.6 kWh at 89p/kWh, costing £68.16.
▶ 28:23 Back at base, the iX3 needed 108.3 kWh to return to 100%, and the total trip cost announcement begins but is cut off before the final figure.
▶ 28:28 The BMW iX3's en-route charging cost is £94.88, setting the benchmark for comparison.
▶ 28:31 The Tesla Model Y uses three short Supercharger stops to add 95 kWh en route, costing just £39.32.
▶ 28:41 Including the final charge to 100% at base, the Model Y's total trip cost is £58.68 — £36.20 less than the iX3's en-route charging alone.
▶ 28:52 Charging the Tesla Model Y was "much cheaper" than the BMW iX3, with Gridserve costing 89p/kWh compared to just over 40p/kWh at Tesla Superchargers.
▶ 29:19 The iX3 didn't use Superchargers partly because the real-world charging test required 800-volt chargers, while most Tesla Superchargers are only 400-volt.
▶ 29:28 Non-Tesla drivers face a surcharge at Superchargers, but a £8.99/month subscription lets them pay the same rates as Tesla drivers, though access remains limited.
▶ 29:47 Gridserve’s £7.99/month subscription gives a 25% discount, cutting the cost from 89p to 67p per kWh.
▶ 30:02 Ionity Plus offers a much cheaper 45p/kWh rate for iX3 buyers for 12 months (then £5.49/month), but UK coverage is less than a third of Tesla Superchargers.
▶ 30:28 At that Ionity rate, the iX3’s single en-route charge would have cost £61.18, “a lot closer” than the host’s actual cost.
▶ 30:37 The cost gap wasn’t just cheaper kWh pricing — efficiency also played a major role.
▶ 30:51 The iX3 showed 4.0 miles/kWh on the trip computer, dropping to 3.5 miles/kWh real-world after charging losses.
▶ 31:04 The Model Y showed 3.4 miles/kWh on the trip computer, falling to 3.2 miles/kWh real-world, so the iX3 was more efficient overall despite its heavier 100+ kWh battery.
▶ 31:11 The comparison shifts to raw charging speed rather than efficiency.
▶ 31:17 The BMW iX3 averaged 170 kW from 6% to 73% — never near its 400 kW peak, but a respectable real-world result.
▶ 31:28 That 170 kW average is described as "a lot better" than the Tesla Model Y's 129 kW average across all three charging stops.
▶ 31:37 Presenters clarify these are estimated ranges from remaining battery, not a controlled range test.
▶ 31:40 Model Y: after 216 miles with 38% battery left, projected max range is ~348 miles.
▶ 31:51 iX3: after 369 miles with 6% battery left, projected max range is ~393 miles, notably higher than the Model Y.
▶ 31:57 Key caveat: figures are suggested ranges based on state of charge, but indicate the iX3 has the longer real-world potential range.
▶ 32:02 The central question: does the BMW iX3's longer range and quicker charging make it the better choice for long journeys?
▶ 32:14 Earlier back-to-back testing concluded the iX3 is the better car overall, based on comfort, driving dynamics, and handling; it "just edged it."
▶ 32:28 This test is not a repeat—it focuses specifically on which car is better for a 600-mile road trip, with practical factors (like charging, costs, efficiency) still to come.
▶ 32:37 The core road-trip trade-off is between the BMW iX3's longer range and faster charging versus the Tesla Model Y's shorter range but full Supercharger network access and deep closed-loop integration.
▶ 32:58 There is no single definitive winner: both approaches have pros and cons, so the better choice depends entirely on how the buyer plans to use the car.
▶ 33:12 If saving time is the top priority, the BMW iX3 is the better pick—its longer range means fewer charging stops and faster charging reduces time plugged in, yielding shorter overall journey times.
▶ 33:23 The iX3 may be less hassle overall, but drivers must be prepared to pay extra.
▶ 33:25 Extra costs vary based on charging network and subscriptions, making the pricing structure "quite complicated."
▶ 33:34 Despite detailed charging-point info, the iX3 relies on third-party networks and lacks Tesla-style integration, so charging data can be less timely and reliable.
▶ 33:59 Tesla’s integrated routing system is most effective “when things start to go wrong,” providing real help when trips don’t go to plan.
▶ 34:15 On the road to York, the car initially suggested a Supercharger in the wrong direction, then—after warning of insufficient range—offered a viable alternative route with simple, followable directions.
▶ 34:38 Following those straightforward instructions got the driver to his destination easily, demonstrating Tesla’s routing as a decisive real-world advantage in unexpected or stressful situations.
▶ 34:44 The verdict frames EV long-journey choice around reducing stress, not a single winner.
▶ 34:52 Choose Tesla if your main stress is route reliability (e.g., broken chargers), as it offers most peace of mind.
▶ 34:56 Choose iX3 if your main stress is frequent stopping and waiting, since it likely means fewer interruptions but requires accepting more risk.
▶ 35:05 Will's final takeaway: the BMW iX3 is the pick if you’re willing to accept more risk.
▶ 35:09 Reminder to subscribe because a Tesla Model Y test is coming soon, including the very fast Performance version.
▶ 35:21 Full written reviews of both cars are available at whatcar.com via the on-screen link.

600-mile test! New BMW iX3 vs Tesla Model Y ROAD TRIP

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