BMWs Down Under
"I was rather hoping to hate this Holden. I was hoping to conclude by saying the Aussies should stick to waving at flies... But the Monaro is a wonderful car. Too big, too brash, and too loud, for some, perhaps."
- Jeremy Clarkson
Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting Australia, the Perth Area in Western Australia to be more exact, and figured I would share a bit about my experience as a car aficionado in general, and an Ultimate Driving Machine fan, in particular.
The first thing to absorb, if you drive here, is, of course, the “driving on the left” bit, as is the case in former British Empire members. It does take some getting used to, but a friend told me to just remember to keep telling yourself “short lefts, long rights,” which I thought was silly at the time, but it worked surprisingly well! The first mistakes you will make repeatedly, are not really life threatening…you will go to get into the wrong side of the car several times before you get used to it. You will also activate the windshield wipers instead of your turn signal…a lot.
On the road there are a lot more roundabouts…and decent, large roundabouts, not the tiny ones in Washington State. The roads are also generally in great shape and the signage is excellent. They also use a lot less stopsigns than we do, and a lot more “Give Way” signs (our “Yield” signs). This is actually great, as you don’t have come to a stop at every T junction – you are trusted to look and turn safely onto the new road. California Stops no longer needed!
They do have a lot of speed cameras, and almost no one speeds. They also have right turn arrows at lighted intersections regularly, versus our typical US habit of a green light and you can go left if it’s clear. Just follow the lights and green means go, and you’ll be fine.
Getting out of the urban areas, the roads were still pretty good, but narrower, and the speed limits were way higher on two lane rural roads than would be typical in the US. I rarely thought “I wish I could go faster here,” which I feel regularly on rural US roads.
Several things stood out to me while driving.
One, is the number of nice Holdens still on the road. Clearly there is a segment of the Australian car culture that loves these muscle cars and are going to enjoy and preserve them. They are cool, aggressive looking muscle cars, and the “ute” El Camino look just adds to the charm. Sadly they ceased production in 2017.
Second, the other thing you notice is the number of off-roaders, mostly Toyota Hilux or Landcruisers with intake snorkels on their A-pillars. Probably 25-30% of them. My wife and I wondered just how many actually ford streams in the outback, but hey, it does make them look rugged. It is definitely a thing here.
Of course, I had to visit a local BMW dealership and ogle the models we cannot have in the US. I specifically wanted to see the M3 Touring, the iX1, iX2, and iX3. I also checked out a M135i, a 4 door hot hatch we don’t enjoy in the US. I don’t understand why BMW doesn’t market them here, but I am sure it’s been studied.
Thank you Auto Classic BMW for letting me experience your cars, even though i wasn’t a customer!
My general impressions are below.
The iX3 is very nice in person, both inside and out, and the panoramic display is much clearer, brighter, and “present” that it has appeared to me in pictures and videos. It is customizable for what you can put in it’s various slots, and makes the steering wheel position a non-factor in visibility. I actually get why the iX3 only has a center display now. My main comparision is to my iX M60, and while the tech is one step up here, it is evolutionary from the iX, not revolutionary. The seats are also better in the iX. The camera display in the iX3 is superior to the iX and really lets you see all around you easily. The iX does as well, but I can see how the iX3 version is better. Unlike the iX, The iX3 does not come with air suspension, not even as an option, but I am told that is coming with the iX5.
The iX1 and 2 fit toward the lower end of the luxury EV market here. There is a lot of competition in that segment with Chinese manufacturer BYD being very common. Looking at their pricing, it is easy to see why. There is a tax deal involved in leasing vehicles here under something called “novated leasing” which lets you lease with pre-tax dollars. In addition, if you get an EV under a certain pricepoint, there is a second 15% tax you simply don’t have to pay. I can’t get into the details here on novated leasing, but it makes total sense why you comparatively see a LOT of EVs on the road here. Including Teslas. BMW is pricing and marketing the iX3 40 (smaller battery, RWD only) specifically to be below the ~90K AUD luxury tax pricepoint for this very reason.
Overall the iX1/2 are nice small commuters. A fully loaded iX1 will be within a few thousand dollars of the iX3 40 eDrive entry level model. With the M-Sport seats and more traditional wheel and interior, I think I would probably favor the fully loaded iX1.
The coolest car I got to experience was the M3 Touring. What a fantastic car. I admit I have a soft spot for wagons and, for me, this hits better than the M5 Touring we have in the States. There really is nothing unique about the interior, power plant, or other performance aspects, except it’s a wagon, and we can’t have it, so I want it. Supposedly the G88 will come to the US in 2027/28. I will keep my fingers crossed!
I also noticed a number of BMW models come in a diesel version here, an option I also wish was in the US. However, it was curious seeing 4 cylinder diesel X5s on the road. With an M sport badge on the side, no less. It was strangely reassuring that the devaluing of “M” continues unabated worldwide. A comforting constant when you are a visitor to a country on on the other side of the world.
