Compare the2026 BMW iXVS 2025 Polestar 2

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 iX are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Polestar 2 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The BMW iX has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Polestar 2 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the iX’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Polestar 2 doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The BMW iX’s optional Surround View offers available integrated front and rear camera washers, ensuring clear, all-weather visibility without the need for manual cleaning. In contrast, the Polestar 2 lacks camera washers, requiring you to manually clean the cameras for optimal performance.

Both the iX and the Polestar 2 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver 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, 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 853 to 1345 pounds more than the Polestar 2. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

There are over 11 times as many BMW dealers as there are Polestar dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the iX’s warranty.

The iX xDrive60’s standard electric motors produces 60 more horsepower (536 vs. 476) and 18 lbs.-ft. more torque (564 vs. 546) than the Polestar 2’s electric motors. The iX M70’s standard electric motors produces 174 more horsepower (650 vs. 476) and 265 lbs.-ft. more torque (811 vs. 546) than the Polestar 2’s electric motors.

On the EPA test cycle the iX gets better mileage than the Polestar 2:

The iX can travel longer on a full charge than the Polestar 2 on a full charge:

The iX has a standard locking charge port which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The Polestar 2 doesn’t have a locking charge port. A locking charge port prevents tampering and damage.

The iX M70’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Polestar 2 doesn’t offer launch control.

The iX stops shorter than the Polestar 2:

For better traction, the iX’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Polestar 2 (275/40R22 vs. 245/40R20).

The iX’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Polestar 2’s optional 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the iX offers optional 23-inch wheels. The Polestar 2’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

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 Polestar 2 doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the iX’s wheelbase is 10.5 inches longer than on the Polestar 2 (118.1 inches vs. 107.6 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the iX is 2.6 inches wider in the front and 3.8 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Polestar 2.

The iX M70 handles at .86 G’s, while the Polestar 2 pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the iX has a 3.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Polestar 2 (8.8 vs. 5.7 inches), allowing the iX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The iX has 1.9 inches more front headroom, 8 inches more front hip room, 6.9 inches more front shoulder room, 2.6 inches more rear headroom, 5 inches more rear legroom, 6.8 inches more rear hip room and 5.7 inches more rear shoulder room than the Polestar 2.

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the iX’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Polestar 2 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The iX’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Polestar 2’s (3500 vs. 2000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Polestar 2 is only 2000 pounds. The iX offers up to a 6834 lbs. towing capacity.

The iX’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Polestar 2 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The iX offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, warning, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Polestar 2 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 Polestar 2 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 Polestar 2’s LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

The Polestar 2’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The iX’s optional adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the iX has standard extendable sun visors. The Polestar 2 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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 Polestar 2.

The iX’s Parking Assistant can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Control Parking will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Polestar 2 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The BMW iX outsold the Polestar 2 by over three to one during 2024.