'I Want This Car So Bad:' Man Tests New BMW. Then He Realizes the Cup Holders Have An Unprecedented New Feature

"Nice..."

Photo by: YouTube

By: Nina Hernandez

Nov 13, 2025 at 2:00pm ET

Comment

An automotive journalist and influencer demonstrates how an unprecedented new feature in the BMW X5 M Competition helps keep his drinks cool and warm.

TikTok user MilesPerHr (@milesperhr) is a car enthusiast who produces content with his partner Mobile Mama (@Mobile_Mama). In a video posted earlier this week, MilesPerHr demonstrates how the heated and cooled cup holders in the BMW X5 M Competition work.

“Heated and cooled cup holders,” MilesPerHr says to start the video. “So I have my iced coffee over here—and I’m going to cool that cup holder. But my hot coffee on this side—and I’m going to heat that one. These are going to keep the temps perfect so that when I see Mobile Mama, she’s going to have a piping cup of coffee, and I get to keep my iced coffee nice and cool.”

The BMW X5 M Competition & Its Cup Holders

The BMW X5 M Competition is a performance SUV with a 4.4-liter Twin-Turbocharged V-8 engine. It's a powerful SUV with an upscale interior featuring leather seats, a heated steering wheel, and enough cargo space to hold Cruella De Vil’s luggage and all 101 Dalmatians.

The heated/cooled cupholder feature is available in certain BMW models equipped with the executive package. That makes it one of the few vehicles on the market that has some kind of refrigeration or heating/cooling system.

Gallery: BMW XM 50e

Source: BMW

How Well Do Heated/Cooled Cupholders Work?

It’s fair to wonder how well the heated/cooled cupholders actually work in practice when it comes to keeping your drinks at a certain temperature. According to this Reddit thread posted to r/BMW two years ago, many BMW owners find the feature meets expectations. “I’m quite surprised at how well these actually work,” the person wrote.

Tell us what you think!

View

Comments

One person in the comments said, “Yeah, those cup holders are cool.” In response, someone else joked, “No, they are hot.” Another smarty pants quipped, “They can be either, lol.”

It also seems like this feature was previously not available in the X5. Some commenters said they weren’t able to get the feature when they purchased theirs. The model in the Reddit post is an X7.

One person said people should be cautious when using the cupholders, though. “I’m sure they are great, but someone spilled coffee on mine in the X7 and shorted them out. You push the button and it lights up for a couple of seconds, and then it just turns off,” they wrote. “I don’t really have drinks in there long enough to really need them so I didn’t replace it.”

Mobile Mama Weighs in on Heated/Cooled Cupholders

And what does Mobile Mama think about all this? Well, she posted her own TikTok with her opinions on Oct. 2. “BMW figured out what us moms really want,” she says. “Heated and cooled cup holders. That’s all. It’s really that easy.” At least one mom was in agreement in the comments. “Facts,” she wrote.

Motor1 contacted MilesPerHr and Mobile Mama via email for comment. This story will be updated should either party reply.

Update Nov. 17, 2025: In a message to Motor1, MilesPerHour wrote, "Car brands can make some gimmicky features, but they can also make really clever, useful ones. BMW's heated and cooled cupholders are going to be ignored by some drivers, but can be an absolute game-changer for those that either spend a lot of time in their cars, or struggle with indecisive beverage consumption habits. Either way, it's fun to see such strong opinions about a cupholder!"

Update Nov. 20, 2025: This story has been updated to reflect the correct engine type.