The perfect car?

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benjanos

Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2017
Messages
11
Hi all,

I brought home a second hand BEV i3 this week after more than 2 years of watching any/all EV news and sitting on the fence. This forum in particular was helpful to watch because deep down I always loved the i3, despite its limited range.

Thoughts after a week with basic small range commuting and one long 330km (200 mile) trip today.....? What an amazing car! If anyone reading this is on the fence like I was, I suggest you jump in.

D.C. fast charging is as cool as the car itself. Depending on your local infrastructure, this is a must. I have the Harmon sound system, this is an important upgrade I think because it's only barely adequate even with this upgrade (apologies to those without, but.....)

I have never owned a BMW before let alone an EV, so it's quite an experience to jump into this cool new tech and also have a car with BMW quality all in one. It's a very high quality car indeed.

Anyway, point of this post was to state how incredibly cool this little car is. Nuf said!
 
Just got mine this week (94Ah rex). Absolutely bowled over by it. So far, haven't used any fuel and am getting around 130 miles per charge. Im sure it'll go down as winter sets in, but as 100 was my target, i cant ask for more. Love the professional media pack, which i can enjoy thanks to the quiet drive, but i would admit that it isn't the loudest stereo I've owned. Love how 'sorted' it feels, with a firm but quiet ride, surprisingly good grip and amazing smooth acceleration. Have gone right off my 3 litre diesel automatic SUV already..
 
Electric drive is intoxicating...while I kept my ICE for longer trips (larger, has more space, and I think is more comfortable for hours of travel), I really don't drive it much. Probably should sell it, but it's paid for, so the only extra cost is insurance. 95% of the miles I drive is in the i3.

If people have not driven one, they don't know what they're missing.
 
I agree with the above posts.

I do believe this is truly an amazing car after owning it for the past two years, and use it as my daily commuter.

It suit my lifestyle perfectly, and is a fun car to drive.

Of course, this is not the perfect car...I really wish it is...

The doors are still awkward to deal with in a tight parking spot, especially when you have to unload with a baby in the back seat.

Driving in the snow is a death wish, as the decelerator and braking is very hard to control on a slippery surface. I do not recommend anyone driving this car in the snow, even if you have winter tires.

One more seat in this car would be nice. I understand this is a compromise for a smaller, more efficient, lighter car.

The pluses for sure outweigh the negatives in this car.

I am looking forward to what BMW can come up with next. In this meantime, I would recommend this car to people looking to own an EV.
 
Where I live in NH, and for most of my adult life, I've lived in areas that get a fairly significant amount of snow. While the i3 isn't the best car I've owned for driving in snow, it isn't horrible, but experience helps as does slowing down some. LIke most things, when the weather gets rough, you have to stay on your toes. Four winter tires helps. I have the Bridgestones, but when/if these wear out, I will probably buy a set of the Nokian R2's, which I think will be better. Those are the only two winter tires made specifically for the car. At least, you do have a choice. My ICE rarely gets driven, but it does have all-wheel drive when coupled with winter tires, is more like a tank.
 
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