New i3 maybe

BMW i3 Forum

Help Support BMW i3 Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Kiwi

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 15, 2015
Messages
80
Location
Auckland
I'm so not sure as I've had an i3 out for an over night test drive but I'm so used to my BMW cars with M Sport and found the i3 steering and suspension a little sloppy and the seat pulls my back at the bottom of the neck. I'm not sure I gave the i3 enough test time so I may ask for another test drive. I really like the design and interior and cannot stop thinking about the i3.
 
The i3 is a city car, not just an electrified BMW. It works best in stop and go traffic, below 45mph. It's not for autobahn-style high-speed cruising or carving up deserted mountain twisties. I've come to think of it as a very precise tool for making the slog to and from work less stressful and highly entertaining.
 
It's a shame as in New Zealand their is city driving but it's not huge as other countries. Our roads outside the city are single lane both ways and tight. I may have to buy a 220i M Sport convertible and keep my 6 month old 116i M Sport. Petrol cost is only $1800.00 per year for both cars.
 
Kiwi said:
It's a shame as in New Zealand their is city driving but it's not huge as other countries.

Haven't you been to Auckland?

Really, you just have to assess your daily driving range. Either the i3 or i3REX fits the bill or not.
 
I live in Auckland and the i3REX is the only i3 BMW is bringing into NZ.

Auckland traffic and size is really small compared to Australia and Kiwis love to get out and about you would be crazy to spend all those dollars on an i3 just to drive down the road and back or you have money burning a hole in your pocket. This is why BMW brings in the REX only as they understand the way Kiwi's drive it's the only sensible i3.

Or maybe I'm expecting to much:- I have a new loaner BMW 520d M Sport at present and it drives poorly or is the 1 series M Sport that much of a better drivers car than we realises.
 
I33t said:
So what is your average daily drive, Kiwi?

I work from home so I'm hardly ever in rush hour and don't really have a daily drive other than most would be motorway in town and out in the country side 30%. during the week.

I've just picked up my 6 month old 1 series 116i M Sport auto after being at the dealer for 3 weeks for a warranty claim and I have to say it's the best BMW has built for the money it is just fantastic. It leaves the i3 way behind. You don't buy a i3 for the dollars you save on fuel as you will never show a return but I was looking at it as a fun car and a bit of a novelty. It would be a toy just like owning a motorbike.
 
The i3 is the fastest car BMW currently sells up to 30mph, so in its element, running around town or stop and go traffic, it's a blast. Droning down a limited access highway trying to cover lots of miles fast is/was never it's forte. It will do it, within reason, but it was not designed for extended trips. There are limitations, and if you can live with them, may suit your needs fine. I, personally, use mine for 95% of my day-to-day needs and only use my other car when I either need to carry more, or am traveling further than my normal stuff, which is all around town within about 10-miles or so one-way. The tight turning radius and instant torque plus short chassis make it nearly ideal for use around town, less so on a longer trip.
 
I've been to NZ a number of times. It's a lovely place to visit.

The opportunities to use a high performance car in NZ are extremely limited. The roads are narrow with tight verges, there is a lot of slow traffic and the distances between cities is populated with little towns and villages so the open highway distances are short. Add the many twists and turns along the road and you have a good picture of what it's like. Around every corner there is another terrific scenic view.

I think an i3 REX would be ideal transport in NZ unless you routinely drove the length of the island (~800km North Island, and ~1000km South Island) Around Auckland, it would be a blast.
 
I33t said:
I've been to NZ a number of times. It's a lovely place to visit.

The opportunities to use a high performance car in NZ are extremely limited. The roads are narrow with tight verges, there is a lot of slow traffic and the distances between cities is populated with little towns and villages so the open highway distances are short. Add the many twists and turns along the road and you have a good picture of what it's like. Around every corner there is another terrific scenic view.

I think an i3 REX would be ideal transport in NZ unless you routinely drove the length of the island (~800km North Island, and ~1000km South Island) Around Auckland, it would be a blast.

Well you have never been off the main roads as the good driving and faster driving is on the secondary roads. Just like America or Australia.

Your fines in Australia are more than double NZ so I would not be racing at all their. You don't even get 10k over any limit it's more a police country now.

The i3 is fast and would be fun but my concern as as before is the poor front seats and the poor corning. If BMW improves those 2 items I would have an i3 now. As you understand tight corners like tight steering not lazy steering as the i3 is at the moment.

BMW's own words "Ultimate Drivers Machine"
 
Kiwi said:
I33t said:
I've been to NZ a number of times. It's a lovely place to visit.

The opportunities to use a high performance car in NZ are extremely limited. The roads are narrow with tight verges, there is a lot of slow traffic and the distances between cities is populated with little towns and villages so the open highway distances are short. Add the many twists and turns along the road and you have a good picture of what it's like. Around every corner there is another terrific scenic view.

I think an i3 REX would be ideal transport in NZ unless you routinely drove the length of the island (~800km North Island, and ~1000km South Island) Around Auckland, it would be a blast.

Well you have never been off the main roads as the good driving and faster driving is on the secondary roads. Just like America or Australia.

Your fines in Australia are more than double NZ so I would not be racing at all their. You don't even get 10k over any limit it's more a police country now.

The i3 is fast and would be fun but my concern as as before is the poor front seats and the poor corning. If BMW improves those 2 items I would have an i3 now. As you understand tight corners like tight steering not lazy steering as the i3 is at the moment.

BMW's own words "Ultimate Drivers Machine"

I have been to NZ multiple times, both North and South Islands, main roads and back roads and goat tracks. Apart from the (very few) freeways, all of the roads in NZ are secondary or lesser. Most of the main roads would not rate as a secondary road here because of the very narrow verges. I have no idea what you might think of as a 'faster driving secondary road', can you give us an example?

The fines in Australia are higher than NZ. Inversely, the motor vehicle death rate is lower here. that may not be totally because of the fines but they probably play some part. If you want to 'race', do yourself and your fellow citizens a favour and head on down to the 'race track', not some stretch of road used by the general public.

How many turns lock to lock is your 1-series? How tight can it turn compared to the i3? 0-100kph? These are specifications that are ideal measures for driving in NZ.
 
You don't know how old I am I've been driving for 43 years. It's not racing but I don't drive like a nanny I enjoy corners the straight roads don't interest me much.

We have had many Austrians killed in the last few days, 4 just yesterday and looks like Australians have lost their way to drive as they now lead the amount of tourists killed in New Zealand. We never see Americans killed and their are lots here.

We have drivers roads and roads that you learn how to drive on, not brain dead on motorways which I see often on the Gold Coast motorway. As I said you have almost 6 times the amount of people all crammed into a few city's.

If you follow sport you will see how our small country does against Australia.

You would also noticed are police do not carry guns and don't shot a lady with only holding a knife or hostages without thinking first before rushing in with guns.

Kiwi Aust dollar are within 2 cents of being than same so who's leading? Not Tony's government that's for sure.
 
Kiwi said:
You don't know how old I am I've been driving for 43 years. It's not racing but I don't drive like a nanny I enjoy corners the straight roads don't interest me much.

We have had many Austrians killed in the last few days, 4 just yesterday and looks like Australians have lost their way to drive as they now lead the amount of tourists killed in New Zealand. We never see Americans killed and their are lots here.

We have drivers roads and roads that you learn how to drive on, not brain dead on motorways which I see often on the Gold Coast motorway. As I said you have almost 6 times the amount of people all crammed into a few city's.

If you follow sport you will see how our small country does against Australia.

You would also noticed are police do not carry guns and don't shot a lady with only holding a knife or hostages without thinking first before rushing in with guns.

Kiwi Aust dollar are within 2 cents of being than same so who's leading? Not Tony's government that's for sure.

You haven't answered the questions, you have just launched an anti-Australia campaign and run away from your 'racing' reveal. Despite that, you seem to think Austrians are Australians? lol.

Gold coast motorway is a couple of thousand km from where I am, and like NZ, it is full of tourists, many of them from NZ!
 
This is like texting I never check but you know.

What I was saying which was and simple the steering and seating of the i3 needs to be improved.

Was it not you that start saying things about New Zealand. So I wrote a few truths about the 2 countries.

I've moved on and will not be purchasing the non drivers car it's a shopping trolly.
 
I'm back thinking again about an i3 so I'll be back to the dealer for a test drive.

Since last here I purchased for the wife a new 2 series convertible and took delivery in June 15.

Now something for myself as my 1 series is getting a little boring even though it is a new free replacement car as my previous 2014 1 series lived at BMW due to car problems. It must have been a Friday car but BMW offered a replacement so took it and haven't had any problems at all for 7 months of owning. There is nothing under 100k ($50k US dollars) BMW manufactures I like the look of other than the i3. I drove a few different BMW loan cars while my old car was in the shop.
 
The steering and seating of the i3 has not been improved. Maybe wait for 2018 or so, there should be an update by then.

I guess anything could always be improved, but I have no problem with the steering and seating of my i3.
 
At least in the USA, for 2016, the i3 is getting a sports tuned option which might be what you would like. I've not looked into it, and do not know the details, but you could ask if it's coming there, and when.
 
Is this the vehicle for me? I live on Vancouver Island on Canada's West Coast with a moderate climate 8-10 Celsius winter and 20-25 Celsius summer. I have a daily commute of 130 km on a highway with a 90 km limit with a number of traffic lights along the way. I'm would buy the RX as I am on the outer range limit. Thoughts?
 
Back
Top