4 Speakers, only in front doors, seriously?

[booxi3]

Hello,

I leased my Giga i3 with range extender (REX) 4 weeks back. Even though I told my sales person that I want the vehicle with the Harman Kardon package, he said unless I get the vehicle with the technology package, the Harman Kardon options doesn't come with the vehicle. He was wrong. After I leased my vehicle and encountered this issue, I found the same car in Long Beach, CA that actually had the Harman Kardon package without the Technology package for $850 more.

All the vehicles I test drove were the Terra trim. So this is the top of the line model with leather seats and everything package. I knew that Harman Kardom option had 12 speakers, but didn't know that Business speakers would be 4 and all 4 are located in the front doors! :shock: :shock: :shock:

Listening to good quality and balanced music is really important to me. It really enhances the driving experience. I'm sure it is the same feeling/experience for most of you out there. I called BMW of North America and complained about this, but they were silent and simply said "Sorry about your experience". Please name a single car from 2015 that all speakers are located in the "front" doors of the vehicle! What product manager or designer at BMW came up with this idea? There is nowhere on the dealer websites that states all 4 speakers are on the front side of the vehicle. When you play music or radio there is no sound coming from the back!!! If you go in the infotainment system there is no "Fader" option since all speakers are in the front. Even my Civic from college days had 2 speakers in the front door and 2 in the rear doors! This is a $51K 4 seater vehicle. Not a 2 door, 2 seater coupe!.

I called my dealership and complained about this the second night I found out about this setup. On the third day they called me and they said there is nothing I can do since they sent the forms to DMV the same day. So I'm stuck with this vehicle for 30 months because the people who are supposed to be knowledgeable about the product they sell, they didn't know that base system has 4 speakers in the front.

Here is the link to BMW i3 Features and Specs page. They don't mention anything about speakers under Audio Section:
http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Content/Vehicles/2015/i3/BMWi3/Features_and_Specs/Default.aspx

Here is the product specification from most dealers website:
Entertainment Features
Diversity antenna
Primary LCD size: 6.5"
Radio data system
Wireless phone connectivity: Bluetooth
AM/FM radio: SiriusXM
1st row LCD monitors: 2
Speakers: 4
Steering wheel mounted audio controls

I blame this on BMW for lack of documentation and educating the readers/visitors to their website and educating their dealer sales people. Maybe I'm wrong, but what is the opinion from the owners that have the i3 with the base sound/speaker system?

 

[jadnashuanh]

FWIW, when you go to a concert, they are in front of you, not usually behind. Yes, some of the echos may come from behind, but those are often included in the stereo feed. On a car primarily designed for commuting, and often with one person, rear speakers may not be as big of a deal as one that regularly carries people in the back.

It's always good to double-check what a salesman says to you against the manufacturer's website, and there, you'd see that the option is available on any model for the HK audio upgrade. For probably less than the $850 upgrade, you can probably improve things at a quality car stereo shop. That might be problematic on a lease, though.

 

[alohart]

I knew that Harman Kardom option had 12 speakers, but didn't know that Business speakers would be 4 and all 4 are located in the front doors! :shock: :shock: :shock:

At least you know that the standard sound system has 4 speakers; most people seem to think it has only 2 speakers.

It sounds like your BMW dealer didn't have the i3 that you wanted, so its salesperson erroneously told you that the HK system was available only with the Tech package which, for some reason, you didn't want. Unfortunately, you probably can't prove that your salesperson was dishonest or ill-informed, so it seems that you are stuck However, your dealer stating that there was nothing that could be done to rectify the situation just isn't correct; your dealer just doesn't want to do the right thing and swap your i3 for a nearby one that meets your specifications.

Some of us prefer to enjoy the silence of our i3's rather than filling the silence with sound, but I understand that everyone's preferences are personal. We, like many others, are quite satisfied with the standard sound system and didn't feel that the HK system was worth an additional $850. In fact, many audiophiles feel that rear speakers muddy the sound and do not provide the best representation of live sound.

I would be pissed if I felt that my dealer misinformed me and that as a result, I had an i3 that wasn't the best that I could have had. I hope that you are able to get this resolved or that you can appreciate the other aspects of your i3 enough that this poor start will fade into distant memory.

 

[i3atl]

Just spend the money you "saved" to upgrade the current speakers - there are some well-documented upgrades both here and on the Facebook group that will likely surpass the quality of the HK upgrade.

 

[WoodlandHills]

If you have an early 2014 car the HK system helps to mask the noisy tires too........! I am not so sure the base system would be as effective.

 

[mindmachine]

If you have an early 2014 car the HK system helps to mask the noisy tires too........! I am not so sure the base system would be as effective.

What noisy tires,mine are not noisy at all.

 

[jadnashuanh]

The early 20" tires, after they wore a bit, made some noises when turning. Supposedly, the newer versions no longer do that, but I have 19" all-seasons, so have not experienced the issue.