Help! Would an i3 suit us??!

[GuyD]

Loving our new i3 and well impressed by the over 200km range we seem to get often. Slowly fathoming out how everything optimally works.....

BUT the first blemish on our love affair has just happened and involved the tyres again (besides the irritating noise on rough tar).

Bumped up a (small) kerb to park (used to fat Jeep tyres…) and the tyre deflated - no indications other than the pressure sensors - steering still straight, no noise etc. Damn it - a sidewall tear and irreparable (and the tyres are only 7500kms old...). No spare of course so sorted it temporarily with tyre foam and a plug by an ingenious petrol attendant!

At least there is a new tyre available within a day locally - much to my surprise as there are only 200-odd i3s in South Africa. Pricey but not as bad as I was dreading! About $210 all in - same as the USA?

Will be avoiding all kerbs from now on....that was an expensive coffee!

 

[GuyD]

Just had the suspension settings redone. All were slightly out - particularly at the rear (mainly alignment)

That has definitely helped with the 'dartiness', the straight line stability is improved and the car is more consistent in corners - more relaxing to drive.

Sadly it has not helped with the tyre/road noise which is so irritating - don't even have the option of alternative/quieter tyres. I can't find any suggestions on what to do about this. Pity as it spoils the car - it so quiet and pleasant on smooth tar but this is the exception. Also fine around town with lower speeds - the road noise is a problem above 70-80kph.

Had always though 'suicide doors' were 'sexy' but had noticed that Mini Clubman owners hated them and now I know why!! Oh how I wish that the i3 had normal rear doors.

 

[PBNB]

Had always though 'suicide doors' were 'sexy' but had noticed that Mini Clubman owners hated them and now I know why!! Oh how I wish that the i3 had normal rear doors.

That's a great observation. At first they are okay but after a while they become a chore to use. We are using our i3 for work and I have the back seats folded down and a custom aluminum box inside to carry tools. The doors work great for access in my case. However, if you are using the back seats for passengers, this is a pain!

We have a Honda Element and it has suicide doors as well. At least with the Honda, the front seat belt isn't connected to the rear door.

We bought ours used 2015 a few months ago and had the dealership change the tires as a condition of the sale. Ours has the 20" tire option and they came in around $200 CDN a piece if the cost they showed us was correct. I am sure that over time, there will be some wider tire options out there with new wheels. That will most likely reduce the range by adding rolling resistance.