Sranger
Well-known member
I was able to test drive a BMW i3 Today at Global Imports in Atlanta. They had three of the i3's from the LA auto show there. The dealer said they will have the cars today and tomorrow if you want to get a ride here in Atlanta, GA. I would call as they were very busy. I went at 1:00pm and there were three people ahead of me waiting and abut 10 after that. I did have a 1:00pm appointment. ( I Think this car is going to sell very well....)
My first impression was that It was a little bigger on the inside than I expected. I am 6'-4" and found the car to be quite comfortable. The telescoping steering column had a lot of travel to is to really help out tall drivers. My wife is only 5'-2" and she also was able to find a comfortable driving position. Given our difference in size it is rare for us to find a car that makes both of us comfortable driving it. I have heard people complain about the head room in the rear. I easily had a 1-1/2" clearance between my head and the headliner. So if I fit, most people will fit. The leg and knee room is a little tight in the back. I put the drivers seat all the way back and I was still able to sit in the back with my knees on either side of the seat. Certainly not good for a trip of any length, but fine to go to lunch or something. I could move the seat up a little and still drive it comfortably and also have just enough room in the rear for my knees in a normal seating position. The boot was about what I expected, it is not large, but is a very convenient shape. It should easily hold a couple of over head size suit cases and a few other items. With the seats folded, there is quite a lot of room. More than I expected. I occasionally carry demo cases and they would fit well inside.
My only real grip with the car's interior is the exposed press fiber board matrial. I know it is eco friendly, but it looks a little tacky in a car of this price range. A matt finish solid black would look much better.
As for the looks, I thought it looked much better in person than in the pictures. I like the looks in the first place, but it really looked good in orange/black with the full leather seats in person. This is the trim that I will most likely order.
The handling was quite good. It has a very small and responsive steering wheel. I thought the car handled very well. I when around a few curves quickly and there was some uneven pavement in the road and it did not hop around as some auto journalists have claimed. If you push it harder it might do it, but you would have to be doing something fairly stupid in that case.
I drove it around a rough cobblestone circle and it's ride is taunt but compliant in my opinion. It bounced less than my F150 4x4 truck does when it is empty.
I did ask about how the REx can be used. He told me right now that there is no plan to offer two versions in the US. The current plan is to meet CARB in all states in that the REx cannot be manually activated and it will activate below 5% state of charge. However, the dealer was encouraging people to add a note to allow early activation of the REx in non-CARB states like GA. I added the suggestion to the Drive review, but who knows if anyone will pay any attention to that...
The wife and I were very impressed with the car. I will definitely get one next year as soon as I can. It looks like the REx versions are going to be delayed here in the US. They are estimating a mid summer delivery for a REx (assuming that you order in january when they first start accepting orders). Of course this is only the dealer's best guess as they did not have much more info than we do at this point...
My first impression was that It was a little bigger on the inside than I expected. I am 6'-4" and found the car to be quite comfortable. The telescoping steering column had a lot of travel to is to really help out tall drivers. My wife is only 5'-2" and she also was able to find a comfortable driving position. Given our difference in size it is rare for us to find a car that makes both of us comfortable driving it. I have heard people complain about the head room in the rear. I easily had a 1-1/2" clearance between my head and the headliner. So if I fit, most people will fit. The leg and knee room is a little tight in the back. I put the drivers seat all the way back and I was still able to sit in the back with my knees on either side of the seat. Certainly not good for a trip of any length, but fine to go to lunch or something. I could move the seat up a little and still drive it comfortably and also have just enough room in the rear for my knees in a normal seating position. The boot was about what I expected, it is not large, but is a very convenient shape. It should easily hold a couple of over head size suit cases and a few other items. With the seats folded, there is quite a lot of room. More than I expected. I occasionally carry demo cases and they would fit well inside.
My only real grip with the car's interior is the exposed press fiber board matrial. I know it is eco friendly, but it looks a little tacky in a car of this price range. A matt finish solid black would look much better.
As for the looks, I thought it looked much better in person than in the pictures. I like the looks in the first place, but it really looked good in orange/black with the full leather seats in person. This is the trim that I will most likely order.
The handling was quite good. It has a very small and responsive steering wheel. I thought the car handled very well. I when around a few curves quickly and there was some uneven pavement in the road and it did not hop around as some auto journalists have claimed. If you push it harder it might do it, but you would have to be doing something fairly stupid in that case.
I drove it around a rough cobblestone circle and it's ride is taunt but compliant in my opinion. It bounced less than my F150 4x4 truck does when it is empty.
I did ask about how the REx can be used. He told me right now that there is no plan to offer two versions in the US. The current plan is to meet CARB in all states in that the REx cannot be manually activated and it will activate below 5% state of charge. However, the dealer was encouraging people to add a note to allow early activation of the REx in non-CARB states like GA. I added the suggestion to the Drive review, but who knows if anyone will pay any attention to that...
The wife and I were very impressed with the car. I will definitely get one next year as soon as I can. It looks like the REx versions are going to be delayed here in the US. They are estimating a mid summer delivery for a REx (assuming that you order in january when they first start accepting orders). Of course this is only the dealer's best guess as they did not have much more info than we do at this point...
