Changes for 2015 model

BMW i3 Forum

Help Support BMW i3 Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
My sales guy told me that they wouldn't change anything for 3 years, but that might mean a general redesign. The biggest thing Im bummed about going from my much beloved Buick Lacrosse to the i3 is the lack of the side mirrors that light up when a car is in your blind spot. On a 50 grand car I can't believe that is not standard or available. Once you get used to that it's really a drag not having it. :( That was almost a deal breaker for me, but coolness won out once I drove the i3 and felt the seats which I personally love.
 
Does the Technology Package provide that?:

•Navigation Professional System
•Advanced Real-Time Traffic Information
•ACC Stop & Go + Active Driving Assistant
•BMW Online and BMW Apps
 
Sales guys will tell you anything they can think of to sell you one of the cars they have on their lot right now.

They don't know a thing about the 2015's. I'm hoping for CarPlay, but I wouldn't be surprised if the i3 carries over unchanged for 2015.
 
roperld said:
Does the Technology Package provide that?:

•Navigation Professional System
•Advanced Real-Time Traffic Information
•ACC Stop & Go + Active Driving Assistant
•BMW Online and BMW Apps

The active driving assistant checks for pedestrians and similar things you might hit ahead of you, and getting too close to the car in front, but does not do anything with things on the sides (except when doing something link parallel parking).
 
noxon said:
Sales guys will tell you anything they can think of to sell you one of the cars they have on their lot right now.

They don't know a thing about the 2015's. I'm hoping for CarPlay, but I wouldn't be surprised if the i3 carries over unchanged for 2015.
So true, my dad bought a Discovery 2 - asked the sales guy there was a rumour a new model was coming out. He'd "not heard anything about one". 2 weeks after my dad took delivery they announced the Disco 3. LOL. He's got interenet access now, so probably wouldn't bother asking salemen again, just use forums to get made up rumours ;)
 
Yeah, I bought a '95 M3 in '96 on assurances there wouldn't be any more M3's in the US. About a month later some '97's show up. Car salespeople are the worst.
 
SOme sales people really just don't know. THen, there's the others that will lie through their teeth while taking your money. If you find one that is both knowledgeable and honest, you've found a guy to go back to again. Dealers should realize this, as at least in many areas, there is competition.
 
YEah I was sure hoping that the tech package offered that, but it doesn't. When the car was first coming out, I asked 5 different people at BMW and they all said "I don't know, I'll have to check". And then they came back "No it doesn't and I can't understand why when their other models have it".

I believe that it will eventually and it's the same as the iPad mini and the retina display. They certainly could have come out with that instead of the stock grainy one, but they didn't until 6 months later so you'd dump your mini for a mini with retina display. Bastards.

Basically as I remember my conversation with the salesguy, he said that they most likely do nothing for the first 3 years of any model. Then they'd add some goodies at the 3 year mark, then do a complete model redesign at the 6 year mark.
 
DeafSoundGuy said:
Basically as I remember my conversation with the salesguy, he said that they most likely do nothing for the first 3 years of any model. Then they'd add some goodies at the 3 year mark, then do a complete model redesign at the 6 year mark.

That is the standard schedule for established model lines within a brand. However, with the i models the situation is more like Toyota introducing Lexus: they will need a full line of vehicles in order to be taken as more than a niche player a la smart. It's not like they don't have experience with this sort of thing, witness Mini and their entry to the market as a stand alone brand. And look how the Mini is no longer quite so, well, mini: they needed to sell more than just one size and style of car to be able to compete once the fad wore off. So they came out with all sizes of "mini" shaped cars to appeal to a larger marketplace, IMHO BMW will do the same with the i line of cars. Look for freestanding locations that look like Apple stores complete with Genius Bars to sell/teach people about the capabilities of the various i vehicles.
 
OEM's are under increasing pressure to reduce product lifecycle times, so while it has traditionally been true that a model gets cosmetic sheet metal changes after 3 years and complete overhaul after 6, that is breaking down pretty rapidly. Some manufacturers are making significant changes in as little as 4 years. Tesla has turned this model on its head, both from the software perspective (significant updates are released regularly OTA) and on the manufacturing line as well, as they have introduced many "hardware" changes to the Model S since its introduction. They have the benefit of being a small producer currently and can tailor their production to these changes. Much harder to do if you are producing 50,000 cars a week.

In any case the trend is to shorter lifecycles. We all benefit from that. But I'd still be surprised to see any significant changes in the i3 for 2015 since everything about it is new. They are still dealing with the normal new car introduction issues (witness the KLE problems) which take priority over new, whizzy features.
 
noxon said:
I'm hoping for CarPlay, but I wouldn't be surprised if the i3 carries over unchanged for 2015.

I suspect CarPlay and other smart phone dependent interfaces will be a disaster. Tech companies don't have the long view that the auto market requires. Witness iOS 8 breaking bluetooth functionality for many people, not just BMW owners. The iOS 8 update ruined my ability to stream audio reliably in the i3. I've reverted to a cable connection. I haven't had issues with calls yet but there are plenty of reports on Apple forums from iPhone users who have.
 
Just in case you are not on the Facebook i3 group, there are some firm changes to the 2015 model in the USA. DC charge be standard. ReX will behave differently before a hill climb, there will be the possibility to release the charging cable when the car is full charged. There will be a State of Charge read-out. A few other things I cant remember....mostly software updates. No sunroof for the USA though.

I'm not sure if we will get DC as standard in the UK....
 
One would hope the SoC indicator will be offered on the 2014's. The rest is great news, especially standard DC charging.
 
I wonder how many of the changes are purely software enabled as opposed to needing different hardware? Most, I would expect at this early stage in the cars history, which gives BMW the opportunity to offer continuous upgrades like Tesla. Any "improvements" should be made available via software upgrade to all i3s as soon as they are implemented on production vehicles.
Offering the ability to keep your car as current as possible will only add to resale/residual values and will allow the i Division to stand out in the market by emulating Tesla. Honestly, I would much rather deal directly with BMW than go through a dealer anyway, if only BMW were brave enough to sell the i cars directly like Tesla. After going through a very pleasant leasing experience, I still have to ask: "what value did the dealer add to the vehicle and why do I have to pay for them to be between me and BMW"?
 
WoodlandHills said:
"what value did the dealer add to the vehicle and why do I have to pay for them to be between me and BMW"?

That is the gist of the Tesla vs. State arguments going on right now. Franchise laws that were originally enacted to prevent a manufacturer from competing directly with the franchisee's (think OEM factory store competing with a licensed dealer - the factory store has a significant advantage since their finances are part of the larger corporation) have been morphed into blatant protectionism for existing dealers. An average dealership these days (a couple of brands, maybe 3 physical locations) turns a profit of nearly 3/4 of a million dollars each year. The dealers that are making that money are fighting tooth and nail to preserve their legally protected monopolies. Whether they provide a service to customers is not even on the radar screen.

That being said, dealers that "get it" are actually providing knowledge, high-levels of customer service and direct interface to the manufacturers. When you do need service, the manufacturers today are just not set up to interface with you directly. Processing lease documents and/or sale documents and ensuring that everything complies with state laws and regulations is one of the services that a dealer provides. But the quality of that service is wildly variable.
 
There is nothing to prevent a manufacturer from providing DMV services as well as having their own service staff. No reason to think that they would be any less effective at this than the dealers. Doesn't Tesla handle all that for their buyers now?

Why, oh why, do I need to play games with a dealer? Why can't it be like buying a new iPad: you walk into an Apple Store and buy directly from the people who made it. If it breaks, you go back to the people who made it. If you have an issue with how it works you see the people who made it. The i3 is just a rolling computer or smartphone, why can't the acquisition experience be like any other high tech device as opposed to the testosterone fueled high octane Ultimate Driving Experience.........
 
In the UK we buy directly from BMW. Dealers act as middlemen but can't be part of the contract or offer discounts. I'm not sure I like it.
 
As per what Dee said... We ordered our i3 from the BMW i Store on Park Lane in London, which is actually run by BMW itself. There is no middleman there. Very slick, totally geared towards selling the iSeries & our man Oliver is an absolute pleasure.
 
Back
Top