tiburonh
Well-known member
As a recent joiner of this forum, I get the impression that most of the rest of you have already seen (and even driven) the i3. So I'm not sure that what follows will be especially useful to you, but none the less, here goes:
I went to the San Jose Auto Show this evening, specifically to see the i3 in person.
I have only recently become aware of and interested in the i3. I've been driving a variety of luxury SUV's for the past 12 years or so (I had the first ML320, then the second generation ML350, then the big Range Rover, then the first X5 diesel, and now the Audi Q5). My Q5 went off lease last summer, and I ended up buying it because the originally predicted residual value was ridiculously lower than the actual current value. Nonetheless, I have been shopping for a new luxury SUV to replace it, and had been inches away from ordering the new X5 diesel, when I somehow happened to read about the i3.
I thought I was being environmentally conscious by moving from the gas powered Q5 to the new, very efficient diesel powered X5. But of course the i3 makes the diesel X5 still look wasteful.
So, for the past few weeks, I have been devouring every tidbit of info about the i3. I've read all the comments in forums, all the press reviews, and every other link I could find online about the car. Though I was fascinated by its potential to be the break through EV (side note - I tried the Telsa S and found it overpriced, not very comfortable, and boringly designed on the inside), I was very worried about how sporty the i3 would really be.
And, as a 6'3" guy whose first step in car shopping is always "can I even fit comfortably in this car", I was totally expecting the i3 to be just too small for me.
I have to say, based on looks and fit alone (I was not able to actually drive the car tonight!), that the i3 is both very sporty and amazingly spacious.
On the sporty front (again, I am only able to talk about the design here, not about the actual driving experience), this car is so, so cool. At the San Jose auto show, I was able to also see and sit in the Leaf, the Volt, the Cadillac ELR monstrosity, the Spark, the electric Fiat, the Ford CMax, etc..
The design and style of the i3 are, in my view, just light years beyond any of its EV competitors, both on the exterior and the interior.
On the interior, I love how clean and simple the operating stuff is. So few buttons, and such clean/clear brilliance in the two screens. I also love how clean, simple, and environmentally responsible the other visual elements are: the thin but super comfortable seats, the open display of the natural materials in the dash and of the carbon fiber materials in the body, etc., etc. One key caveat on the interior: the model on display here had the sunroof -- but if the version actually sold in the US does not (there seems to be a lot of debate and uncertainty about this), then I would feel a bit too claustrophobic and would pass.
On the exterior, I had expected to hate it. But found I loved it. The two-tone color scheme is actually cool.
The bizarre side line is also actually cool. The fact that AutoWeek has included it in their SUV's of the year list is not so unbelievable when you see it in person. And all the talk about the skinniness of the tires has been, I think,overly exaggerated. The i3's exterior looks just confirm how ugly and lame the Volt/Prius/Leaf competitors are.
As for the "can I fit comfortably in it" question, I am surprised but thrilled to report that I actually have more leg room and more head room in this car than I do in my Q5. And WAY more headroom and legroom than in the Leaf, the Volt, the ELR, and the Spark.
Indeed, the potential leg room in this car is perhaps bigger than in any car I have EVER driven. Of course, the caveat here is that you would not want to be the person who sits behind me when I get in and shove that seat all the way back.
I would buy the i3 today, provided I could give positive answers to these few, but critical, remaining questions:
1. Will the drive be comfortable?
2. Will it's US crash testing ratings be good?
3. Will the net price be a good value? (Complications here include today's news that in CA the i3 will NOT qualify for the CA $2,500 rebate and will also not qualify for the coveted "white label" access to our HOV lanes).
Bottom line -- lord, I hope my wonderful sales person Gert is not reading this and thus feeling no need to negotiate a tough deal with me -- I'm ready to place my order.
Cheers,
H
I went to the San Jose Auto Show this evening, specifically to see the i3 in person.
I have only recently become aware of and interested in the i3. I've been driving a variety of luxury SUV's for the past 12 years or so (I had the first ML320, then the second generation ML350, then the big Range Rover, then the first X5 diesel, and now the Audi Q5). My Q5 went off lease last summer, and I ended up buying it because the originally predicted residual value was ridiculously lower than the actual current value. Nonetheless, I have been shopping for a new luxury SUV to replace it, and had been inches away from ordering the new X5 diesel, when I somehow happened to read about the i3.
I thought I was being environmentally conscious by moving from the gas powered Q5 to the new, very efficient diesel powered X5. But of course the i3 makes the diesel X5 still look wasteful.
So, for the past few weeks, I have been devouring every tidbit of info about the i3. I've read all the comments in forums, all the press reviews, and every other link I could find online about the car. Though I was fascinated by its potential to be the break through EV (side note - I tried the Telsa S and found it overpriced, not very comfortable, and boringly designed on the inside), I was very worried about how sporty the i3 would really be.
And, as a 6'3" guy whose first step in car shopping is always "can I even fit comfortably in this car", I was totally expecting the i3 to be just too small for me.
I have to say, based on looks and fit alone (I was not able to actually drive the car tonight!), that the i3 is both very sporty and amazingly spacious.
On the sporty front (again, I am only able to talk about the design here, not about the actual driving experience), this car is so, so cool. At the San Jose auto show, I was able to also see and sit in the Leaf, the Volt, the Cadillac ELR monstrosity, the Spark, the electric Fiat, the Ford CMax, etc..
The design and style of the i3 are, in my view, just light years beyond any of its EV competitors, both on the exterior and the interior.
On the interior, I love how clean and simple the operating stuff is. So few buttons, and such clean/clear brilliance in the two screens. I also love how clean, simple, and environmentally responsible the other visual elements are: the thin but super comfortable seats, the open display of the natural materials in the dash and of the carbon fiber materials in the body, etc., etc. One key caveat on the interior: the model on display here had the sunroof -- but if the version actually sold in the US does not (there seems to be a lot of debate and uncertainty about this), then I would feel a bit too claustrophobic and would pass.
On the exterior, I had expected to hate it. But found I loved it. The two-tone color scheme is actually cool.
The bizarre side line is also actually cool. The fact that AutoWeek has included it in their SUV's of the year list is not so unbelievable when you see it in person. And all the talk about the skinniness of the tires has been, I think,overly exaggerated. The i3's exterior looks just confirm how ugly and lame the Volt/Prius/Leaf competitors are.
As for the "can I fit comfortably in it" question, I am surprised but thrilled to report that I actually have more leg room and more head room in this car than I do in my Q5. And WAY more headroom and legroom than in the Leaf, the Volt, the ELR, and the Spark.
Indeed, the potential leg room in this car is perhaps bigger than in any car I have EVER driven. Of course, the caveat here is that you would not want to be the person who sits behind me when I get in and shove that seat all the way back.
I would buy the i3 today, provided I could give positive answers to these few, but critical, remaining questions:
1. Will the drive be comfortable?
2. Will it's US crash testing ratings be good?
3. Will the net price be a good value? (Complications here include today's news that in CA the i3 will NOT qualify for the CA $2,500 rebate and will also not qualify for the coveted "white label" access to our HOV lanes).
Bottom line -- lord, I hope my wonderful sales person Gert is not reading this and thus feeling no need to negotiate a tough deal with me -- I'm ready to place my order.
Cheers,
H
