Is the i3 neglected by dealers?

[WoodlandHills]

When I went down to our local BMW dealer to test drive an i3 I was surprised to find that there were none on display in the showroom and none parked on the lot. They had three in stock, but they were parked in the storage lot out back. It took about a 1/2 hour for the dealer staff to figure out how to start it and get the other cars blocking it in moved, when we got in the ReX was running due to inactivity as per the display. The battery was also showing 35 miles range.

How do they expect to sell these cars if they hide them so well that no one knows they exist. IMHO, these traditional BMW performance oriented shops haven't a clue about this sort of vehicle and the people who might want to buy them. A salesman who is all up to speed and excited about M Division products is unlikely to have the same enthusiasm for the i3. If the i Division is to succeed it is going to take sea change in attitude or else they had better set up separate locations a la Lexus and Infiniti to sell the green cars.

 

[noxon]

Tesla has been echoing those sentiments as one of the reasons they do not want franchised dealerships.

I've seen an i3 in a BMW showroom in Houston. I'd think in SoCal the dealers would be really excited about them.

 

[WoodlandHills]

Tesla has been echoing those sentiments as one of the reasons they do not want franchised dealerships.

I've seen an i3 in a BMW showroom in Houston. I'd think in SoCal the dealers would be really excited about them.

That is exactly what I thought too. The Tesla is wildly popular out here: high end shopping centers and Whole Foods markets are full of them, but I haven't seen an i3 on the road. Yet I saw two Fiskers! in the last week. And Leafs are as common as leaves in the fall!

 

[mindmachine]

Tesla has been echoing those sentiments as one of the reasons they do not want franchised dealerships.

I've seen an i3 in a BMW showroom in Houston. I'd think in SoCal the dealers would be really excited about them.

That is exactly what I thought too. The Tesla is wildly popular out here: high end shopping centers and Whole Foods markets are full of them, but I haven't seen an i3 on the road. Yet I saw two Fiskers! in the last week. And Leafs are as common as leaves in the fall!

Kelly BMW has an i3 in their showroom every time I visit them and they are in Columbus, Ohio. This week they had 2 on the lot and one in the showroom.

 

[RJSATLBA]

Interesting to compare your observations with my UK dealership where an i3 has been on a display stand centre stage every time I've been in since Jan. You'd think it would be the other way round given that they are like hen's teeth here but readily available in NA.

 

[jadnashuanh]

BMW has at least a few cars the dealers do not understand or market: the i3 in some places and the 5-series GT in most of NA, which is rarely even stocked, let alone in a showroom...people, you can't sell them if you don't show them to the typical customer.

 

[WoodlandHills]

I visited another dealer today to sign up for my 4 day test drive and they had a couple of i3's right next to the entrance door to the showroom. Interestingly enough, they were both Mega world BEV's with 20" wheels and heated seats as the only options. Very drab compared to the Giga's light colored interior although the Burnt-orange paint looked great in person, much better than the Ionic Silver we were thinking of. I am just getting used to the benefits of a lease: who cares about resale value if I get a loud color! Why not get just what I want and not worry if it's not going to be popular in 3 years?

Btw, this dealer has 26 i3's in stock with more arriving in about a week, at least 4 of them in the Extended Test Drive fleet. I wanted to be able to take some good friends to the Hollywood Bowl Sunday night in an electric BMW and they let the cars out by calendar day so I have to go back tomorrow and pick it up to be able to return it on Monday. I tried to get a long test drive from the dealer I first contacted, the one who has a car on the boat earmarked for me, but they chose not to participate in BMWUSA's program. They also did not mention to me when they told be about the $1000 voucher that all the other dealers were matching it to make $2000. On the other hand, they already knocked $1000 of the price so it all ends up the same, unless they are willing to match the voucher offer AND the $1000 off of list. It will be an interesting couple of weeks coming up.......

 

[JLB]

There will be a total of four i-Dealers selling the i3 in all of Australia starting November. Does that qualify as neglect. ? I understand the aus consumer is finicky and previous EV cars have sputtered but the lack of competition doesn't bode well for the consumer.

 

[pastyboy]

Interesting to compare your observations with my UK dealership where an i3 has been on a display stand centre stage every time I've been in since Jan. You'd think it would be the other way round given that they are like hen's teeth here but readily available in NA.

Its the same down south in the UK. My dealer has almost a quarter of the showroom given over to i3 (and now i8) with the ICE all stuffed into the other half, with the remaining quarter reserved for new cars being picked up. When people start to realise what the i3 can do I think the performance guys might have second thoughts. I have a friend with an M3 who is very interested because he is fed up with the cost of the M3 and the fact that his local dealer doesn't really know how to look after it properly.

 

[elptex]

+1 to the UK experience. Reading Cooper BMW is all over it, both the i3 and i8 are center stage, prominently placed in the showroom along a big/busy roundabout. And they are all over the i-knowledge, having the answers to the vast majority of questions. Throw in an exceptional sales experience and its no wonder they have sold 20+ i3's (according to them; I believe it, our pickup handover was perfect).