Is this your first plug-in and/or BMW?

[EVFitter]

I've been interested in EV's for a long time. My wife and I were getting close to replacing a car. We'd driven everything electric we could afford that's also available in our part of the country. So, the LEAF, Volt, PIP, Focus Electric, Cmax & Fusion Energi, everything except the model S. I had never driven a BMW before and only did so saying" there's no way that the i3 is worth that many thousands of dollars more than the Volt/LEAF etc.". I was blown away so here I am, awaiting delivery of my 1st BMW & 1st EV.

What's your story?

 

[Zzzoom3]

I really wanted a Model S 85. I've driven it twice. It is a very good car not just a good EV. Alas, I'm not in a position to spend that kind of money. Even the S 60 is $75K! I'd driven the Active E, came very close to actually leasing it but the allotment ran dry literally the day after I got my home charger agreement which was a required step in BMWs leasing process.

I decided to get a Volt and it has been a great experience. So when the I3 finally got here, I knew that I was going look at it very seriously. I saw the concept at the LA Auto show. I live near the VDC, and I see BMW test mules regularly as there is also an engineering facility immediately next door (I've never seen it discussed but it is there!). I saw the i3 openly being driven nearby on 2 occasions and it didn't impress visually. I remember telling my wife at dinner after the 2nd encounter how skinny the tires were!

So when the car arrived in May, I setup a test drive. It looked much better than I had anticipated given my previous exposure. It drove even better. I later went to a different location for another drive. I was pretty sure I was going to try and get one and the 2nd drive clinched it.

Now I wait very patiently for my turn

 

[stumbledotcom]

I have a strong preference for European makes; I've owned BMW, Saab and VW only. Started following the i3 development after seeing the concept at the 2011 LA show. The city friendly design, size, handling and innovative construction were more important factors in my purchase decision than the EV aspect. I didn't seriously consider other electrics. The 500e, Spark and other compliance cars have too many compromises while the Model S is much too large for my purposes. In the end, I didn't bother even test driving other EVs.

 

[RJSATLBA]

After driving fwd or quattros for 25 years my first BMW was a 123d, just before the worst British Winter for many years. Enjoyed the superb engine in the little 123 and kept it for a couple of years but wasn't happy going nowhere in snow as humdrum fwd cars drove past as if it was a normal day.

Swore I'd never have another BMW.

 

[Tummy]

This is our second plug in, we leased the Smart ED on whim 6 months ago and found that it met our needs, but not really our wants.

This is my second BMW. 1980 Pontiac Trans Am, 1983 Nissan Maxima, 1996 Honda Civic EX Coupe, 2000 BMW 323i, 2004 Infiniti FX45, 2003 Audi TT Cabriolet. Currently have a 2004 Mercedes E500 4Matic, 2005 Mercedes SLK350, 2008 Mercedes ML63 AMG, and 2013 Smart ED.

Traded the ML63 AMG for the i3, which should be delivered any day now. I have to say the BMW dealer experience has been a step down from our last three Mercedes including the Smart which shares the Mercedes dealership.

 

[mindmachine]

Bought a Prius PIP last year and woke up to the cheap cost of driving on electric, about 3 cents a mile for me in the Prius. I am retired and my driving most of the time is short trips to the grocery, bank, down town, ect... Anyway I love my Prius PIP, but I wanted more electric range. I noticed the BMW but initially thought no way, too expensive. Well as time passed and another Prius owner was talking about ordering a BMW i3 (on Prius chat)I finally decided to look into the BMW i3 with a serious attitude of well maybe. After many more articles and watching the discussions on the various forums I decided to test drive one and wow love at first sight, well not exactly first sight but first drive, i still had to warm up a little to the exterior styling.

At this time I now love the funky look of the BMW and I really love even more the quiet acceleration and the potential all electric range advantage it will have over my Prius PIP.

Ordered a Tera Rex, solar orange on April 7th. It finished production this week and is awaiting shipment to USA. Hope to see it delivered by the end of August. Can't wait!

 

[drb]

After two test drives, I purchased the i3. Yesterday I received it. Spectacular car--just everything I had expected and more so. Mine is a Terra Rex in Iconic Silver. I owned a BMW 320i in the late 1980s and my son owns a BMW X5 (which I drive occasionally) and a Mini Cooper Countryman (which I also drive occasionally). Other than these, I have driven Lexus products from its big SUV to its sedans and little sports car since Lexus first appeared on the American market. I sold two Lexus vehicles in preparation for the i3 (talk about downsizing). Lexus makes great cars and Lexus dealerships provide quality service but I am not going back to gasoline. I bought the i3 because by comparison to gasoline powered vehicles it is nimble, quick off the mark, responsive, quiet and just really fun to drive. The really fun to drive part was decisive in my final decision to buy the i3. I also liked the seating which elevates me and doesn't require that I shimmy down into a seat. Finally, there is a sense of quality in all that makes up the interior that captured my attention. I can't wait for BMW to come out with more electric car models. This is my first EV and I will stay firmly planted with plug-ins for as many cars as I have left in me. Well, off to drive the Southern California freeways this morning. I usually dread this but today I am looking forward to it. I hope that everyone who is waiting for their deliveries will be as happy as I am.

 

[Mike74jcw]

The i3 will be my first BMW (but I have owned 5 new MINIs) and second plug-in vehicle. My 2012 LEAF has sold me on EVs!

 

[Blue20]

This is my first electric car AND

this is my first BMW…. I have a confession to make…I used to hate BMW drivers. Top Gear's jokes on BMW drivers (then later Audi) pretty much sum up the reasons. When I told my wife, i3 is an interesting car, she was like…yeah right, let's move on, you will never buy BMW. I went in for test drive just for free entertainment. Once I tried the i3, I pretty much pulled out my credit card right away for the deposit.

 

[jabbahop]

My wife has a 2 year old Volt and we have solar at home so our electric bill is pretty low. I was getting tired of paying for gas and repairs on my 8 year old Mercedes R class. I didn't think I would like the i3 but decided to get it after the test drive. Not a fan of current BMW design but for some reason I like the i3 design (also liked the R-class and the RX7 which were both considered ugly by many including my kids). The dealer tells me my car will arrive next week - can't wait. I am a bit nervous about all of the issues that have been brought up on the board though.

 

[i3Alan]

First BMW and first EV.

My previous cars include: '86 Saab 900 S (nearly perfect and nearly maintenance free for 11 years), '94 Mercedes 300TDT (WILL NEVER AGAIN BUY AN MB, EVER), '96 Volvo 850 R (LOVED it in spite of nearly as much maintenance as the MB), '98 Lexus 300 GS (awesome!), '05 Toyota Sienna XLE Ltd (never particularly enjoyed, but extremely practical), '07 Toyota Camry hybrid (amazing drivetrain), '13 Lexus ES 300 hybrid (unbelievably great touring car and my wife's daily commuter).

I have spent the last year looking for a replacement for my almost 10 year old Sienna with 42K miles, which I no longer need as the youngster is now in grad school. I was looking for a very crisp handling 2 seater roadster hybrid with at least half the cargo space of my Sienna. Yeah, I couldn't find that! There were too many things wrong with most of the cars I test drove, until the i3 pretty easily won me over.

 

[EVFitter]

I have a strong preference for European makes; I've owned BMW, Saab and VW only. Started following the i3 development after seeing the concept at the 2011 LA show. The city friendly design, size, handling and innovative construction were more important factors in my purchase decision than the EV aspect. I didn't seriously consider other electrics. The 500e, Spark and other compliance cars have too many compromises while the Model S is much too large for my purposes. In the end, I didn't bother even test driving other EVs.

I know what you mean about European makes. I liked the utility of the LEAF but didn't care for the way it drove. My wife on the other hand absolutely hated the way the LEAF drove. She will be the primary day to day driver (I get nights and weekends) so that was that. We have 2 VW wagons right now. The Jetta tdi will stay. I'm a construction worker so I have to have one long range vehicle just incase I have to travel for work. I never would have even considered looking at a BMW but the difference in this car will make me check out their wagons when it's time for the Jetta to go.

 

[uktechie]

After i3 test drive it was 1st car to give me the wow factor in years so different but with REX nothing too much to worry about except the finance, depreciation may mean I can only get one so will be testing the 8 year 100000 mile battery warranty :mrgreen:

Last car that I thought this drives better than other cars was a BMW 3 Series in 2001, other cars since have been a disappointment, cannot wait to go #EV

 

[stillageek]

This is my first plug in and first BMW. This is our second EV as we recently acquired a 2013 Nissan Leaf SL.

I did get a little "weak" and bought a REX. We were going to keep our trusty Prius and get a BEV, but looked at the numbers and it made little sense to keep the Prius for the 2-3 110 mile one way trips we make a year.

 

[bxb40]

First EV (or actually first hybrid, as I got a REX) and first BMW. Looked at Tesla but was too large and expensive, plus I would have to upgrade the house 100A electric system for it. Looked at Volt but not enough electric range and not nice enough for the money. Did not consider the Leaf - don't like the look. Looked at ELR but for those money, a Tesla is nicer. So the i3 was the one and only choice. Once I'll receive it (it sits at port for the last 2 weeks) I hope it will be as good as what everybody says it is...

 

[Cedriclekine]

my wife and i have had a lot of bmw. I also had an honda insight a few years ago, i wanted to try hybrid, but i was disapointed. The car was pretty but so unpowerful...
then i tried the i3 and immediatly ordered it

 

[stillageek]

Double post...deleted

 

[ultraturtle]

everything except the model S.

Go drive the Model S. It'll knock your socks off.

...It'll also make you very happy you chose the i3.

 

[EVFitter]

everything except the model S.

Go drive the Model S. It'll knock your socks off.

...It'll also make you very happy you chose the i3.

Other than still being able to make my house payments, how so?

 

[elptex]

The i3 will be our first EV. I've been following super-early adopters journeys for years, full-well knowing that my next car would be EV. My partner and I were just waiting for a genuinely appealing EV to come onto the market. The i3 was of course well timed.

Kinda my first BMW. I drove a 2005 335i for 6 months--had it on a 3 year lease but after 6 months I moved from the US to the UK. I'm only 30 years old so the i3 will actually only be my 4th car if you count the short 6-month stint in the 335 (Honda Civic --> BMW 335i --> VW Passat).