Options

[Hengus]

I am visiting a BMW 'I' dealer on Friday to test drive a REx. I would be grateful for thoughts on which of the options are really necessary. I have an F11 and, if I was changing like-for-like, I wouldn't go for Professional Nav. DC charging is on my short list which some forums suggest may soon be a standard option. This would be a private purchase with a long period of ownership in mind. I love the F11 but it is not getting the sensible use that it deserves.

 

[alohart]

Please add your location to your profile using the User Control Panel so that the answers that you get are accurate for your location. Options vary significantly depending on where one lives.

 

[Hengus]

Apologies. I am UK based.

 

[Tomasz]

Can't give you too many specific suggestions, since I'm US based but here is my list:

0. REx. Enough said.

1. Heated seats. A must if temp outside ever gets below freezing. Allows to set cabin heating good 2-4C lower and save a lot of range yet still feel comfortable.
2. DC charging, especially in UK where infrastructure is far more advanced.

Now we go into uncharted territory since BMW names options differently in US (but effectively bundles them together in a very similar fasion).

3. Adaptive cruise control. In US it's part of Technology package.

4. Rear view camera. In US part of Park Assistant package. As much as I don't care or need any of the other parking helping features I wanted the camera so I needed to get the package.

5. Here is the biggest price item - easy access. In US available only with Giga and Tera trims, which in my case (due to vomit inducing colors of Giga interior) forced me to go with Tera.

As a result, due to BMW's packaging I went with almost top of the line model (sans 20" wheels and sound upgrade). If you can get those features separately the base model is more than capable as is.

 

[pastyboy]

I am visiting a BMW 'I' dealer on Friday to test drive a REx. I would be grateful for thoughts on which of the options are really necessary. I have an F11 and, if I was changing like-for-like, I wouldn't go for Professional Nav. DC charging is on my short list which some forums suggest may soon be a standard option. This would be a private purchase with a long period of ownership in mind. I love the F11 but it is not getting the sensible use that it deserves.

Hengus
The heated seats are a must, but I believe will now be standard in UK spec for 2015 (part of the winter pack)

I have the park assist because my wife wanted the front sensor and the camera. It s a gimmick in my opinion because it takes too long and does not park as well as I can! The camera also gets dirty very easily. If you are confident with your parking it is not a worthwhile extra, but simply a cynical ploy by BMW to get you to pay for the whole package just to get the front sensor.

I did not go for the adaptive Cruise and from what I read I am glad, although like the idea of it stopping/starting in traffic. It seems it is just not reliable enough.

The HK is not perfect but in my opinion is worth he extra over the standard system, which is adequate but a little lacking in base for my liking, and I am no audiophile.

The Pro Nav is good and gives you a lot of extra features, as well as the larger screen. The real time traffic info is particularly good.

The DC charging structure in the UK is nowhere near as good as our American cousins assume and is very much a turn up and see if it is working on that particular day and that particular time, but with the Rex you have that covered and I think is something I would always want. Even a Tesla cannot charge if the charger is already in use or out of order. 19/20" wheels - it depends how they affect the ride I guess. I liked the 428's and so went for them.

I also went for the sunroof on the basis that if I am sitting in the car whilst charging or stuck in a motorway queue I will have ventilation on a hot day without using excessive air-con. I have found it very useful and use it a lot at slower speeds (i.e. below 50mph) without any noticeable range penalties. I know it adds weight but then, so do three passengers, and most of the time I am only me or one passenger. It can still be everything at the lights if I am in that kind of mood.

I guess the rest is down to preference. I went for the basic interior because I liked it and did not like the others. I thought about leather but did not like it enough to spend £2k on, and it is dark brown, which I was not keen on. In hindsight I might have gone for the LED headlights. I thought I was getting them anyway, but without the adaptive bit, but actually the standard ones are halogen. They are acceptable but my 330Ci has Xenons and so I find them a little dim. Not sure how good the LED's are in this regard. I also passed on the tints on the basis hat the front and front side windows are still clear. It does get hot in there and the tints would help people travelling in the back but I suspect it will still get hot even with the tints.

One thing you will probably find after the F11 is that it has a fairly restricted load capacity. The external dimensions are similar to our Golf GTi but that will swallow a whole lot more. It is of course designed as a city car but it cannot even take a roof rack or bike carrier. It is fine as long as you are aware of the restrictions though.

Driving it is different to an ICE vehicle. The regen means that you rarely need the brakes, as log as you have good anticipation. If you have ever ridden two cylinder motorcycles you will be half way there in getting used to it. Therefore, whilst the £375 for 5 years servicing is a must, I do not think the £1100 for the full service package is a good deal. From what I can tell it only really adds brakes and wiper blades!

We have had ours since September and most trips have been local, except a 260 mile trip to Plymouth. In 2700 miles we have only done about 200 on petrol (mostly on the way back from Plymouth). We are really loving it and it has saved us a fortune already, even with petrol approaching the £1 per gallon mark (and I bet that doesn't last long). I have calculated it is costing us about 5p per mile.

Hope that gives some food for thought.

 

[S3RDP]

Hi Hengus

Welcome to this forum. Although you will see postings from owners around the world it has a very active UK membership and I have found the threads and discussions incredibly helpful in deciding on the spec of my car, which I expect to be delivered at the beginning of April. My i3 will also be a private purchase which I expect to keep for a long period.

There are some really great video and You Tube clips of the i3 which are well worth watching and may help you decide on options if you do a Google search.

One amusing one is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGoeIjS ... 1&index=17

It is very difficult to recommend which options to choose as much is determined by the use the car will be put to and the purchaser’s location, budget and preferences. If the i3 was to be my only car the REx version is a no brainer although I’m still not sure I would want to take it on a really long run or abroad.

By BMW standard, the i3 is actually pretty well spec’d which makes it better value than the basic ticket price may lead you to think.

As a second car there is an argument to keep it simple i.e. BEV, in non-metallic colour with the standard Neutronic cloth upholstery (which actually is not too bad) and the standard 19” alloys. Now that the Winter Pack is standard on all 2015 built cars, the only option that I think MUST be spec’d on both BEV and REx versions is the DC Rapid Charge preparation. (I have not been told it is soon to be standard and would not take that risk). It also doesn’t make any sense not to take the £375 serving pack which like my previous MINI TLC packs is tremendous value.

Like you I would not normally have gone for the updated Professional Nav but I think the split/dual screen plays a much more significant role in the i3 compared with other cars and as you will be looking at it a lot of the time, in order monitor functions and modes, I think you would regret not choosing this option if you stuck with the narrower standard screen.

Beyond the basics, I agree with pastyboy, the rest is down to preference. As I tend to keep my cars up to 8 years it is easier to justify options that will make the car nicer to live with. Whilst most options, if not all, will add anything to the residual value a nice looking and optioned car will be easier to sell on and you will not spend your period of ownership regretting your penny pinching. I have just sold my 2007 MINI Cooper S with £5.5k of options and 52k on the clock. A specialist dealer snapped it up at a price I could not refuse and it sold off his forecourt within 2 weeks at the £8995 asking price. My depreciation was less than £2k a year which goes to prove it is essential, and very sensible of you, to get the specification of your new car right.

I am not a lover of grey cars and although they seem to be quite in vogue, personally I would worry about choosing an inconspicuous colour on a near silent car. Whilst I quite like the Solar Orange it might be too brave a colour to go for. I originally opted for the Suite Interior World pack but was disappointed when I saw it because I thought it made the interior rather dark and gloomy. For a futuristic and minimalistic car the light Loft interior is nice although it is somewhat difficult to justify as £1k option over the entirely acceptable and perhaps more practicable Neutronic cloth with the dark carpet mats. The same applies to the choice of wheels. The standard alloys are quite attractive and suit the car well so the 428 and 429 wheels only give you a bit more style. The consensus seems to be to steer clear of the 20” 430 double spokes.

Driving Assistant Plus is probably only necessary for urban driving and Park Assist if you need front sensors.

I have no experience of HK and would not spec it purely because I only really listen to the radio whilst on the move. Having had glass sunroofs on my cars for the past 20 years this is something I cannot live without and really miss on my Porsche. However, the sunroof on the i3 has two smaller apertures so is not a big open panoramic sunroof.

I have not opted for LEDs because I do not anticipate doing much night time driving but I was advised that the standard headlights are ok, especially as you are unlikely to be driving as fast in an i3 as a F11 and the driving position and visibility is inherently better.

The enthusiasm for the i3 on this site is infectious and I am getting more excited with the prospect of i3 ownership with every passing day.

Good luck with your choices

 

[Hengus]

Thanks for all your help and advice. So it would seem that DC charging and professional Nav are a must but colour and interior spec are down to personal choice. I hadn't thought about a sunroof.

I will let you know how I get on at my local dealer. I have a test drive booked for Friday.

 

[Staf]

My best options are "comfort access" and preheating. Preheating using e-drive on my computer and iPhone. I ordered these options in plus, only two months before delivery, thus not initially!
Some other options: Rex for sure, DC charging, I hope so, will be of use in the future.
We made a trip of 212 km today, not using highways, it was raining a lot, I was less tired than doing a same trip this year in our Mercedes coupé (sold now).