Discussion
So it's day 3 of the 'milk float' and time to start forming a proper opinion. It's a nice place to be, is hilarious 0-30 and the doors are cool. I love the turning circle and the overall dimensions, it's very quiet and has a decent amount of space in the back with the seats folded. Charging via the domestic plug is a bit slow but it works, the range showing post charge is 70 odd miles but it's a Rex so the anxiety is less. I could live with it quite honestly but one issue is putting me off. It seems to be making me feel nauseaus? Really strange but over 10 miles I feel travel sick, light headache etc. It maybe down to the suspension, the ride is quite choppy? Around town it's brilliant, generally handles well but there's the nagging intrusion of bumps. It's a real shame as I can't fault it otherwise, who'd have thought, me liking electric cars?!
The M3 is back next week.
The M3 is back next week.
I really wanted one of these so arranged an extended test drive. The other half suffers badly with travel sickness anyway, but as a passenger in the i3 she was very clammy and queasy within a few hundred yards of motion, and yakking within the mile. Usually when she is driving (regardless of the car) she feels ok, but driving the i3 made her feel just as bad. She reckons it's the lack of noise and vibration when moving, and how quick the thing accelerates in near silence.
The commute today was uneventful. I used the car to attend a business meeting a few miles away and colleague #1 was impressed. Colleague #2 felt sick. I am also feeling more grim each time I drive the car. The suspension is a bit choppy there may be a good case to get the dampers swapped for ones with better rebound?
Otherwise brilliant device.
Otherwise brilliant device.
A switch to 'Eco Pro' has changed the slightly odd feeling, it's better now. I have also been driving much smoother, it feels slow but following ICE cars you have to keep your foot in on the deceleration to match the inertia they have, I believe this is what is causing the travel sickness, my brain doesn't compute 
Range this am was 62 miles from a full charge, it reality it is still at 55 after 10 miles so perhaps the car is feeling a bit grim as well? I forgot to plug the car in and had to dash outside at midnight, this is sort of the downside for someone like me who isn't super organised with the routine yet. The call has come in for the M3 and it's fixed.....my time is up with the i3
Range this am was 62 miles from a full charge, it reality it is still at 55 after 10 miles so perhaps the car is feeling a bit grim as well? I forgot to plug the car in and had to dash outside at midnight, this is sort of the downside for someone like me who isn't super organised with the routine yet. The call has come in for the M3 and it's fixed.....my time is up with the i3
This morning was the last trip in the i3, I thought about it today and a few things are now much clearer.
The continuing nausea of driving the car, although reduced by 'non vom mode' (Eco Pro) remained throughout. My driving style adapted significantly to the car and learning to back off gently, rather than just lifting helped. It's my opinion that the non linear and very artificial deceleration, which felt very much like a roller coaster, was the main culprit. No charging last night, probably the first time I haven't worried about plugging it in. Why, I don't know, the range anxiety even with a Rex was always at the back of my mind despite it really not being an issue.
Driving on the commute into Oxford in what has affectionately become known as 'the toaster' reminded me of all the good things about the car. The sat nav is good, visibility is good and all the controls are just so. The huge amounts of torque from zero speed is just brilliant at dispatching traffic, throttle response is instant. An inevitable confrontation with a white van at the lights heading into roadworks was a chance to floor the Breville and only imagine the surprise on the half asleep hoodied crew in the cab.
An urban environment full of start stops and roundabouts are this cars playground, that's assuming you have a strong stomach and inner ear canals made from hummingbird wings. It handles really well despite the strange proportions and the steering despite having no feel whatsoever is accurate and has a nice weight to it. I loved the automatic at first but became a bit bored of having nothing to do which was exaggerated by the regen. I noticed some wind noise today, not bad but enough that would make me look for it next time.
At the handover today the dealer was keen to know what I thought as on a previous test drive I was quite taken by it. My response;
It's a great 'thing', a really clever piece of kit and generally quite a cool thing to own. For the first few days it was all new and fun, we used it for loads of short trips and it was great. Then I started getting travel sickness and I kind of started losing interest in driving. I started to miss the physical things about driving, changing gears, you know, stuff. The weird deceleration and total lack of inertia although controllable started to grate, it was an effort, it made me adapt and this just reminded me more about driving a normal car. I also started to feel weird about where it was taking me. Was I going to be that bore driving at 65mph in Eco Pro and watching a the LCD display to make sure I got the most range out of the battery. Finally the lease plan. It is £400 a month, not insurmountable but a commitment. You couldn't buy one because in two years it would be worthless, second gen i3's and third gen i3's will always have better range. Why wouldn't I lease a 120d for £180 a month?'
So that's it. The BMW i3, a huge step forward for electric cars and a genuinely interesting thing. But that is all it is (for me). Sterile, efficient urban transport for the masses.
The continuing nausea of driving the car, although reduced by 'non vom mode' (Eco Pro) remained throughout. My driving style adapted significantly to the car and learning to back off gently, rather than just lifting helped. It's my opinion that the non linear and very artificial deceleration, which felt very much like a roller coaster, was the main culprit. No charging last night, probably the first time I haven't worried about plugging it in. Why, I don't know, the range anxiety even with a Rex was always at the back of my mind despite it really not being an issue.
Driving on the commute into Oxford in what has affectionately become known as 'the toaster' reminded me of all the good things about the car. The sat nav is good, visibility is good and all the controls are just so. The huge amounts of torque from zero speed is just brilliant at dispatching traffic, throttle response is instant. An inevitable confrontation with a white van at the lights heading into roadworks was a chance to floor the Breville and only imagine the surprise on the half asleep hoodied crew in the cab.
An urban environment full of start stops and roundabouts are this cars playground, that's assuming you have a strong stomach and inner ear canals made from hummingbird wings. It handles really well despite the strange proportions and the steering despite having no feel whatsoever is accurate and has a nice weight to it. I loved the automatic at first but became a bit bored of having nothing to do which was exaggerated by the regen. I noticed some wind noise today, not bad but enough that would make me look for it next time.
At the handover today the dealer was keen to know what I thought as on a previous test drive I was quite taken by it. My response;
It's a great 'thing', a really clever piece of kit and generally quite a cool thing to own. For the first few days it was all new and fun, we used it for loads of short trips and it was great. Then I started getting travel sickness and I kind of started losing interest in driving. I started to miss the physical things about driving, changing gears, you know, stuff. The weird deceleration and total lack of inertia although controllable started to grate, it was an effort, it made me adapt and this just reminded me more about driving a normal car. I also started to feel weird about where it was taking me. Was I going to be that bore driving at 65mph in Eco Pro and watching a the LCD display to make sure I got the most range out of the battery. Finally the lease plan. It is £400 a month, not insurmountable but a commitment. You couldn't buy one because in two years it would be worthless, second gen i3's and third gen i3's will always have better range. Why wouldn't I lease a 120d for £180 a month?'
So that's it. The BMW i3, a huge step forward for electric cars and a genuinely interesting thing. But that is all it is (for me). Sterile, efficient urban transport for the masses.
An interesting write up.
My experience of the i3 was limited to a 30 minute test drive and I loved it, the 0-30 acceleration is indeed grin-inducing - my daily driver is a petrol powered 4WD Range Rover Evoque with 240bhp and I'm sure the i3 would smoke it away from the lights.
I didn't get the feeling of car sickness but I can imagine why you would, it is a very surreal experience.
My favourite thing about the car itself was the interior, it's a genuinely nice place to sit and so much more pleasant than the usual BMW stuff.
I'd love one as a second car for town trips and commuting, but the price premium over something like a Renault Zoe simply isn't justified for me. The BMW costs twice as much to lease and other than the design it doesn't feel that different to the Renault in any major ways. However, the main problem for me is that I don't have anywhere to charge it - I live in a rented third floor apartment, and can't charge at the office, so right now it isn't going to happen anyway.
My experience of the i3 was limited to a 30 minute test drive and I loved it, the 0-30 acceleration is indeed grin-inducing - my daily driver is a petrol powered 4WD Range Rover Evoque with 240bhp and I'm sure the i3 would smoke it away from the lights.
I didn't get the feeling of car sickness but I can imagine why you would, it is a very surreal experience.
My favourite thing about the car itself was the interior, it's a genuinely nice place to sit and so much more pleasant than the usual BMW stuff.
I'd love one as a second car for town trips and commuting, but the price premium over something like a Renault Zoe simply isn't justified for me. The BMW costs twice as much to lease and other than the design it doesn't feel that different to the Renault in any major ways. However, the main problem for me is that I don't have anywhere to charge it - I live in a rented third floor apartment, and can't charge at the office, so right now it isn't going to happen anyway.
samj2014 said:
£400 a month? Transport for the masses?? I think not! That's almost what I spend on rent! I don't think any BMW could ever be described as 'transport for the masses'.
I still can't get over how gopping they look. Am I the only one that sees it? Bring on the Tesla Model 3.
That's personal lease plans, and one persons lease is another's rent. That's how it goes. I still can't get over how gopping they look. Am I the only one that sees it? Bring on the Tesla Model 3.
samj2014 said:
Fair point, however they're still far from 'affordable'.
£22-25K will get you into one if you're mad enough to buy one rather than lease. That doesn't seem crazy money if you really fancy one. Have to laugh at the chippy comment, giving up booze and curry is saving me a similar monthly amount Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff