BMW I3 -Most Dangerious Steering Of Any Car I've Owned!

[jadnashuanh]

It's really hard to drive a car with highly responsive steering well with one hand! There's a reason why we have two. It only took me a day or so to get used to the steering on my i3. All it takes is very subtle adjustments to keep it going where you wish it to without drama...almost like thinking it there verses overt action. This is hard to do if you are distracted. One reason many people have trouble is that they are focusing too close to the front of the car. As a racing instructor kept repeating when I was at the BMW Performance Center, look where you want to go, and you don't even have to really think about it much. Having lots of accident free miles under your belt does not necessarily mean you are a good driver, nor does lots of years doing it.

 

[epirali]

Well I was firmly in the camp of "its a pain but not dangerous" until yesterday. Now I have to seriously rethink holding on to the car.

I was going around a curve on a road I know very well and a truck with load came around crossing the median by a bit. Obviously this is NOT a situation where braking is called for (as some may suggest), so I instantly swerved to edge of the road to avoid (two lane road). The car overreacted, I immediately corrected, the car overreacted AGAIN and almost went into the truck. I managed to correct a third time and avoided the truck. Now this is in less than 1/2 a second and I am sorry, not one can argue that "you should know better" in a split second reaction so the car doesn't become uncontrollable. What the heck were they thinking?

And as I was going around the second immediate curve the car did something else which I now can reproduce at will: turning the wheel while regenerating SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES THE breaking (not subtly) and without adjusting with mechanical breaks. This lead to the car effectively understeering on a corner I know VERY well and was not even going particularly fast.

Maybe the second part is only on the Rex because of excess weight. I don't know. But honestly I don't care what people say: a car that is this twitchy is very dangerous for emergency avoidance maneuvers.

 

[I33t]

Well I was firmly in the camp of "its a pain but not dangerous" until yesterday. Now I have to seriously rethink holding on to the car.

I was going around a curve on a road I know very well and a truck with load came around crossing the median by a bit. Obviously this is NOT a situation where braking is called for (as some may suggest), so I instantly swerved to edge of the road to avoid (two lane road).

Without knowing the speed you were driving at, the speed of the truck and whether it was actually blocking your lane, no-one can say.

I will say though, that emergency swerving of any car at speed is a known dangerous action.

Hope you get a good price for your i3 and someone who appreciates it picks it up.

 

[I33t]

I answered multiple times. Maybe I got bored with you not reading what I wrote.

Please don't b.s., post a link to the response that says "the typical BMWs I am talking about are X,Y and Z."

Well, there is some b.s. right there.

My responses do not focus on comparing the i3 to a particular BMW. All BMW's have a general direction in terms of handling, ride, etc. I think I mentioned that BMW's have firm but not harsh ride, that does not mean that all BMW's ride exactly the same. This is not b.s. it is a response to the obvious design philosophies embodied in the production vehicles coming out of the BMW factories.

Maybe there is a BMW out there that has sloppy steering and a wallowing pogo stick ride but I haven't heard of one yet.

 

[epirali]

Well I was firmly in the camp of "its a pain but not dangerous" until yesterday. Now I have to seriously rethink holding on to the car.

I was going around a curve on a road I know very well and a truck with load came around crossing the median by a bit. Obviously this is NOT a situation where braking is called for (as some may suggest), so I instantly swerved to edge of the road to avoid (two lane road).

Without knowing the speed you were driving at, the speed of the truck and whether it was actually blocking your lane, no-one can say.

I will say though, that emergency swerving of any car at speed is a known dangerous action.

Hope you get a good price for your i3 and someone who appreciates it picks it up.

I actually specified clearly the car was not traveling fast at all for the road conditions. And any other car short of a lose American boat would have handled the maneuver. The i3 did not, mainly because its steering is very badly designed.

The rest of your "questions" are pointless. If you read the truck was IN MY LANE, so clearly across the median line. That has nothing to do with the i3s weaknesses.

And finally you are simply wrong. Any of my other cars, including a much much larger Q5 would not have even noticed the maneuver, it would have been a non event. And the i3 almost made a minor avoidance into a major accident. So again I am now firmly with the OP. I refuse to drive a car that can not execute a simple avoidance maneuver at speeds below 35 mph.

I have to find someone I really don't like to dump the i3 on. I am unwilling to pass on a dangerous car to someone else without them knowing what they are getting.

 

[epirali]

Please don't b.s., post a link to the response that says "the typical BMWs I am talking about are X,Y and Z."

Well, there is some b.s. right there.

My responses do not focus on comparing the i3 to a particular BMW. All BMW's have a general direction in terms of handling, ride, etc. I think I mentioned that BMW's have firm but not harsh ride, that does not mean that all BMW's ride exactly the same. This is not b.s. it is a response to the obvious design philosophies embodied in the production vehicles coming out of the BMW factories.

Maybe there is a BMW out there that has sloppy steering and a wallowing pogo stick ride but I haven't heard of one yet.

Again please stop posting straw man statements that you make and knock down, like "Maybe there is a BMW out there that has sloppy steering and a wallowing pogo stick ride." The i3 is NOTHING like the ride and handling of any other BMW I have been in. And this includes the X5 which I do not consider to be a particularly well executed suspension. It is not even in the general direction, or anywhere near the road or the planet. It is bouncy, sloppy and over responsive. Other BMWs, like it or not, have tighter tuner suspensions with road feel and steering response with proper feedback. This in no way describes the i3.

 

[I33t]

Crossing the median 'by a bit'

Is not the same as a vehicle completely in your way and completely on the wrong side of the road.

Good luck selling your i3. The next owner will love it.

 

[I33t]

I actually specified clearly the car was not traveling fast at all for the road conditions.

And I asked what the speed was of both your car and the truck. You won't answer, then it's a mystery. Not fast for the road is an opinion, speed is a fact.

Swerving at speed is dangerous, even if you think the speed you were traveling at was not fast for the conditions.

 

[fdl1409]

Love the steering. Best of any car I had.

Frank

 

[epirali]

I actually specified clearly the car was not traveling fast at all for the road conditions.

And I asked what the speed was of both your car and the truck. You won't answer, then it's a mystery. Not fast for the road is an opinion, speed is a fact.

Swerving at speed is dangerous, even if you think the speed you were traveling at was not fast for the conditions.

You keep making absolute statements, but they are mostly absolutely wrong. "Swerving at speed is dangerous." Did you specify a speed? So you mean swerving at 5 mph is dangerous? All my cars can make sudden lane changes COMPLETELY safely in dry conditions up to 40 mph (with exception of the i3), and some faster. What are you driving that makes you say that over and over again?

And as if it matters: I was traveling around 30 mph. The speed of the other vehicle effects the steering response of my car exactly how?

 

[SSi3]

Also love the steering... yes its twitchy at highway speeds... but this car should be driven with two hands on the wheel (well, all cars should) at 9 and 3 like a proper German driving test would enforce in you One definitely can not drive this car the North American way, ie one hand (or wrist) on the wheel at the 12 o'clock position with a straight arm.

edit:
I forgot add, I think the tires (the 19's at least, I don't have experience with the 20's) are partially responsible for the i3's steering "issues" and what some might consider spooky handling. These tires do not have any sporting pretensions, they have soft sidewalls and AS tread, so their turn-in is vague and floaty. This is especially noticeable when one is used to sportier tires on sportier cars (I had a 2010 MINI Clubman and a 2010 E91 Touring prior to the i3). It's not a knock against the i3, I just think this car is an acquired taste and requires one altering their driving style and expectations.

 

[I33t]

Clearly, swerving at 30mph for you IS dangerous for you.

The speed of the oncoming vehicle is important, Your priority should first be to reduce your vehicle's speed to a point where you are able to safely steer out of the way. Assessing the oncoming vehicle's speed is part of that judgement.

Panic steering gets people into the pickle you found yourself in.

Have you got the car listed yet? You should advertise it here on the forum as well. Good luck with the sale.

 

[imolazhp]

I was not going to post this problem but I know its not just me there are hundreds of owners who hate the steering on the I3 - I'm posting this in hopes of warning other drivers that the I3 can and will be very dangerous at highway speeds.

Just the other day while my wife was driving at 60 mph, a dog ran our from the shoulder and while it was no real threat to us, she nearly lost control of the car by the over-reactive steering - the steering is 100% too sensitive expessially on a narrow wheelbase car that is on the top-heavy side.

The steering requires 100% of attention all the time, even the normal gesturescause the car to move out of its track and lane. The other day I just leaned over to remove my phone from my pocket to lay it on the seat and the car was all over the road. Every friend wants to drive our I3 and without us saying a word, everyone loved the car but felt uncomfortable with the steering,

I know the steering is electric therefore both the sensitivity and effort can be changed by coding - so I'm asking if anyone knows of any coding for the steering is available - if not, as much as I love the car, I'm dumping it before the steering causes and accident.

Just so you know we're not a couple of idiots with regard to our driving abilities, I've built and owned race cars all my life and our present "other" vehicles are a BMW I8 and a C7 Corvette. My I8 has perfect steering and no sensitivity issues what-so ever.

Easy fix, sell the car! I happen to like the steering actually, I came from a highly modified e46 ZHP sedan. Your post confuses me, it doesn't mention if you have checked to make sure the tire pressures are correct and you state that the car is "top heavy" which it is not. I also suggest removing your phone from your pocket before driving, or even better, leave it in your pocket for the duration of your driving, it is much safer there and anything that is going on on the phone can wait. As far as I know there isn't a way to code the steering to act differently, that doesn't mean it isn't possible. It seems like some i3 coders (myself included) are still really "green" at coding, I would suggest checking out coding forums for other cars like the f30, f10, etc. they have been coding their cars for a few more years than we have.

Best of luck!

 

[epirali]

Clearly, swerving at 30mph for you IS dangerous for you.

The speed of the oncoming vehicle is important, Your priority should first be to reduce your vehicle's speed to a point where you are able to safely steer out of the way. Assessing the oncoming vehicle's speed is part of that judgement.

Panic steering gets people into the pickle you found yourself in.

Have you got the car listed yet? You should advertise it here on the forum as well. Good luck with the sale.

Please stop repeating the same wrong "advice." When a car appears around a bend there is not time to "reduce speed." I think you are not quite understanding emergency avoidance. It usually means times much less then 1 second to respond to an event. What you are describing and keep advising people is what I call simple driving: if I have 1-2 seconds to apply brakes and then respond it is not emergency maneuver. Maybe your reflexes are just too slow for this kind of reaction.

And 30 mph is not at all dangerous FOR ME in a proper handling car. In the i3, or any that handles like mine, it is dangerous for ANYONE in an emergency situation. So if you drive an i3 I think its best just to collide and hope safety equipment will save your life. I guess that is what you are trying to say.

As I mentioned last time you posted the "good luck with the sale" line is that I want to find someone who is fully aware of what they are getting, I won't dump it on an unsuspecting person.

 

[psquare]

I'm not a mod on here, but...

I think it's time to realise that this thread has done its innings.

People have their views on the topic and certainly aired the same.

No further posts will change any of that.

Those who feel obliged to continue posting to this thread are following a different agenda, in my view.

Sit down and enjoy a cold one.

 

[MikeS]

+1

 

[epirali]

I'm not a mod on here, but...

I think it's time to realise that this thread has done its innings.

People have their views on the topic and certainly aired the same.

No further posts will change any of that.

Those who feel obliged to continue posting to this thread are following a different agenda, in my view.

Sit down and enjoy a cold one.

I actually agree with you, and on a better day I would just ignore certain posts. But when people try to twist or discount posts they don't like (and I do not mean the ones that say "I don't agree that's not my experience") it is hard to just let them go.

 

[jadnashuanh]

Motorweek didn't have any issues when they tested the 2015 i3...view it here http://www.motorweek.org/reviews/road_tests/2015-bmw-i3 . They did say it was a little slow through the cones compared to some cars, but attributed that to the tires, not the chassis, or it being dangerous.

 

[I33t]

I agree the thread has run it's course.

There are a couple of i3 haters in the thread who want to pick on anything they can find in a new generation car rather than than enjoy it. Maybe they don't even have one and they are paid industry shills.

No chance to brake at 30mph. lol.

 

[WoodlandHills]

Given all the documented troubles that BMW is having building these chassis perhaps both sides are correct. As designed and if built to specs, the i3 has quick, but safe steering. But some chassis are not built to spec and those chassis are the one with handling issues. My chassis has a manufacturing defect albeit one that does not affect safety. BMW admit this, so why is it so hard for some owners to admit that some chassis have problems that theirs do not?

One does not have to be a hater or a "paid shill" to read this forum and see that BMW is having trouble building a defect free car. When they are good, they are great, but there seem to be a far higher percentage of "not-so-good" ones out there than one would expect for a Premium Brand. Insulting those who are unfortunate enough to have a defective chassis by denigrating their experience or skills does nothing to advance our understanding of the problems BMW is having with build quality.