BMW i3 Test Drive: My Thoughts

[viking79]

I test drove the battery only version of the i3 this weekend.

Version:
European spec Tera, 20" wheels, sunroof. What I currently drive: Nissan 2011 Juke S AWD and sometimes 2012 Quest SV.

Initial impressions:
Looks good, smaller size makes it look better in person than some photos on the website might indicate. The orange looked great in person, and the Dalbergia brown leather is very classy. The interior is very modern, but very nice. First car I have driven where the displays (gauges) are not in your face, they feel almost like a TV in a living room. Yet somehow remains distinctly BMW. Very large navigation/multifunction screen is nice.

Those tires are skinny! How are they going to handle? As it turns out, not bad due to the very low weight of the car and low center of mass.

Seating is comfortable, but not for long trips (neither is the range of the car). It is supportive, but not overly so. Plenty of headroom even for those of us with annoyingly tall torso. Why I drive the Juke and the Quest, both have loads of headroom. I don't have quite enough headroom for the back, but it is roomier than my Juke. I won't be riding back there, but should be adequate for most people.

Interior quality is nice, but I do see pieces of plastic in door jambs. The wood accent on the dash is a very nice touch and not as gaudy in person as I thought it might be when I saw it on the web. The glove box is sort of like a trash receptacle how it opens and you drop stuff inside.

Cabin is airy feeling and not stuffy. I didn't like the mid and low level model interiors as much, but thought they looked better in person then on the web. My wife thought they looked like a 70s sport coat with patches on the elbow. I think that is their intended look. I prefer the uniform look of the Dalbergia Brown leather. Both are nice though.

Driving:
Right after powering on the car I asked the assistant how I start it. He answered it was started. Me: "Oh, yeah, it's electric" Feeling apprehensive I put my foot on the brake and put it in drive. Not really expecting it to go, I lightly pushed on the gas and to my surprise the car silently started moving out of the parking space. First time driving an EV. I quickly warmed up to it.

The drop throttle regenerative braking was totally natural, and I became totally comfortable with it and how to coast during my 5 mile test drive, and honestly I was fine with it by the time I was about 1 mile away.

Step on the "gas" pedal, hard, and wow, launches me back into the seat and I get slightly dizzy. So smooth, no angry growls from the motor like you get from a gasoline engine. Torque. Torque. So much torque (at city speeds). Short road ahead, 3 more i3's in front of me. Get a feel for the steering feel by swerving lightly back and forth. Is that another red light? Wait quietly. No engine noise.

Getting closer to the high speed highway. Another red light. Left lane is open Pass the other three i3's and a couple other vehicles to make sure I get the on-ramp first (I had plenty of room to do this safely). Yes! no cars in front of me on the on-ramp. Take the corner as hard and fast as I can while accelerating. Tires made a very light whoop-whooop-whooop noise, maybe stability control related, or could even be the road surface. Car safely understeers, but held corner at much higher than rated speed without too much body roll. I didn't feel like I was fighting stability control. I could feel that wider tires would help here, but car was going much faster than 99% of the people would do on a daily basis. Hit the highway at about 60 MPH (maybe 35 MPH turn). I won't drive like this myself on a daily basis, but yes, it can feel a bit like a hot hatch. However, it does show the narrow tires in hard cornering. I had a BMW 318ti club sport (suspension handling package) which was noticeably better in the corners, a bit tighter feeling and more composed, but the i3 is a lot faster.

After pushing it hard for a bit I notice a faint ozone smell (electric motors generate ozone). I take it easy for the rest of the test drive to let everything cool off. I notice a Mini Cooper driver checking out the car at a stop light. Car is obvious orange. Don't know real name, but it draws attention. Tool into the parking lot at about 5 mph, so silent. Windows were down the entire drive. Heard nothing but wind/road noise and other vehicles.

Parking the car, the backup camera is helpful. Car doesn't have very good rearward visibility (no worse than my Juke). I like that it shows vehicle path based on steering angle, etc.

It was next to all the X1 cars, and someone started up one of the X1's and first thing I thought was how noisy it was (and they aren't bad). I can see quickly warming to the EV.

Ride:
I felt the ride was well controlled and never harsh. Only 5 miles of opinion though. I also am used to harsh riding vehicles, so if you are used to a Prius you might disagree with me here. Remember my worst fear in a vehicle is a spongy soft ride, which this did not have.

Navigation:
Large screen is easy to see. Directions could be better, sometimes I wasn't sure where I was supposed to turn based on screen or directions. Totally unfamiliar area and navigation system though. I would likely get used to it. Size and visibility were excellent.

Climate Control:
Didn't get to test, car had low charge and weather was about perfect 70 degrees so it wasn't necessary. I also didn't really get to test out other electronics. First BMW with iDrive that I have driven, and I didn't like the controls, but sure I would get used to them so would just go with it.

Bottom Line:
I loved the car. Felt a lot like my Juke, but so smooth and more airy inside. Loved the instant torque (Juke has no power until around 3000 rpm, feels the opposite, very slow until 10 mph). I am impressed BMW made it feel like a BMW, not a boring disconnected EV, yet still have a very efficient EV. You don't feel like you are fighting stability control, yet the stability control does its job. No, it isn't an M car, but yes, it is a BMW. This will likely be my next car.

Options:
I loved the Tera model as I mention. I think the 20" wheels are my favorite looking, so will probably go with those. The car has a superb list of standard options, including Navigation. At first I thought Navigation was optional, but only the special navigation software is optional and the main feature of that package is the active cruise control and stop and go driving assistant. This might be nice for those in heavy traffic, but not something I need. I am going to pass on the REx, because I have a different vehicle if I need the range, and can't take everyone in the i3 anyway. I would like it, but can't justify spending that much now. I think it is a great option to have though.

 

[viking79]

Back seat room:

I still fit in the front, but was cramped. Would usually install car seat on the opposite side as me.

 

[Surge]

Thanks for this writeup and review.

And thanks for the car seat picture! The first I've seen. How tall are you? I'm 5'9" and will need to fit a car seat (although won't need to put it behind me).

 

[Surge]

There's also "Advanced Real Time Traffic Information" which may or may not be optional in the US.
I think that's a good feature to have. Few automakers do real time traffic well, but I've heard good things about BMW's. Especially with the BEV i3, you'll want the car to know the traffic along your route, so it can adjust it as required.

 

[viking79]

I am 6'1" (185 cm) with 30 to 32" inseam. So tall torso, short legs. I often have head room issues in cars (can't slouch due to my back).

I agree, Advanced Real Time Traffic information is very nice, but not at all necessary where I live Rush hour for me means it takes me an extra 10 minutes to get across town. Although, my navigation on my phone once routed me around a closed road (due to accident), which was extremely helpful. Was confused by why it was routing me off the main road, found out about the accident later.

Edit: I just meant that ARRT probably doesn't add too much to the cost, the ACC adds some expensive sensors, which is probably why the $2500 US package price on that. ARRT might need to add a cellular modem or something. Not sure how that traffic information gets to the car.

Eric

 

[viking79]

One more thing, check the distance to your nearest service center. I would have to buy my i3 outside a range of how far it can travel to get to my nearest dealer that sells the i3, but thankfully, my dealer in town can service the i3 (even though they can't sell them). I thought I might have to buy the REx to make sure I was in range of the service center

 

[Surge]

I am 6'1" (185 cm) with 30 to 32" inseam.

So is the baby stroller behind how you would have the drivers seat if you were driving?
Doesn't look like much room in the back, but if you're 6'1", that makes sense.

 

[viking79]

I can fit, but wouldn't be comfortable. I usually like my seat back another 2 or 3 inches. Since it isn't a manual transmission though I don't need much leg room. My Juke won't fit a seat behind me if I am driving, so this does have a bit more room. There are a variety of seats you can get that might take more or less room. My wife helps run a blog, Car Seats for the Littles: http://csftl.org/ and facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CarSeatsForTheLittles which I would suggest if you want to know about various models of car seats and fitment guidelines, etc.

Eric

 

[viking79]

I am resurrecting this old thread. Four years after I wrote this, I just bought my 2015 i3 REx. Fun to reread what I wrote back then. I had a stint with the Chevy Volt until the i3 dropped in price enough. I ended up with Tera World with 20 inch wheels, Tech/Driver's Assistant package, and REx (which I originally wasn't going to get). Most of my thoughts still hold true about the car though. Really like it. What changed my mind on the REx is I can go on short trips to neighboring towns without taking the family car.

Glad to be back

 

[viking79]

Photo of the new to me car

 

[benjanos]

Great to see you were able to buy an i3 4 years after your original post! Thats cool. I also waited some years until second hand prices dropped and could not be happier with my car. Just waiting now (fingers crossed) that BMW release the 43kWh battery later this year and it can be retro fitted, that would make the car perfect.

Regards
Benjanos

 

[Srivenkat]

[Didn't want to hijack the other thread, so posting here.]

I drove mine from Los Angeles to Cedar Rapids, Iowa (2000 miles) through AZ and NM, lower passes than CO or WY. I wouldn't encourage it, but definitely possible. Worst case was 30 mph going up mountain pass. Coding would be advisable to avoid that issue.

5 gallon spare fuel tank is mandatory (2 gallons would be barely adequate). 35 gas stops (counting 3 or so fill ups from my spare tank). A well sealed container and I had zero smell from it, make sure it is secured and can't tip.

Mine wasn't coded or anything. Also, dont do in summer or winter (climate usage, hardly had any AC on hills in AZ nor heat in mornings) and check wind directions and strengths. The car can reliably hold 60-70 mph on relatively flat ground, but strong headwinds could cause issue.

Wrote about it on my blog:
https://carswithplugs.wordpress.com

That's fascinating. Your experience makes me think about doing it from the coast to Illinois. I will also get to see the country side. A few questions:

1. How have the 20" tires held up? I heard the 20" tires are more prone to picking up road debris and getting punctured. I see you didn't mind taking the car onto gravel and such. Did you also test drive one with 19" wheels?

2. Did you have temp plates put on and if not would that be legal cross-country and did you get stopped on the way?

3. Since GPS would typically show interstate highways, what's the best way to plan driving on back country roads like you seem to have done?

 

[viking79]

1. 20" are fine so far on 3000 miles, unsure long term. Gravel was limited to side of road. only warning is 20" are summer only. Mistake I made, I will have to buy winter tires and 19" wheels before fall.

2. Iowa allows driving 30 days on paperwork, not sure if it is entirely legal, but think it is fine. CA gave me a 1 trip permit. I wasn't ever stopped.

3. I drove interstate most of the way back for convenience, not a lot of side roads in this area. I stick to backroads locally when running gas, since limits in Iowa are 55 mph on back roads. Meaning I have no issue flowing with traffic at 60.

GPS in my model (upgraded Nav) has route options, if you select ECO PRO routing it will pick back roads, watch it though, sometimes it picks much longer time routes, especially in urban areas. Like driving on surface streets in traffic. Maybe use Phone to check. On Google Maps you can get ideas for better routes saying you are a bicycle (watch that they are roads and not bike trails though, I do it to get alternate road ideas).

Eric

 

[Srivenkat]

Thanks. Google maps shows a route via Las Vegas, Utah, Colorado and Iowa as well. Is this more mountainous than the one you took thru Arizona, NM, TX, OK, etc.? Also, if you are open to disclosing, I am wondering how much you paid for the i3. I am looking at i3's on the west coast. You can PM me, if you prefer. Thanks.

 

[viking79]

Yes, passes on CO route are at 10,000 ft and only 7,500 or so through AZ and NM.

I paid $22,600 for 2015 with Tera World, 20" wheels, and Tech/Drivers Assistant package. Wanted larger center screen and adaptive cruise. 5,600 miles. DC charge was standard in 2015. I paid dealers asking price as it was fair.

One gotcha, in CA if you have car shipped dealer does not collect tax, if you drive the dealer will collect tax and you have to get it back when you register in your state.

Ideally, I would have taken 1 week to drive back, visiting grand canyon, and other landmarks. Going back roads, like route 66. Also, route through CO has rapid chargers, nothin through AZ and NM except in major cities.

 

[jadnashuanh]

The nav system gives you (I think) three options: fastest, shortest, and Eco Pro. The last takes into account the combination of elevation changes and distance and might include speed limits. There are some differences between the business and the professional nav systems.