BMWUSA i3 Extended Testdrive Program

[WoodlandHills]

I am enjoying an i3 for a long weekend test drive and am wondering why my local dealer wasn't a participant. I live about 5 miles from Bob Smith BMW and that was where we did our first short drive that convinced us that we wanted an i3. We filled out a credit application there and talked to their lease expert that day. Then a few days later I saw on the BMWUSA site that long test drives were on offer, so I called my salesman at Bob Smith to set one up before we signed any papers for a deal. Unfortunately he told that they didn't do that there....... So I called the dealer in Santa Monica and they participated in the program, but their car was out already, then I called Century West and found they had 6 cars in the test drive program and picked up a loaner yesterday. But not before calling the Sales Manager at Bob Smith directly to inquire again to give him a chance to build a customer relationship by participating in an official BMW program. He didn't seem too interested and just blew me off. So I brought home an i3 from Century West instead.

I don't know why my local dealer does not offer this: by the time I return the car I will have taken at least 6 other car buying adult peers for a drive. You can't buy that kind of personal brand exposure and Bob Smith BMW does not even want it for free....... I also plan on stopping in at Supercar Sunday tomorrow for an hour or so. Followed by a drive to the Top of the Snake and the Rock Store where all the car enthusiasts will see the Century West plate and not the Bob Smith one. And where anyone who asks me about my i3 buying experience so far will hear this story.

On my way home I plan to stop in at Bob Smith and get a charge while I take a test drive in a 4 series to qualify for the $1000 coupon. I am also going to do the same at Century West, all the other local dealers have offered to match that coupon for a $2000 total discount. I will be asking if Bob Smith will do that too, I want to see if the local guy wants to earn my business, if not I will drive 10 miles to someone else who does.

 

[WoodlandHills]

I just got back from the test drive and Supercar Sunday. The i3 got lots of attention, more than all the Lamborghini's and Porsches. I opened up the car and spent about a half an hour answering questions. I let a friend and his wife take it for a spin around their neighborhood last night and they loved it. It seems that everyone who actually drives the car is very impressed....

The test drive was a snap, I didn't have to actually drive, just register which I did. I also hooked up for my first level2 charge while I was there. They had one of their own i3's plugged in when I arrived and we learned that you cannot charge two cars simultaneously on one Chargepoint card. My car didn't have a card so they let me connect using theirs, but we had could not release the second cord from station while the first one was plugged in. That means that you cannot buy a friend a charge while you are charging too unless you have two cards on hand.