Changes for 2015 model

[elptex]

In the UK we buy directly from BMW. Dealers act as middlemen but can't be part of the contract or offer discounts. I'm not sure I like it.

As per what Dee said... We ordered our i3 from the BMW i Store on Park Lane in London, which is actually run by BMW itself. There is no middleman there. Very slick, totally geared towards selling the iSeries & our man Oliver is an absolute pleasure.

I like the direct experience in the UK as well. Being an American now living the UK, the process of buying the i3 direct was very straight-forward. While we worked with a representative dealership (Reading Cooper BMW; absolutely 100% recommend them!), the simplicity of the process was stress-free.

 

[jadnashuanh]

There is nothing to prevent a manufacturer from providing DMV services as well as having their own service staff. No reason to think that they would be any less effective at this than the dealers. Doesn't Tesla handle all that for their buyers now?

Why, oh why, do I need to play games with a dealer? Why can't it be like buying a new iPad: you walk into an Apple Store and buy directly from the people who made it. If it breaks, you go back to the people who made it. If you have an issue with how it works you see the people who made it. The i3 is just a rolling computer or smartphone, why can't the acquisition experience be like any other high tech device as opposed to the testosterone fueled high octane Ultimate Driving Experience.........

When was the last time you were able to negotiate a price lower than suggested retail for your iPad or iPhone? That's part of the reason why dealers are in the middle. Now, certainly, some dealers are horrible at support, but the warranty allows you to take it to any dealer for service, and you have a choice...again, that's part of the issue.

 

[WoodlandHills]

There is nothing to prevent a manufacturer from providing DMV services as well as having their own service staff. No reason to think that they would be any less effective at this than the dealers. Doesn't Tesla handle all that for their buyers now?

Why, oh why, do I need to play games with a dealer? Why can't it be like buying a new iPad: you walk into an Apple Store and buy directly from the people who made it. If it breaks, you go back to the people who made it. If you have an issue with how it works you see the people who made it. The i3 is just a rolling computer or smartphone, why can't the acquisition experience be like any other high tech device as opposed to the testosterone fueled high octane Ultimate Driving Experience.........

When was the last time you were able to negotiate a price lower than suggested retail for your iPad or iPhone? That's part of the reason why dealers are in the middle. Now, certainly, some dealers are horrible at support, but the warranty allows you to take it to any dealer for service, and you have a choice...again, that's part of the issue.

Who cares about negotiating a lower price? That is the part that people hate, the part you do not have to worry about at the Apple Store. We all pay the same price, no sweetheart deals, no hanky pinky, no bait and switch. As I asked earlier, exactly what value does the dealer add to my purchase? How is my car enhanced by what the dealer does? What do I gain by having the dealer insert himself between me and the maker?

 

[electricvirgin]

Judging by this forum a great many people care very much about the price! I know what you mean though.

However i think BMW has about 3250 dealers worldwide, if they wanted that sort of reach using direct sales methods they would have to make a colossal investment in real estate, inventory, staffing and the risk that goes with it. This is not really their core competency i would suggest. Furthermore they have operated on the dealer model for many decades as have nearly all the big name makers. Apple by the way has about 435 stores worldwide and they dominate the premium market in a way no premium automaker could hope to match, with little more than 10 percent of the stores BMW is able to maintain.

The problem is that some dealers are less good than others, however i would hope in this time of instant communication and social media the bad ones would be weeded out. That said the wildly differing (and sometimes absurdly unrealistic) expectations of customers make this less reliable than one might hope. Just read Amazon reviews of the same product (as i am sure we all have) for examples of this.

On balance i think i prefer the current model as it means there is always a dealer fairly close and you always have the option to escalate any issues to BMW if the need arises. Find a good one and they will look after you.

 

[WoodlandHills]

Returning to the original subject, perhaps for 2015 BMW could improve build quality? I have had mine for less than a week, it has 1600 miles and it rattles like a can full of pennies everytime I go over rough pavement. Here in LA that means it rattles constantly, I can only imagine what it will sound like in 3 years! Good thing I leased......

 

[Pio]

Keep reading here on the forum about the build quality of the interior. But i noticed all complaints are from US drivers. is there a problem with the roads you guys have over there? does you i3 have different build quality from the European version?
I have non of these issues and have never heard any other European driver complain about it.

To get to the topic.. i dont think they will change a lot to the i3 for next year. (no car manufacturer does that.. ever! withing one year) So... nope. no changes i guess.
Although the software will keep improving which is great!
I hope they will release a cheap and usefull home charger are the current one is overly expensive and does not add that much to the user experience/convenience..

 

[WoodlandHills]

Many years of short sighted government have starved our road budgets, especially on the state and local level. In short, in much of America, the roads are terrible...... Why do you think we love SUV's and pick-ups? The long wheelbase smooths out the speed bumps and the wide sidewall tires do the same for the crumbling pavement. I think that BMW is going to have a problem in the US with the 20" wheels longevity over the mid term. I can avoid the larger sharpedged potholes in the summer, but once they fill with rainwater they are invisible and bent rims are sure to follow.

 

[kevinb61]

Many years of short sighted government have starved our road budgets, especially on the state and local level. In short, in much of America, the roads are terrible...... Why do you think we love SUV's and pick-ups? The long wheelbase smooths out the speed bumps and the wide sidewall tires do the same for the crumbling pavement. I think that BMW is going to have a problem in the US with the 20" wheels longevity over the mid term. I can avoid the larger sharpedged potholes in the summer, but once they fill with rainwater they are invisible and bent rims are sure to follow.

LOL...that's just a tad overdramatic. The sidewalls on the 20s are no worse (in fact, they are nowhere near as thin as for instance my '11 Z4 rims) than a TON of sports/sporty cars on the market. I myself have been driving cars with these "small" sidewalls for god-knows how long, and have never bent/broken a rim.

Obviously some people do "nail" terrible potholes and ruin a rim, but "BMW" is not going to have a problem.

I guess some people are just more attentive to the road, and tend to "miss" those wheel-breakers...

 

[WoodlandHills]

Gosh Kevin, how does one see and avoid underwater potholes? :roll: isn't that the whole point: they are under water and can't be seen......?

Regarding previous experiences with dented rims, I have replaced two on our smarts and had another repaired, one repair on the Infiniti and at least one on our Phaeton. Back in the '80's I went through a puddle on the way to work and hit a pothole so big it blew out the tire. I don't worry about dents that don't affect the way the car rides or drives, but a wobble is a bounce is a vibration and has to be fixed.

As far as BMW having a problem with the 20"s I wonder if the average EV buyer will understand that one must take evasive action or slow dramatically when crossing rough pavement to avoid wheel damage? Would a first time BMW buyer whose interest is in EVS not performance know this and would they be able to find an i3 with 19"s? When I shopped mine a couple of weeks ago nearly every car in the west coast region that was above a Mega world had the 20"s. In fact I settled for 20"s on mine rather than special order a car since very few loaded Giga's were ordered with the 19"s in any color.

 

[kevinb61]

Gosh Kevin, how does one see and avoid underwater potholes? :roll: isn't that the whole point: they are under water and can't be seen......?

Regarding previous experiences with dented rims, I have replaced two on our smarts and had another repaired, one repair on the Infiniti and at least one on our Phaeton. Back in the '80's I went through a puddle on the way to work and hit a pothole so big it blew out the tire. I don't worry about dents that don't affect the way the car rides or drives, but a wobble is a bounce is a vibration and has to be fixed.

As far as BMW having a problem with the 20"s I wonder if the average EV buyer will understand that one must take evasive action or slow dramatically when crossing rough pavement to avoid wheel damage? Would a first time BMW buyer whose interest is in EVS not performance know this and would they be able to find an i3 with 19"s? When I shopped mine a couple of weeks ago nearly every car in the west coast region that was above a Mega world had the 20"s. In fact I settled for 20"s on mine rather than special order a car since very few loaded Giga's were ordered with the 19"s in any color.

Sorry you are so oblivious......You hit many...I hit none...don't know what to tell you.

Quit worrying about the "average" EV buyer...it's not any different than other "average" buyers. Like you are an expert in "average buyers".

Anyhow, enough of this forum. When I first got my BEV, I had lots of questions, and this place answered them wonderfully. Now it's mostly a bunch of whining "experts" who complain that they hate their car cause the sunvisor doesn't extend, or because their "bleeding-edge" car needed a update/repair. Not to mention the 20 post dissertations on how we are all going to die if we don't buy winter tires in California....

I now see how hard it would be to be a car dealer and deal with "know-it-all" idiots like you.......

 

[noxon]

Having owned a few cars with rubber band tires, I have to agree that they're far more prone to flats and rim damage than beefier tires with taller sidewalls. If I end up with an i3, I'm planning to get the 19's. If I have to get the dealer to swap, so be it. The roads here in Houston are awful.

 

[WoodlandHills]

We should not be worried, apparently we are oblivious know-it-all idiots and it is only our low levels of driving skills that are the issue. I am glad there was an expert here to point that out to us all.......

 

[jadnashuanh]

Not to mention the 20 post dissertations on how we are all going to die if we don't buy winter tires in California....

I now see how hard it would be to be a car dealer and deal with "know-it-all" idiots like you.......

I'm quite sure that there are plenty of places in Cal where it can get below 40-degrees F in the winter, sometimes MUCH less than that up in the higher regions probably for longer periods. Drive your summer performance tires, but get into an emergency situation, and you'll not have as much traction for emergency stopping or turning if you had either the all-seasons or the winter tire package. It's been a very long time since the industry has called them snow tires for a big reason...in fact, some of the winter tires are not all that great in actual snow, but they maintain your grip in the cold...thus, they now call them winter tires. Sure, if you never got into an emergency situation or there was never some actual ice or snow on the road, you could drive your summer performance tires all year and since most people don't have emergencies very often, they would not notice, but the differences are real and tangible. SOrt of like one of those people that never put their seatbelts on. You may drive an entire lifetime and never need it, but since you can't tell in advance, not using it could kill you. Same with winter tires if you live where the temperature or road condition compromises summer tire performance. If you think this is whining...get a life. If it doesn't apply to where you live, fine. It is a real and tangible thing for many people. The first time you take your car into some snow with summer performance tires, it will change your mind.

 

[Kiwi]

I would have thought the narrow tires on the i3 would be excellent in average roads with snow on them to work fine. Most really bad mountain pass roads are closed this time of year. An 4x4 would be better if your living in above average snow as batteries are not the best in these conditions.

 

[jadnashuanh]

The rubber compound determines whether a tire works well in cold temperatures. The tread design and that rubber compound that doesn't get hard in cold temperatures determines if it will have decent grip in snow or ice-covered situations. A summer performance tire has neither the sipes or rubber compound that works well in adverse conditions - works great in normal summer conditions, but is too hard in the cold to grip anywhere near as well as a winter tire, nor does it have the sipes for the numerous edges that grip on snow or ice. The rubber compound being softer while cold allows the tread to conform to the irregularities on the road...a hard rubber compound cannot.

 

[nt02525]

Keep reading here on the forum about the build quality of the interior. But i noticed all complaints are from US drivers. is there a problem with the roads you guys have over there? does you i3 have different build quality from the European version?
I have non of these issues and have never heard any other European driver complain about it.

To get to the topic.. i dont think they will change a lot to the i3 for next year. (no car manufacturer does that.. ever! withing one year) So... nope. no changes i guess.
Although the software will keep improving which is great!
I hope they will release a cheap and usefull home charger are the current one is overly expensive and does not add that much to the user experience/convenience..

Hello, I have been driving for a drive test a 3.000 Km. car and I have noticed some internal noises as I think for US models...

Max!