Fed up with my 94ah REX - 6 weeks!!

[xrayman]

Well it's been a few weeks, and mixed feelings about the car. But overall negative. Doesn't quite feel as 'solid' as my previous 3 litre diesel, nor is the build quality up to scratch. Don't like the harsh ride and vibration/shudder over potholes and the silent drive from starting.

Also hate the fact that I'm constantly looking at the range/% and it's making me obsessed with hypermiling. Also the front windscreen always gets fogged up!! Also quite put off by the fact that we are almost forced into buying an extended warranty due to the potential astronomic repair costs ... And these do tend to go wrong.. any potential fuel savings may not be significant after all.

I do like the fact that I can charge it at work free and don't have to visit petrol stations much. I miss the torque and acceleration of my previous car however.
So few pros and more cons.

No faults yet. But let's see.

I'm seriously considering going back to ICE, probably BMW diesel. I will of course wait until the year is up so I don't get hit too hard with the depreciation.

Not quite sure what to go for, but probably a 320d (can get up to 60 mpg). Don't think EVs are for me.. although it's early days and I'm keeping an open mind.

Any comments welcome. (Thought I'd create a new thread)

Thanks.

 

[eNate]

I won't try to change your mind. I've been in my 94Ah i3 for just over three months and I'm digging it.

I'm surprised you're experiencing range anxiety since you have the REX. My BEV has me planning my drives, but not with any precision. I just know that on certain days I have to hit a pay charger if I have something longer than ordinary planned. I otherwise exclusively Level 1 charge at home and at work. And in fact, my routine has changed drastically for the better since I began using a 16A L1 charger. That small 30% bump in charging speed means my battery is now on average closer to 80% than 40%.

Even though the i3 is quick off the line, it's no rally car and drives the twisty backroads nothing like the AWD turbocharged wagon it replaced -- although that was a meager 211 horsepower. But I knew this going in, and find for the most part I've slowed down and will probably live longer, which isn't a bad trade-off.

My top complaint (currently) is the roof rack situation (knew this going in; bought suction cup crossbars). Maybe in a few months I'll be complaining about the tires and cost / lack of selection.

My allroad was a great car in many ways (and my favorite over the years), and I accept the i3 is no allroad, but the i3 most definitely does many things better than the allroad and I don't have any desire to switch back. (Believe it or not, I cross-shopped the i3 vs. the newer allroad and also the Kia eNiro, which really didn't make any sense.)

 

[jadnashuanh]

If you opted for the 20" wheels, or, you've not double-checked the inflation pressure, that may be part of your ride issue.

Off the line, the i3 has plenty of torque, at least for me. Personally, I like that it is quiet, but some do enjoy the sound of an engine firing. I find it annoying on a long trip. BMW does a fairly good job of keeping things toned down, except maybe until you opt for an M car.

Regarding the windows fogging...are you running in one of the Eco modes? That purposely lowers the use of the a/c and fan use and will only turn on or ramp things up when it detects them fogging up, but it's not as effective as being in comfort mode. Also note that while in AUTO mode, the fan speed can be adjusted. That is more of an aggressiveness adjustment to the climate control than actual fan speed if in manual mode, and all you may need to do is to notch that up a step or two. If you're leaving it in manual mode, you must tell it where to send the air, and you're allowing it to fog up...left in AUTO mode, it may end up doing a better job. I've rarely needed to hit the window defrost button on mine, but that does happen, mostly prior to the car warming the cabin up completely. If I have enough notice, I tell the car to precondition prior to my departure time, and then the car is warm enough where condensation hasn't proven to be a problem.

 

[Anonymous]

Don't like the harsh ride and vibration/shudder over potholes and the silent drive from starting.

You must have the 20" wheels with the low-profile tires. Those are great for the well maintained German Autobahn, but not so good on less well-maintained roads. I switched from the 20" rims to the 19" with the higher profile all-season tires, and it made a world of difference in the ride.

Also hate the fact that I'm constantly looking at the range/% and it's making me obsessed with hypermiling

LOL, I was that way at first too! Totally freaked me out, until one day I had a lot of errands to run, after a longer drive over to my daughter's, and didn't quite make it home, and the REx kicked in. Actually having had the experience of the REx safety net there, and suddenly, no more range-anxiety. It's just the 'mental' transition to an EV - it's a different mind-set and takes a bit of time. Now I only notice it if I'm down to one-bar, and then its 'oh, time to plug it in tonight' kind of thing.

Also quite put off by the fact that we are almost forced into buying an extended warranty due to the potential astronomic repair costs ... And these do tend to go wrong.. any potential fuel savings may not be significant after all.

Sorry, dude - this is a myth. JD Powers rates the i3 as better than average for reliability. The i3 actually has the LOWEST repair frequency and costs out of all the BMW models. Yes, you will hear the 'horror stories' of major repairs on the BMW boards - actually ANY car board - go to the Tesla board and you'd think every Tesla on the planet goes up in flames, or drives itself into the side of a truck inside a year of ownership - , but take them in context. People will ALWAYS post their complaints, but no-one is going to post "well, another 10,000 miles on the car, and no issues". There are 150,0000 i3s on the road, and 95% of them are trouble free. 2014's may have the usual first-model-year issues, but after that, the car is pretty solid, and the four year warranty should catch almost any faults. If something pops up on BMW's radar as happening more frequently, they will normally extend the warranty coverage for that part beyond the 4 yr period, or pay for some or all of the repair on a 'good will' basis.

And the BMW extended warranty (the only one actually worth anything for coverage) is EXPENSIVE, and in the fine print it (and any extended warranty) will only pay for a repair costing less than the wholesale value of the vehicle at the time. The warranty costs like $5 grand. So mentally I plan financially to have that $5K available if I need it for a repair, betting on the odds that I will never need it - and if I hit that 1% vehicle??? Even if I sell the 4+ year old car as junk/salvage, I'm not losing much more than that $5 grand off the car's wholesale/trade in value.

At best, the extended warranty is a total crap-shoot that makes a lot of money for BMW, because they only have to pay out on the smallest fraction of them. Look at it this way, if someone spread ten-thousand lotto tickets out on a table, and said two in the pile win you $12,000, one-hundred are worth $5,000 each, and five-hundred are worth $1,000, then said you could buy one ticket, for a payment of $5,000, would you think it a good deal?? Because those are your odds of having to pay for one of those repairs.

 

[jlangham]

People will ALWAYS post their complaints, but no-one is going to post "well, another 10,000 miles on the car, and no issues".

Sorry, but that's me. Over 10,000 miles last year in my 2014 i3 and the only issue was the 12v battery. Car has been great and I have the BEV. I have to now remind myself to drive my ICE 2016 Toyota Tacoma Limited 4x4 (which I love) every now and then.

Just think about that. A car that goes about 85 miles max at a time, and I put over 10,000 on it in a single year. Mine is a mix of 65% highway and rest on city streets. Car rides smooth at 80 mph (yeah, I do drive that fast - gotta keep up with Phoenix traffic!) and HOV lane access is a plus.

For running around town, we take the i3. Costco or Wal-Mart run - the i3. Golf around town - the i3. Vegas run - airport or rental car.

I've had no range anxiety after the first couple of months. This forum has been great and hope you continue to give your i3 the chance it deserves.

No. I don't work for BMW. :evil:

 

[Obioban]

Just think about that. A car that goes about 85 miles max at a time, and I put over 10,000 on it in a single year. Mine is a mix of 65% highway and rest on city streets. Car rides smooth at 80 mph (yeah, I do drive that fast - gotta keep up with Phoenix traffic!) and HOV lane access is a plus.

We're on track to put 25-30,000 miles on our BEV this year :shock:
(2017, so can put a bit more miles on it on one go... and do so, every day)

More than half those miles were put on it at the 94mph (indicated) top speed limiter. :lol:

Charge at work, charge at home, charge at my parents house. If it's not in motion, get it charging.

27,500 miles would have been ~1600 gallons of gas in our cars, which, at 93 octane pricing, =~$5250.

Not bad for a car we're one year into picking up for $19,100 with CPO warranty.

 

[Anonymous]

27,500 miles would have been ~1600 gallons of gas in our cars, which, at 93 octane pricing, =~$5250.

That's another point to consider

Figuring 12,000 miles per year, and average 93 octane gas at $2.50, average economy car mileage @ 25 miles per gallon, that's $1,200 per year, minus the approximate $300 for cost of electricity for charging the car(home charger) for 12,000 miles, that's $900 a year saved. Add to that the reduced yearly maintenance costs of an EV vs an ICE car, and your actual savings per year for 12,000 miles should be at least $1,500. So in four years ownership you should be $6,000 ahead of ICE car ownership @12,000 miles/year.

 

[KarlC]

27,500 miles would have been ~1600 gallons of gas in our cars, which, at 93 octane pricing, =~$5250.

That's another point to consider

Figuring 12,000 miles per year, and average 93 octane gas at $2.50, average economy car mileage @ 25 miles per gallon, that's $1,200 per year, minus the approximate $300 for cost of electricity for charging the car(home charger) for 12,000 miles, that's $900 a year saved. Add to that the reduced yearly maintenance costs of an EV vs an ICE car, and your actual savings per year for 12,000 miles should be at least $1,500. So in four years ownership you should be $6,000 ahead of ICE car ownership @12,000 miles/year.

.

Im in So Ca and gas prices around me are in the $3.50 - $4 range, so even more savings

.

 

[Obioban]

Yeah... my gas cars are all of the not slow sort, so they get somewhere between 15 and 20 mpg. 93 near me is ~3.25-3.50 a gallon.

Adds up fast! We take the i3 any time we're going less than 100 miles and the roads we're driving on aren't going to be fun-- which is 95% of the time, sadly.

 

[jlangham]

Just think about that. A car that goes about 85 miles max at a time, and I put over 10,000 on it in a single year. Mine is a mix of 65% highway and rest on city streets. Car rides smooth at 80 mph (yeah, I do drive that fast - gotta keep up with Phoenix traffic!) and HOV lane access is a plus.

We're on track to put 25-30,000 miles on our BEV this year :shock:
(2017, so can put a bit more miles on it on one go... and do so, every day)

More than half those miles were put on it at the 94mph (indicated) top speed limiter. :lol:

Charge at work, charge at home, charge at my parents house. If it's not in motion, get it charging.

27,500 miles would have been ~1600 gallons of gas in our cars, which, at 93 octane pricing, =~$5250.

Not bad for a car we're one year into picking up for $19,100 with CPO warranty.

Holy Cow! That's a bunch of miles in one year! That's great. My 2014 last year was bought close to same price also with a CPO warranty.

 

[spartacus68]

Diesels have had their day. If you think the depreciation on a i3 REx is bad, buy a new Euro 6 compliant car and watch its residual value plummet.

You can't compare the i3 to other cars you've had. In some ways it's a compromise. It will never have the handling of a turbo diesel. I used to run an A4 Quattro Avant V6. Only 150bhp, but that was the sweetest engine I've driven. I also run an Audi Allroad as I haul a trailer, but it's Euro 5, so no Adblue. I also have a full copy of VCDS, and I'm at the limit of my knowledge with sensors, so something to be aware of.

My wife runs her i3 REx as her daily runner. She swapped from an A2 TDI that I'd maintained for years. It was a quirky car, aluminium chassis, very frugal running costs, no rear wash wipe due to rear spoiler, and the entire bonnet needed to be removed to service it.

My wife has the older genereration (15 plate i3 REx) and loves it. I bought a full set of winter wheels and tyres. They'll stay on until the end of April. Also purchased a type 2 charger lead as more shopping centres are introducing charging points and wide parking bays. She does a 50 mile commute, so enough charge from home to work. As soon as she's home it goes back on charge, we have a wall charger.

Running costs. It came with what remained of BMW's 3 year warranty. In the year it was under warranty, all that went wrong was a fuel pressure sensor fault, and front suspension gaiters were replaced (torn).

I now service it. Oil change every year including filter, air and pollen filters, lube hinges. Pollen filter is a pain to fit. Brake fluid every 2 years. Air con recharge again every 2 years. Brakes, periodic check. The pads should outlive the car!

Stick with it is my advice.

 

[bwilson4web]

. . .
Any comments welcome. (Thought I'd create a new thread)

We have two cars:

• 2014 BMW i3-REx, 42,211 mi, bought May 26, 2016 ($2.90/100 miles)
• 2019 Std. Rng. Plus Model 3, 16,837 mi, bought March 27, 2019 ($2.50/100 miles)

If your requirements are met by a diesel, go with God. I'm sure the next owner of your BMW i3-REx will appreciate it. Please let them know we're here to help them maximize their return on investment.

In our case, both cars:

• maximum acceleration all the time - unlike the 100s of moving parts in a diesel or gas engine, the 3 moving parts of any EV are not worn out by maximum acceleration.
• 1/2 the cost of a Prius per mile, 1/4th the cost of a diesel - retired, cheap miles allow us to drive where ever we want and not choose between a cheap McDonalds burger and tank of gas or a Whopper meal and 1/3d free charging.
• short coupled steering - when I think that I want to be there in traffic and suddenly I am.

If you prefer a slow, stinky, noisy, expensive to operate, and maintain diesel that meets your requirements ... go with my blessing. You have too much money and need time apart.

Bob Wilson

 

[Arm]

Well it's been a few weeks, and mixed feelings about the car. But overall negative. Doesn't quite feel as 'solid' as my previous 3 litre diesel, nor is the build quality up to scratch. Don't like the harsh ride and vibration/shudder over potholes and the silent drive from starting.

Also hate the fact that I'm constantly looking at the range/% and it's making me obsessed with hypermiling. Also the front windscreen always gets fogged up!! Also quite put off by the fact that we are almost forced into buying an extended warranty due to the potential astronomic repair costs ... And these do tend to go wrong.. any potential fuel savings may not be significant after all.

I do like the fact that I can charge it at work free and don't have to visit petrol stations much. I miss the torque and acceleration of my previous car however.
So few pros and more cons.

No faults yet. But let's see.

I'm seriously considering going back to ICE, probably BMW diesel. I will of course wait until the year is up so I don't get hit too hard with the depreciation.

Not quite sure what to go for, but probably a 320d (can get up to 60 mpg). Don't think EVs are for me.. although it's early days and I'm keeping an open mind.

Any comments welcome. (Thought I'd create a new thread)

Thanks.

I've been driving EVs for over 5 years now. I've driven more miles since I've been driving EV than any other car I've ever owned. The fact that I don't need to go to a fuel station anymore is...that alone...worth any issue I have with an EV...which has been none.

Unless you absolutely have no choice but to drive a regular car, I think it's sheer madness to burn fuel today to drive around. There is no logical reason for it anymore other than you absolutely have no choice because humans aren't capable of going somewhere else without it.

I do 99.99% of my driving with EVs now. That weekend or week long trip that I have to go elsewhere that my EV wont' take me....then yeah...I fly, I drive a regular car. But the rest of the time...WHY??

Driving an ICE today and making the argument that one needs the range is akin to me saying I'll walk around with a backpack that has 10 gallons of water "just in case" I get lost or have to go hiking one day. The rest of the time I'm carrying it around for no reason.

The marketing teams and psychologists that corporations have hired to push their products and agendas has worked like a charm on the general public. EV myths and negative press are shining examples of this.

Plus this extra cost argument. It's funny....we are willing to pay more for just about anything that is better...food, clothing, holidays, etc...but when it comes to cars and better tech...suddenly extra costs are taboo. I'm OK with paying a premium for better tech, clean tech, something that I can get behind and know it's a positive for the environment.

What is missing in the cost equation is the HUGE amounts of money we are forced to spend to prop up the fossil fuel industries, the war industry, the military, and lining the pockets of corrupt politicians who support these entities. Knowing my energy comes from local sources and not supporting goons in the military and intelligence agencies is a huge contributing factor for my decisions to go electric and be environmentally conscious. I want my future and my kids future to be a positive one..not one filled with conflict. I know...this is going deeper than this thread probably should go but it's all tied together. I just want people to understand the underlying reasons for choosing an EV for me....besides the fact that they a hoot to drive.

 

[JohnKelly]

Well said!

 

[z3i3rich]

I was a lot of really good points here....

The original post leaves me confused though. First lack of torque??? I love the quick off the line speed of this car. Second these are very low maintenance/error vehicles; no vehicle is free of problems, but it is simple math less parts=less chance of problems. your range anxiety confuses me more than anything else. do you drive more than 100 miles a day? because that is the range of this car WITHOUT the Rex which adds at LEAST 60 more miles and can be refilled with gas if you really can't get to a charger. I am new to EV ownership, but have already killed my range anxiety. My car was delivered to my location (San Diego) from Long Beach. The battery was near empty and it was running with the Rex. I drove it around that night almost entirely on the Rex. By the next day I had gotten a 60% charge and that is the lowest it has gotten in a month.

 

[richs]

I'll go even further to debunk another myth. I live in an apartment and have no way to charge at home, yet owning a 2017 REx works for me. I can Level-2 charge at work (for free). I can Level-2 charge a block away from my apartment, at a public charger (for $50/year, flat-rate!). I lucked out by living a short walk from a public charger, but I could have chosen an apartment complex that provides EVSE spots to residents, which would have been even better. I only use the REx engine when I take a road trip, which is maybe 5 or 6 times a year. (I'm glad it's there, because renting a car every couple months would be a real pain.)

Let me offer a little perspective, though, since I can sense that most people here are coming from an upper-middle-class income level. My apartment complex has residents of many different backgrounds. Some of them drive recent model cars, like me, and they could switch to an EV, like I did. Many of them, however, can only spend about $5000 on a car, in a good year. Would you buy a $5000 used electric car? It would be an old Nissan Leaf with a shot battery, most likely. OTOH, you can buy an older Corolla or Civic that will get you to work just fine for that price, no problem. For many, many people, any kind of decent, reliable, EV is beyond their means and probably will be for a while to come.

 

[Anonymous]

For many, many people, any kind of decent, reliable, EV is beyond their means and probably will be for a while to come.

You can pick up a 2nd hand Fiat 500e with low miles on the clock for around $6,500.

 

[jadnashuanh]

Across the intersection, an i3 will beat most vehicles out there, but because it does it with so little drama, no noise, no squealing tires, etc., many people figure it can't be all that fast. Now, while it's no slouch as you go faster, lots of other vehicles will beat it to say 60. To some, they feel it just can't be fast because it doesn't have the accompanying engine winding up and howling. TO me, I like it quiet, especially at cruise. To each their own.

FWIW, the REx IS slower than the BEV since it has to carry around an extra 300+ pounds.

 

[richs]

You can pick up a 2nd hand Fiat 500e with low miles on the clock for around $6,500.

I know that Fiats are considered some of the least reliable cars on the road, but if you remove the Fiat powertrain and replace it with a Bosch powertrain, it might actually make a semi-reliable car, I guess. A quick scan of 500e forums seems to indicate that they're not a complete disaster to own, at least. Of course, if there was a high demand for used 500e's, they would shoot up in price on the used market, and they would no longer be affordable. They are are fairly rare cars which are low in price due to extremely low demand.

I'm not suggesting that the current used EV market is a permanent situation, though. Ten years from now, there will be a much larger supply of quality used EVs available, of course. I'm just talking about how things are right now.

 

[richs]

FWIW, the REx IS slower than the BEV since it has to carry around an extra 300+ pounds.

Oh, definitely it is! It's like driving around the BEV version with a rather portly passenger at all times. I knew that before I bought an i3 and I got a REx anyway. In fact, it was an essential feature for me. Why? Because the i3 is my only car, that's why! Every couple months I go on a road trip through rural areas of Texas that have no charging infrastructure. There are vast swathes of the landscape which are a long way away from Interstate highways and DC fast chargers. Folks on the coasts tend to forget that the middle of the country is very EMPTY. Yeah, we've got lots of cities, but they are separated by vast distances and the shortest path between two places is not always an interstate highway. I love being able to get off the interstates and know that I can fill up at any rural gas station when I have to.

Anyway, despite what car enthusiasts seem to think, very few people choose cars based on their acceleration stats. I've never cared that much. Before my i3, I owned a Honda HR-V (not a fast car, but a very practical one) so my REx has more than enough power for me. I really don't need the extra performance (and slightly more electric range) of the BEV, but I can see how some people might feel differently.