How important is Drive/Park Assist?

[fr0sty]

I've been hunting for a used i3 Rex ('14-15) to use as my commuter car and am trying to decide how much I care about certain options. Are the Driving/Parking-Assist packages worth the extra $$? Am I taking on significant repair bill liability by getting these extras?

My general inclination would be to just get a base-model (fewer fancy gadgets = less that can go wrong) and save the $1-2k, but am I really missing out?

 

[nickp]

When I was in the CPO market I couldn't find a i3 with everything on it. I went with a Giga World package with the park assist which I thought I'd never use but have used it a lot and I absolutely love the HK Sound system.
I am glad I didn't go for the Auto everything cruise control without the HK System. I can live without that cruise feature but cannot tolerate crappy sound. Also I didn't care about the 10" Nav unit either because they are all crappy anyway when compared to Google or Garmin maps.
YMMV!

 

[gt1]

IIRC you can't get the back up camera without the park assistant on the older years. I had the park assistant on a 2015 I leased and never used it because it was known to curb the rims. i3 is incredibly easy to park thanks to the tight turn radius and short overhangs.
I doubt the system will present any additional reliability issues. It only adds a couple of sensors. All i3s have electric power steering anyway.

 

[jadnashuanh]

For me, the backup camera is mandatory since it is hard for me to twist around and mirrors only do so much. The park assist that's part of that package, I haven't really used. The newest models all have the camera per federal regs.

 

[RostHaus]

I think the Driver tech package and HK sound are a necessity. I could live without the park assist, but I found it extremely hard to find one with the options I wanted and no park assist. Park assist seems to be the most common option on 14-16's.

Adaptive Cruise Control is what standard cruise control should be. In my opinion It lessens driver fatigue on road trips. I also plan on retrofitting the traffic assist feature, which can only be done if you have ACC.

As for the HK sound, its an option that needs to be ticked because the stock system is so bad. And TBH is one of the worst sound systems I've heard in a fairly modern car. Definitely not what I was used out of a stock system in a German car. The HK also completely hides any REX noise on road trips.

Park assist, I have still yet to use the self parking, the camera is very nice. That's useful I guess. If I had to parallel park more, I might have more to say about it.

Also if you are looking at a 14' make sure it has DC fast charging. Some don't

I'd recommend renting one on Turo or something; and seeing what options you could live without.

 

[fr0sty]

I'd recommend renting one on Turo or something; and seeing what options you could live without.

That is a great idea. There is a '14 Tera world located nearby on Turo which might just do the trick.

Thanks for mentioning the fast-charge options, that isn't standard on '14s but is common from what I've seen. When I can get the VIN on a classified listing I always use a decoder site to find out all the installed options. Many are easy to see from the pictures, but the AC fast-charge is invisible and DC fast charge is only apparent with a good photo of the charge port.

 

[Tobias]

Park assist is neat, but it’s clunky and slow to use. In London, parallel parking is common, but when you have an impatient line of traffic waiting behind you, using Park Assist is stressful!

Automatic cruise control is brilliant - it makes driving much easier. I’d never have a car without it, now. However, the i3’s ACC aversion to direct low sunlight, and to rain, is a weak point.

 

[jadnashuanh]

LIke some others, I didn't think I'd like the ACC, but it was part of a package that I did want at the time. Now that I've experienced it, I would buy it on my next car as well. The i3's system utilizes just a camera, which can have some contrast issues in some lighting conditions. Some others include LIDAR or RADAR sensors, are more immune to those visible light issues. But, all in all, I think that it is worth it. If you're road has lots of curves or hills, and the traffic isn't heavy, it does take it a moment to recognize a vehicle ahead in your lane since it may be out of sight of the lens. It's not an autopilot. It does work fine most of the time, and if desired, you can cause it to revert to a 'normal' CC. Roads with trees right to the edges during bright sun can go from bright to deep shade, and that confuses it as can low sun angles where it overcomes the ability of it to develop enough contrast to identify things. IMHO, you just need to actually drive your car, the thing is an assistant, not a master.

 

[wjsi327]

I took all the options on my 2018 lease, and wanted to experience the parking assist, but I've never used it. I tried to use it several times but every time I started to set it up some driver had pulled up behind me giving me no room to reverse into the parking spot. I found that I could position the car and begin backing up much faster than the assist package could, thereby giving a clear signal that I was parking. I also found that turning my head so that I could watch where I was reversing as well as who was approaching from behind was more effective than watching indicator lights telling what to do when. Maybe if I had practiced the setup procedure more I could have done it faster, but the assisst just didn't seem necessary.

 

[websterize]

How important is Drive/Park Assist?

I used it once on my 2014 i3 BEV, never on my 2015 i3 BEV, and I don't miss it on my 2018 i3 Sport BEV.

 

[jadnashuanh]

Depending on the MY, the rear camera may not be included without it. For me, the rear camera is essential as I am quite stiff, and mirrors just aren't enough to safely back up.