Impressions one year on

[PipPip]

I have had my i3 Rex for about a year now (although only around 7,000 miles covered) and thought I would post my thoughts:
The Positives:
- Its proved extremely cheap to run as a daily commuter (around 40 miles a day).
- My workplace has fitted a fast charger which has proved great for me as one of the only people with an electric car
- The car is fun to drive through back roads and the acceleration remains hugely invaluable around town
- People generally seem to admire the car

The negatives
- Compared to our other car, a Volvo XC60, I find the ride very uncomfortable. The seats are dreadful, the ride is harsh and the cabin is noisy above about 30mph. If the roads are wet you can hear very clearly through the drivers door the tyres displacing the water
- Around half of my commute is on a 70mph limit dual carriageway. The i3 is truly awful on this section: jittery and all over the road if it is windy (which is usually is in Hampshire, UK)
- Interior quality is very poor, reminds me of a 1990s Fiat. I have a lot of interior/dashboard rattles and squeaks, everything feels flimsy (especially vs the Volvo) and the quality of the stereo is appalling (again vs the standard stereo in the Volvo).
Edit: forgot to mention the range. 70 miles maximum in summer, 60 in winter. Nowhere near advertised. Basically I charge the car every day, which was not what I had envisaged when I ordered.

Overall its not a bad car, it can be great fun at times and running costs are ridiculously low. At other times is just uncomfortable and the poor quality interior makes it feel very budget. I have the car for three years on the company car scheme and I don't think I will have huge regrets when I give it back. Suspect my next car will be more conventional!

 

[justanotherdrunk]

I have had my i3 Rex for about a year now (although only around 7,000 miles covered) and thought I would post my thoughts:
The Positives:
- Its proved extremely cheap to run as a daily commuter (around 40 miles a day). yep
- My workplace has fitted a fast charger which has proved great for me as one of the only people with an electric car yea right, my company couldnt care less about its employees!
- The car is fun to drive through back roads and the acceleration remains hugely invaluable around town hugely valuable
- People generally seem to admire the car yep

The negatives
- Compared to our other car, a Volvo XC60, I find the ride very uncomfortable. The seats are dreadful, the ride is harsh and the cabin is noisy above about 30mph. If the roads are wet you can hear very clearly through the drivers door the tyres displacing the water the ride and seats are fine for me
- Around half of my commute is on a 70mph limit dual carriageway. The i3 is truly awful on this section: jittery and all over the road if it is windy (which is usually is in Hampshire, UK) yep shes a wanderer and not a function of tire pressure
- Interior quality is very poor, reminds me of a 1990s Fiat. I have a lot of interior/dashboard rattles and squeaks, everything feels flimsy (especially vs the Volvo) and the quality of the stereo is appalling (again vs the standard stereo in the Volvo). no squeaks or rattles and not flimsy stereo is ok
Edit: forgot to mention the range. 70 miles maximum in summer, 60 in winter. Nowhere near advertised. Basically I charge the car every day, which was not what I had envisaged when I ordered. here in silicon valley its not hot or cold ac is never used and rarely heater so range is optimum

Overall its not a bad car, it can be great fun at times and running costs are ridiculously low. At other times is just uncomfortable and the poor quality interior makes it feel very budget. I have the car for three years on the company car scheme and I don't think I will have huge regrets when I give it back. Suspect my next car will be more conventional!

thanks for the nice report

just posting my experience not my opinion

 

[janner]

A 70m range in Hampshire, UK seems very low for a Rex: that equates to an average 3.8miles/kWhr. My average is 4.5miles/kWhr (80-85 miles). Have you looked at your community average? I assume you've adapted to using regen and not brakes?

I charge every day at home and I would expect all/most electric car drivers do the same. It's a different approach to an ICE - you don't go out for fuel and only need to charge away from home on a longer journey. I can see the enthusiasm for charging at work where it's free but it's not that expensive even if you have to pay for the electricity yourself: suggest you get a 7kW charger fitted at home, it'll change your view on electric range as every time you leave home you will have a full charge.

I find my i3 quieter than the E-Class Diesel Coupe it replaced. I agree that there can seem to be wind noise but that's because there's no engine noise.

My i3 is very good on UK motorways: I set the Driver Assist for 70mph and it follows the traffic perfectly (unless the sun is bright and low - only occasionally in the UK)

My interior is very good, no rattles or squeaks - and I love the futuristic displays.

I agree about the stereo - I should have upgraded. However I like the bluetooth connection for the iPhone, the fact that there's no wasted CD player, and the DAB radio.

You will be one of the few electric car drivers who goes back to ICE, I suspect.

 

[S3RDP]

Totally agree with Janner's comments. My experience mirror's his. Sorry to hear that you may revert to ICE but maybe a plug-in hybrid like Golf GTE would be a better compromise for your purposes.

 

[justanotherdrunk]

My interior is very good, no rattles or squeaks - and I love the futuristic displays.

yep love the dual displays

 

[PipPip]

Hi thanks for the replies. I do have a 7KW charger at home so no issue there. When I first got my i3 it struggled to give me 60 mile electric range. It went in for a fix and now gives 70 if its warm. My scores for regen braking are top end of the group on the app, I barely touch the brake pedal. My car just gives poor range no matter how carefully I drive and well below average per the app (which frankly I don't bother with any more as its pretty cack). Since I can charge every day at work and I have a 7KW charger at home range is not a big concern for me and actually it was an after thought in my original post. Fact is my main issues are poor comfort and naff build quality. My dashboard sqeeaks like budgie in multiple places, my seats are showing signs of wear already, my drivers door card doesn't fit properly, the rubber seals on my rear windows don't fit right, my bonnet doesn't quite sit straight etc etc. Its been fixed twice but new rattles and squeaks have appeared. I just shrug and turn the tinny radio up now, accepting that is just a company car which will go back. After I've driven the XC60 for a few weeks on our annual jaunt across France getting back in the i3 is like going from a high quality comfy leather sofa to an Ikea wooden kitchen chair. It is fun in the city and as I said running costs are awesome. My next car will likely be a hybrid with decent build quality, perhaps the Audi A3 hybrid.

 

[drb]

I am sorry your experience is not more positive. I have had my i3 REx for just over a year. Its quite warm now in Southern California and I am getting better than 80 miles to a charge. What I truly enjoy is having a "gas station" in my garage where I can charge the vehicle at night when rates are low and I am deep in my slumbers. I love the interior. Its roominess and the great light that it allows adds substantial pleasure to my driving experience. The seats are particularly comfortable. I am a big guy with lots of back issues and the seats are firm without being unpleasant and I love the way they hold my body. I agree with your observation about wind noise on what we call the freeway. I've grown accustomed to it, largely I think because I've turned up the volume on the radio. The ride is BMW taunt and the steering wonderfully responsive. The former does put the ride on the bumpy side but the latter allows me to easily navigate around pot holes and other bad road conditions. Better luck on your next vehicle.

 

[jadnashuanh]

FWIW, I do not have squeaks and rattles in mine, which is about 15-months old at the moment. The ride somewhat depends on whether you bought the 20" wheels or have the stock 19" ones - the 19" ones do ride a bit better, and the factory recommended air pressure makes a difference, too. I don't find the steering stressful, but you do need to stay awake. I do like that it is very responsive.

 

[janner]

My next car will likely be a hybrid with decent build quality, perhaps the Audi A3 hybrid.

I tested the A3 e-tron before I bought the i3. It was a very well put together ICE car with a small electric range (20-30 miles) but from a battery half the size on the i3 (9kWhrs instead of the 18kWhrs of the i3 - which tells you a lot about how inefficient the e-tron really is). I live a little out of town and my requirement was that I get to the shops and back on electric. With the e-tron I could get there but back would be on petrol.

 

[MikeS]

I don’t have the same issues at all with those you stated saving the range issue and I find my REX easily as stable as my X1 on the motorway and any other road. I do have a similar experience with the range even though my overall consumption average is 4.3. I generally get around 75 miles from my REX but that is with almost exclusively very short journeys. As soon as i take it on a long run I get nearer 100 from the battery and the REX fuel!

 

[PipPip]

I guess seats and comfort are personal preference. This i3 replaced a 330d M Sport which had a very harsh ride but the seats were comfortable. The i3 seems to combine that harsh ride with hard seats which personally I find too much. It's particularly noticable after driving the luxurious comfort of the Volvo. The i3 really does feel hard and spartan compared to the same priced Volvo. My i3 is the entry level standard trim, which may have something to do with it (with basic 19 inch wheels).
Just checked my stats on the app. My cumulative average is 3.5 mi/kwh. I drive in Eco Pro and never go above 70mph on dual carriageways/motorways. Its interesting that Mike S you say yours is as stable as an X1. If that is the case my car must have an issue as I was given an X1 loan car last time my i3 was being repaired and it was night and day. My wife describes our i3 as feeling actually dangerous on faster roads as the steering is so sensitive, the ride so jittery and the car blows about a lot with any wind. She will no longer drive it on a dual carriageway or motorway, while I have to on my commute but find it very tiring to drive for long. Once in town we both love it so I don't want this to be all negative. In the right circumstances its a great car and most of the time its fine for us. However, the flaws in the way it drives at higher speed and poor comfort and build quality for a car costing what it does tip the needle into negative territory for me. Range is just a secondary issue.
Edit: I should have said that my wife and I share the i3 and XC60 with the idea that the i3 is for my commute (which I do 3 times a week) and short journeys while the XC60 is for long journeys. The truth us that the extent to which we both prefer the comfort, luxury and feeling of safety of the XC60 means we fight over who gets the short straw of the i3. I had expected this to be the reverse when I got the i3.

 

[MikeS]

I drive in Comfort mode but almost always have the heating/air con off. My wife and I fight for the best car as well and we both prefer the i3 to the X1………

When we first had the i3 we both noticed how responsive the steering was but soon got used to it such that we pay no specific attention to it. We are both very used to swopping between very different vehicles even from left to right hand drive and manual to auto so maybe we are just more used to different cars' vagaries. I even did a careful test after previous posts about the steering and drove along the coast road on the cliff top here at Brighton on a gale force 8/9 day. I found the car surprisingly steady (even when I just hovered my hands above the steering wheel) - I does move a little in the strong gusts but no more than most cars I have driven.

 

[peteinlongbeach]

I find the seats surprisingly good, considering their size and shape. I'm 6'4", and I have less back discomfort in the i3 than I do in my Mercedes R, which was totally unexpected...

Coming from a background of many rear-engined cars, I run the i3 front tires at relatively low pressure of 27 psi, and this helps high speed directionality and stability considerably. The car could benefit from a bit slower steering ratio and more caster designed into the front suspension, but the lower front tire pressure helps it a lot.

 

[Electron15]

With over 8,000 miles I find it to be a very solid car, not a squeak or rattle to be found. I too find the seat to be very comfortable as do the majority of people that ride in my car, in fact it's the second thing they say after the compliments of how nice the dashboard is. I have the 20 inch wheels and really like the way the car feels and handles, and I absolutely enjoy the steering - it's fast to be sure - but it's greatfor me! I also have th eHK setero which sounds very nice.

I currently averaging 4.5 miles per kwh in comfort mode (A/C is on constantly as I live in Florida) and I drive it just like every other car I ever had. Driving it conservatively I have gotten as high as 6.1 miles per kwh.

This thread speaks of preferences rather than real issues (aside from noises and possible body panel mis-fits).

To the people who have issue with the seat comfort, steering speed, ride quality and road/wind noise, I ask this: Did you take it on a test drive before purchasing, and if so were you paying attention to those details?

 

[psquare]

Similar observations after over 6 months and 8k miles in a REx here. No rattles or noises. A broken windscreen (not BMW's fault, but a hassle to get fixed by a BMW i dealer when using insurance) was the only highlight so far.

The longer I own it, the more I love the understated design of the i3. Yet there is something so forward thinking about it, too. Someone once said to me: "Your car looks like something out of 'I, Robot' ".

So far, I find nothing cheap or poor quality about it. As someone on here once put it: 'it's a precision tool, designed exactly for a specific purpose" (medium to short range city commuting, with a predominant focus on efficiency and light weight), which is what excited me about the car in the first place. There is almost no waste, no frills and no unnecessary detail about this car.

To the people who have issue with the seat comfort, steering speed, ride quality and road/wind noise, I ask this: Did you take it on a test drive before purchasing, and if so were you paying attention to those details?

I've brought this up many times on here and it does make me wonder, too. Having said that, almost every car I have owned in the last 10 years showed up weaknesses after longer ownership, which I should have spotted in longer test drives, but I didn't. To me, there is an excitement when testing a car I like, which appears to block some of my senses. The only way for me to prevent this is to insist on multiple, long test drives - including getting my wife to test drive the car, too.

 

[Schnort]

I currently averaging 4.5 miles per kwh in comfort mode (A/C is on constantly as I live in Florida) and I drive it just like every other car I ever had. Driving it conservatively I have gotten as high as 6.1 miles per kwh.

I think that's because Florida is flat as a pancake. I live in on the edge of a hilly area and going up/down hills really eats up the battery compared to going flat.

 

[jadnashuanh]

It's not exactly flat in New Hampshire where I live, but I can get in the similar range of efficiency as well. It certainly isn't as high in the middle of winter when it's below 0F, though! But, preconditioning does make a difference.

 

[Electron15]

I currently averaging 4.5 miles per kwh in comfort mode (A/C is on constantly as I live in Florida) and I drive it just like every other car I ever had. Driving it conservatively I have gotten as high as 6.1 miles per kwh.

I think that's because Florida is flat as a pancake. I live in on the edge of a hilly area and going up/down hills really eats up the battery compared to going flat.

My brother used to drive an 18 wheeler and said he got better fuel mileage on hilly roads in states like Pennsylvania compared to Ohio (which is flat). I would think going down a decent size hill the i3 can get some serious regen, for sure there will be some extra usage going up, but since you are already in motion and using power, isn't it offset by the regen going down? I don't know.

Anyone here know the science behind this?

 

[janner]

Driving it conservatively I have gotten as high as 6.1 miles per kwh.

That should mean you would have a 'range' shown on your screen of 115 miles. Would be very interesting if you posted a picture of that. Best I've got on 'range' is 93 or 5 miles/kWhr.

(Anyone know how to post a picture here?)

 

[I33t]

(Anyone know how to post a picture here?)

Here you go:

http://www.mybmwi3.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=419