Laundry list

[Pentacat]

After a few days of living with my i3 I still love it but here are some of annoyances I've come across. Most are pretty minor but still drive me slightly crazy, some are things that really need to be changed by BMW.

Years of BMW ownership (conditioning?) have led me to expect that the central locking button should be somewhere on the center stack. Why move the controls to the doors on the i3? Move it back!

Only one USB port? I've tried using a USB hub but it didn't allow me to connect a USB key and my iPhone 5s simultaneously.

White floor mats....seriously? Yes, they look beautiful but only for about 20 minutes after you clean them. Now I have to spend $200 on some WeatherTech FloorLiners.

The textured black side skirts are turning out to be a real pain to keep clean IMHO. They really should be a PAINTED black like the hood and roof. Anyone have a suggestion on how to keep them from getting so dirty or is this just my problem to live with? I hope they don't turn out looking like faded plastic crap similar to the early E36 side skirts.

Is it just me or is the rear view mirror way to small?

No fog lights/poor high beams. I know it was probably driven by cost but I think the i3's current forward lighting setup needs to be rethought. I know that BMW is having serious issues (as are the other German manufacturers) in lobbying the DOT to allow for some of really advanced headlamp technology already in use in Europe. The current i3 headlights are a step back from my E90 with adaptive Bi-Xenons.

This last one is the worst. I really dislike the seats and it's a good thing that the i3 is far from a long distance tourer. I understand that weight savings was the priority and I'm fine with manual adjustments but there's just not enough of them. There is not even a real "rake" adjustment on the current seat just a height adjustment. At the very least there should be a upgraded seat option/upgrade that features manually adjustable rake, lumbar, thigh support and headrests.

 

[mark1]

Does the i3 have a hard drive (like most other post 2010 iDrive models)? If so you can plug the USB flash memory in, copy the music over and then plug your phone in.

 

[jadnashuanh]

FWIW, the floor mats are light grey, not white, but they do show dirt easily! They do seem to clean easily (I just did that this afternoon on mine).

 

[jakell64]

Does the i3 have a hard drive (like most other post 2010 iDrive models)? If so you can plug the USB flash memory in, copy the music over and then plug your phone in.

There is 20gb of media space to store music (in the US). Wish it was more and/or expandable.

 

[Boatguy]

Completely agree on the floor mats, lights and seats. No excuse for those. The lights in particular are just fog lights masquerading as high beams. Totally useless for extending visibility. And white, or grey, floor mats? I know they have winter in Germany, what was that product manager thinking?

 

[i3Alan]

Completely agree on the floor mats, ... And white, or grey, floor mats? I know they have winter in Germany, what was that product manager thinking?

I think BMW is listening. My Giga came in about 10 days ago with black mats.

 

[Pentacat]

Found a new annoyance today. It appears that both of the 12V accessory ports (cigarette lighter ports) in the front of the car are constant power and not switched off with the "ignition". That means that anything you leave plugged in is a constant power draw when the car is off and you forget to unplug the device.

I realize that this is just drawing from the 12V accessory power but that still has to be recharged from the main battery once the car is on and moving so it's going to have SOME impact on overall efficiency.

 

[uktechie]

Found a new annoyance today. It appears that both of the 12V accessory ports (cigarette lighter ports) in the front of the car are constant power and not switched off with the "ignition". That means that anything you leave plugged in is a constant power draw when the car is off and you forget to unplug the device.

I realize that this is just drawing from the 12V accessory power but that still has to be recharged from the main battery once the car is on and moving so it's going to have SOME impact on overall efficiency.

Check I believe they are timed to go off after 30 mins, no proof myself yet.

 

[Idleup]

Found a new annoyance today. It appears that both of the 12V accessory ports (cigarette lighter ports) in the front of the car are constant power and not switched off with the "ignition". That means that anything you leave plugged in is a constant power draw when the car is off and you forget to unplug the device.

I realize that this is just drawing from the 12V accessory power but that still has to be recharged from the main battery once the car is on and moving so it's going to have SOME impact on overall efficiency.

Dude its an "Electric Car" you could run an stuff for months!

 

[Idleup]

Found a new annoyance today. It appears that both of the 12V accessory ports (cigarette lighter ports) in the front of the car are constant power and not switched off with the "ignition". That means that anything you leave plugged in is a constant power draw when the car is off and you forget to unplug the device.

I realize that this is just drawing from the 12V accessory power but that still has to be recharged from the main battery once the car is on and moving so it's going to have SOME impact on overall efficiency.

Dude its an "Electric Car" you could run an stuff for months!

 

[mindmachine]

Found a new annoyance today. It appears that both of the 12V accessory ports (cigarette lighter ports) in the front of the car are constant power and not switched off with the "ignition". That means that anything you leave plugged in is a constant power draw when the car is off and you forget to unplug the device.

I realize that this is just drawing from the 12V accessory power but that still has to be recharged from the main battery once the car is on and moving so it's going to have SOME impact on overall efficiency.

Dude its an "Electric Car" you could run an stuff for months!

Actually not, when the car is turned off the 12 volt is not being charged and all accessories outlets are run off of it. Additionally it is a very small 12 volt battery, only 20 amp hour if I remember correctly, and if it the voltage drops too low it wont boot up the cars computers.

 

[jadnashuanh]

I think the 12v receptacle goes off when the rest of the car goes to sleep (same timing as the radio), or about 10-12 minutes after you shut things off (unless you lock the car or press START/STOP) twice). I think I tried it once, but it's been awhile.

You'll have a dead car if the 12vdc battery dies...it runs all of the computers, and the main batteries won't come on until the 12vdc logic says to. During a recharge cycle, there's an emergency path to get the 12vdc battery up if it isn't, then it will enter a normal recharging cycle, but you don't want that battery to get so low it can't power up the computers!

 

[spinball]

My '02 E46 works the same way; The 12v accessory is not switched with the ignition. I believe all BMWs are this way. In my opinion vs switched accessories it's better for some things and worse for others.