Picked up a 2014 Tera REx

[Driften]

I traded in my 2014 Subaru BRZ for a 2014 i3 with the Tera package and REx. Originally I was just thinking about getting a Giga package BEV model but my wife wanted full leather and the engine safety net. It's only been two days but I am really liking the i3. It is much more comfortable to drive then the BRZ and much quieter. We actually drove it enough yesterday to hit the rex for a few miles yesterday. It was much quieter then expected. I could hardly tell it was running. I downloaded BimmerCode and ordered the wifi adapter it needs from Amazon. It will be nice to setup the full gas tank use and the hold function. Well and remove the boot up warning message

I am also happy to have the 19" wheels. The ride is fine and we are having cold weather here in Washington. It was 29deg this morning and currently 37deg. I feel safer then if I had the 20" and summer tires. I am just happy we don't normally get snow in the Seattle area.

 

[theothertom]

Looks good! Congrats!

 

[sipabit]

The more you drive it, the more you'll love it. Drive safe.

 

[Driften]

It's now almost 4 months with the car now and my wife and I love it. We are driving it more then her car which is the opposite of the way things were before.

 

[jadnashuanh]

The i3 is addictive. When I get into my ICE for a long trip, the gear shifting and lack of oomph getting started, along with having to use the brakes takes a bit of relearning!

 

[frictioncircle]

Welcome to the i3, Driften!

The car is far more fun than its appearance would suggest – sounds like you've figured that out!

I was a big ICE fan for decades until I drove the i3... wasn't even shopping for a new car but the way the i3 was so eager to move through traffic? Yes, I was sold within a few turns.

Again, glad you found that the i3 was right for you!

 

[sipabit]

It's now almost 4 months with the car now and my wife and I love it. We are driving it more then her car which is the opposite of the way things were before.

I can see your i3 grin from here! Congrats. Glad you made the right decision. A lot of people expect the i3 to be their secondary car only to end up using it as their primary. Me included!

 

[jadnashuanh]

I guess I'm in the minority...I expected (and bought) my i3 to be my primary daily driver. My ICE may sit for months in between uses. IT all depends on your transportation needs. The i3 is (IMHO) great for running around...a major compromise on a longer trip that I'm not willing to take (I did not buy the REx for a reason...the maintenance issues with the ICE, the efficiency, the slower acceleration, and the cost). That cost and inconvenience may be offset if you want or are only able to have one vehicle. IMHO, if your daily driving requires the use of the REx, you probably shouldn't have bought the i3. Yes, it will work, but stopping frequently to refuel can be a pain even if it is likely quick since there's so little in the tank.

 

[jfran2]

I, too, have a 2014 Tera REx, and I have to respectfully disagree with Jadnashuanh's statement that if you need to use the REx, you shouldn't have bought the i3. I'm a sales rep for a living, and although I usually stay within my battery range, it's not unusual for me to have to kick in the REx for some highway miles, which means I can continue to use the lovely i3 as my main car. When I first got it, I thought I would leave it at home on longer days in favor of my ICE, but the REx makes the i3 an extremely useful car! Congratulations on your purchase, and thanks for sharing the picture - the car is beautiful!

John Francis

 

[Driften]

I, too, have a 2014 Tera REx, and I have to respectfully disagree with Jadnashuanh's statement that if you need to use the REx, you shouldn't have bought the i3. I'm a sales rep for a living, and although I usually stay within my battery range, it's not unusual for me to have to kick in the REx for some highway miles, which means I can continue to use the lovely i3 as my main car. When I first got it, I thought I would leave it at home on longer days in favor of my ICE, but the REx makes the i3 an extremely useful car! Congratulations on your purchase, and thanks for sharing the picture - the car is beautiful!

John Francis

We are coming up now on a year with the i3 and my wife uses it daily for her commute to work. I work from home so I only get to drive the i3 on the weekends. She has needed the gas engine in a few cases. It's been a great safety net especially in the winter. We both love the car and only use her ICE SUV to take the dogs to the dog park. Not that we couldn't put the dogs in the i3 with the back seats down, but we worry about them messing things up back there and we want this car to last as long as possible!

I wish our i3 had the range of the new models but in no way think we shouldn't have bought the one we have.

 

[nickp]

I guess I'm in the minority...I expected (and bought) my i3 to be my primary daily driver. My ICE may sit for months in between uses. IT all depends on your transportation needs. The i3 is (IMHO) great for running around...a major compromise on a longer trip that I'm not willing to take (I did not buy the REx for a reason...the maintenance issues with the ICE, the efficiency, the slower acceleration, and the cost). That cost and inconvenience may be offset if you want or are only able to have one vehicle. IMHO, if your daily driving requires the use of the REx, you probably shouldn't have bought the i3. Yes, it will work, but stopping frequently to refuel can be a pain even if it is likely quick since there's so little in the tank.

Slower acceleration? Didn't know a second or thereof can be such a deal breaker for some. On my 2015 Rex, I get plenty of power when I need to pass or merge on the freeway.

And if I happen to drive my i3 for 100 miles a day I shouldn't have brought the Rex? Why? I get an easy 70 miles in comfort mode and another 30 on Rex. At least it drives me 150 miles if need be.

 

[jadnashuanh]

The REx costs more, weighs more, is less efficient, costs more to maintain. If you 'need' it, fine. If I were going to drive that far regularly, I'd have a different hybrid that I didn't have to fill the fuel tank maybe every other day, or even daily. Until charging opportunities are as ubiquitous as gas stations, an EV as a general purpose vehicle will not take off. Used as it was designed, it's a great car. As the battery capacity increases, it will become more useful to more people. Places where EVs are more popular are areas that have embraced them with more infrastructure and incentives like tax credits, rebates, and HOV lane access. A long trip in a REx involves stopping about once an hour. Okay I suppose, if you don't do it often. Not so good if you do, and god help you if the service stations are sparse or closed when you want to do it. Even more so with sparse CCS stations that may be ICE'ed or otherwise occupied or inoperative. If you have to resort to an EVSE, it could be hours before you get going again..

As I said, if you need to drive the thing further than the batteries will take you on a regular basis, you probably bought the wrong car.

This is likely to change as time goes on, and is very dependent on the area where you live and where you travel. It's not there yet for most.

If you're willing to put up with the inconveniences, fine by me...the REx can work. I'm not. I find it comfortable for my uses, longer trips, I'm also more comfortable in my ICE that can go for 500-miles before I have to stop for fuel, can refuel it nearly anywhere in less than 10-minutes.

 

[PBNB]

We picked up a 2015 Rex about 5 months ago and battled with the idea of the Rex. We even put a deposit down on an e-golf with a 200km range.

Then we saw the Rex and took it for a spin, it was quite peppy with 4 adults in the car. We were having a tough time with the battery only idea as the charging station availability is still growing.

The i3 is a second car for our business and the other is a Honda Element so we have that cushion as well.

We ran out of power once so far and this was on our freeway. The rex kicked in and we kept on going. The car keep going at speed without slowing down. This put my wife at ease.

Since then, we installed a Level 2 charger at our house and now this is really easy to deal with. We can charge whenever we need. I have also coded the car so the Hold State of Charge is a menu item.

The more we drive this little car, the better it seems to get.

 

[nickp]

The REx costs more, weighs more, is less efficient, costs more to maintain. If you 'need' it, fine. If I were going to drive that far regularly, I'd have a different hybrid that I didn't have to fill the fuel tank maybe every other day, or even daily. Until charging opportunities are as ubiquitous as gas stations, an EV as a general purpose vehicle will not take off. Used as it was designed, it's a great car. As the battery capacity increases, it will become more useful to more people. Places where EVs are more popular are areas that have embraced them with more infrastructure and incentives like tax credits, rebates, and HOV lane access. A long trip in a REx involves stopping about once an hour. Okay I suppose, if you don't do it often. Not so good if you do, and god help you if the service stations are sparse or closed when you want to do it. Even more so with sparse CCS stations that may be ICE'ed or otherwise occupied or inoperative. If you have to resort to an EVSE, it could be hours before you get going again..

As I said, if you need to drive the thing further than the batteries will take you on a regular basis, you probably bought the wrong car.

This is likely to change as time goes on, and is very dependent on the area where you live and where you travel. It's not there yet for most.

If you're willing to put up with the inconveniences, fine by me...the REx can work. I'm not. I find it comfortable for my uses, longer trips, I'm also more comfortable in my ICE that can go for 500-miles before I have to stop for fuel, can refuel it nearly anywhere in less than 10-minutes.

I do not drive 100 miles daily. I drive a RT of 36 miles so I can actually go two days between charging. But if I had to drive for 100 miles a day? I would definitely find chargers at my destination. I am in Los Angeles where there are always plenty of chargers. I keep my car charged even at work where I can plug in the snail charger for 8 hours.
Even at a 100 miles trip if I can get 60 on electric and 40 on Rex I am ok. The car is fun to drive even on Rex.
I agree with you in the sense that if I drove 100+ every day and charging at destination was an issue I would look at the Bolt or other alternatives.