UK - I test drove the Tesla and and i3 this week...

[Wegerle]

I don't suppose the Model S and the i3 would consider themselves to be rivals but a) we're a two car family and about to change one or both of our cars and b) because they're the first "credible" electric cars to come to market I suppose there might be some crossover in interest...

Anyway, I saw a Tesla Model S in Canada on holiday last year - in blue and on 21 inch wheels and under a glorious BC sky it did look a picture. Fast forward to a dim garage under Westfield shopping centre and the sight of the same blue on 19s and with awful yellow Dutch plates is slightly underwhelming. To these eyes the car looks slightly "beached" on smaller wheels (much like the Ferrari 612 when it launched), but 21s in the real world of potholes and poor road surfaces in Bucks/Herts is not going to happen. Indeed, the salesman said that they were no longer doing test drives on 21 inch wheels because they were breaking. The test drive itself was a series of "point and squirt" moments to demonstrate the undoubted speed of the Model S (I was in an 85). Yep, it's very fast, no doubt. But that's where it ends for me. The car that the Tesla would replace (an Audi A8) is simply better on everything else, especially the interior. I'm probably not target market (I am a v boring driver) but for £60K (and then some) I would be wanting more on the inside than what's on offer. I'm a huge fan of Tesla, and one day we will buy one, but not this...

As for the i3... Wow. One of the best cars I have ever driven. I managed to drive the car for an hour around where I live, on roads I know and I am really taken with it. So much so that once we can decide on the interior our order is going in. All that has been written on the pickup in traffic, the ride and the overall package is true. Loved the one pedal driving, once you dial into it everything seems easy and intuitive. I am also glad to report that confusion over the heat pump/pre heating still exists. At the time of the drive, the two Geniuses and one salesman could not definitively tell me what was required to walk up to a pre-heated car, although to be fair they have since got back to me and explained it in more detail. We're being told September delivery...

 

[Adam]

Good reviews. I don't necessarily disagree with your point but what makes the i3 more credible than, say, the Leaf?

Adam

 

[jfk]

I totally agree with your review. Last year I swapped my BMW for a Tesla Model S. It's an awesome car, where styling, the large screen and performance are key issues. It handles awesome as well. I think you can't compare the feel of materials and 'ambiance' of the interior with Audi or BMW.
I happen to own the i3 as well since a month now. My wife drives it. I think it is definitely the best EV around. The total experience is awesome, everything is just right.

Interior-wise, we choose the standard interior. I think it matches the car better (high-tech feel), the leather is just dark and boring in my opinion. The light-coloured interiors were no option with 2 small children. Definitely no regrets on the standard interior.

 

[Wegerle]

Hi Adam

Fair point. The reason I put the word credible in quote marks was because there are some in the market who would not look at a Nissan no matter what (not me - we did look at it but didn't like it enough). Cheers.

 

[Middachten]

I've done a short swap with a Tesla owner earlier this week (and S85), both with those ugly yellow Dutch licence plates :mrgreen:

The speed and acceleration of the Tesla are impressive, and it does boast 3 times the range of my i3 BEV. But compared to the Tesla the i3 feels so much more as a mature product. The finishing is better, the ride feels much more solid (no cracking noises, not a milimeter play in the drivetrain) and the entire electronics are better integrated.

Still, it is impressive that Tesla has been able to build a car like this from scratch without decades of car manufacturing knwoledge. Almost as impressive as what BMW has been able to pull off with the i3

One of the reasons for me to choose the i3 over the leaf is the fact that the i3 is so much more avangt garde. Both in its construction and in the details. The i3 is a real head-turner, in particular in my version with the white/black/blue outside and the Lodge interrior. And the adaptive cruise control in conjunction with the electric drive alone makes it such an enjoyable car. The leaf only offers adaptive cruise control >40km/h, that's of no use in a traffic jam! The silence in the car in combination with the stop/go control makes me almost enjoy my daiy drive to the office. And on top of all that the handling is soo much better. But that is the first thing that I've come to expect from BMW.