BMW i3 Extended Test Drive

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BMW just announced a $2,000 credit on the BEV version and a $1,000 credit on the REx version. In its 5 months of availability in the U.S., almost twice as many i3's have been sold compared with all U.S. i-MiEV sales since 2012, yet it appears that BMW might be a bit overstocked in the U.S. I hope that the i3 is ultimately successful, but I guess a $40,000+ EV with only slightly better range than a Leaf isn't an easy sell.
 
(I’m having trouble with my computer. Hopefully this doesn’t get posted twice)

Thank you PV1 for the update. I would like a Volt-like car. This i3 is fascinating. Its EV mode appears more efficient than the Volt and much better electric range (my #1 priority). And the REx mode has better mpg than a Volt. Is there any other PHEV more efficient than the i3 REx?

So is it true, no AM radio? I’m a talk radio guy.
I thought the wheels would be more expensive for a BMW but looking at Tire Rack they’re about the same price as the iMiev ($568 vs $546, or $522 vs $546).

-Barry
 
I'll be honest, I seriously despised that radio. I had a hard enough time just figuring out how to change radio stations and get it to play my flash drive. I don't remember seeing AM, and there's definitely no CD player, but there is an AUX in as well as USB.

As far as PHEVs, I would say the i3 has the best powertrain for both EV range and MPG. We drove at least 35 miles with the REx going, and at the gas station (putting gas in an EV, ugh :lol:), it took a whopping .51 gallons. I'll have to play with Google Maps to confirm, but I was getting well over 50 MPG.

Ps. No worries, it only posted once. ;)
 
Interesting article on the problems with the range extender keeping up with the car

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/10/bmw-i3-has-the-little-engine-that-could/index.htm
 
I was wondering how it handled high power demands. I got off the highway right before it kicked in on our drive Sunday.

Took it back yesterday. It was nice, but I'm glad to be driving my i-MiEV again.
 
PV1 said:
It will also show total range, mi./kWh (2 spots, Avg. and Instantaneous or Lifetime and trip :?: Not sure)
I found out that the mi./kWh readings are average and instantaneous, and stay as mi./kWh with the REx running.

I got an invoice from the dealer in my email at lunchtime. They apparently ran our truck through the carwash and sent us an invoice for it. Labor rates are $109.50, but they didn't charge us. That would've been an expensive car wash if they billed it. :shock: :eek:
 
My brother is getting an i3 REx, and his plum i MiEV will (probably) going to our mother. The i3 apparently has a lot of interior room - like 3"+ from my brother's knees to the dashboard - he is almost 6'-7", so this is very impressive.

The current i3's have a wider rear tire. Which is different than the earlier spec - at least as far as I know. The fronts are still 155's but the rears are 175's, I think.
 
I guess the i3's front seats go further back than the i-MiEV's.

The tires are front - 155/65R19 and back - 175/60R19, very similar to the i-MiEV.
 
PV1 said:
I guess the i3's front seats go further back than the i-MiEV's.
Indeed- I had to stretch to touch my toes to the front footwell in the passenger seat!
I took an i3 test drive for fun yesterday. Will say that the ride and roadholding are far superior to the i-MiEV.
However, the lag on acceleration was quite annoying compared to the quicker response of the MiEV. Even in sport "Comfort" mode, there was a significant delay before the motor started moving, and from 0-30 mph the i3 seemed slower than an i-MiEV... Salesman tried to spin that as 'traction control'. From 30-60 mph, acceleration felt quicker than the i-MiEV.
The suicide door arrangement was interesting. The main door won't latch unless the suicide door is closed, but there's nothing to prevent the suicide door from banging against the main door.
Also, the charging port door is HUGE, and it's of course at the right position to get snagged by a belt loop or bumped when walking past the car. Supposedly all the new models come with CCS fast charging. The salesman was also trying to claim that the automakers, including TESLA had recently settled on CCS as the universal standard. :lol:
The very strong regen was nice, especially down to nearly a full stop, but it was like being stuck in B mode at all times. No relief from the off-pedal regen even in "ECO PRO or ECO PRO PLUS" modes. Shifting into neutral was done with two pushes of the paddle shifter.

As mentioned earlier, the car shuts down whenever the driver exits the vehicle. It made a Chinese Fire Drill during our test drive even more adventurous!
 
We test drove one a day or so ago and agree with the foregoing comments. The regen is a bit extreme, but the salesperson said that the brake lights came on also. For highway driving, its a serious question as we didn't take it on the highway.

I have seen 4 of these driving around the Phoenix area.

For the price, I don't see it, Rex or not. If I needed Rex, I'd rather have a Volt or a hybrid.

Now as to the i8 sitting in the showroom for $150k+, that's way out of our range.
 
Drove one 2 weeks ago on our Milwaukee adventure(a friend's). To tell the truth the Kia Soul EV I drove last month impressed me more.
 
That's my next test drive. Several folks here in Phoenix have the Soul EV and swear by it.

But for now, our most recent experiment is the rental of a 2013 Nissan Leaf during our visit to SF Bay area. The rental company is Relay Rides and they provided a Leaf for $32 per day plus insurance, which I thought to be reasonable.

We have driven the Leaf now and enjoy it. But what we hate is the traffic, tolls, and congestion in SF. We spent the afternoon at Fisherman's Wharf and it was packed.

What we have noticed also, is that charging costs money (sometimes a lot) here in SF, unlike Phoenix where a lot of chargers are free. I haven't explored the NCTC aspect of the Leaf tho.

If it wasn't for the Garmin unit that Relay Rides provided, I would have driven right into the bay!
 
I drove the i3 last week as well for the first time. It was nearly exactly what I was expecting ... a bit more get up and go than the iMiev, more crisp handling, nicer finish, quieter - fewer rattles or random pump noises, smoother, and ~ $20k more :lol: ! I do like the additional range and the ability to have an Rex for longer drives/assurance, but the cost is just a bit much and really, the iMiev is a pretty nice driving car; for the money you really can't beat it. And, without any CCS fast charging available around me, the Rex is kind of a necessity for longer drives, which means yucky gas + even more $$ or I still need to keep another gas car.

Also, as far as interior space goes, I think the iMiev is much better, especially if you ever have people in the back (and if you don't, than why not get a Smart?). I was comfortable in the driver's seat (I'm 6'4"), but when I got out and tried to sit behind "me" (something I can do pretty easily in the iMiev), I had a really tough time getting my feet in. Headroom was okay, but legroom bad. Add that with the fact that there's no window or independent door for the poor riders in the back, it's just not a good choice if you regularly backseat passengers.
 
As an update to our SF Bay visit, the Leaf performed quite well, and after discovering a fair number of free charging stations, we were able to negotiate the SF area without any problems.

Except for the traffic. ;-(

I believe that an iMiev should do as well although I did not see a single one anywhere.

For those who may be renting a car, I suggest considering Relay Rides. After looking at their inventory, I saw two iMievs for rent as well as Leafs. They probably have other EVs. Also, if you have an extra car, you can contract with them to rent your car and earn some extra money. This I believe is how they acquire their cars for rent.

So if you have an extra iMiev . . . check out their website and app.

So back to Phoenix, the heat, and ours.
 
RelayRides provides the platform for individuals to rent out their personal cars. So, when you rent a car through them, you are renting somebody's vehicle, not RelayRides' vehicle. Once I get all the recalls done on Koorz, I was planning on listing it. Of course, that was before family members started driving it :lol: .
 
Here's a couple of the iMiev listed on Relay Rides:

https://relayrides.com/car-rental/seattle/mitsubishi-i-miev/11583

https://relayrides.com/car-rental/irving/mitsubishi-i-miev/108585

https://relayrides.com/car-rental/hollywood/mitsubishi-i-miev/66203

I'd really be interested in knowing how these, and yours, work out economically.
 
This was recently posted on the local EAA mail list - it's an engineer's rather uncomplimentary perspective of the i3. I understand his comments regarding regeneration implementation, but personally prefer to have the option of very high regen on accelerator pedal release with the recognition that driving behaviour must be altered and that finesse is required on loose surfaces. We see plenty of i3s around here.

http://www.jeffchan.com/cars/ev/i3.html

Edit 3/17/16: The author has temporarily withdrawn the article as he's learned more about the i3's aluminum undercarriage which puts a different perspective on safety, which seems to be his primary focus.
 
I don't fully agree with that article. If the i3 is anything like the i-MiEV, any slip or skid will disable regen. The wrecked i3s that I've seen have held up pretty well to a collision.

What I don't like about it is the use of fiberglass on the interior. Yes, it looks cool and really cuts down on dashboard glare, but I imagine cleaning to be a pain. Plus, when it breaks in a wreck, the dust could be really irritating to the respiratory system. Also, the steering is way too sensitive. Twitch the wheel and shoot across the highway.

Other than those two qualms, I found the i3 to be a really nice car.
 
I've driven both the i3 and i8, apart from the CFRP they don't compare in the slightest.

As far as driving the i3, it's pretty good. BMW still has quite the knack for making a decent driving car, but it's hard to tell with the tires what they are. The steering wheel tells you pretty well what it's doing, which is good, it is far less distant over the i. I've had no issue with the directness of the steering wheel, I prefer it over the i. There are quite a few corners I make with the i where I need to turn the wheel further then I wanted to just make the turn. My i is pretty restless around dead center, the i3 was a bit easier in this respect.

The cabin of the i3 is nice, but golly is it expensive, and pretty much everything on it was an option. The sunroof, the heat pump, leather seats, navigation, cruise control, ehn, not so impressed. The rear seats, I didn't attempt to get in, I was looking at the car months before I bought the i. But it did get me to consider electric cars.

The price, this demo car was over 45k euro, that is an enormous amount. It's not funny.

The boot was the biggest dissapointment, because of the rex the floor is pretty high, which made it feel very small, especially compared to the rear of the Peugeot 206 SW I was driving before, hah. If the BEV model had the charger next to the inverter, like the i, they could have lowered the floor a few inches and made the boot much bigger or even add another box for the cable. Or maybe even a spare. Although to be fair, they should just loose the frunk and make the spare tire there. Cables can go in the back.

I have a 5 month old kid, with that in hindsight I'd never even consider the i3 anymore, the clumsy rear door access is just too much. In that regard I've been really surprised by the i, I can fit the ISOFIX and maxi cosi and still take the stroller and bags of stuff I need just to get out with 1 baby. :D

So even if it came onto the 2nd hand market in a couple of years it would still have had the same range (i3 without rex) as the i, which is completely bonkers if you just stand still and think about that for a minute. Why would I choose this car over something like a Kia Soul which goes 30-40% further and comes with a heat pump and fast charging standard?!

Why is the heat pump an option (PTC heater standard), why is the navigation an option (hello 2016), why is cruise control an option for a electric car (my i has one). Too much that just doesn't add up.

So I was like, maybe they'll offer more models with different battery sizes. Nope. Maybe they'll have a upgrade program for the battery, the answer on that is a "maybe".

It's not a bad car, but considering the state of my life currently, it doesn't fit.
 
Here's a side-by-side photo from my test drive. I like the looks of the i-MiEV better than the BMW i-Pug.
Mitsubishi-i-miev-bmw-i3-and-pusher-trailer-3.jpg
 
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