So who's getting an i3?
Discussion
I didnt think the beige was available anymore?
3 days in and I do really like the imperial blue, very happy with it, but it does show up dirt, as does the glass rear hatch.
Rest of the car is excellent, I was worried that the ride on the S might be a bit crashy, but actually it's better than the standard i3 demo I had on 20" wheels, perhaps the extra tyre width helps, or maybe the demo had incorrect pressures.
Minor annoyances are the "nodddy" horn and the interior lighting on the standard interior is a bit of a let down, not even LEDs.
3 days in and I do really like the imperial blue, very happy with it, but it does show up dirt, as does the glass rear hatch.
Rest of the car is excellent, I was worried that the ride on the S might be a bit crashy, but actually it's better than the standard i3 demo I had on 20" wheels, perhaps the extra tyre width helps, or maybe the demo had incorrect pressures.
Minor annoyances are the "nodddy" horn and the interior lighting on the standard interior is a bit of a let down, not even LEDs.
JackReacher said:
I didnt think the beige was available anymore?
3 days in and I do really like the imperial blue, very happy with it, but it does show up dirt, as does the glass rear hatch.
Rest of the car is excellent, I was worried that the ride on the S might be a bit crashy, but actually it's better than the standard i3 demo I had on 20" wheels, perhaps the extra tyre width helps, or maybe the demo had incorrect pressures.
Minor annoyances are the "nodddy" horn and the interior lighting on the standard interior is a bit of a let down, not even LEDs.
That horn's terrible, isn't it. Amazed they've not given it a bit of welly. 3 days in and I do really like the imperial blue, very happy with it, but it does show up dirt, as does the glass rear hatch.
Rest of the car is excellent, I was worried that the ride on the S might be a bit crashy, but actually it's better than the standard i3 demo I had on 20" wheels, perhaps the extra tyre width helps, or maybe the demo had incorrect pressures.
Minor annoyances are the "nodddy" horn and the interior lighting on the standard interior is a bit of a let down, not even LEDs.
JackReacher said:
I didnt think the beige was available anymore?
3 days in and I do really like the imperial blue, very happy with it, but it does show up dirt, as does the glass rear hatch.
Rest of the car is excellent, I was worried that the ride on the S might be a bit crashy, but actually it's better than the standard i3 demo I had on 20" wheels, perhaps the extra tyre width helps, or maybe the demo had incorrect pressures.
Minor annoyances are the "nodddy" horn and the interior lighting on the standard interior is a bit of a let down, not even LEDs.
Do you mind me asking what other options you ended up going for? 3 days in and I do really like the imperial blue, very happy with it, but it does show up dirt, as does the glass rear hatch.
Rest of the car is excellent, I was worried that the ride on the S might be a bit crashy, but actually it's better than the standard i3 demo I had on 20" wheels, perhaps the extra tyre width helps, or maybe the demo had incorrect pressures.
Minor annoyances are the "nodddy" horn and the interior lighting on the standard interior is a bit of a let down, not even LEDs.
I posted on here that we test drove an i3 a couple of weeks back. We were going to test drive the Kona and E-Niro as well but both are currently over 12 months lead time so they're off the menu. Near certain we'll go ahead and order an i3 but just trying to hone in on the spec. Currently thinking non-s with park assist, comfort access, Lodge interior, apple car play and a few other bits and bobs. Comes in at just under £40k. I know many on here would recommend the S but the extra £2.5k for that seems better spent elsewhere for us but maybe we can be persuaded.
Gad-Westy said:
Do you mind me asking what other options you ended up going for?
I posted on here that we test drove an i3 a couple of weeks back. We were going to test drive the Kona and E-Niro as well but both are currently over 12 months lead time so they're off the menu. Near certain we'll go ahead and order an i3 but just trying to hone in on the spec. Currently thinking non-s with park assist, comfort access, Lodge interior, apple car play and a few other bits and bobs. Comes in at just under £40k. I know many on here would recommend the S but the extra £2.5k for that seems better spent elsewhere for us but maybe we can be persuaded.
I went for rear view camera, Harmon Kardon speakers, blue seatbelts, rear privacy glass and the Eucalyptus wood trim which is a bit of a luxury but I love it. I'm also very happy with the standard interior (apart from absence of extended lighting as mentioned). I dont like the lighter trims, so it had to be grey and it kept it just below £40k. The suite interior is very nice, but would have had to stick to the standard model to have that and keep below £40k. It was an easy choice for me as I like the standard grey interior and I wanted the extra stability for mostly motorway usage. If i mostly did city driving I might have gone for the standard car with suite interior.I posted on here that we test drove an i3 a couple of weeks back. We were going to test drive the Kona and E-Niro as well but both are currently over 12 months lead time so they're off the menu. Near certain we'll go ahead and order an i3 but just trying to hone in on the spec. Currently thinking non-s with park assist, comfort access, Lodge interior, apple car play and a few other bits and bobs. Comes in at just under £40k. I know many on here would recommend the S but the extra £2.5k for that seems better spent elsewhere for us but maybe we can be persuaded.
JackReacher said:
Gad-Westy said:
Do you mind me asking what other options you ended up going for?
I posted on here that we test drove an i3 a couple of weeks back. We were going to test drive the Kona and E-Niro as well but both are currently over 12 months lead time so they're off the menu. Near certain we'll go ahead and order an i3 but just trying to hone in on the spec. Currently thinking non-s with park assist, comfort access, Lodge interior, apple car play and a few other bits and bobs. Comes in at just under £40k. I know many on here would recommend the S but the extra £2.5k for that seems better spent elsewhere for us but maybe we can be persuaded.
I went for rear view camera, Harmon Kardon speakers, blue seatbelts, rear privacy glass and the Eucalyptus wood trim which is a bit of a luxury but I love it. I'm also very happy with the standard interior (apart from absence of extended lighting as mentioned). I dont like the lighter trims, so it had to be grey and it kept it just below £40k. The suite interior is very nice, but would have had to stick to the standard model to have that and keep below £40k. It was an easy choice for me as I like the standard grey interior and I wanted the extra stability for mostly motorway usage. If i mostly did city driving I might have gone for the standard car with suite interior.I posted on here that we test drove an i3 a couple of weeks back. We were going to test drive the Kona and E-Niro as well but both are currently over 12 months lead time so they're off the menu. Near certain we'll go ahead and order an i3 but just trying to hone in on the spec. Currently thinking non-s with park assist, comfort access, Lodge interior, apple car play and a few other bits and bobs. Comes in at just under £40k. I know many on here would recommend the S but the extra £2.5k for that seems better spent elsewhere for us but maybe we can be persuaded.
Gad-Westy said:
Cheers. In our case, it would be predominantly for my other half. Most of her driving is urban stuff but the motorway behaviour might be important at times which is the only thing that bugs me about not going for the S. Don't really want bigger wheels and not bothered about the wide arches etc. How do you find the Harmon Kardon stuff? And also, was the rear view camera the whole parking pack thing? Ideally we'd just have front and rear sensors but I think it's basically standard rear sensors only, or the whole shabang with camera, and that auto park stuff. I like your colour choice. I think it looks good like that.
The camera was a £350 option I think. There is a difference between the standard and S, with the standard car I think there is a pack you have to buy to get the camera and front sensors for about £800. For some reason on the S you can buy individually, so I just went for camera but miss out on front sensors. It was rear sensors as standard. Perhaps the park assist thing doesn't work on the S due to extra width, that was only thing I could think of.The HK is ok, far from amazing and not worth £650 really, but standard one I tried was pretty bad. Standard with upgraded speakers might be better but not something I could do asnits a company car.
Zcd1 said:
Interesting that those comments are SO negative - the overwhelming view I see from owners is positive, most much preferring them to some quite serious cars they've owned previously!I guess I'll find out when mine arrives in the next couple of weeks!
We've had one for 7 months now and it's the perfect city car. After numerous E-Class, 5 Series, A6 company cars over the past 10 years it holds it's own very well, even the wife loves it which is the big test for any car. 
As with most things EV I'd question how much experience the people posting negative views have actually had with them..
As with most things EV I'd question how much experience the people posting negative views have actually had with them..
Zcd1 said:
Random person on Insta who clearly knows nothing about cars spouts total rubbish.........Lets take just one point "it's 25% less efficient than other EVs"
Really? No it isn't. The bmw i3 is, and the figures back this up, one of the most efficient EVs there is, due to its low mass, ultra low rolling drag (those bike tyres aren't there for fun you know) and excellent optimisation of hotel loads (HVAC etc). It's one efficiency black mark is that it's aero drag is relatively poor, because it's designed as a city car, and hence a car that really drives below 50 mph most of the time (where aero drag, being the square of speed) can be effectively ignored in order to focus on more important factors such as rolling drag and mass)
These days, thanks to social media like Instagram, anyone can be a "car journo". Unfortunately, unlike actual car journo's, there is no peer reviewing of what they write.
I love it for what it is, i.e. a nippy little city car.
Back seats are perfectly useable for adults with more space than most larger 2+2s. If you have kids in the back they will get a great view with the big windows and high seating.
However if I could only keep one car it wouldn't be the i3, I still like the noise of petrol engines too much! But the i3 is really the perfect car for all my mundane city driving.
Back seats are perfectly useable for adults with more space than most larger 2+2s. If you have kids in the back they will get a great view with the big windows and high seating.
However if I could only keep one car it wouldn't be the i3, I still like the noise of petrol engines too much! But the i3 is really the perfect car for all my mundane city driving.
Shaoxter said:
I love it for what it is, i.e. a nippy little city car.
Back seats are perfectly useable for adults with more space than most larger 2+2s. If you have kids in the back they will get a great view with the big windows and high seating.
However if I could only keep one car it wouldn't be the i3, I still like the noise of petrol engines too much! But the i3 is really the perfect car for all my mundane city driving.
Back seats are perfectly useable for adults with more space than most larger 2+2s. If you have kids in the back they will get a great view with the big windows and high seating.
However if I could only keep one car it wouldn't be the i3, I still like the noise of petrol engines too much! But the i3 is really the perfect car for all my mundane city driving.
Not great at high speeds (especially if there are any cross winds
) but perfect city car.SWoll said:
Not great at high speeds (especially if there are any cross winds
) but perfect city car.Jimrod said:
SWoll said:
Not great at high speeds (especially if there are any cross winds
) but perfect city car.Jimrod said:
SWoll said:
Not great at high speeds (especially if there are any cross winds
) but perfect city car.I agree with the comments regarding the i3 on motorways. Considering how readily it attracts the 'city car' moniker you'd think it would be out of its depth, but it takes it all in its stride no problem, and will happily zip along around 90mph (where laws allow of course!). I was very surprised coming from an F11 5 series at how good it is, as a family we have no issues with its competency or comfort on the motorway for 2 hours before it needs juicing up again. Yes theres some movement when it gets windy but nothing to be alarmed about, although I can imagine the i3S does fair better with the wider track and tyres.
I find my i3s is excellent on the motorway, feels very stable and there is still plenty of pull at 70mph. No problem keeping up with fast motorway traffic, and feels like a mature car not a "city car" as such. I actually find it better than my m240i due to the quiet relaxing cabin. But those higher speeds do take a bit of a toll on the range!
Unfortunately is picked up a puncture after just one week, and the lease provider (it's a company car) is taking 5 days to find and fit a replacement. The downside of an unusual tyre size.
Unfortunately is picked up a puncture after just one week, and the lease provider (it's a company car) is taking 5 days to find and fit a replacement. The downside of an unusual tyre size.
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