So who's getting an i3?
Discussion
SOL111 said:
mattcov said:
I got one of the last I3S 94 REX. I wouldn't have gone for the 120. With the REX you can go anywhere without thinking about it.
Same here. I initially wanted the 120 but am glad I opted for the Rex. I rarely use it but for those long journeys, it's a godsend.mattcov said:
SOL111 said:
mattcov said:
I got one of the last I3S 94 REX. I wouldn't have gone for the 120. With the REX you can go anywhere without thinking about it.
Same here. I initially wanted the 120 but am glad I opted for the Rex. I rarely use it but for those long journeys, it's a godsend.LimaDelta said:
The lack of a REX made it more appealing for me. Much simpler not to have to bother with any ICE stuff and embrace the BEV concept.
To be honest I'd be happier for less mass, better handling (slightly) and simpler vehicle (I agree with you in essence) but it was a business purchase and so helps with random trips to visit clients etc.It's also been a great introduction for my wife as she's sold but has enabled her to gain confidence traveling long distances alone.
She's now talking about getting a longer range EV so was a good move overall, despite the halfway house approach.
LimaDelta said:
mattcov said:
SOL111 said:
mattcov said:
I got one of the last I3S 94 REX. I wouldn't have gone for the 120. With the REX you can go anywhere without thinking about it.
Same here. I initially wanted the 120 but am glad I opted for the Rex. I rarely use it but for those long journeys, it's a godsend.
queuing for it and then another Leaf after them. Despite over the past couple of years there being a load more rapids installed, a load of the original rapids simply have deteriorated or broke. You've suddenly got Ipace, M3 et all coming out with more competition for charging points. The bigger batteries to a degree kicks the can down the road and if you start looking for chargers with a low SOC, you end up in the same scenario.So still deciding on spec to choose for company car and now thinking about the S model. I really liked the i3 I had for 4 days, only slight concern was the slightly skittish handling and front end grip in corners when it hit a pot hole or bump for example. Is the S noticeably better in that regard for those who have had both? How do you find the ride quality in comparison? My standard i3 demo had 20" wheels but presume the S will be slightly firmer too?
JackReacher said:
So still deciding on spec to choose for company car and now thinking about the S model. I really liked the i3 I had for 4 days, only slight concern was the slightly skittish handling and front end grip in corners when it hit a pot hole or bump for example. Is the S noticeably better in that regard for those who have had both? How do you find the ride quality in comparison? My standard i3 demo had 20" wheels but presume the S will be slightly firmer too?
I did a back to back comparison with a BEV i3 (for 4 days) and a Rex i3s (for 2 days)I loved the i3 but agree about the handling. It's excellent, given the apparent width of the tyres but think the over tyring (sp?) of modern cars makes it feel worse than it really is. I personally found it slightly unstable but is likely due to my commute, where the roads aren't great.
Max Torque mentioned above that he didn't find the cost worth it and his opinion is as good as anyone's here. For me, it was but the cost was mitigated as a business purchase. The ride is firmer but the trade off is more stability and less skittishness. It's also better on the motorway and the sport mode is also a useful addition. It's slightly quicker too.
I'm still amazed at the front end grip, which is better but ridges and surface imperfections still catch the car out.
I don't regret buying the 's' at all but you've really got to spend some time in one to decide for yourself. You can easily go over £40k with some options do for many, a regular i3 with more toys will be the better buy.
Hope this helps.
Edited by SOL111 on Wednesday 7th August 22:11
SOL111 said:
JackReacher said:
So still deciding on spec to choose for company car and now thinking about the S model. I really liked the i3 I had for 4 days, only slight concern was the slightly skittish handling and front end grip in corners when it hit a pot hole or bump for example. Is the S noticeably better in that regard for those who have had both? How do you find the ride quality in comparison? My standard i3 demo had 20" wheels but presume the S will be slightly firmer too?
I did a back to back comparison with a BEV i3 (for 4 days) and a Rex i3s (for 2 days)I loved the i3 but agree about the handling. It's excellent, given the apparent width of the tyres but think the over tyring (sp?) of modern cars makes it feel worse than it really is. I personally found it slightly unstable but is likely due to my commute, where the roads aren't great.
Max Torque mentioned above that he didn't find the cost worth it and his opinion is as good as anyone's here. For me, it was but the cost was mitigated as a business purchase. The ride is firmer but the trade off is more stability and less skittishness. It's also better on the motorway and the sport mode is also a useful addition. It's slightly quicker too.
I'm still amazed at the front end grip, which is better but ridges and surface imperfections still catch the car out.
I don't regret buying the 's' at all but you've really got to spend some time in one to decide for yourself. You can easily go over £40k with some options do for many, a regular i3 with more toys will be the better buy.
Hope this helps.
Edited by SOL111 on Wednesday 7th August 22:11
SOL111 said:
I'm still amazed at the front end grip, which is better but ridges and surface imperfections still catch the car out.
I don't regret buying the 's' at all but you've really got to spend some time in one to decide for yourself. You can easily go over £40k with some options do for many, a regular i3 with more toys will be the better buy.
Hope this helps.
Thanks, interesting to hear that the skittishness is still there on road imperfections, even if it is slightly better. My experience was in warm dry conditions, so the concern is that it can only get worse in cooler or wet conditions. Good point on the £40k, but I think I'll keep the spec low on either option so should be ok. Imperial blue paint, wood trim and think that will be enough.I don't regret buying the 's' at all but you've really got to spend some time in one to decide for yourself. You can easily go over £40k with some options do for many, a regular i3 with more toys will be the better buy.
Hope this helps.
Edited by SOL111 on Wednesday 7th August 22:11
LimaDelta said:
my 2p - We didn't even consider the S. Mainly because (a) I generally have a preference for small wheel sizes, (since when has 19" been considered small!), (b) I was buying for the school run, so a 0.4 sec difference between the 0-60 didn't hold much appeal, and (c) we live rurally and I didn't want a reduction in ride height, especially when combined with big wheels.
Thanks for your feedback, I found the performance of the standard i3 perfectly fine for my purpose (currently have an m240i), so it's not really the extra performance of the S that interests me (although nice to have), it's more about the handling benefits.I also have a general preference for smaller wheels, and it's a shame there isn't a 19" option on the S!
It will be mostly motorway use, 400 miles a week, so in theory the firmer ride shouldn't be a problem as they are relatively smooth roads, but the extra stability might be useful at these higher speeds.
Surprised by the amount of people buying i3's who do a lot of long journeys or spend a lot of time on the motorway.
We've had out 120 for 4 months now and whilst it is a cracking town car I wouldn't say it is well suited to those uses at all, and at £35-40k I would have thought a Model 3 SR+ would be a far better choice? I personally couldn't bring myself to hand over that kind of money for an i3 despite being very fond of it.
We've had out 120 for 4 months now and whilst it is a cracking town car I wouldn't say it is well suited to those uses at all, and at £35-40k I would have thought a Model 3 SR+ would be a far better choice? I personally couldn't bring myself to hand over that kind of money for an i3 despite being very fond of it.
Just to add. If it's mainly motorway driving then definitely go for the 's' as it's better for that sort of driving. It's more stable and will climb to 70 with less fuss as it's less affected by cross winds etc.
Regarding the skittishness, I'm talking about really broken surfaces but in the most part it's fine.
Personally I think you'd enjoy the 's'. I came from an M140i so similar to your M240i. The handling was a priority for me and it's not disappointed (in context obviously). In many ways it actually feels faster and more usable as the limits are more readily available.
It'll be interesting to hear how you get on with it. I really miss the 6 cylinder engine but not the car in general. Nice for you to have both though!
Regarding the skittishness, I'm talking about really broken surfaces but in the most part it's fine.
Personally I think you'd enjoy the 's'. I came from an M140i so similar to your M240i. The handling was a priority for me and it's not disappointed (in context obviously). In many ways it actually feels faster and more usable as the limits are more readily available.
It'll be interesting to hear how you get on with it. I really miss the 6 cylinder engine but not the car in general. Nice for you to have both though!
SWoll said:
Surprised by the amount of people buying i3's who do a lot of long journeys or spend a lot of time on the motorway.
We've had out 120 for 4 months now and whilst it is a cracking town car I wouldn't say it is well suited to those uses at all, and at £35-40k I would have thought a Model 3 SR+ would be a far better choice? I personally couldn't bring myself to hand over that kind of money for an i3 despite being very fond of it.
For me, the Tesla 3 would cost an extra £150 net a month on my company car scheme, so wouldn't financially make sense. Plus I have a bit of a dislike for Tesla and their owner (probably unfounded). You are probably right that it would make a better motorway car, but having tried the i3 on my commute it was perfectly acceptable.We've had out 120 for 4 months now and whilst it is a cracking town car I wouldn't say it is well suited to those uses at all, and at £35-40k I would have thought a Model 3 SR+ would be a far better choice? I personally couldn't bring myself to hand over that kind of money for an i3 despite being very fond of it.
SOL111 said:
Just to add. If it's mainly motorway driving then definitely go for the 's' as it's better for that sort of driving. It's more stable and will climb to 70 with less fuss as it's less affected by cross winds etc.
Regarding the skittishness, I'm talking about really broken surfaces but in the most part it's fine.
Personally I think you'd enjoy the 's'. I came from an M140i so similar to your M240i. The handling was a priority for me and it's not disappointed (in context obviously). In many ways it actually feels faster and more usable as the limits are more readily available.
It'll be interesting to hear how you get on with it. I really miss the 6 cylinder engine but not the car in general. Nice for you to have both though!
Thanks, good to hear that the S may be better bet for mostly motorway. I'll be keeping the m240i as a second car for longer trips for now. The engine is great but the rest does let it down. At some point, I will hopefully put some of the savings generated by the i3 into something more interesting for the weekend Regarding the skittishness, I'm talking about really broken surfaces but in the most part it's fine.
Personally I think you'd enjoy the 's'. I came from an M140i so similar to your M240i. The handling was a priority for me and it's not disappointed (in context obviously). In many ways it actually feels faster and more usable as the limits are more readily available.
It'll be interesting to hear how you get on with it. I really miss the 6 cylinder engine but not the car in general. Nice for you to have both though!
Another M140i to I3s convert here. I'm surprised to see that so many other people have made the same move. Thought I'd have to hand my Pistonheads card in!
It's my wifes car and I've not yet driven the I3s much, but I think it's going to fit into the family duties just fine. The only thing I'll miss about the M140i is the noise and pull from the staright six. I even think the I3s is better looking. I guess it's all relative though, the old 1'er wasn't a looker!
It's my wifes car and I've not yet driven the I3s much, but I think it's going to fit into the family duties just fine. The only thing I'll miss about the M140i is the noise and pull from the staright six. I even think the I3s is better looking. I guess it's all relative though, the old 1'er wasn't a looker!
Yes, that engine! Best thing about it IMO.
Such a shame with the suspension but you can't have it all. I find the damping much more to my tastes in the i3 and no more floatiness.
The i3 is a great family car, albeit with a small boot. It'll serve you well, once you've mastered the rear doors
Such a shame with the suspension but you can't have it all. I find the damping much more to my tastes in the i3 and no more floatiness.
The i3 is a great family car, albeit with a small boot. It'll serve you well, once you've mastered the rear doors
JackReacher said:
So still deciding on spec to choose for company car and now thinking about the S model. I really liked the i3 I had for 4 days, only slight concern was the slightly skittish handling and front end grip in corners when it hit a pot hole or bump for example. Is the S noticeably better in that regard for those who have had both? How do you find the ride quality in comparison? My standard i3 demo had 20" wheels but presume the S will be slightly firmer too?
I had an i3 BEV for two years / 12,000 miles and got one of the first 120kwh i3s's back in December.
You're right, the standard car was great but it was skittish in its handling and being a 65 plate it's electronics weren't as sophisticated so you'd get un-nerving delay in the regen on slippy surfaces and things like that.
The 68plate i3s I now have is far more stable on motorways and at speed and its lots a lot of its nervousness around corners - probably a result of the wider track, lower suspension and wider tyres. Ride is still firm on 20" wheels but really not noticeably different from ride quality on the 19" I had on the previous one. I noticed the steering was a fair bit heavier/stiffer initially, probably because of the wider tyres but I've quickly got used to it and don't notice at all now.
The electronics are much quicker on the new one and all traces slow witted traction control on regen have disappeared.
My original i3 was a 60kwh first gen model where the range barely ever showed 100mile. New one I've seen nearly 200 and never less that 160 miles when fully charged. For the distances and driving I do (based in central scotland so most large towns and cities are within 40-50 miles in any direction) the minimal range issue I had occasionally on my first one has also gone totally.
I've another car so long treks to far off places on occasion are not an issue but the reality is the other car can sit on the drive for weeks and months without moving as the i3s has an adequate range for me and here in Scotland there's plenty of charging points available wherever you go.
Interesting reading everyone's experiences and reasons for their car choice.
A couple of pages back I said I was thinking of moving from my 2016 i3 Rex 60Ah to a 2019 i3S.
My concern was with regard losing the Rex.
Well, I've made my decision and will be picking the i3S up on Friday.
The range will easily deal with my 100 mile daily commute although I have been known to forget to plug in when I get home in the evening, which is where the Rex was a great back up.
I have a couple of other cars as back up anyway so not a big concern.
Its good news to read the comments about improved handling and improved software.
I've enjoyed the characterful handling of my current i3 but straight away noticed differences with the I3S during my test drive.
A couple of pages back I said I was thinking of moving from my 2016 i3 Rex 60Ah to a 2019 i3S.
My concern was with regard losing the Rex.
Well, I've made my decision and will be picking the i3S up on Friday.
The range will easily deal with my 100 mile daily commute although I have been known to forget to plug in when I get home in the evening, which is where the Rex was a great back up.
I have a couple of other cars as back up anyway so not a big concern.
Its good news to read the comments about improved handling and improved software.
I've enjoyed the characterful handling of my current i3 but straight away noticed differences with the I3S during my test drive.
biggles330d said:
I had an i3 BEV for two years / 12,000 miles and got one of the first 120kwh i3s's back in December.
You're right, the standard car was great but it was skittish in its handling and being a 65 plate it's electronics weren't as sophisticated so you'd get un-nerving delay in the regen on slippy surfaces and things like that.
The 68plate i3s I now have is far more stable on motorways and at speed and its lots a lot of its nervousness around corners - probably a result of the wider track, lower suspension and wider tyres. Ride is still firm on 20" wheels but really not noticeably different from ride quality on the 19" I had on the previous one. I noticed the steering was a fair bit heavier/stiffer initially, probably because of the wider tyres but I've quickly got used to it and don't notice at all now.
The electronics are much quicker on the new one and all traces slow witted traction control on regen have disappeared.
My original i3 was a 60kwh first gen model where the range barely ever showed 100mile. New one I've seen nearly 200 and never less that 160 miles when fully charged. For the distances and driving I do (based in central scotland so most large towns and cities are within 40-50 miles in any direction) the minimal range issue I had occasionally on my first one has also gone totally.
I've another car so long treks to far off places on occasion are not an issue but the reality is the other car can sit on the drive for weeks and months without moving as the i3s has an adequate range for me and here in Scotland there's plenty of charging points available wherever you go.
Couple of other questions for owners regarding spec.
What is the standard audio like? My demo car had HK and didn't find it that impressive. The advanced audio in my 2 series is better.
Can anyone confirm whether the sunroof loses the carbon roof? I've read mixed things. Nice to have the extra light but quite a bit more weight with glass and loss of carbon roof potentially.
my neighbour has a new i3 120 Ah demonstrator for a couple of days
as he has no charger, it is on mine at the moment: when I plugged it in, it estimated the range when full would be 177 miles
for comparison, my 94Ah variant showed 143 when I moved it off the charger to plug the newer one in
I expect the new one would show more range if it had been driven more conservatively recently - demonstrators get a bit more loud pedal than mine I expect
as he has no charger, it is on mine at the moment: when I plugged it in, it estimated the range when full would be 177 miles
for comparison, my 94Ah variant showed 143 when I moved it off the charger to plug the newer one in
I expect the new one would show more range if it had been driven more conservatively recently - demonstrators get a bit more loud pedal than mine I expect
JackReacher said:
Thanks, I think that's made up my mind, i3s it will be.
Couple of other questions for owners regarding spec.
What is the standard audio like? My demo car had HK and didn't find it that impressive. The advanced audio in my 2 series is better.
Can anyone confirm whether the sunroof loses the carbon roof? I've read mixed things. Nice to have the extra light but quite a bit more weight with glass and loss of carbon roof potentially.
Can't really help with the hifi, if you don't rate the HK system I can't see you being happy with the basic one. Couple of other questions for owners regarding spec.
What is the standard audio like? My demo car had HK and didn't find it that impressive. The advanced audio in my 2 series is better.
Can anyone confirm whether the sunroof loses the carbon roof? I've read mixed things. Nice to have the extra light but quite a bit more weight with glass and loss of carbon roof potentially.
As for the sunroof... taken from bmw website "When specifying this option, the roof panel at the rear is changed from Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) to Aluminium painted Black. The front remains the same in glass."
And unless you're thinking of leasing check out the nearly new market, i3s 120 with low miles are now under 28k from BMW like this one
https://tesla-info.com/BMW/detail.php?ref=2f7d5d07...
You can also still get virtually delivery mile i3s 94Rex for 28k too.
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