4 days with an i3 - first impressions

[FeelingLucky]

Possibly the same chap who earlier was comparing an i3 to a Tesla S.

[chandrew]

oop north said:

I am nearly 20,000 miles into mine now - shame mine isn't the later model as doing the round trip to office (77 miles) is touch and go in winter months. Don't ask me why but I hate using petrol (6 gallons in 19600 miles so far) and would rather drive slowly and get cold than use the Rex. But it does mean that you can get where you want to.

I mostly like it but still enjoy driving the discovery 4 when I need to use more than 4 seats or two or or do a long journey. Having only four seats has been more of a pain than I had expected, the doors are annoying (anyone in back seat can manage to shut front door behind themselves or reach front door to open it) there is a massive blind spot from the front pillars and the range isn't enough for me over a full year. I do like being able to swish to the shops at a fuel cost of about 2p-3p per mile rather than 20p in the disco - doing a 30 mile round trip costing 50p in total to get a couple of bags of coffee from the roasters is palatable in a way that £6 in diesel would not be. I think one of my fave things is you can accelerate flat out and nobody realises by listening - use a petrol car and razz it and it's obvious to everyone - but an electric car is so discreet in comparison.

Oh and the ride is crap on country lanes and the deceleration is sometimes very different from normal (e.g. Over slippery manhole cover, wet bumpy road etc) and that is occasionally scary

This was pretty much identical to my view after 23,000 km. We drove ours mostly on B roads and motorway, so not it's target market. Only thing I'd add is that the tyres wear pretty quickly and the winter one goes off on warm days much more than my experience with other winter tyres.

I got an early BEV and certainly would go for a BEV again - you change your driving a little bit to work around the limits of a short range.

We did compare it against a Model S and took it because it did 80%+ of what we thought we'd use the Model S for but for a fraction of the cost. There is a lot to like about the car and even though it has some annoying aspects (doors, handling on occasion) it has huge personality. Here in Switzerland i3 drivers wave at each other. I'd get another if my circumstances allowed and certainly will have another EV after my experience.

[PixelpeepS3]

So, ordered one on Friday. i3 REX with a few options like pro nav (wider screen) and parking camera and went for the grey and black.

Just to clarify - I am a petrol head - i've never owned anything other than performance petrol cars (205 1.9GT, CIvic type R, astra VXR, Golf R, S3 to name but a few) and we haven't bought the i3 because we think its a better car, we've bought it as a cost saving measure.

We need another car anyway
we are doing a 140 mile round trip commute (Cambridge to Upminster) every day
this journey would cost us around £40 a day in fuel in the S3
i3 costs £2 ish for a full charge which gives 200 miles - i've reduced that to 140 for sake of math
ROI will be 2.5 years if we use it for nothing else other than work, quicker if we use it at the weekends - which we will

I openly admit that the i3 is not perfect, the whole electric car idea is not perfect but it ticks more boxes than most and the figures can't be ignored.

Having just bought a house that needs about £40k throwing at it means the S3 has to go - maybe i'll wait a few years and get a used Porsche for my weekend thrills ?

[anonymous-user]

I got my first EV - Renault Zoe - because it seemed so cheap that it would almost be rude not to give it a chance (when those bonkers 2 year lease deals were around back in Dec 14 or so)

I was quite impressed with it

So much so that I would have happily had another if the same deals were around, without even looking at anything else

However, the price of the Zoe had gone up and the price of the i3 had come down

So I have the i3. It is a pretty good car. Utilitarian, but perfectly adequate against the driving needs of many people

For regular trips that don't require paid for public charging, the economic argument is very strong

And, only a couple of revisions in really, EVs are already pretty reasonable things to drive. As more development happens, they are generally going to get better.

If there isn't yet an EV that makes it onto your radar as a potential member of your fleet (even if your fleet is only 1), then I think there will probably be one sooner rather than later

I don't think ICE cars are finished yet, but the percentage of cars on the road that are EVs is going to increase more quickly in future imo.

[MickF11]

Could anyone offer an opinion of what the i3 is like range wise for predominantly motorway driving? My commute is 57 miles each way, 97% of which is motorway. What would it manage sitting at 70 / 75mph? I wouldn't be able to easily charge at work so would be looking at a rex anyway.

[covmutley]

Based on my research before I ordered (I have a 94 mile round commute) the worst you would get in coldest winter is 85-90 miles and you may just about make it in summer?

So you should probably assume needing to use Rex every day for part of the journey. But I guess that is why it is there, and you would still get some huge fuel savings I assume.

[Olivera]

PixelpeepS3 said:

i3 costs £2 ish for a full charge which gives 200 miles

From what I've been reading a full i3 charge will give maybe 120 miles at best in summer, 100 in winter, so you need to revise your figures.

And £40 to drive 140 miles in an S3? That's 20mpg.

I think you've used quite a bit of EV 'man-maths'.

[PixelpeepS3]

Olivera said:

PixelpeepS3 said:

i3 costs £2 ish for a full charge which gives 200 miles

From what I've been reading a full i3 charge will give maybe 120 miles at best in summer, 100 in winter, so you need to revise your figures.

And £40 to drive 140 miles in an S3? That's 20mpg.

I think you've used quite a bit of EV 'man-maths'.

i get 20-24mpg from my S3 based on 8000 miles of driving so as we always do a worst case scenario (range on the electric as an example i also went for the lower MPG figure)

i3 full charge will give you around 100-120 miles then + 80 with the range extender - i also have a charge point at work so will be able to charge it at both ends so should never dip into the REX (70 miles one way)

When i did my math i made sure i had all the information first because believe me, i'd rather keep the S3 and not have to go electric at all.

[Olivera]

PixelpeepS3 said:

i get 20-24mpg from my S3 based on 8000 miles of driving so as we always do a worst case scenario (range on the electric as an example i also went for the lower MPG figure)

i3 full charge will give you around 100-120 miles then + 80 with the range extender - i also have a charge point at work so will be able to charge it at both ends so should never dip into the REX (70 miles one way)

When i did my math i made sure i had all the information first because believe me, i'd rather keep the S3 and not have to go electric at all.

Fair points.

Out of interest what's the price of your optioned-up i3? And how does that compare to say running a Fiesta ST which you can pick up for say 16 grand brand new over the same distance?

[Goatex]

I went from an M135i to an i3 due to a change of job requiring more travel....just wish I'd made the swap sooner. Whilst the M135i, and I suspect the S3, is superior in terms of performance and handling - 2 factors that are usually high on the priority list for me - I find the i3 a much more endearing car and would not swap back if had the choice.

[anonymous-user]

Anyone notice how peppy their i3 is in this hot weather?

The DC link voltage must be sagging significantly less at high loads due to increased charge carrier mobility in the traction battery, meaning MORE POWER CAPTAIN!! ;-)

[anonymous-user]

MickF11 said:

Could anyone offer an opinion of what the i3 is like range wise for predominantly motorway driving? My commute is 57 miles each way, 97% of which is motorway. What would it manage sitting at 70 / 75mph? I wouldn't be able to easily charge at work so would be looking at a rex anyway.

You would use the Rex engine on more days than you didn't imo

It would be the most annoying (for me) use as due to the small tank size, you would be filling with petrol very frequently

On Friday I did 123 miles in my bev, mostly at motorway speeds. Had 149 showing when I set off, 8 when I got back

In winter, no chance. 90 more likely

[PixelpeepS3]

Olivera said:

PixelpeepS3 said:

i get 20-24mpg from my S3 based on 8000 miles of driving so as we always do a worst case scenario (range on the electric as an example i also went for the lower MPG figure)

i3 full charge will give you around 100-120 miles then + 80 with the range extender - i also have a charge point at work so will be able to charge it at both ends so should never dip into the REX (70 miles one way)

When i did my math i made sure i had all the information first because believe me, i'd rather keep the S3 and not have to go electric at all.

Fair points.

Out of interest what's the price of your optioned-up i3? And how does that compare to say running a Fiesta ST which you can pick up for say 16 grand brand new over the same distance?

i3 came in at just under £33k - i didn't run the numbers against an ST but at a rough look on fuelly they have 2017 fiesta ST's returning around 30mpg average meaning the trip would cost me £27 a day so added to the cost of the car the fuel for the four year term would bring total expenditure to £42,380

[Mits]

Yesterday's 30 degrees made a huge difference to my range. 120m motorway commute, arrived home with 37m remaining, about 1 box, all electric at 65mph. 2017 Rex.

[CooperS]

JPJPJP said:

MickF11 said:

Could anyone offer an opinion of what the i3 is like range wise for predominantly motorway driving? My commute is 57 miles each way, 97% of which is motorway. What would it manage sitting at 70 / 75mph? I wouldn't be able to easily charge at work so would be looking at a rex anyway.

You would use the Rex engine on more days than you didn't imo

It would be the most annoying (for me) use as due to the small tank size, you would be filling with petrol very frequently

On Friday I did 123 miles in my bev, mostly at motorway speeds. Had 149 showing when I set off, 8 when I got back

In winter, no chance. 90 more likely

See I would disagree however I do drive at 60-65mph and not a high user of climate control be that Aircon or loads of heat (use the heated seats instead). However in the deepest winter you'd feel the range anxiety without the reassurance of the REX.

[TXG399]

I've had my i3 Rex since January now and have done nearly 5,000 miles. My previous car was an SLK55, so it's fair to say that it's been a pretty huge change!

So far, I am very pleasantly surprised by how much I like the car. It's so easy to live with - I absolutely love the running costs obviously but I also find it a very peaceful way to commute. The cabin is comfy, spacious, light and of course very quiet. It's a brilliant commuter (my commute is a-road, b-road and motorway).

I've got a few gripes, although nothing major. The a-pillars are thick and does create a blind spot, but I have got used to it now. I wish it had electric seats, I find the BMW manual seat adjustment controls (especially to raise the seat) a right PITA.

I thoroughly enjoy driving it, playing the 'how long can i go without braking' game is a lot of fun! I also like pushing the range as far as possible - the car has completely changed my driving style and my licence is a lot safer as a result! I've been impressed with the range, in my experience the figures quoted by BMW are conservative which was a very pleasant surprise.

I have to say however, I'm very glad that I have a second car (Mk.1 MX-5) as a toy. Every now and then it's good to enjoy some more involved driving.

[daemon]

PixelpeepS3 said:

So, ordered one on Friday. i3 REX with a few options like pro nav (wider screen) and parking camera and went for the grey and black.

Just to clarify - I am a petrol head - i've never owned anything other than performance petrol cars (205 1.9GT, CIvic type R, astra VXR, Golf R, S3 to name but a few) and we haven't bought the i3 because we think its a better car, we've bought it as a cost saving measure.

We need another car anyway
we are doing a 140 mile round trip commute (Cambridge to Upminster) every day
this journey would cost us around £40 a day in fuel in the S3
i3 costs £2 ish for a full charge which gives 200 miles - i've reduced that to 140 for sake of math
ROI will be 2.5 years if we use it for nothing else other than work, quicker if we use it at the weekends - which we will

I openly admit that the i3 is not perfect, the whole electric car idea is not perfect but it ticks more boxes than most and the figures can't be ignored.

Having just bought a house that needs about £40k throwing at it means the S3 has to go - maybe i'll wait a few years and get a used Porsche for my weekend thrills ?

What way do the deals work on them? Is there negotiation on the price? (i see broadspeed.com dont have them listed for example)

[MitchT]

Dave Hedgehog said:

to me it looks like something noddy would drive, i dont understand the logic in this

the tesla s on the other hand looks superb

Seems to be an issue with small eco cars. They all looks like some cutesy, squeaky toy that a besotted new mum would give her baby to play with in the bath. The i8 and the Model S look great, but they're prohibitively expensive. What we need is something affordable that's lower, wider and altogether sportier in stance. Even something akin to a 1 Series M Sport but with the edgier "i" styling would get the job done for those of us who don't want to look like we're driving a cartoon milk float.

[FeelingLucky]

MitchT said:

Dave Hedgehog said:

to me it looks like something noddy would drive, i dont understand the logic in this

the tesla s on the other hand looks superb

Seems to be an issue with small eco cars. They all looks like some cutesy, squeaky toy that a besotted new mum would give her baby to play with in the bath. The i8 and the Model S look great, but they're prohibitively expensive. What we need is something affordable that's lower, wider and altogether sportier in stance. Even something akin to a 1 Series M Sport but with the edgier "i" styling would get the job done for those of us who don't want to look like we're driving a cartoon milk float.

I think you'll find Noddy only ever drove a convertible, and only then with the roof off.

[PixelpeepS3]

daemon said:

PixelpeepS3 said:

So, ordered one on Friday. i3 REX with a few options like pro nav (wider screen) and parking camera and went for the grey and black.

Just to clarify - I am a petrol head - i've never owned anything other than performance petrol cars (205 1.9GT, CIvic type R, astra VXR, Golf R, S3 to name but a few) and we haven't bought the i3 because we think its a better car, we've bought it as a cost saving measure.

We need another car anyway
we are doing a 140 mile round trip commute (Cambridge to Upminster) every day
this journey would cost us around £40 a day in fuel in the S3
i3 costs £2 ish for a full charge which gives 200 miles - i've reduced that to 140 for sake of math
ROI will be 2.5 years if we use it for nothing else other than work, quicker if we use it at the weekends - which we will

I openly admit that the i3 is not perfect, the whole electric car idea is not perfect but it ticks more boxes than most and the figures can't be ignored.

Having just bought a house that needs about £40k throwing at it means the S3 has to go - maybe i'll wait a few years and get a used Porsche for my weekend thrills ?

What way do the deals work on them? Is there negotiation on the price? (i see broadspeed.com dont have them listed for example)

After a fair bit of arguing i got it with extras for around £6k off list - its still not a cheap car but you are paying for the tech (and the badge to an extent i guess) not the luxury or performance (neither is too shabby for a city car i should add..)