Glad I could bring it up and shoot with you. Sadly my voice was shot, but I had a great time! This video also really shows how much I need to do an interior detail!
Jake's Take. That's what this should be called. This dry sardonic style that is Jake is awesome to watch. Nothing seems to impress him. That's the best part. No matter how hype you are, Jake will find it's quirks, features, oddities and dumb design flaws.
Thanks for the video. A few points: the battery is hard to get to because it is a BMW. The battery in my wife's 2012 328 is MUCH harder to get to. Also, the i3 is a serial hybrid and all others are parallel, not the other way around.
I wonder. Recently on WatchJR (I think) was featured an OBD tuner/diagnostic unit wherein you could change programmed in features on the vehicle. Just like being able to get an Italian market choral warning when leaving the lights on while the key is off can you change the US "use only a fraction of the available fuel" setup on this I3?
I’ve wanted one for fun for years, and may be picking up a cheap one for fun soon. I will never get it out of my head when my ex called it an electric goose egg. 🤣🤣🤣
This is such a weird yet cool car. It has a carbon fiber body! Which is uber cool. Those suïcide rear doors can only be opened when the associated front door is also opened. BUT when you are parked close to another car, for instance in a parking garage, you can't walk away from the car because both opened side doors box you in preventing you from doing so. Which is weird! I would own/drive one regardless.
I remember when Randy from auto auction rebuilds had a car just like this. He drove it to the West Coast and back and kept track of the charging stations he went to. It was an interesting ride. I know you, John and Randy are in the same CZcams universe. It'll be nice to see you all in the same video and Hoovie as well..
Nice review! So here's the real question: how heavy is the car? Compared to a Saturn SL2? Very passively searching for an electric/hybrid powertrain for some day in the future...
Over here we are banning the sale of the hybrid versions in 2030 and will only be having battery powered versions so can see that going well without any infrastructure in place as not everyone can have a charging point so hybrid was the answer. Luckily I’ve now got 5 nice cheap petrol motors sitting on the drive in immaculate condition with covers over them so I’ve enough cars to last me now till I’m 6 feet under.
Around 7 mins - the HV isolator - there's a catch on the side which you have to defeat with a small, slim screwdriver blade [etc], when pushing the black and red bits down to reconnect. (On mine anyway!) At 8 minutes, the reservoir nearest the front is drive coolant, and the one behind it is climate control coolant. 10' 20" I think you were a bit dismissive of the rear seats. Just 2, but they are fine for adults. I think the seat backs were set in the upright position, to maximise boot / trunk space - they are much more comfortable when set to the reclined position! The Intelligent Cruise Control is Not So Clever, actually, as it is camera based, and gets fooled by low sun ahead etc. That's a pity. I'm surprised you didn't think the self-parking [parallel parking] feature [at 25 08] not worth mentioning. It's magic! There's a BMW Blog out htere somewhere pointing out that as the wheel diameter is so much larger than many small cars, the contact patch is actually much the same as you would expect. It's such a shame they dropped that colour in 2018 - Protonic Blue. ❤ NIce video, fun to watch, and no doubt I'll be back to watch more of your stories.
NOT HYBRID. By definition, a "Hybrid" used a mixture/blend... "hybrid" drive by both electric motor and gas engine... the i3 is PURE electric drive, but the Rex version has an additional gas powered generator to add charge to the battery... it in NO way adds mechanical drive to the vehicle... it ONLY extends the electric drive range. The "Life Pod" (CFRP) is repairable in 6 different pieces... but only by a specially trained BMW Carbon Fiber repair person... but it does happen.
I like the time traveling videos! Can you just let the car sit with the gas engine running and charge the battery or does it have to be moving for it to run?
Oh, stop whining. I am a 60-year-old, short, fat woman with zero mechanical experience, and I replaced the battery in my '14 i3 with a pair of pliers and a manual screwdriver. The limitation on tires are a pain in the ass, but other than that, I love the little bastard. I have not noticed any limitations with the REX, either; can do highway speeds with no problem. Great visibility, zippy, can turn on a dime, and mine has 12 speakers... oh yeah! And as for the Volt, I tried one, and visibility was awful for me.
The only way to coast is to hold the gas pedal into the position you want to keep your speed or drop it slower than the regenerative brakes do themselves.
One pedal driving is one of the best parts of i3. Yes you can “coast” easy as just by easing off pedal, it becomes so intuitive and smooth you’ll never want to go back. That’s why economy is so much better around town than highway- constantly recharging.
The tires are what killed it for me, you have like 1 or 2 options for tires on the car, none of them all that good, and they are all on giant wheels which sucks for a city car. Loved the visibility from the driver's seat and the overall feel of the car materials. Sort of want to try out a Mini SE (which has a lot of the i3 drivetrain), which takes away a lot of the uniqueness from the i3 but has just enough range for exurban commuter life in a fun to drive package. But used ones of those haven't hit the market yet and won't ever hit the market in all that high volumes.
I had a couple of these in the past Great cars but the suspension is harsh and bouncy at the same time I strongly disagree with you on the back seat. I am six feet tall and can adjust the drivers seat to where I feel comfortable and sit behind my seating position and have plenty of head room and leg room The i3 is a packaging miracle. Small on the outside but as much interior space as a three series. One of the greatest and most misunderstood cars ever made
there are so many errors in this review really you need to do your research, you have a 2017 it does not have a electronically reduced fuel tank and on the rex alone it will cruise nicely at 65 on a level road until it runs out of gas. just for a beginning
I had one of these and it was a great car! However, since it was a compliance vehicle, BMW turned off a great deal of the functionality and you had to "hack" it just to use the gas tank. This pretty much finished me with BMW.
To be fair, BMW and several other manufacturers approached California for this specific setup of rebates and stuff. They are just the only ones that did it as far as I know.
There is really cool tech in an BMW i3 but still I wouldn't want to own one. I think this is where most of the more unusual or in some way more advanced cars fail: People think they are cool but still they are more of an experiment than a car for the masses.
That car looks like one of the china knock off bmw's. After 10 year's, china can make car's that are junk, and make a very cheap copy, and it's hilarious because they are many parts put together, but are just falling apart and breaking down. They make fakes of pretty much anything.
Glad I could bring it up and shoot with you. Sadly my voice was shot, but I had a great time! This video also really shows how much I need to do an interior detail!
Jake's Take. That's what this should be called. This dry sardonic style that is Jake is awesome to watch. Nothing seems to impress him. That's the best part. No matter how hype you are, Jake will find it's quirks, features, oddities and dumb design flaws.
I would watch Jakes take lol guy is one of the best automotive journalists I know lol
"There's alot of gravity packed in there" - That, in a nutshell, is why I watch Jake! : )
Jake! We love the car reviews! I know everyone does them but I love your insight on cars. Please keep doing them
You have to love a "detail segment" that does not require a time lapse.
Actually, I watch more Jake than Hoovie. Good stuff my man!
Like South Main Auto, Car Ninja and a Wish version of Hoovie's Garage all rolled into one.
🤣
I know exactly what you mean, and no stupid Hoovie Dancing!
I almost lost it when you said "That has a lot of gravity packed in there" 🤣🤣🤣
One of my favorite cars on one of my favorite channels.
Here's a question... how did electric eels get their electricity before we started giving them car batteries?
You missed a joke there Jake.."Magic Hands"....that's what she said!! LOL
Thank you so much, Jake. I never knew the minute details about this car and I really enjoyed learning about them.
Not only did the engineers use a clean sheet of paper, it looks like they lost their glasses.
I love your take on a car review, and great to see old mate rocking a mighty car mods t-shirt too 👍
Thanks for the video. A few points: the battery is hard to get to because it is a BMW. The battery in my wife's 2012 328 is MUCH harder to get to. Also, the i3 is a serial hybrid and all others are parallel, not the other way around.
I wonder. Recently on WatchJR (I think) was featured an OBD tuner/diagnostic unit wherein you could change programmed in features on the vehicle. Just like being able to get an Italian market choral warning when leaving the lights on while the key is off can you change the US "use only a fraction of the available fuel" setup on this I3?
I’ve wanted one for fun for years, and may be picking up a cheap one for fun soon.
I will never get it out of my head when my ex called it an electric goose egg. 🤣🤣🤣
The petrol scooter engine is only a generator of electricity it does not drive anything. I have one in the UK and love it!
so technically it’s not really a hybrid car that’s why they call it a range extender
@@chrisnewman7281 It's a serial hybrid as opposed to parallel
Love the Mighty Car Mods T-Shirt.
Excellent video. Hadn't even heard of this car, pretty happening
Great automotive channel. I love it.
This is such a weird yet cool car. It has a carbon fiber body! Which is uber cool.
Those suïcide rear doors can only be opened when the associated front door is also opened. BUT when you are parked close to another car, for instance in a parking garage, you can't walk away from the car because both opened side doors box you in preventing you from doing so. Which is weird!
I would own/drive one regardless.
I remember when Randy from auto auction rebuilds had a car just like this. He drove it to the West Coast and back and kept track of the charging stations he went to. It was an interesting ride. I know you, John and Randy are in the same CZcams universe. It'll be nice to see you all in the same video and Hoovie as well..
Mighty Car Mods t-shirt ftw.
Thanks! I love their channel!
4:28 you are exactly right!!!
Great video, Jake. So interesting!
Like that MCM t-shirt
Just came here from Doug's review of the Lucid Air. THAT car is a life goal.
Maybe Hoovie will get you another free car this year for Christmas
Nice review! So here's the real question: how heavy is the car? Compared to a Saturn SL2? Very passively searching for an electric/hybrid powertrain for some day in the future...
Love the Filming location
I just could never get past the bicycle looking tires! So thin......
Always found these cars interesting. Jake, you didn't show us the trunk!
To be fair, I did have a bunch of stuff in the trunk. We were also super tired!
Any problems with the AC compressor? I wonder how common these are.
looks like a car with a smile face on the ass end
and do t dear get rear ended... ornhe down and no more car
Jake keep up the good work!
4:45 GM: "and I took that personally."
You called it an i8 at 19:20 😄
Is that a tribble on the dashboard ?
Over here we are banning the sale of the hybrid versions in 2030 and will only be having battery powered versions so can see that going well without any infrastructure in place as not everyone can have a charging point so hybrid was the answer.
Luckily I’ve now got 5 nice cheap petrol motors sitting on the drive in immaculate condition with covers over them so I’ve enough cars to last me now till I’m 6 feet under.
Way'da go Erkel. 👨🏻🔧
reminds me of changing my old MINI's battery. gotta remove cowels and not break clips.
That thing looks slot bigger than I thought it was
Around 7 mins - the HV isolator - there's a catch on the side which you have to defeat with a small, slim screwdriver blade [etc], when pushing the black and red bits down to reconnect. (On mine anyway!)
At 8 minutes, the reservoir nearest the front is drive coolant, and the one behind it is climate control coolant.
10' 20" I think you were a bit dismissive of the rear seats. Just 2, but they are fine for adults. I think the seat backs were set in the upright position, to maximise boot / trunk space - they are much more comfortable when set to the reclined position!
The Intelligent Cruise Control is Not So Clever, actually, as it is camera based, and gets fooled by low sun ahead etc. That's a pity.
I'm surprised you didn't think the self-parking [parallel parking] feature [at 25 08] not worth mentioning. It's magic!
There's a BMW Blog out htere somewhere pointing out that as the wheel diameter is so much larger than many small cars, the contact patch is actually much the same as you would expect.
It's such a shame they dropped that colour in 2018 - Protonic Blue. ❤
NIce video, fun to watch, and no doubt I'll be back to watch more of your stories.
Does an electric BMW have a check engine light???
YES, because it has a tiny range extender engine from a lawnmover :P
F's in the chat for RE-71r's RIP
cool car
You can actually run this car anywhere only using the range extender(650cc engine) as long you keep putting gas on it
I like these
NOT HYBRID. By definition, a "Hybrid" used a mixture/blend... "hybrid" drive by both electric motor and gas engine... the i3 is PURE electric drive, but the Rex version has an additional gas powered generator to add charge to the battery... it in NO way adds mechanical drive to the vehicle... it ONLY extends the electric drive range.
The "Life Pod" (CFRP) is repairable in 6 different pieces... but only by a specially trained BMW Carbon Fiber repair person... but it does happen.
Jake you need one of these cars.
Ahhhh, video time space continuum changes always give me a headache
Next you need to drive a 1st gen Kia soul ev epic little car love mine and would be interesting seeing you view on one .
I like the time traveling videos! Can you just let the car sit with the gas engine running and charge the battery or does it have to be moving for it to run?
It shuts off automatically when you stop moving so it doesn’t seem possible
@@100PercentJake Maybe it can be recoded to sit and charge. That would be a game changer on that car. Every stop light would extend your range.
i am in europe in my i3 rex it is fine, get your us i3 rex reprogramed
Is it faster than the Camel that was on the run in Kansas today
Oh, stop whining. I am a 60-year-old, short, fat woman with zero mechanical experience, and I replaced the battery in my '14 i3 with a pair of pliers and a manual screwdriver. The limitation on tires are a pain in the ass, but other than that, I love the little bastard. I have not noticed any limitations with the REX, either; can do highway speeds with no problem. Great visibility, zippy, can turn on a dime, and mine has 12 speakers... oh yeah! And as for the Volt, I tried one, and visibility was awful for me.
6:43. Sounds like someone else was changing a battery (honk honk) in your neighborhood.
Jake your intro makes me laugh every time and no one has a better attitude while fixing cars than you bud youre a comedian with a ratchet lol
Jake you should do a review on the Hyundai Ioniq 1.6 premium self charging Hybrid you would love the economy
I love how those look tbh.
Jake: Does that one-pedal driving mean you can't just coast with no braking?
The only way to coast is to hold the gas pedal into the position you want to keep your speed or drop it slower than the regenerative brakes do themselves.
One pedal driving is one of the best parts of i3. Yes you can “coast” easy as just by easing off pedal, it becomes so intuitive and smooth you’ll never want to go back. That’s why economy is so much better around town than highway- constantly recharging.
No, I would not take my vehicle to you characters for any kind of service!
Hey Elliott!
The tires are what killed it for me, you have like 1 or 2 options for tires on the car, none of them all that good, and they are all on giant wheels which sucks for a city car. Loved the visibility from the driver's seat and the overall feel of the car materials.
Sort of want to try out a Mini SE (which has a lot of the i3 drivetrain), which takes away a lot of the uniqueness from the i3 but has just enough range for exurban commuter life in a fun to drive package. But used ones of those haven't hit the market yet and won't ever hit the market in all that high volumes.
The tires are also a deal breaker for me. I don't expect companies to support that size for very long. I want the carbon fiber tub so badly though!
No radar cruise on the i3. It's camera based, and not very good.
I had a couple of these in the past
Great cars but the suspension is harsh and bouncy at the same time
I strongly disagree with you on the back seat. I am six feet tall and can adjust the drivers seat to where I feel comfortable and sit behind my seating position and have plenty of head room and leg room
The i3 is a packaging miracle. Small on the outside but as much interior space as a three series. One of the greatest and most misunderstood cars ever made
Mighty Car Mods T-Shirt spotted !! HAhahah !st Step Jack Up You Car !
I like this car. Like your review of it. Believe these cars were subject to catching on fire. Would like to own one.
Where did you hear that ?
Please link to source
Monocoque....
I can't stand the distance following cruise control. I would rather swing around the car I'm overtaking then the car slow down.
lol, “zero guilt”. You can get that for free just by not letting people guilt-trip you over imaginary problems in the first place.
Does josh have a CZcams channel? What is it if he does. Thank you.
I do not have one set up yet. But I do have plans to make one!
Leave it to California to screw everything up
The seats and lowered window sill are "for the children" in my opinion...
Ah, the BMW Pig.
You must be reviewing a Swiss spec'd car. Collision-assist? #Dignitas
Àhh, a California car!! 👍
You blokes forgot to do the first step. You had written instructions!
Which step? Disconnecting the high voltage battery? If so, we did it, just forgot to film that part.
Nah mate, First step, jack up your car.
@@petermenz5994 I don’t know how I missed that! Unfortunately we didn’t need to. Next time we will!
there are so many errors in this review really you need to do your research,
you have a 2017 it does not have a electronically reduced fuel tank
and on the rex alone it will cruise nicely at 65 on a level road until it runs out of gas.
just for a beginning
Heheheheh he said Monocoque
I had one of these and it was a great car! However, since it was a compliance vehicle, BMW turned off a great deal of the functionality and you had to "hack" it just to use the gas tank. This pretty much finished me with BMW.
Thanks for saving me cash. One more EV I don't need.
built from the ground up to be an EV and all of the design decisions about the car go towards efficiency particularly weight
Weird auto and this just cements in my mind how much I never want to live in California. Ever. Full stop. Nope!
To be fair, BMW and several other manufacturers approached California for this specific setup of rebates and stuff. They are just the only ones that did it as far as I know.
There is really cool tech in an BMW i3 but still I wouldn't want to own one.
I think this is where most of the more unusual or in some way more advanced cars fail: People think they are cool but still they are more of an experiment than a car for the masses.
First?
Confirmed
🏆
And? Is there a prize?
10 internet points
That car looks like one of the china knock off bmw's. After 10 year's, china can make car's that are junk, and make a very cheap copy, and it's hilarious because they are many parts put together, but are just falling apart and breaking down. They make fakes of pretty much anything.
Stupidest BMW ever built. With all due respect to anyone who ones one. Just silly.
Absolutely ! And I’ve never enjoyed a car as much as my i3. They are hilariously fun