BMW i3s - is this the electric future or a design mistake?
Vložit
- čas přidán 7. 12. 2018
- There's a future that seems full of electric cars and the i3 has been getting it right since the start. The i3s is the sporty version but the overall design feels compromised for those backdoors.
Support this channel / thenextgear
On Paypal www.paypal.me/BobFlavin
Connect with me:
Private Facebook / 265124087460244
/ bobflavin
/ bobflavin
#bobflavin #BMW #Electric
Want to send me things?
Bob Flavin
PM445577
Unit C1, North City Business Park
North Road, Dublin 11
D11 RW30
Ireland - Auta a dopravní prostředky
Just bought an I3, if you don't have kids the rear doors are fine. I've had adults in the back no problem. Great review !
I'm driving an 03 Civic and the gap under the centre is real handy if I have to slide out the passenger side.
I think it helps to think of the car as a 3 door with an aid for rear seat passengers rather than a 5 door.
Electric present with better design than most. It's a 3 door hatchback with additional rear access just like RX8 Coupe. If you want a 5 door get a Golf.
I’m about to order my brand new i3 and I must say that having seen tones of videos on CZcams, I love this review: it’s fair and shows clearly the pros and cons of this car. Thanks for that.
My 10-year old has no problems closing the back door, reclining the seat forward and closing the front door.
and what part of that exercise isn't awkward?
@@BobFlavinVideo would you be happy if it had outdoors like the Starship Enterprise?
This is a great review. We own two i3s’s.
iDrive is pretty much universally accepted as the best infotainment system on the market.
Universally? I don't think so, it's good but it's no where near the best.
@@BobFlavinVideo Which is the best then? Surveys I've seen (which I think tend to be more accurate than a single point of view) place the idrive at the top.
Thanks for the review Bob, I have 2 of these i3's since 2015, best car I have ever had, I agree with most of your comments but the advantages outweigh the disadvantages by a lot, I have now come to grips with charging at home and use a solar system as I live in a sunny country.
Very good Bob, don’t often see the really practical aspects of an electric car reviewed! That stay hold gadget is a good tip - Skoda have similar ones and they are very useful.
Cheers Eric. Stay hold make a range of sizes, I bought a few
Bob Flavin 👍Will definitely be purchasing some. I use them all the time but the plastic Skoda ones only last for so long.
A very fair assessment. I've had an i3 for nearly two years and love the driving experience and cabin interior, but get irritated by the rear doors.
Bob there is such an awesomely affable style to you that lends itself to car reviews so well. It’s a whole lot of positivity mixed with friendly (and accurate) criticism mixed with attention to livability details that so many other reviews miss. Until this one I had no idea the rear windows DONT retract nor did I realize how cramped and non-child seat-friendly the rear was. In this abundant times of car “reviewers” I really feel like there are a handful truly reviewing and you are one of them. You have a huge fan over here in the US, keep it up!
Great Video as always bob! Its funny I really like the Idrive system, I found it very easy to get used to. Granted I haven't used the Idrive in an I3.
I'd get used to iDrive over time, I just find it a hassle to do anything
Probably the best car review channel on youtube, excellent as always
Thank you very much JayP, you are great!
Class review Bob! It's weird how much I've recently seen i3ses this year. They're shockingly expensive, probably on term leases I hope. Regardless, I always loved the i3 carbon fibre construction, and the concepts that came before it as early as 1994.
After seeing a few months ago the Li-Lion pre-production test 100kWh in the i3s, in this small of a car; my eyes are locked on it again.
And totally true with the Irish charging infrastructure. It was left stalling for almost 3 years now. We're apparently getting updates, including a bunch of 150kW and 350kW but that's two years if we're going to see a major difference.
The REx scooter generator is still gruff and after a few years fragile as it has been, it still feels necessary for the super-speeder BMW driver between Dublin and Cork; it's comfortable enough to halven the battery consumption at +130kmh/80mph. As well as being that safety net for the subpar public charging capacity.
The REx has been dropped from the i3 with the new 43kWh pack. Not for any technical reason... they just didn't want to put the REx through WLTP.
A thorough review, we’ve only ever been a passenger in one of these and it was at Donington with a renown BMW designer driving, it handled accelerated well and handled well too, however it did zap the range, to be expected though.
Thanks Bob. Best review I've seen on the i3 so far, and I've seen a lot. I've been thinking of buying a used ev to replace the two ic cars my wife and I currently use and your review was the decider. Many thanks.
Well done Bob.
Yes, if possible, more vids please on Electric vehicles. I believe this is the 'start' of things to come. I heard VW will be 'all electric' by 2025!
WOW, times are changing.
Greetings from 'OZ' (Australia)
I'd be interested in more EV reviews, but I have to comment on something here. The will no longer be producing gas or diesel vehicles in 6 years? Don't believe everything you hear :)
There is CarPlay, but in true BMW fashion it's €300 extra. No Android Auto. The mobile phone size area in the armrest can be configured with a wired or wireless charging dock with antenna coupling. The S is getting the new 43kWh battery as well, those cars went into production 2 weeks ago. You can also spec In-Car WiFi. The front cup holder has a clip that allows you to reposition it around the cabin. There's a hidden 12V socket under the front panel with the vents facing the floor. The boot also has a 12V socket and with the seats folded can fit two 60cm wide appliances like washing machines (with a bit of moving about).
And of course service requirements are minimal, I should be at 200,000km when my 2nd service comes due in January after 4 years of reliable driving.
I agree fully with everything said in this comment I also have a i3 and have actually had a full size tumble dryer with a a 40 L dustbin and 24 bog rolls and still had room for more wish I could upload the picture seeing is believing
I've had an i3 range extender version for over a year now, absolutely love it, best car I've ever driven and I've had a few, range could be better but it's perfect for the 8000 miles I do a year.
Bob, just brought down a nice high mileage BMW i3 from Norn Ireland and am well happy thus far. €13.5k incl. VRT. Loads of options. 2014. Full history and all recalls sorted.. 2nd hand but perfect. Ta for the review!
We love ours. Originally purchased as a second car for my wife. It's now the main car we drive. My diesel SUV barely gets used. For us, that proves its value.
Brilliant review Bob. Really enjoy your videos.
Thanks very much Tony!
It's 2020. Are you over the doors yet?
outstanding review. Today I returned my leased 2018 BEV after 3 highly enjoyable years, and have a custom ordered 2021 i3s BEV being built now in Leipzig. Don't need 200+ miles of range, sub 5 second 0-60, psuedo-offroad capability or seating for 5, but do want a beautifully engineered and styled commuter which no other EV has come close to matching the i3 over it's 8 year lifespan.
The upcoming BMW EVs will surely be "better" in numerous, measureable ways but nothing will likely top the i3 in the way an EV makes you feel. Except maybe the Aptera, if it makes it (have a $100 deposit on one). And hopefully the VW EV microbus.
Thanks for the review thought
Nicely presented,thks.
Touch screens can distract drivers, the i-Drive is easy to get used to and can be used without taking eyes off the road. You missed the fact that those suicide doors provide excellent access when putting a child in a child seat.
Do more EV and PHEV please . Like your vids !
Cheers Patrick! There's a load coming, eGolf, Leaf, Kona, iPace and so on. Loads to watch in 2019
Thx Bob will watch !
As owners of an i3 and retired couple we find the doors very handy except if parked close to another vehicle which can be said of normal ones.This drawback could have been solved with pop out sliding rear doors but there is no way the designers could have made it a normal four door without either making the car longer or the front doors shorter. As we rarely carry passengers the existing half doors prove really convenient in accessing the rear for chucking in coats etc while standing by an open front door.They would also give great access for putting a toddler in a child seat. On one occasion I loaded a lounge chair through the side opening that refused to load through the rear hatch. So no matter how awkward or odd these doors seem in use they are practical.
Totally agree with your enthusiasm for the i3 / i3S. Also with the two main drawbacks; ride quality, and those rear doors. BMW could resolve the ride quality issue by revisiting the suspension set up on the i3, making it more compliant, leaving the i3S to sporty minded customers. As an engineer, I particularly appreciate the radical design - no steel in the structure or bodywork means a light, tough car that will not rust. The plastic body panels also do not dent, they just bounce back unto shape.
Thanks for the review
No problem 👍
Car actually has 3 lighter ports. One under the dash and another in the back.
Brilliant review! Thanks for keeping it frank. Cheers.
My pleasure!
Great again Bob, so easy to watch! To add to the door issues, if you were to open the front and resr door to let the kids squeeze in behind you without you getting out the car, you would need to take your seatbelt off as its mounted to the rear door. So impractical and looks like it would need to be wide open to get a baby seat in, no good in our 15 year old carparks from when cars were 12 inches wide!
Agreed but in that BMW way, the car isn't wrong, it's the carparks that are wrong :D
I see what you did there Bob!
The doors on the i3 are brilliant with small kids. We had an i3 for a year. It is easy to inter the car from one side and get them into their seats and then get in and drive. You can enter from the passenger side easily. (Move second cup holder)
If the fast charger has an ac type2 plug, the new i3 can charge from that at at least 11 kW while the leaf also charge.
Flat front floor is a design feature. It is to allow easy access in and out of either front door when parking in narrow city streets. The i3 was designed as a mega city car predominantly for use in urban and suburban areas. I think BMW have been a little surprised that more people than anticipated are using it as they main car and driving further distances, perhaps because it is such fun to drive - hence new i3s variant. Yes, it is expensive, the design is not to everyone’s likely and it is only a 4 seater but it is a real 21st Century car like no other - short of a supercar. As a confirmed petrolhead I never expected to buy an EV and only took a test drive out of curiosity when my previous MINI was in for a quick service. Now on my second i3 - an i3s which has surprised me as to how much better it drives than my earlier standard car. Overall build and refinement levels absolutely top notch.
Richard Piper so you think the i3s drives and is a lot better than the regular i3?
I've had my stayhold for a few years. Just need an i3S to go wirh it
People who seem to be offended by this car / review, like people who get outraged by the price of the latest iPhone etc: it’s a product made by just another enterprise, no ones making you buy it, if you don’t like that’s grand there’s plenty of other makes and models at a variety of price points to suit your needs. This is one of the few benefits of capitalism! 🙂
I love the “go buy something else” mentality
Bob Flavin horses for courses!
You can't love the design of the i3 but hate the rear doors, because it's an integral part of it's design. It's like saying a MacBook Pro should be made of plastics instead of aluminium. It doesn't make sense.
"charge it at home" doesn't work for most UK residents. Most of us live in places without driveways or garages. A problem is on the horizon where demand for charging points is going to exceed the number of charging points.
Yes the bmw will come with a 120ah battery but whilst it will get you about 165 miles per charge this time round the Rex option is no longer available so mile munchers will be better off on a 96ah with Rex that will allow 200 miles on average, The 60kw leaf is not water cooled, it will be active air cooled (see nv2000 for details) so if you have your doubts about battery life your better off and a 60kw with one from the Korean brands the Hyundai kona ev a great little car but a bit small in the back (plus a tiny boot) and Kia e-Nero (a bit bigger with golf boot size) both will do about 255-270 miles
120 kWatt end REX there are
Hello Bob, great video (as usual) .. I digress a little, I can't seem to find the Sunday service for the 2nd Dec, I didn't see any notification also for it ... ??? ... Any idea ? ..
Sorry James, there was no live Sunday Service in the 2nd. We had a live meet that day in Midway. It will return tomorrow at 2pm as usual.
After living almost 2 years with the i3, I only have 2 real complaints. The shopping bag hooks would be very useful, and the car is way to sporty for the seats, as it is easy to kind of slide off them in the corners. I'd complain about the poor high beams, but they fixed that in the newer versions.
What are shopping bag hooks? Sounds ridiculous but I don’t think American cars have this feature. Do you have an example? Curious to see how it looks.
@@FranklySpeaking73 Hooks in the trunk to secure your shopping bags so they don't fly around when you do the handbrake turns at blistering speed :) This is one such example: czcams.com/video/pGPImL2I2r4/video.html
Been driving for 2 days my i3. Got a great deal. Its a used model 2017 REX . the ride. visibility .space.( larger on the inside than what appears from the outside )quality of finishes .comfort . Can only recommend this unique piece of design and engineering at such an accessible price...
Is it easer to enter 2 doors car into the back seat than i3 ?
It is a great city car. Love it.
Amazing car.
It’s a three door car with extra half-doors as a surplus. No need to whine about narrow rear doors... :-)
Wrong, it's a five door hatchback. Families will be tempted by this car and it's important to point out the shortcomings. Now be a bitch elsewhere.
Have to disagree with the door thing, I have an i3 and it hasn't been a problem whatsoever. If you're climbing into the back seats, then you are clearly a passenger and wouldn't expect to close the front door! Can you shut the front door in a 2 door coupe?
Dropping the Range Extender is a massive mistake.The ability to avoid queues at public chargers has now gone!
True, but I wouldn’t want to depend on the rex on a regular basis because it isn’t the strongest engine and it sort of defeats the purpose of eliminating petrol use.
@@FranklySpeaking73 I did a lot of mileage in my 3 years of ownership and the Rex never missed a beat and I never heard of anyone who had any problems either!
Bob #FascinatingAida have the perfect song for this car! Then you understand why they fitted these doors !
Jokes about tight jeans aside. lol seriously though what are you initial thoughts on the new Skoda Scala? And what of the new Mazda 3? Ta Bob!
Scala is a little odd looking, looks like an updated Rapid. Mazda 3 I'm not sure about, we'll see both in 2019
Did BMW fix the Apple CarPlay touch screen issue? Or is the screen still operated with a knob on the center console? This is a major bug for a $50,000+ car.
BMW is a very young company, they will get the door thing eventually.
Frank Stocker I’m not sure if that’s sarcasm or you don’t know history 😂
As a user with kids aged 3&5 I gotta disagree with your assessment - very easy to live with it and the kids do not mind one bit. They actually love the car and encourage me to drive like a hooligan (at reasonable speeds of course).
Nice review Bob and I love the aerial footage and the DJI Mavic in the boot :-)
Why do YOU have to close the front door? Have you ever sit in a coupe?
I think all the Irish left-wing parties should push for commonsense sales tax brackets like in Norway. Have a higher sales tax for non-plug-in vehicles, and have lower sales tax for plug-in vehicles.
Norway is a bit odd, it made the price of an ICE car so expensive that the EV cars seemed affordable. It's a way to get people into cars but there are other ways that don't make it difficult for the people who can't afford to change. Not every one has 30-40k to splash out on a new car.
@@BobFlavinVideo Well, I think the average annual income in Norway is higher. So, they can afford to pay those higher taxes on non-plug-ins. In Ireland, I think Labour, I4C, Social Dems, Sinn Fein, and the Greens should push for multiple sales tax brackets too, just like in Norway. Perhaps not quite as expensive since it might just discourage rich people from buying sports cars and Land Rovers in the first place, reducing the amount of tax revenue the government gets.
But, something should be done to increase the number of plug-in vehicles in Ireland.
@@BobFlavinVideo Actually EV cars are VAT exempt, which makes them competitive in price even though they are more expensive to make. But Norwegian car taxes are insane anyway. Even though not everyone can spend 30-40k on a new car, it still makes sense because we're now seeing a lot of EV cars available in the used car market, and now they are priced such that even people with lower income can afford them. And because 98 % of power generation in Norway is hydroelectric, it's both very cheap, and renewable :)
Like the new format
Cheers fella
I’ve never used a shopping bag hook 🤔 am I shopping incorrectly 😂. Can’t decide between this and the new ID.3?
Always really liked the I3 but disappointed with the range. In a light colour that interior is just lovely
It's a sprint car, really short fast runs but it can do longer shots but you have to turn everything off and drive like a saint
Range is now double the original i3. The original car's pack was 22kWh and the new one is 43kWh.
Same doors as a Mazda Rx8, no B pillar. Id say its a routine you would just have to get used to opening and closing them doors, A unique feature for a 'Oddly Unique" car one could say.
To compare this to a petrol engine what size would it be punching at 1L or lower?
Think more of a 2ltr for acceleration and cruising with a milk bottle for a fuel tank and you'll be close.
@@BobFlavinVideo so the best of both worlds I always assumed that a EV was the kind of package that was always a double edged sword. you either got very good mileage but brutal performance i.e. the leaf or vice versa the tesla. I dont know much about EV other then what I see by the like of you bob so dumbing it down helps alot, a real world comparison, I have no idea what a kilowat hrs is I know the size of a milk bottle tho.
The space in the front is ideal for a ladies handbag. Most of the i3's that I have seen on the road have been driven by ladies.
Ladies car?
Girl racers?
I like your review but you go on and on about the suicide doors. If there was a real B pillar there you wouldn't be able to get in unless you were a 10yr old. They could have made it a 2dr but which would you rather have? 4drs obviously for all practical purposes...
Sorry mate but the coach doors aren’t that big a deal.
cp361 they are a massive pain in the arse!
I know right!
Why would you get in the back seat and then want to shut the front door? Wouldn’t the driver shut the front door?
Lmao closed the door to a tomb 🤣
I also don't like door design.. Could be difficult in emergency..
It’s such a claustrophobic experience to sit in the back of that car not being able to open the door on your own. For a few years we had them parked all over STOCKHOLM, just to open by an app and drive away, great idea but it’s a bmw 40k+ so it was way to expensive to rent. Now they are gone.
Not disagreeing with your points about the doors.. However basically every dual side-hinged door has the same limitation that one door must close before the other. It’s the same with vans that have hinged doors. And the same with extended cab (“supercab” in Ford’s marketing) pickups (“utes”). BMW could have extended the wheelbase and provided four doors. Or, they could have just provided two doors - like a normal coupé. The back seats in a normal coupé are a pain to get into and out of. I think what BMW chose is better, and people are typically using the wrong frame of reference. Only thing I would have wished for is that the rear doors open through a larger angle. Oh, and maybe that the rear windows were operable.
I’m waiting on the VW ID. Forget everything else. That’s what I saving my pennies for fro now :)
And it's really masculin beautiful too.
I wished somebody would mention the cost of replacement tires - or tyres, if you insist - on these things. It seems to me the I3 is the only vehicle using this oddball size, so it's prob like paying for a one=off production run.
I can sort of see where you're coming from regarding the back door, accept from 7.40 seconds into the clip where you closed yourself into the rear of the car and couldn't close the front door, if you'd shut yourself into the rear of a traditional car, how would you be able to close the front door in that ?
Other than that, great real world review.
In fact, you seemed to prefer it to the Tesla ?
They should of made wing doors like on the Tesla X. I just don’t see any positive reason for opening the front door to be able to open the back door.
It’s like making a wheel square, hello.
Well done Bob, a nice review.
I had one of these, the non sport version with the Rex engine.
It was amazing and incredible but I sold it, why, because of those stupid doors...they are incredibly inconvenient.
Also the range in winter is truly awful...so beware any potential buyers, amazingly quick and refined drive but choppy ride and inconvenience factors.
Agreed on the doors, the REX engine is gone as WLTP has killed it. Now it's a short range weird car.
it's a lovely but there downsides including the horrendous costs of replacement parts
Wow I wish it was introduced in India . And of course I won a lottery
I'm sure there'll be a version of the i3 coming to India at some stage. What's the best selling car right now?
@@BobFlavinVideoMaruti Alto I think... driven that myself in the hills of Himachal Pradesh, good solid little hatchback similar to the hatchbacks of the mid-90s around our neck of the woods. The 9th bestselling car in India, the Renault Kwid (Renault-badged Dacia Sandero) is getting an electric version next year.
@@cros13 There's such a thing as a Renault Kwid? You're Kwidding! :)
So many comments here about the car but can’t see anything that mentions the most important question. What is the average MPG? Isn’t that one of the main reasons to buy an EV.
Think about what you wrote! There is no MPG, I plug my car in at home when it needs a charge, it is programed to be full by 6AM so sometime during the night it starts charging, it take ten seconds to plug in and same unplugging.With solar panels it cost nothing otherwise the cost comparison of a 45 mpg petrol car over a year would be £1,209 where a 40 Kwh electric with a real world range of 168 miles would be £300. Also no road tax or congestion charge, no oil changes, no exhaust systems, no clutches, no gearboxes, just loads of smooth quiet driving pleasure.
I know it's a matter of taste but this car to me just looks atrocious. No matter what I do I can't get past the looks.
You're right, it's a horrible hodge-podge of a yoke!
Take it you all love the Nissan Juke. With mainly two using those back doors are brilliant. No need to go to the back of the door, just open and put baggage in. Some swivel hooks like the ones for coats by the rear passenger roof grab rails would be a nice touch, in the boot side wall.
Does anybody have an English translation?
BMW should have put a button on the inside of the rear door which slowly closes the front doors. Tesla made doors that flap up and down while playing Mariah Carey or Jingle bells.
For me, 25kwh/100km (roughly 2.5 miles per kilowatt/hour in other terms) is pretty appalling unless Bob's been on a track day or two. Other electric cars are coming out with up to double that and that's what reviewers are seeing in cars like the Kona, e-Niro, Leaf, etc. Yes, the BMW is a performance car, but for most of us, range is still the key issue. As for home charging, Bob, your free public electricity won't last forever. Here in the UK, it's usually cheaper to charge at home, so we do if we can. Then the chargers are more likely to be available. Free public charging is a topic that's worth a show in its own right.
Free charging is ending in Ireland next year but it's still unclear how much we'll have to pay for on-street charging and it's this doubt that's making the market move slowly. This i3s is a bit of an odd one, a performance EV is not really what we need now.
Far better than that unless you drive autobahn speeds between rapid ccs points. Teslas and Korean crossover EV SUVs often worse. If you want efficiency at higher speeds go for Ioniq
@@BobFlavinVideo I think the EV market in most of Europe will split three ways: premium/performance cars like the i3s, i-Pace, Teslas, etc; long-range family cars like the Leaf and Ioniq (a Skoda Octavia estate EV would be popular with a lot of people); cheap, short-range EVs like the Smart ED for people who want a second car or who never drive further than the local school or shops. So long as people can charge cheaply overnight at home, short range cars will do fine for many people. It's the second sector where we'll see variety in the longterm.
In my country, Norway, for around 10 years of so... new houses built, has huge insulation inside the walls, roof, floor, etc... in order to use as little electric power as possible, because the goverment have said for a long time now, that we cant keep using more and more electric power, for heating etc.. even the vacum cleaners is limited to around 700 watt now!!! and then, all (around 130 -140000 registered cars here)the electric cars came 🙈😂😂, and the same goverment is soo happy about it, and it couldnt be better.... But, the power companies here have to install bigger and bigger tranformators, in order to keep up with the new demand.... which makes it more and more expensive for each and everyone,🙈🙈 I have not an electric car by the way.
Cool video, I'm really starting to like the i3. BTW. That's not tailgating, in South Africa we could get three more cars in that gap!! Ok, we don't need licenses either :D
haha I like it!
Plastic shopping bags should already be a thing of the past for everyone! I use long lasting bags that need no hooks but stay upright by themselves.
You couldn’t get more wrong, they are essential for everyday use and cost the car company nothing to instal.
Bob Flavin Don’t tell me folks that you are really still using plastic bags?
the problem with this car is not the look, but the low range and high price...
Not sure about the need for 20" alloys, an electric car would suit my particular need for a car but if I did decide to go on a long journey I would have to have a planning system along the lines of the military!
Yes it does require planning but you soon get used to it
@@BobFlavinVideo Like you said bob the infrastructure needs to improve before there will be a bigger uptake with electric cars, 40 minutes for a fast charge and no guarantee of an empty charging bay, I work in the new build housing industry and on one particular job a customer asked for a 3-phase supply to his garage for fast charging his tesla! maybe this is something that planners have to think about for the future, the customers answer was no by the way.
@@nudgenudgewinkwink3212 The least that can be done is putting in a duct to allow fitting a chargepoint later. That's in the building regs in the UK for 10 years. I bought a new build this year and myself and several of my neighbors had to run cable externally and start drilling holes in walls on day one for our respective EVs.
@@cros13 The problem is that most houses only have a single phase supply so fast charging is out of the question at the moment but they could offer a charging point as an extra.
@@nudgenudgewinkwink3212 Sure, but three-phase home charging is unnecessary, most of the cars only have single phase onboard chargers and all can use single phase, existing DC chargers would require 25kW (standard household supply is just under 12kW), and a standard 7.4kW/32A chargepoint will give the equivalent of 500-600km of driving in an overnight charge. So unless both cars in the house are doing commutes further than Dublin to Cork return every day a 16-24kVa supply and two 32A chargepoints will suffice. Generally people asking for such things as home 3-phase charging either have a very peculiar use case or don't understand their own vehicle/driving habits.
Unfortunately those big wheels and the S badge make this i3 model the least efficient of the models. The benefits of the carbon fiber body are cancelled. Like many badges, the S for this Car, presumable “sport,” is for marketing. Thanks
I failed to get to the end of this, partly due to the irritating added noise, but mainly by the very long drawn out attention to trivia like shopping bag hooks and cup holders rather than getting to the important issues like cost , performance, equipment levels and range. Almost two years ago I had this car short listed against the Hyundai Ioniq EV and decided on the Ioniq because it had more range, was better equipped as standard and was significantly cheaper, particularly when taking into account the usual BMW practice of very overpriced extras to bring the i3 spec close to the Ioniq. The range on the i3 is compromised by going for unnecessarily higher performance. By comparison the Ioniq is plenty fast enough for UK roads and has proved to be one of the most efficient EVs currently available. To answer your question "is this a design mistake", I would say YES. For it's size and battery capacity, the range is poor and for most people that I have talked to about Evs, the first question is generally about range. Add to that the overpricing and "extras" nonsense then I cannot see the i3 as the future. There are far better candidates out there now and expected in the near future.
Hi, like you I had these two cars listed against each other almost two years ago, and found it very difficult to choose. They both drive very well, have similarly sized loading capacity, maybe a bit more in the ioniq, similar range, about the same specs when topped out, but with a price difference of 50k NOK (roughy 4600 GBP). The ioniq has vented seats, but the i3 had a better instrument panel (in my opinion). I chose the i3 because of how nice the interior was, the carbon fibre body, the environmentally friendly way it's built, and the open space in front. And the money wasn't an issue. I don't have kids, so the rear doors rarely/never bother me. And living in Norway where the roads are salted heavily all winter, it really is a good thing having a car made from carbon fibre reinforced plastic. I can completely understand choosing the ioniq as it is a really good car, probably the best value for money there is right now, but I don't regret my choice. Actually I love my i3 more and more every day. Best car I've ever driven. I'm not saying the i3 is for everyone, but I sure hope future cars are built the same way.
@@BjrnRuthberg Thankyou for your thoughts on this. I can see your reasons for selecting the i3, eg salted roads, and respect your personal preference on things like instrument panels and interior design. There needs to be different designs to suit different tastes. As to range, I think I calculated that the i3 would not be able to match the Ioniq on efficiency and I have been pleased with the average of 5.4miles/KWH (8.7km/KWH) that I have achieved. As to the "Best car ever driven", I have heard myself say this on a number of occasions about the Ioniq and now about the Kona. For me, this is more about the move to electric traction from ever more clumsy inefficient mechanical transmission than the particular model of electric car. I am so glad to be rid of the dangerous hesitancy in setting off or overtaking that is a common deficiency in dual clutch transmissions.
I would still have personal reservations about any car being the future where the manufacturer indulges in the overpriced and often confusing battlefield that is optional extras. My Kona is my fifth Hyundai and I much prefer the way that they do business.
Recently I went form a C5 3L V6 to a 1007 1.6.
At first I thought it would be a huge compromize, yet it turned out slightly different.
The C5 was a cruiser no doubt but it was kinda big and parking could be an issue due to poor visability.
With the little 1007 it is an absolute gas to park, it is small and the sliding doors make it even easier to park and get in and out.
It is a 2008 and in mint condition so it has to last a few years.
Always liked cars and watch videos like these all the time so this is when the i3 REX got my attention.
Bit expensive and do not ever to plan buying a new car. Now the i3 is on the market for some years and prices have dropped under €20K I might be in the market for the i3 as my next car.
Usually do some short commutes and occasional city trip or vacation (this where I need the REX).
I agree this is the best concept of all RVs out there, Tesla is nice but too expensive (had a short ride in a Model S100D, unbelievable!!!).
Mike the i3 is perfect in tight places, very short front, tight turn circle, tall easy to get in and out of, plastic panels like a Smart and plenty of carrying space. Bought my Rex model preused but very low miles and extremely pleased. My third electric and most efficient, really like the coast mode,in the hill area we live, coasted for two miles recently using no energy.
Speaking of doors....those front ones rattle when they shut dont they? I have a 1 year old A6...nice n solid and a 3 year old Dacia Duster - so far 100% reliable by the way, no rattles or squeaks, a very pleasant surprise after 70, 000 km - and even the Duster doors sound better than this i3. So it's a door thing with this BMW :-)
Don't know where you got the idea they rattle mine don't! The front door is large and the window being frameless drops down an inch when the door is opened so this may be what you heard if the door is slammed hard. Its unnecessary and crude to do this as the latch mechanism allows the door to be secured with the lightest touch a bit like MkII jags of yore or the Genesis.
great video bob...i would be the target market for an electric car but until the prices come down significantly and the range is extended and the charging is like pulling into a petrol station i will pass. This yoke is about 34k sterling.....how long would it take you to make up the cost difference between the petrol and the electric..like me recycle your rubbish and buy a 270 BHP 308 GTI
I've saved over €20k in fuel and maintenance in 4 years with my i3. And it's more fun to drive day-to-day than my old E60 M3.
Buy second hand
I actually bought one and then gave it back when I realised what a pain in the.... Those doors were. It was also a bit brutal on acceleration, had to keep it in comfort to smooth it out.
Thanks for practical review as ever Bob. Interesting car; although a BMW fan I still don't fancy the looks. Expensive too!
Here's my big issue though: 20" wheels are a disaster imo. Why are they needed on such a mundane, non sporty car? Ruins the ride at best, and makes the car very vulnerable to road damage. I drive a lot at night and have been through 5 tyres on my 1 series in the last 2 years plus needed to have 18" alloys fixed due to potholes. Frankly, I'm just fed up of paying out ££. I can't switch the alloys due to insurance as they are standard fit, and (after 22 years of driving them) I'm thinking of moving away from the fine driving BMWs I love to a base model car with 16" or less wheels.
Why are we forced to take form over function? We're paying more for a worse car as a result when it comes to alloys. Great for the manufacturer, a real disaster for the owner. I feel the same way about keyless and security, which is also a big issue on motorbikes...
And those oversized 20" tyres are only 135mm on the front making it even rougher. Some bicycles probably have wider tyres!
Bob had one of these for 2 weeks. Hated it they are want. Stay with petrol or diesel
any car you don't like?
Don't forget the vw neo coming out in the end of 2019
Who could forget that Conor?
I have an i3 (also in Ireland). Can't really seriously say the boot is big. The car is fun once my wife isn't onboard. She gives out yards if I drive it con brio. LoL
Free charging in Ireland is coming to an end and is unusual in other countries
I wanted to buy one of these but I just could not get over how fugly it is.
I think the best way to combat tailgating is to drive slower, wait for them to start overtaking and then floor the throttle. That or let them overtake and tailgate them back.