BMW i3s

[Deleted User 1874]

Something else I forgot to mention, it drives really well in the snow! BMW fitted a superb traction-control module to the i3 which cuts in so quick, slippage is very minimal. I guess it's easier and quicker to mute the electric power than rely on the brakes to do the work on a petrol/diesel vehicle. Other rear-wheel drive BMW's I've had have been absolutely useless in the snow.

That's right. Far more finesse available in traction control with an electric motor. Even better with AWD and completely independent motors on each axle. It's a big inherent advantage for EVs over ICE

[Connoisseur]

Is CarPlay wireless in the i3 ? Or is this via one of those adapters/dongles ?

Car Play wireless as fitted no aftermarket add on needed; if buying pre-owned check first as not all cars came with the ‘enhanced Bluetooth’ required.

hth

[oldpilot]

We bought a 3 year old i3-REX last January to add to our Macan S as a local runabout. I don't "do" finance and it cost just under £20k with 16,000 miles on the clock.
To say that we are pleased with it would be an understatement. It performs brilliantly and the added advantage of our own rapid charger connected to a solar array adds to the attraction.
I insisted on an REX model (now no longer made), because whatever anyone else says, range anxiety is an issue for us.
With the little tank full (less than 10l) and the battery topped up, range is over 200 miles and if you need to, you can carry on ad-infinitum by topping up the tank every hundred miles.
I shall hunt around for another to replace this one with a view to getting one of the last REX models manufactured - I believe there are a few 2019 examples around.
Mine has rather skinny 20" tyres and I have to say the ride is somewhat firm. My dealer says that the i3X is a lot firmer, so definitely not for this 75 year old backside!

[Deleted User 1874]

We bought a 3 year old i3-REX last January to add to our Macan S as a local runabout. I don't "do" finance and it cost just under £20k with 16,000 miles on the clock.
To say that we are pleased with it would be an understatement. It performs brilliantly and the added advantage of our own rapid charger connected to a solar array adds to the attraction.
I insisted on an REX model (now no longer made), because whatever anyone else says, range anxiety is an issue for us.
With the little tank full (less than 10l) and the battery topped up, range is over 200 miles and if you need to, you can carry on ad-infinitum by topping up the tank every hundred miles.
I shall hunt around for another to replace this one with a view to getting one of the last REX models manufactured - I believe there are a few 2019 examples around.
Mine has rather skinny 20" tyres and I have to say the ride is somewhat firm. My dealer says that the i3X is a lot firmer, so definitely not for this 75 year old backside!

While I can fully understand why you would choose an i3-REX, it is a really poor engineering solution to the real issue of not having an adequate battery and/or public charging network. I would be disappointed with anything less than a true real world 300 mile full electric range these days.

[MCDK]

If someone has overnight charging facilities then a 300 mile range really isn’t needed unless you do a lot of miles every day. Not that I would be wanting to charge every night but if it has enough range for 2 or 3 days normal driving then I would be happy enough. Just get used to plugging it in

[Deleted User 1874]

If someone has overnight charging facilities then a 300 mile range really isn’t needed unless you do a lot of miles every day. Not that I would be wanting to charge every night but if it has enough range for 2 or 3 days normal driving then I would be happy enough. Just get used to plugging it in

It doesn’t work like that in reality. If you are doing short trips every day, especially in winter, the effective range drops dramatically. 300 miles on a single long journey can easily become 150 miles or less of multiple short journeys and if you park overnight without charging you lose another chunk of range.

For example our Model X has a WLTP range of around 250 miles and from experience that is about the minimum you need to achieve what you are hoping for. Our Model 3 has a WLTP range of 360 miles and even that gets through plenty of battery on cold winter days when doing lots of very short journeys, standing cold in between. You really do need that headroom which gives you that true 300+ mile range on a long haul in mild weather.

[MCDK]

Both the demos I had were 140 to 180 miles on a full charge and I found them perfectly usable for the days I had them. Can see 300 miles being needed got long trips but not the day to day stuff unless you do a lot of miles in which case you aren’t the target market for an electric car. My mate has just got a Model 3, pretty shocking build quality no matter what it’s range is.

[oldpilot]

Peteski - I completely agree with your comments, but as ever, it's horses for courses.

Nearly all our trips are max 20 miles roundtrip, but every so often (I wish) we leave the car at LHR and fly away for several months. The round trip distance is around 160 miles. Having the REX extender to rely on really makes a difference when you arrive at Heathrow at 22:00 on a cold wet night and there are only 30 electric miles left!

[Deleted User 1874]

Both the demos I had were 140 to 180 miles on a full charge and I found them perfectly usable for the days I had them. Can see 300 miles being needed got long trips but not the day to day stuff unless you do a lot of miles in which case you aren’t the target market for an electric car. My mate has just got a Model 3, pretty shocking build quality no matter what it’s range is.

Is that the range you actually got on a full charge? I thought the WLTP range on the biggest battery was around 180 miles, which would give you a lot less on a daily basis. Probably not much over 100 miles if you start from cold and do short journeys zipping about. It might well be enough for you, just don’t go thinking you will be able to go without charging for several days unless you hardly go out at all.

My new Model 3 is going in next week to sort out the tailgate and driver’s door alignment. Both are slightly off and it is annoying that they don’t do a proper PDI. That’s all I could find to fault. On the plus side it goes like a rocket ship and handling is pin sharp. Feels solid too. What’s wrong with your mate’s car anyway? Is he rejecting it?

[Deleted User 1874]

Peteski - I completely agree with your comments, but as ever, it's horses for courses.

Nearly all our trips are max 20 miles roundtrip, but every so often (I wish) we leave the car at LHR and fly away for several months. The round trip distance is around 160 miles. Having the REX extender to rely on really makes a difference when you arrive at Heathrow at 22:00 on a cold wet night and there are only 30 electric miles left!

Yes for sure the extender makes sense when the battery range is marginal. It was a pragmatic solution for BMW at the time, but it’s certainly not the future.