BMW i3s

[MCDK]

I think BMW have plenty of plans for their I range in the next year or two as have most manufacturers.

[MCDK]

The one pedal driving is very easy. It really does start slowing quite rapidly as soon as you lift off the throttle so in traffic or road ends so long as you back off the throttle early enough you just coast to a stop. And it does put the brake lights on when doing this as I checked that to be sure.

They are a superb car. My only concerns were the ride quality and road noise as mentioned above. Also a bit unsure about the practicality with the rear doors and small boot if it’s to be used with passengers in the rear regularly which is where my ID3 thoughts come in as it’s extremely roomy and much bigger inside even than a similarly sized Golf.

Range on the I3 isn’t great at about 130 real world driving but given my trips aren’t long that maybe isn’t a huge problem but just means more frequent charging is needed.

Thanks! Very good feedback. The id3 range looks much better on paper, for sure.

Just think it looks a bit functional whereas the i3 seems to have more street cred (for what it matters!).

That is my pull to the I3S as it looks a lot more special than the ID3. The BMW also drives a lot better and feels a whole lot more urgent at all speeds. My wife also had a definite preference for the BMW over the VW. But then the VW has all the space and practicality along with more toys and better technology.

Heart versus head stuff

[Connoisseur]

We’ve had our 94ah i3s Rex for 2+ years now. For us a versatile, great handling EV which reeks of quality and has proved v. reliable. The CF composite structure is taut and safe; it has fun handling and a great presence. Software and systems firmware is well proven now which is a boon. It should be off lease in September, but I suspect it will not be going anywhere

[Deleted User 1874]

I think BMW have plenty of plans for their I range in the next year or two as have most manufacturers.

Well they may be finally talking the talk now, but it looked for a very long time that they were edging their bets on a half-arsed multi-powertrain platform. Progress since launching the original i3 has been pretty glacial. I don’t believe the platform is cost effective for the bean counters.

For at least 5 years now it has always been the next year or two, lol. I won’t be visiting a BMW showroom again until there is a proper full electric 3 or 5 series on sale. Perhaps late this decade?

[pmg]

I think BMW have plenty of plans for their I range in the next year or two as have most manufacturers.

Well they may be finally talking the talk now, but it looked for a very long time that they were edging their bets on a half-arsed multi-powertrain platform. Progress since launching the original i3 has been pretty glacial. I don’t believe the platform is cost effective for the bean counters.

For at least 5 years now it has always been the next year or two, lol. I won’t be visiting a BMW showroom again until there is a proper full electric 3 or 5 series on sale. Perhaps late this decade?

Yes , so disappointing that after the revolution of the i3 and i8, BMW goes for evolution of ICE platforms for their mainline pure EV's

[Deleted User 1874]

Yes , so disappointing that after the revolution of the i3 and i8, BMW goes for evolution of ICE platforms for their mainline pure EV's

Exactly! The i3 was an interesting ground-up design that they could have developed into something special by now. But instead they chose to sit on the fence and now it looks to be a dead end.

[F1 Nut]

I've been running an i3s on a lease since March 2018 alongside my 540i... and I love both cars for very different reasons.

I've used the i3s for both long and short journeys. In fact we've done 26,000 miles in it, mostly taking the kids to school and supermarket runs and for this purpose, it's absolutely brilliant. Pre-lockdown, 85% of my journeys were 5-20mile round trips.

I test drove the regular i3, but for me, it was too 'skitty'. The S version sits on a lower suspension setup and has wider tyres front and rear - and it transforms the ride for the better in my humble opinion. Don't get me wrong, it still doesn't corner well but it is damn good fun. We have the 94kwh version - typically BMW increased the battery to 120 a few weeks later, but even so, we get 110 mile range in the winter and 150 in the summer. It is plenty. It has air-con, heated seats, pre-warming - especially great to defrost the windows! We do have the ability to plug in overnight, so perhaps twice per week, it goes on charge. And it costs peanuts to run. Power delivery is smooth and immediate. One-pedal driving is so easy after a few hours of driving, you learn to judge resistance on lift-off, I hardly ever use the brake pedal.

When we first got the car, I took it on a round trip from home to Bristol, around 160 miles or so. It's okay at 70mph, but it does require your attention as it's quite susceptible to cross wind. And at that speed, the battery depletes with greater wind resistance. Back then, I had all sorts of issues with downloading apps, a charging station that didn't work or were blocked by a non-electric car in the electric bay. Instead, I got out of Bristol after my meeting, stopped at the services, grabbed a sandwich and by the time I had eaten, the car had another 70 miles or so of charge to get home. No problem whatsoever.

Unfortunately, mainly due to lockdown, we will not be renewing the i3s. My wife's X2 still has a couple of years on her contract. My 540 comes to the end of its agreement in April, when I will finally be able to get behind the Macan wheel. I love petrol cars too much to make the full switch and my mileage has reduced that 2 cars really isn't required. Technology is improving every month on EV's, it's not mature enough for me yet, we're very much in the electric infancy. As much as Tesla are leading the way, their lack of build-quality would drive me insane!

But for anyone considering an i3, get the s version, it'll put a smile on your face every time you drive it. Great fun and if circumstances were different, I'd have another in a heartbeat.

[Scaramanga]

Thanks for that review and feedback! Makes me super excited to get mine tomorrow!!

I’m hoping to convince the Mrs that it will replace our Macan Turbo, but fear she will want another anyway!

Just “one sleep” to go!!

[Deleted User 1874]

We have the 94kwh version

More like a 30 kWh battery. Think you meant 94 Ah, which makes it sound a lot bigger.

[Tracky]

We have the 94kwh version

More like a 30 kWh battery. Think you meant 94 Ah, which makes it sound a lot bigger.

That would indeed be tesla sized and on a car sized you could get to the moon....