Model 3 vs BMW i3

[MXWing]

Also the i3 has a Sport variant now. Better acceleration, more range, faster top speed, bigger tires, lower stance, performance suspension settings.

Right now, a loaded i3s is cheaper than a Model 3LR base.

Lipstick on a pig. Over 7s 0-60 to slightly less than 7s is not impressive at all.

Other than taking 50% off the price, and even then does it have a real offering above the Bolt? Which the Bolt doesn't have anything on the 3 (big picture) other than lots of inventory at the moment.

 

[McRat]

Lipstick on a pig. Over 7s 0-60 to slightly less than 7s is not impressive at all.

Other than taking 50% off the price, and even then does it have a real offering above the Bolt? Which the Bolt doesn't have anything on the 3 (big picture) other than lots of inventory at the moment.

Well at 6.x it will strip the paint off teh Priuses and Leafs (and i3 RExs), and will even outrun a Volt.

Everything is relative. If won't go >200mph, why bother?

 

[MXWing]

Well at 6.x it will strip the paint off teh Priuses and Leafs (and i3 RExs), and will even outrun a Volt.

Everything is relative. If won't go >200mph, why bother?

0-30, 30-50, 0-60 used often in day to day driving.

Did you know Volt in MTN mode outruns a Model S 0-30? - Not practical but just fun bit of trivia.

 

[McRat]

0-30, 30-50, 0-60 used often in day to day driving.

Did you know Volt in MTN mode outruns a Model S 0-30? - Not practical but just fun bit of trivia.

At a SoCal AutoX, an experienced Model S driver ran the same laps I did in a Chevy Volt?
He beat my son by a bit, But we are not talking night and day...

 

[woof]

Can you comment which vehicle handles better over bumps.

Model 3. The i3 cuts power AND regen to the wheels over moderate bumps which creates the very odd sensation of "speeding up" (it's actually lack of deceleration) if you were slowing down at the time. Model 3 doesn't have that flaw.

 

[MrAustraliaTax]

This thread can be split into two responses:

Those that actually own i3s who find that they are surprisingly good.
Those that don't own i3s who criticise; range, suicide doors, styling

I drive a Model S P85D
My wife drives an i3 non-Rex

Range:
The i3 does more kilometres of driving overall than the Tesla
The Tesla has by far the greater range
Range anxiety is NOT an issue with the i3 in day-to-day use

The suicide doors:
The i3 is surprisingly roomy on the inside because of the doors
Our daughter opens the suicide doors on her own from the back by opening the front door and then the suicide door. Only mildly annoying.

Fit & finish:
i3 has by far the better seat warmers
i3 has a much better interior than the Tesla.

Ride:
i3 is great at 60km or less
i3 is great in tight shopping centre carparks
i3 smashes big noisy smelly V8s in traffic light grand prixes

Annoyances of the i3:
no seat memory

 

[Electroman]

There are use cases my bicycle is much better than a Tesla.

Range:
Technically my bicycle has unlimited range
Range anxiety is not an issue for the daily riding

Rear seats:
I have a rear carrier that doubles as rear seat. Once you get used to it you will love it

Fit & finish:
There is really nothing to complain

Ride:
Amazing and silky smooth as long as you ride on pavements that has no pot holes

Price:
I can buy more than 100 bicycles for the price of one Model 3

Bonus:
Will keep you fit and healthy.

Moral: Every vehicle has a use case that it fits best.

 

[RayK]

Our daughter opens the suicide doors on her own from the back by opening the front door and then the suicide door. Only mildly annoying.

Yes, but what if somebody is sitting in the front seat? What about the seat belt?

 

[MrAustraliaTax]

Yes, but what if somebody is sitting in the front seat? What about the seat belt?

Then the front seat belt needs to be undone.

Yes, it's an annoyance, but its much less of an annoyance in real life than it sounds.

The positive trade-off is that the car is great in small spaces.

 

[Nuclear Fusion]

Model 3. The i3 cuts power AND regen to the wheels over moderate bumps which creates the very odd sensation of "speeding up" (it's actually lack of deceleration) if you were slowing down at the time. Model 3 doesn't have that flaw.

That would be annoying & is a flaw IMO

 

[Nuclear Fusion]

This thread can be split into two responses:

Those that actually own i3s who find that they are surprisingly good.
Those that don't own i3s who criticise; range, suicide doors, styling

I drive a Model S P85D
My wife drives an i3 non-Rex

Range:
The i3 does more kilometres of driving overall than the Tesla
The Tesla has by far the greater range
Range anxiety is NOT an issue with the i3 in day-to-day use

The suicide doors:
The i3 is surprisingly roomy on the inside because of the doors
Our daughter opens the suicide doors on her own from the back by opening the front door and then the suicide door. Only mildly annoying.

Fit & finish:
i3 has by far the better seat warmers
i3 has a much better interior than the Tesla.

Ride:
i3 is great at 60km or less
i3 is great in tight shopping centre carparks
i3 smashes big noisy smelly V8s in traffic light grand prixes

Annoyances of the i3:
no seat memory

I've thought about getting an i3 94Ah as a second electric car to replace the LEAF, but its hard with the price so high. When the 2018 LEAF is released in Oz the i3 will crash in price, as is effectively happening in the USA. It would have been nice if the 2018 LEAF had thermal battery management, like the 2019 model will, then it would be a no brainer

 

[sundaymorning]

I would never buy any car with suicide doors. My family has incurred two very serious T-Bone style accidents, had it not been for the side beams protecting us from T-Bine accidents, we would have been goners or very seriously injured (broken bones). As a warning, they don’t call it suicide doors for nothing!

 

[CarbonFree]

That would be annoying & is a flaw IMO

This was fixed in a firmware update long ago. That said, the traction control on the Model 3 is better at powering through turns.

Still, I love the i3 quite a bit.

 

[MXWing]

Those that don't own i3s who criticise; range, suicide doors, styling

You don't have to put a ring on one to determine its ugly AF.

It's the equivalent of showing up everywhere in cargo shorts, Hawaiian shirts and flip flops. Practical, yes - Stylish no.

I understand some people don't care how their vehicle looks like but I'd rather be in a more attractive car given an option. It's not like BMW doesn't know how to make decent looking cars. The 3 series is iconic.

 

[RayK]

Except for the 318ti.

 

[israndy]

I have always driven 2 door cars, starting with that Pinto in the 80's. This TM3 will be my first 4-door, nice for getting out of the back but would be nice if there was a way to get a big door for the driver and still have 4 doors. I am a big guy and I will most of the time be driving alone. Would be nice if it was easier to get in and out myself.

Would love the i3 doors on the drivers side and then regular small doors on the passenger side. If the door behind the driver is too hard to get out of, you go out the passenger side. But if everyone is getting out the driver is up and you open the little backward door and you are out too. Wonder if anyone has ever made a car like that.

I think the reason cars that have doors that open backwards normally are called suicide doors is because they can blow open and impossible to close at speed. The BMW little door requires the front door open first, like a Sprinter gas cap door. I don't think that qualifies as a suicide door.

-Randy

 

[RayK]

I believe that the term suicide door originated with the thinking that if the rear passenger opened the door toward a lane of traffic, that if it got hit by another car while the passenger was exiting, they would be crushed by the closing door. Has nothing to do with the door opening at speed; instead it's the act of closing at speed (into the human) that makes it a 'suicide'.

 

[woof]

This was fixed in a firmware update long ago. That said, the traction control on the Model 3 is better at powering through turns.

Still, I love the i3 quite a bit.

Was it? Haven’t been to the dealership in years (yay!). Alas, that means no updates for me.

The i3 is a fine machine. Been sitting idle since the Model 3 showed up, but my son in high school just figured out that driving electric vs his Honda means he doesn’t have to pay for gas. I hate the idea of him driving a BMW to school. I love the thought of him driving electric. What’s a father to do?

 

[stillageek]

We have a 2014 I3 and a 2017 X. The fit and finish on the I3 is far and above the X. The I3 also spent MUCH less time in the shop the 1st year. The I3 is quirky....and not for everyone....but it fits my family of 4 fine. It's our go to for drives under 40 miles one way. The X is so much larger. The I3 plastic doors= no door dings (I miss my Saturns!). The I3 is not perfect, but it's far from a compliance car. BMW Dealers treat it like a red headed stepchild.

 

[stillageek]

The lack of B pillars is negated by a superior fully carbon fiber frame on the i3. It's crazy safe.