bpg
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Post by bpg on Apr 1, 2021 7:49:16 GMT
There'll be sone marketing spin on how it was always their intention to revise down the price, new financial year blah blah blah.
WDB won't mind as long as the numbers work for him and I suspect hundred more will think along the same lines. It's still £2,500 not coming solely out of your pocket.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Apr 1, 2021 8:47:49 GMT
Just driven down from Manchester to London (on business) and was followed by two i3s. They kept up a reasonable speed as I was maintaining 'good progress'. Pace is not the problem; the car is limited to 150km/h but it can certainly get there. It’s more that it’s not especially relaxing to drive at full motorway speed. There have been suspension revisions since ours was made, as well as the i3S’s wider track and tyres, that I’m hoping may improve this. That, rather than a little more acceleration, would be the reason for paying the extra for an S. WDB won't mind as long as the numbers work for him and I suspect hundred more will think along the same lines. It's still £2,500 not coming solely out of your pocket. Precisely, and I said as much when the dealer called. I had priced up an i3 (not an S) on the BMW Finance calculator and it showed a higher cash price but a lower monthly and residual than his. He pointed to a BMW ‘deposit contribution’, which he preferred to call a discount, but it can be a contribution, a discount or a grant as long as it’s money I don’t pay. |
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Apr 1, 2021 17:56:35 GMT
Well, WDB won’t mind if he can do a deal on an i3S. I’ve just got home in it, the long way round (most distant point Burnham, 16.3km, to avoid the road works through Maidenhead) and I’m impressed.
The sales blokey says it feels a lot faster than the vanilla i3. Not to me, it doesn’t, but it doesn’t really need to. What it does feel is planted, even at full M40 speed or on poorly surfaced minor-road tarmac. It’s no iPace — it’s too short for that — but it just seems a little more like a car and less like A Novel Electric Car. I was hoping for improved road manners and this car has them.
It’s also a rather nice colour, a bronzy silver-grey, a bit like Mercedes Indium Silver of a few years ago. Not so keen on the black leather interior, but that’s not obligatory.
Now to see what MrsB1 thinks. She’s in a huff because she neglected to renew her photocard licence last year. I now see that DVSA granted an automatic 11-month extension to 2020 expirers, so she’s still legal. But she didn’t make it on to the insurance for this car, not that she really approves of the whole idea.
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bpg
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Post by bpg on Apr 1, 2021 19:12:22 GMT
The sales blokey says it feels a lot faster than the vanilla i3. From what I've read the S is supposed to be 4 tenths of a second quicker to 60 if that kind of thing matters to anyone. Usually, to get close to a manufacturers figures you've got to have 0 mechanical sympathy though it should be easier in an electric car than anything with clutches, gearboxes and explosive pulses.
Something you mentioned a few weeks back WDB about range improving but not by much as the weather changes. Mid-Feb it was -9C here, I was struggling to get 3 kms/kWh from our KIA. With the temp in the low 20's this last few days the car is averaging 7.8 to 8kms / kWh. I'm more than happy with that. That's pushing 300 miles (64kWh battery usable, 67kWh battery capacity) from a single charge with me, hammer foot, driving. I've plugged it in tonight, down to 38% charge, it would have been 3 weeks on Saturday since it was last plugged in to charge.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Apr 1, 2021 22:07:54 GMT
High teens to low 20s is probably a sweet spot for EV efficiency, as it removes the need for heating without a compensatory need for cooling. Our i3 reported 8.4km/kWh for the surprisingly trafficky run to Maidenhead, which would give more than 200 miles from the 42kWh battery in a new one.
I drove the i3S rather more, erm, vigorously (except when I forgot to, and just let it feel like an i3) but haven’t found the menu in the new i Drive that will let me count my winnings. (I do quite like the handwriting facility for entering destinations, though — even if it is a little fiddly for a committed right hander.)
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Post by dixinormus on Apr 1, 2021 23:32:44 GMT
Apparently the list price of the i3S has been cut by over 4 grand?! The reduction in subsidy was only 2500!
Then again, it’s probably all smoke and mirrors with list prices, “dealer contributions”, finance packages etc...
And then there’s the options list to eke more money out of the “sale”..!
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bpg
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Post by bpg on Apr 1, 2021 23:49:37 GMT
High teens to low 20s is probably a sweet spot for EV efficiency, as it removes the need for heating without a compensatory need for cooling. Our i3 reported 8.4km/kWh for the surprisingly trafficky run to Maidenhead, which would give more than 200 miles from the 42kWh battery in a new one. I drove the i3S rather more, erm, vigorously (except when I forgot to, and just let it feel like an i3) but haven’t found the menu in the new i Drive that will let me count my winnings. I hit 176km/h (that's what it will do, nothing more) for about 15 miles for the 7.8 to 8km/kWh average figure. Not willy waving but apples, pineapples and blancmanges. Edit:what im trying to say is the technology is moving at such a pace in EVs that in 24/36months time something faster and more efficient will come along. |
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Apr 2, 2021 17:52:42 GMT
Well, I’ve just taken it for another gratuitously long but local loop. (Solo because MrsB1’s huff continues.) It’s really very good; seems to have kept all the good points of our i3 while dealing with the niggles of bumpiness at low speeds and nervousness at high ones. I’m still not keen on the black interior but I can have a light one like ours. It has a fixed glass roof, which manages not to impinge on my headroom but adds nothing to the ambiance that lighter fabrics would not. And it’s missing the essential item in a square-backed 4m car, a reversing camera. But I do kinda like the black wheels. Yes, really. Enough to order them? Don’t know. See what you think.  |
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Post by Humph on Apr 3, 2021 9:53:00 GMT
Looks good to me. Don't underestimate the health and mood advantages of the additional vitamin D provided by the glass roof. ( seriously for once ! )
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Rob
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Post by Rob on Apr 3, 2021 10:14:48 GMT
I would imagine the fixed glass roof prevents you from benefitting from the sun as far as vitamin D goes. I'd assume it blocks UVB.
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Post by Humph on Apr 3, 2021 11:24:21 GMT
Wouldn't know, but what I can say is I am far less tired after a long journey with a glass roof than without.
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bpg
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Post by bpg on Apr 3, 2021 12:52:12 GMT
it’s missing the essential item in a square-backed 4m car, a reversing camera. This has me scratching my head. If you've had any car with a reversing camera having a car without is very noticeable especially if you need to place a car very close to wall in a garage for example. Having a square-backed car makes it easier to place I think as the glass is pretty much at the back of the car give or take a few inches for a bumper. Much easier to place than guessing the boot extension beyond the glass of a saloon. Genuine question, what am I missing ? |
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Rob
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Post by Rob on Apr 3, 2021 14:46:52 GMT
The VW group system in the Superb was good for reversing. As well as the normal view you could switch to a view looking down (aimed at hitching a trailer) but it meant you could see the bumper edge. Also the wide angle view for reversing out of a space was handy too.
But I agree with BPG that a hatchback style (like a Golf) means it's much easier to know how close you are. Even parking sensors are not necessary.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Apr 3, 2021 17:35:34 GMT
Irony really is wasted on some people, isn’t it? 😌
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bpg
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Post by bpg on Apr 3, 2021 18:02:29 GMT
In my defence I spend a lot of time talking with Americans. 😁
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