Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

pensfan83

Incredibly clean car, wow.

breld

Very cool q!

Michaell

breld said:

Very cool q!

I have to admit - it's taking some getting used to not seeing your signature line stretch 75% of the way across the screen.

28firefighter

Car is incredibly clean, Q!

28firefighter

Is there any interest here in my initial impressions of the i3? I’ve been posting updates on the Outback but wasn’t sure if anyone was as interested in this quirky electric thing.

Sandman6472

Have 225/45/17's on my Golf, new Eagle Sport AS's on it going on two weeks today. Haven't had Goodyear's since the RS-A's which were OEM on my 2006 Honda Civic. Have had Bridgestone's ever since then as I always went to Tires Plus. So far, like these Eagles a lot.

kyfdx

28firefighter said:

Is there any interest here in my initial impressions of the i3? I’ve been posting updates on the Outback but wasn’t sure if anyone was as interested in this quirky electric thing.

I want to hear all about it

rayainsw

kyfdx
RE: M340i loaner
"Loaner. Fast."
As driver of a 340i I would be very interested in your impression here!
- Ray
3 more lease payments . . .

breld

28firefighter said:

Is there any interest here in my initial impressions of the i3? I’ve been posting updates on the Outback but wasn’t sure if anyone was as interested in this quirky electric thing.

Definitely!

Michaell

28firefighter said:

Is there any interest here in my initial impressions of the i3? I’ve been posting updates on the Outback but wasn’t sure if anyone was as interested in this quirky electric thing.

I'm curious, as well.

Keep thinking the next family vehicle could be electric.

I enjoyed the one ride I had in the i3 @breld had for 12 1/2 minutes.

suydam

@Sandman6472 — Every single review I’ve read has remarked about the Bolt’s seat discomfort, so I don’t think it will be a good choice for you. I’m planning to test drive a Kia Niro and a Leaf Plus in the next month as I debate what to do when the Volt lease is up. I’ll report!

roadburner

kyfdx said:

28firefighter said:

Is there any interest here in my initial impressions of the i3? I’ve been posting updates on the Outback but wasn’t sure if anyone was as interested in this quirky electric thing.

I want to hear all about it

Ditto; we loved ours.

roadburner

rayainsw said:

kyfdx
RE: M340i loaner
"Loaner. Fast."
As driver of a 340i I would be very interested in your impression here!
- Ray
3 more lease payments . . .

Here's my review of an M340i xDrive loaner from a few weeks ago:

It’s maybe a tick faster than my 2 Series, but the xDrive filters the fun too much for my tastes. I scared a friend quite a bit accelerating through a corner flat out when he thought I was going to lift and brake.
I like the interior a lot- including the glass cockpit.
I like the latest generation of iDrive, but it’s considerably different from what I’m used to.
The voice recognition works quickly and accurately.
The base sound system is surprisingly good. I’d still want to audition the H-K upgrade, but the standard system is no slouch.
It’s still too big for my tastes, but the car masks its bulk to an impressive degree.
An M240i with the M340i cockpit, 382 hp motor, and M Sport diff would be just about perfect for me.
That or an M2C...

qbrozen

28firefighter said:

Is there any interest here in my initial impressions of the i3? I’ve been posting updates on the Outback but wasn’t sure if anyone was as interested in this quirky electric thing.

Of course! I’m especially curious to hear about running with the ICE, if at all. How that changes the drivability, etc.

corvette

roadburner said:

...the car masks its bulk to an impressive degree.

As did my beloved E39 540i M-Sport. The G37 doesn't feel as solid, but also doesn't leak random fluids on my garage floor.

nyccarguy

@28firefighter - do tell. Inquiring minds want to know.

andres3

I do love the horsepower wars. It seems whereas 300 HP used to be the standard of acceptability in a true sports car, now you need close to 400 horsepower to keep up with the Jones.

I think 300 HP is a magic mark for any car to make it a nice drive.

stickguy

I caught up on my pile of car magazines today. One had an article talking about HP/torque, and the question "can there be too much?" And how the performance return basically stopped when you ran out of enough traction. Or the weak link in the system could not handle any more!

andres3

stickguy said:

I caught up on my pile of car magazines today. One had an article talking about HP/torque, and the question "can there be too much?" And how the performance return basically stopped when you ran out of enough traction. Or the weak link in the system could not handle any more!

https://youtu.be/sqD_rzGTc9s

All you need is quattro with launch control.

28firefighter

OK. So I’ve got about 250 miles on the i3 as of today. Had 26 on the ODO when I bought it and then it was roughly 183 miles from Portland. Random errands this weekend and then about 35 miles of driving today.

Styling. This thing is darn quirky. But I seriously like it and I have no explanation as to why. The dimensions are bizarre for sure, but it works and it seems to get a lot of attention. The interior is a really nice place to spend time - mine is equipped with the dark truffle vernasca leather, oak wood, the Tech package and HK radio. It looks upscale and feels upscale. The backseat is reasonably usable and holds Sam’s car seat nicely. Even doing the suicide door shuffle to get him in isn’t so bad. One minor nit is that neither of the front seats has power - all manual adjustment to conserve weight. Personally I’d have sacrificed a tenth of a second to 60 for a power adjustment option. The dash controls are a bit of a stretch from the driver’s seat but not terrible. It’s all laid out in a well organized and easy to access manner. The heated seats will set your rear on fire at the highest setting.

Technology. It’s got one of the more recent iterations of iDrive which I could operate in my sleep at this point. Love it or hate it, it is what it is. Since I know it well, I’m very happy with it. One nice feature is that with the Tech Package you get CarPlay that works both wired and wirelessly. Basically when I turn on the car, CarPlay is immediately accessible. CarPlay is definitely faster via USB, though. The HK stereo is fine - fills the car nicely but nothing to write home about. One feature I did use on the drive home was ACC really easy to use and made a long drive much more enjoyable.

Driving experience. The electric driving experience is truly unlike anything else. The single biggest adjustment challenge I’m having is no engine noise. Beyond that, it is a total hoot to tool around in. Downright quick up to 40-50 mph and then the responsiveness slows a bit. The more you get on it, the worse the efficiency is. No surprise there. Because the car is RWD the handling is really quite good, even with the narrow width tires and the turning radius is comically tight.

Range. Too early to call. With our 35 miles of mixed driving today we had 74% range remaining when we got home tonight. If that held we’d be seeing about 140 miles per charge which seems more than reasonable and higher than the BMW estimate. The range extender is designed to kick on at 6% battery remaining. I tested it out briefly on the way home from the dealer - it kicked on as I was getting off the highway to fast charge. At highway speeds you don’t even hear it, but at around town speeds you will know you have a scooter in your backseat. It’s annoying so I’m not planning to use it more than absolutely in a pinch.

Overall we really like it so far. Totally quirky and fun to drive. The instant torque of the EV is addicting.

Michaell

andres3 said:

stickguy said:

I caught up on my pile of car magazines today. One had an article talking about HP/torque, and the question "can there be too much?" And how the performance return basically stopped when you ran out of enough traction. Or the weak link in the system could not handle any more!

https://youtu.be/sqD_rzGTc9s

All you need is quattro with launch control.

Or electricity. I've seen a number of videos comparing a Tesla Model S to a variety of race cars, and the Tesla wins each time.

Sandman6472

Have heard the same about the Bolt's seats from others so we'll just have to see. Have driven the Nitto at work and do like it especially since it's a 5 door vehicle. Only mentioned the Ioniq as the Hyundai dealership is right outside one of the entrances to our community, with the Kia store on the lower side of town and since we've still got a Hyundai product in the family, could get a some more off when purchasing like I did with the Tucson. Got an extra $500 rebate due to having a immediate family member owning one.
Assuming the Ioniq drives similarly to the Nitto but will have to check that out. The idea of possibly getting around 50 mpg's is a nice thing really but my only negative right now is the life span of the battery pack and how expensive it'll be to swap them out later on down the road. Could get expensive if one owns it, and might be better to lease one instead.
Very intrigued about ownership of any hybrid or electric vehicle to be honest. Would help with my longish commute right now to be honest.

Sandman6472

Spoke to two co-workers already about Medicare and one says keep both Parts A & B while the other says stick with just A and our secondary insurance through Uncle Sam. The first guy says that one never knows what could happen and when, so keeping both parts just makes sense if affordable. A good argument for sure but saving that extra outlay each month for just such things is a good thing to.
Will be speaking with a few others and go from there. Leaning towards just keeping both parts right now as the wiser move. Really, who knows what could happen going forward?

pensfan83

Nice take @28firefighter, I'll be curious to hear your impression after some extend ownership time as well.

ab348

I have never heard of wireless Apple CarPlay before.

kyfdx

ab348 said:

I have never heard of wireless Apple CarPlay before.

My wife has it.. works through Bluetooth

tjc78

AFAIK only BMW has it.

kyfdx

tjc78 said:

AFAIK only BMW has it.

Really? I guess that explains why they charge for it.

mjfloyd1

Why do I find this story headline funny?

https://www.hoosiertimes.com/herald_times_online/life/outdoors/star-trak-uranus-to-be-more-visible-in-october-night/article_b5135a48-9b7b-5551-9c05-5c6143144948.html

kyfdx

It's an Indiana thing..

stickguy

Sandy, the batteries already have long warranty. It’s highly unlikely you would ever run out of that. They tend to last a long time anyway.

mjfloyd1

kyfdx said:

It's an Indiana thing..

It’s the town and not the state

marcogallo1986

@qb wow wow, that stinks it’s actually bring it somewhere for the appointment I thought they came to your house, but I guess you have to tackle the project yourself with the hubs when you get a chance. As long as it’s not unsafe to drive for the time being.

marcogallo1986

So me and my cousin had an awesome time yesterday test roll a dodge charger RT had to stop myself from putting a lease deal together with maybe just the first months payment but eventually you gonna do something probably. Then went to another Ford dealer to look around and then to another one to look around and then at night went back to the first dealer which is close to my house and drove a Ford Ranger XLT was a lot of fun.

marcogallo1986

Today somewhere looking he’s coming back look at something out here so will spend the day together, I have to go pick up the core of my battery because they were covered under the warranty because they said that I killed it I mean I did but enough to know the truth I told him the battery is the Factive from day one they disconnected the battery cables and let it sit for two weeks in and went dead he’s been going dead ever since now won’t hold a charge. It is five months old so probably have to buy another battery regardless just woke up without battery and brand again. Just gonna go to AutoZone or Pep Boys closer to my house and more convenient and get a born own battery brand. this prior battery that’s dead now another person and helps me out insisted I get it because if it’s in the battery tray 100% correct which initially I didn’t care about is like some special rectangle shape which is real hard to fine so I’m sure the battery was sitting around for a while somewhere in the warehouse because how many people are buying them I was gonna get a standard battery if it doesn’t fit 100% who cares the car is not being driven every day.

nyccarguy

@28firefighter - great write up regarding the i3. Definitely seems like a great little car that handles well (it is a BMW after all). Seems like you got it for a great price & will enjoy it for the next 24 months/10K per year. With the lease and the range extender it seems like a fantastic way to dip your feet into driving an EV.

corvette

@28firefighter are you going to hack it to enable the “hold state of charge” feature? I think that would make it a lot more versatile.

28firefighter

I sent a note to our friend @roadburner asking for his take. My only fear enabling it is that it may void my warranty and that is definitely not something I want to do here. I'm sure the official stance is "no chance" from BMW because it probably messes with vehicle classification or some such here in the US, but the question is whether they would check/notice otherwise.

corvette

I think it’s simply a matter of using an OBD tool to change a setting. It’s not like you’re installing a chip on a turbocharged car, so hopefully they will look at it differently.

28firefighter

It really is not the end of the world either way. Yesterday turned out to be 42 miles of driving and that was a very heavy day for me driving wise. I used up 25%+ of the battery. I plugged it into a standard household outlet at 8pm when we got home and had a notification that the car was charged around 4am. That is just about perfect, IMO.

breld

Nice write-up @28firefighter - in my brief ownership period of our i3, I enjoyed it for the same reasons you state.

The one thing that got quite tiresome was those suicide doors. I found it awkward at times to get around to allow my stepson out of the backseat.

Other than that, the limitations of the i3 for me were more situational - since we had a 2015, the electric range was only like 70-80 miles. With the longer commute I had at the time, we invariable dipped into the extender more often than not, and while it's definitely a nice feature to have to alleviate range anxiety, I did find it a bit loud and intrusive...and having to stop and fill up the 1.5 gallon tank on a regular basis sort of defeated the purpose of the car.

But...with our recent move and resulting shorter commute, together with the extended range of the newer models, makes the i3 a more attractive option. We test drove a Bolt a couple years ago when we had the i3 and while we appreciated the range of the Chevy, we liked the i3 much better all around (probably not surprising).

I'm anxious for the release of the upcoming VW electric fleet. And I'm also intrigued by the CR-V Hybrid due out early next year.

stickguy

I still don’t think I could go full electric (or even like the i3 solution), but would love a nice hybrid.

marcogallo1986

@28ff Nice write up on your new ride so far awesome. It’s definitely different which is a good thing.

marcogallo1986

Got to also sit in a brand new 2020 for the ski, I didn’t like it the old one was parked next week still new like it a lot better higher up.

nyccarguy

stickguy said:

I still don’t think I could go full electric (or even like the i3 solution), but would love a nice hybrid.

I could totally go full electric. Once government incentives are gone, Tesla Model 3 prices are likely to come down and they’ll lease like most “regular” gas powered cars.

So my wife took a job as a Home Care Physical Therapist. It’s not what she wants, but the pay is decent & she can keep looking for a hospital gig. She will get reimbursed on a per mile basis when driving from one client’s house to another (not to the 1st patient or home from the last patient). We’ll also be able to write off a portion of her Pilot’s gas & depreciation since she is required to use her personal vehicle for work. I’m going to see how she likes this. It might be worth it to lease her a car specifically for work so I can write off a portion of the lease payment. She’s going to start piling the miles on her Pilot very quickly.

corvette

@nyccarguy look into whether the mileage reimbursement meets the IRS guidelines. If it does, I don’t think you can write off your expenses, but the reimbursement itself is tax-free money.

Glad your wife found something, even if it’s not what her preferred working situation looks like.

qbrozen

it should work itself out at tax time. you'd get a vehicle reimbursement statement and that pay would be deducted from whatever mileage you are claiming on your taxes. At least, that's my interpretation. Kind of like a health FSA plan.

corvette

I guess different employers handle it differently. I’ve never had mileage or other reimbursements reported on a W-2.

kyfdx

corvette said:

@nyccarguy look into whether the mileage reimbursement meets the IRS guidelines. If it does, I don’t think you can write off your expenses, but the reimbursement itself is tax-free money.

Glad your wife found something, even if it’s not what her preferred working situation looks like.

I agree with this.

If you are getting the IRS mileage reimbursement, then you can't write off expenses or depreciation. If you claim expenses, then you have to claim the mileage reimbursement as income.

benjaminh

28firefighter said:

....Overall we really like it so far. Totally quirky and fun to drive. The instant torque of the EV is addicting.

If you're willing to share, I'd be interested in your experience so far of the financial pros and cons of the i3.