Dash Is a Wet Blanket - 2014 BMW i3 Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.comEdmunds.com Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 10,316
edited March 2015 in BMW
imageDash Is a Wet Blanket - 2014 BMW i3 Long-Term Road Test

Fiber-reinforced plastics can create some unusual looks, and on the dash and door panels of our 2014 BMW i3 the look is wet wool blanket.

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  • markedwardsmarkedwards Member Posts: 32
    After 10 months of ownership, the kenaf panels have faded into background. It's a complete non-issue. Then again I have the light-colored dash/steering wheel which arguably coordinates better with the light fibers. In my opinion the design team did a good job of making sure the surfaces you actually touch are leather or fabric or wood or metal. I find it interesting that almost every auto writer harps on the kenaf panels but few seem to take notice that the front of the dash—the part you touch—is wrapped in hand-stiched leather. Are there any other $40K cars with that level of finish?
  • ebeaudoinebeaudoin Member Posts: 509
    Looks sort of like fiberglass, too.
  • prndlolprndlol Member Posts: 140
    Aside from the questionable choice in materials, the overall dash design of the BMW i3 is even more disjointed and schizophrenic than recent Toyota treatments.
  • markinnaples_markinnaples_ Member Posts: 251
    ebeaudoin is exactly right. That totally reminds me of the backside of a fiberglass panel. At first I'd be hesistant to slide my hand across it for fear of a million tiny fiberglass splinters, ugh. No thanks.
  • chol92594chol92594 Member Posts: 208
    I'd be curious to see how a typical interior protectant (such as Armor All) looks on this kind of material.
  • stp5stp5 Member Posts: 34
    Armor all shouldn't even be used on "regular" cars. That stuff eats plastic and makes the interior look like a shiny mess even when it came with a matte finish. It's so bad I'd pass on buying a used car where the owner regularly used Armor All.
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 11,172
    Doesn't that lighter color reflect in the windshield when the sunlight's coming from the front?
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