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BMW i3 Tested

BMW may have said M is the most powerful letter in the world, but now the German carmaker wants to teach us about the powers of "i". We recently plugged ourselves into this via a BMW i3 drive.
BMW i3 driving 1 photo
Photo: original image by autoevolution
On of the key questions people have about thus EV goes like this - Is the i3 a proper BMW? The answer is "yes", but it doesn't come in the way you'd expect.

The idea is that the i3 has an interesting way of getting the driver involved. For instance, you can see this as a one-pedal car. It won't take lonf for you to become accustomed with the hefty regenerative braking and thus you'll only have to touch the pedal on the left in case something unexpected takes place.

Then there's the aural experience. You're accompanied by a muffled electric... burble, a sound you can ignore if you want. We didn't, because we enjoyed it.

Around town, the i3 receives ten out of ten from us. The instant electric torque and the tight turning circle mean you's be able to pull swift moves whenever you wish. On the other hand, if a seamless, relaxing drive is your thing, the i3 has no problem in catering to your needs.

As for the braking area, the deceleration provided by the i3 is enough for urban driving, but the skinny tires mean you'll be searching for extra grip when it rains.

The i3 showed us that it can also serve as a medium trip partner outside the city, but you'll have to mind the driving range. In the real world, you should expect about 75 miles (120 km) per charge, providing your right foot uses a moderate approach.

The BMW i3 comes with an aura of services, one of which brings you the keys to a conventionally-powered BMW model for your long trips. You'd better not forget to schedule this though.

The i3 then is limited to city use, which is fine by us. Nonetheless, having to pay at least US$ 41,350 or EUR 39,100 for an urban vehicle is another thing.

We'll go deeper into this topic, as well as discuss the i3's connection with Toyota's technology or the car's unsatisfying range extender in our BMW i3 review.
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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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