The BMW i3 is a revolutionary vehicle. Not only because BMW says so but because it’s actually bringing a lot of new-age stuff to the plate. Apart from being made with renewable energy and using the lightest materials, its approach to the way an EV should be is unique.
The only issue it has is its range. If you don’t go for the version with the Range Extender included (that’s a 2-cylinder scooter engine that acts as a generator) the real-world range extends to around 80 miles (150 km). That’s just too little when you have Tesla breathing down your neck.
Sure, that’s not the i3’s direct rival but you get the point. However, there are other things included on BMW’s EV that make it worth a look-over. The navigation system, for example, is advanced and calculates your range depending on you driving pattern but also related to the topography of the areas where you drive.
Other interesting tidbits include the Parking Assistant, a feature we’ve seen on other cars as well, and that’s included on the i3. As it turns out, the guys from Tested had a couple of issues with it during their test drive.
They set out to see how it works exactly and, unfortunately, after two attempts they remained stunned of the fact that the feature didn’t work properly. As a matter of fact, even though you could say that they were unlucky two times, on tape, one of the guys says that even when the camera was off, it didn’t work out all that great.
According to him, out of five tries, only three were successful. That’s a 60 percent rate and it’s just not good enough. If someone buys this feature, they will surely use it and will expect it to work flawlessly.
During our tests with various BMWs, we didn’t experience such a high rate of failures. As a matter of fact, every time we put the Parking Assistant to the test, it worked, the only times when it wasn’t up to par with our expectancies was when we didn’t line-up the car right or when we were too eager to press a pedal. Bottom line, most of the time it was our fault and not the car’s. That’s not to say we don’t believe the guys from Tested; it’s just that they might just’ve been unlucky.
PS: skip to 17:00 to see the part with the Parking Assistant alone.
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