Winter tire discussion for grown ups thread.

[red kryptonite]

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

You never know with Costco. You don't need a membership to check on the Costco website. Just punch in your details and you can add winter wheels towards the end, I think.

nothing in my size

Originally Posted by AstulzerRZD

Here's what the big Toronto winter tire shop is doing:

http://simplytire.com/winter/BMW.pdf

thanks again! seems like i cant get away from $3700ish, i guess thats the price of the game.

[bcrdukes]

Attention Badhobz...Costco failed someone.

[RabidRat]

Oh if we're going to go there: Costco failed me too on the i3.

They don't carry 155/70/19. Unacceptable and unforgivable. A blemish on their otherwise flawless record of having my back.

[whitev70r]

Originally Posted by RabidRat

Oh if we're going to go there: Costco failed me too on the i3.

They don't carry 155/70/19. Unacceptable and unforgivable. A blemish on their otherwise flawless record of having my back.

What gen or year i3 do you own and would you recommend it? Used ones prices are falling off a cliff and would be a great 2nd car, EV commuter, grocery getter.

[RabidRat]

Originally Posted by whitev70r

What gen or year i3 do you own and would you recommend it? Used ones prices are falling off a cliff and would be a great 2nd car, EV commuter, grocery getter.

I'd totally recommend it, for sure. Especially for your use cases. Small cheap* EVs are the ideal commuter / grocery-getter cars. Costs you basically nothing to get around, you just get in and go, and help yourself to the instantaneous torque and silent operation.

*was cheap for us even buying new, because I had an $11,000 corporate discount that I stacked with the $7500 US Federal EV rebate, $2000 Costco US rebate, and a few thousand dollars of rebates from the state and county. And then a few thousand more on top of that by haggling with the dealership on the previous MY cars sitting on their lot . It wound up being cheaper than a Corolla: we practically would've lost money not buying one!

I posted some stuff about it before, but I'd add these comments:

• The stubby nose combined with humongous windshield combined with hilariously micro turning radius, makes it feel like you're driving around in a helicopter. The visibility combined with maneuverability is amazing.
• Read up on the silent killer of the i3: the AC compressor. The car directly reuses the refrigerant loop to cool the battery. And the coolant system doesn't have a screen in it, so what apparently happens is when the compressor fails, it sends metal shrapnel through the battery pack coolant lines which clogs it up... and your battery is now toast.
  
  Read up more on it here: https://www.theautopian.com/how-the-...th-no-warning/

Originally Posted by RabidRat

My wife has a 2020 i3. We friggin love the thing.

It's really zippy, the turning radius is miniscule, it's laughably easy to drive (my dad is in his 80s: he jumped right in, drove around, and then perfectly parallel parked it minutes later).

Super solid BMW fit and finish and quality everything. Even our base model has front and rear parking sensors, everything just works awesome. Really lightweight for an EV, with the carbon fiber monocoque: 2900 lb.

Since day one we've charged to 100%, and without fail we get the full 250km of range every charge. We don't have the REx and prefer it that way: it's just another point of failure. We've taken this thing on road trips to Napa, to LA + Joshua Tree Park, no issues. Just take more breaks. Surprisingly roomy and comfortable inside, for the tiny footprint.

Rock solid reliability. Never had an issue in 3 years of ownership, knock on wood.

Body panels are plastic, Saturn style. I bashed the driver door into a bollard I couldn't see while backing out of a parking spot, and it buffed right out. Can't get dings either for the same reason.

Some mods I've done:

• Blind spot monitoring / cross traffic alert was never an option, so I retrofitted a kit from Pioneer.
• Replaced the base model 6.5" screen (with huge bezels), with a 10" one off a 3 series; fabricated a bracket for that. Gained touchscreen function out of it! Coded that myself with BimmerTool (dongle was like $30 off Amazon).

Originally Posted by RabidRat

Up until the 2017 model year, it's a straight swap to the 10" version of the i3 screen and easy coding.

2018 onwards, you have to swap out the head unit (which I think means losing remote connectivity and nav function etc, if you care), if you want to do a straight screen swap. If you prefer to keep your original head unit like I did, then yeah, it's franken-mod time, dumpster diving into other BMW applications lol.

[whitev70r]

Thanks, now I think I remember asking some questions about this before. Good to know. Thanks.

[Klondike]

Originally Posted by RabidRat

Oh if we're going to go there: Costco failed me too on the i3.

They don't carry 155/70/19. Unacceptable and unforgivable. A blemish on their otherwise flawless record of having my back.

[red kryptonite]

just got quoted these... cheapest ive found so far.

[RabidRat]

Originally Posted by whitev70r

Thanks, now I think I remember asking some questions about this before. Good to know. Thanks.

Yeah no worries, and I have so much more to add too! We are constantly talking about how much we like this car and especially for how cheap it is to buy and run. I mean usually when you're getting a cheap get-around beater, it is a miserable penalty box. Not the i3: driving it is a delightful experience.

Also with the plastic body panels you never have to worry about dings. Doors just bounce right off. It's money in your pocket not having to buy an X5M over door ding trauma!

I even took some pictures today while out on an errand to point out to you how amazing the view out the windshield looks, and how the iDrive input system synergizes so well with CarPlay / AA. Trying to find time to post that kinda of detail in a proper review haha.

[red kryptonite]

Originally Posted by RabidRat

Yeah no worries, and I have so much more to add too! We are constantly talking about how much we like this car and especially for how cheap it is to buy and run. I mean usually when you're getting a cheap get-around beater, it is a miserable penalty box. Not the i3: driving it is a delightful experience.

Also with the plastic body panels you never have to worry about dings. Doors just bounce right off. It's money in your pocket not having to buy an X5M over door ding trauma!

I even took some pictures today while out on an errand to point out to you how amazing the view out the windshield looks, and how the iDrive input system synergizes so well with CarPlay / AA. Trying to find time to post that kinda of detail in a proper review haha.

everyday i live in fear.... just a pic from my gym parking lot, these are the idiots around me.

[twitchyzero]

Originally Posted by RabidRat

I'd totally recommend it, for sure. Especially for your use cases. Small cheap* EVs are the ideal commuter / grocery-getter cars. Costs you basically nothing to get around, you just get in and go, and help yourself to the instantaneous torque and silent operation.

how's the RR layout with torque and taller than wider dimensions in the rain?
i see people importing cc2 for them, can't wait until 2019+ are in the teen's

[EvoFire]

Originally Posted by red kryptonite

just got quoted these... cheapest ive found so far.

Oh you were looking for a G05, yeah it's nigh on impossible. It's all Pirellis because that's what BMW sells, and the sizing for most of the recent BMWs are all whack.

I'm starting to believe that nothing works particularly well on the F80 for winter. I've had Dunlop 3D and Michelin Xi3 and neither were particularly great. Michelin Xi Snow is supposed to be better but I don't need new winters yet.

[red kryptonite]

i was on bimmerpost and the guys there are running the G05 with the big brakes spec wheels for winters. so i started asking for m50 winter quotes and its $1000 cheaper.

[EvoFire]

I've got the 275 in 20" size for winters. Picked it up used wheels and tires for 2k. I'll be putting them on probably in a week or two.

[RabidRat]

Originally Posted by twitchyzero

how's the RR layout with torque and taller than wider dimensions in the rain?
i see people importing cc2 for them, can't wait until 2019+ are in the teen's

The chassis + stability control is tuned super conservatively so I've never been even close to getting the tail kicked out in the rain. Under throttle, trail braking, anything. Haven't tried driving in the snow yet though. Probably soon! It's hit 0 once or twice now in Toronto.

I think there's a test mode you can unlock that disables traction / stability but I haven't tried.

On a side note, it's kinda crazy that they went to such lengths on this car. All- carbon fiber with exposed carbon weave you can see all along the door frame and sills, and hatch area. And the net result is a cool zippy car, but obviously no where near worth the expense and effort lolol.

[EvoFire]

The i3 and i8 are really cool, and I feel like in the same vein is the last gen Prius with the CFRP hatch.

I had looked around for a i3, but they were commanding more than I want to pay for in a commuter. I was looking for the facelift with bigger battery and rex, which put me in for a 17 or 18+.

[twitchyzero]

yeah it's insanity even today, all the details came back in the munroe 10 year retrospective youtube video

they took raw fibers from japan, had them weaved in the nearby columbia gorge (similar to oceangate lol), then sent the tubs back to germany for assembly

i dont see how that supports 'sustainability' but damn do i want one

[AstulzerRZD]

Originally Posted by RabidRat

On a side note, it's kinda crazy that they went to such lengths on this car.

Still ends up being way cheaper than dealing with stamping and productionizing a body in white