[Parax]

Interesting head to head on the top* two EREV's
http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/bmw/i3/bmw-i3-vs-vauxhall-ampera/1292236


*only two on the road so far???

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

Having driven both I believe that a fair write up IMO

 

[Andy]

That was a good read. I thought it would have been fairer if they'd mentioned just how much cheaper the Ampera actually is when you look at the deals currently available.

Describing the noise the REx makes as "rather like a helicopter in the distance" makes a nice change from the lazy-ass "lawnmower" description that's been used in just about every other review.

I remember the author of that article doing a pretty good video review of the i3 at the end of last year. WhatCar also have an i3 REx as a long term test car so they seem to 'get' EV's and have a pretty good and balanced view on them IMO.

 

[Parax]

But a Lawnmower is just an Inverted Helicopter..

Not sure about the time to charge from a 13a socket being similar!

And puzzled by the Ampera brakes comment..
"the brake pedal response is inconsistent and hard to modulate regardless."
anyone else have issues?
(obviously the heavier car takes longer to stop)

 

[Paul]

But a Lawnmower is just an Inverted Helicopter..

Cylinder helicopter?

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

I have some issues with the lack of smoothness of the brakes but only when almost at the point of stopping (<5mph) then they can be a little snappy and difficult to modulate.

This is a valid criticism IMO but a small issue except that it makes smooth stops a little tricky but that is so much put into the shade by the rest of the driving experience that it doesn't bother me at all but I could see it bothering some.

 

[h8ten]

One wee error:-
'Standard equipment is impressive in both. Alloy wheels, Bluetooth connectivity, a USB socket, a DAB radio, climate control and automatic lights and wipers are standard,...'
No automatic wipers on the Ampera, not even an option.

 

[purpleperil]

Have no problem with brakes on mine - have you lot got lead feet
The verdict regards the i3 making more sense is nonsensical - certainly wouldn't make more sense for me as I'd be visiting petrol stations too often. They should qualify their comment as I assume they mean makes more sense as a city car whereas the Ampera makes more sense as a company reps car.

 

[Lee Howard]

I agree with the comments about Volt/Ampera low-speed braking, visibility, and not-quite-perfect responsiveness/feel of the touch-buttons on the center console. Don't get me wrong - I love driving the Volt (and always drive in "sport" mode).

I wonder if the braking matter has to do with the smoothness of the transition between regen-only braking and the application of the disc brakes. It seems to apply the disc brakes a bit too harshly when coasting slowly on regen and then depressing the brake pedal gently a bit more... when the disc brakes are applied there seems to be a disproportionate slow-down compared to pedal depression.

 

[Lee Dalton]

I don't find the braking all that smooth on my ampera when coming to a halt, but I think that's because I generally use the regenerative system to slow me down to under 10mph. If I brake from 25mph upwards to a stop, they are much smoother, so I assume the 'grabbing' is the switch from regen to friction braking.?

 

[LK13]

I think the feature of progressive regen via the brake pedal is an outstanding feature of the Ampera and if it means a slight hiccup at 2 mph so be it. I believe many people would not even notice it. It also means that for any retardation the brake lights come on. I only use 'L' in a similar manner to a change to a lower gear on an ICE when going down long steep hills.

 

[Geoff]

Interesting article. There was a poor distance on the battery achieved on the Ampera but if the same driver did both tests then the ratio should be a fair comparison. They compared the charging but did not say that the Ampera will charge in 6 hours using a domestic socket and as I understand the i3 can fast charge to 80% in 20 minutes.
I wonder how servicing costs compare?

 

[Andy]

I wonder how servicing costs compare?

The servicing pack on the i3 REx is £375 for 5 years. Is there something similar for the Ampera?

 

[Paul]

One wee error:-
'Standard equipment is impressive in both. Alloy wheels, Bluetooth connectivity, a USB socket, a DAB radio, climate control and automatic lights and wipers are standard,...'
No automatic wipers on the Ampera, not even an option.

Automatic lights and wipers? As in the lights are auto, and you get wipers.

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

I miss the auto wipers on the Ampera. I have them on the Leaf and they work very well.

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

The servicing pack on the i3 REx is £375 for 5 years. Is there something similar for the Ampera?

I don't know about fixed price servicing for the Ampera as I got mine shortly after launch and there was no fixed-priced package available at that time but I pay about £120 a year on my Ampera.

 

[Andy]

On this subject, here's another new Ampera -vs- i3 REx review to read

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/BMW-i3-Range-Extender-vs-Vauxhall-Ampera-2014-CAR-feature-review/

We've moved from lawnmower to helicopter to "Buzz-saw drone". Pffffft !

 

[Parax]

On this subject, here's another new Ampera -vs- i3 REx to read
http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/BMW-i3-Range-Extender-vs-Vauxhall-Ampera-2014-CAR-feature-review/
We've moved from lawnmower to helicopter to "Buzz-saw drone". Pffffft !

That review is wrong technically on so many levels I don't know where to start!

so I picked this:
"At motorway speeds, the e-motors work together for maximum efficiency, as long as cell-power allows. Nail the throttle, and the petrol motor clutches onto the wheels via a CVT ‘gearbox’."
er that'll be the prius.. the Ampera is EV even when you nail the throttle. It uses a planetary gear for merging the second motive source there is no CVT.

 

[Geoff]

The servicing pack on the i3 REx is £375 for 5 years. Is there something similar for the Ampera?

We pay just under £20 per month for a 3 year service contract which includes the first MOT

 

[h8ten]

Part of my 'Ampera Owners Package' when I bought mine included 3 years free servicing.