All other reviews of this car are far more positive. You have a fantastic futuristic looking car, that drives beautifully. You have the flexibility to be very economic utilising the battery options or sport mode gives it the kick when required. The doors only require 52cm clearance to open so not a lot different to a normal car. There is a 2nd 12v power socket under the glovebox meaning you could charge a 2nd phone. The key (if you wish to use the display key) can be charged by the induction. The rear opening window is a real plus, allowing fresh air in from the rear without the noise. All in all, its a great car.
I own one and had exactly the same thoughts you articulated when I watched this video. Some of what he says makes me wonder if he gets the i8 at all. There are lots of more accurate and positive reviews and he leaves out so many of the incredible things about the i8. His comments about understeer are way overblown for the 2019, maybe more of a point with the early year models, but he is driving a 2019 Roadster. I've driven a lot of racecars and know what understeer is. Who is this guy??
@@rodgerlee7302 Hope you are still enjoying your i8 Roger. When I was shopping around a few years ago, I finally went for one that I liked. Whilst I was waiting, I checked out some TH-cam reviews, and discovered this review was actually the car that I had bought! 😀. I recognised the number plate.
@@cobby4444 thanks for sharing that. Fun coincidence! How is the car performing for you thus far? I find that many reviews overplay the idea that the doors might be a problem in tight parking spaces. However, I find the opposite so far. In many cases the doors are easier to open without risk of banging the car next to me. Sure, I can see the potential to have the door trapped by a car too close, but that happens to me with normal car doors.
Review was a bit half baked. No mention of the performance for the price. Did you think it was fast? Is the 3 cylinder smooth? Is the transition between electric and petrol seemless and hard to notice? Is the car incredibly quiet and cosseting? The car actually does 45mpg in comfort mode and yes, 30mpg in sport but you didn’t mention that 30mins in sport will give you 8miles or so ‘free’ electric miles.
James Batchelor is the reason why I am now unsubscribing from this channel. It was good with the old team but this bloke has no idea on cars or how to review them. Think Carbuyer must have been desperate when they employed him. I notice that all the other move on but he is stuck there, because nobody else will have him.
i took mine away to do a 2 week road trip to france, switzerland and the italian lakes,, absolutly no problem with luggage space, the shelf behind the seats takes 2 cabin bags and the boot will take a medium suitcase + a small squashy bag, i did 1750 miles and managed 42 mpg over the trip and that was only being charged in the uk before going on the eurotunnel,
I actually really love this review. I'm sorry there are so many people that are just looking for positive reinforcement that the BMW i8 is awesome. Granted, hands down the i8 one of the most striking and beautiful cars ever produced, in my opinion. For someone like me, who is thinking of buying one now in 2024, knowing full well that the car is out of production for 5 years, so even a 2019 roadster with low mileage is "the end of the road". It is a sad reality, so a video like this is invaluable. - Good point about the narrow tires, producing understeering - Good point about getting in and out of the car - it is actually quite difficult to exit the vehicle gracefully - Excellent point about the windows not rolling down fully, leaving that annoying 5 cm of window glass, so you cannot rest your arm out the window. - Good point about the noise with the windows down, even with the glass diffuser. Probably best to only drive the roadster with the roof off when going through winding roads < 45 MPH. For highway driving, the noise is probably too much. The other thing I would worry about with buying a hybrid is an ageing battery. It is well known that batteries lose their power with age, especially after repeated charge - discharge cycles. Think about your cell phone battery life after only 2 years of use. Now imagine your car having similar issues. i would like to know if it truly is a viable option to drive the car in electric only mode in 2024, or will most of these batteries be so worn out, that the "hybrid" portion is now just theory, and the car has to only be driven in sport mode. The final comments about the comparison between a Porsche 911 Carrera and the Mercedes Benz AMG GT are excellent comparison cars, that absolutely must be evaluated by prospective buyers before buying the BMW i8. I myself am trying to decide if the unique looks of the i8 are worth it, or if it makes more sense to get a used Porsche 911 cabriolet of similar age, for a very similar price. Yes, you won't be as unique on the road, but that car will have far superior performance and handling than the i8. I wish there was an aftermarket for this car, for example the option to buy a new replacement battery with a larger capacity, to allow maybe 100 - 150 miles range. Would also have been amazing to have the evolution of this line continue, with newer models having electric motors for each wheel, similar to the Tesla Model S plaid. I could only imagine a "souped up" BMW i8 with a 450 HB combustion engine, and with more powerful electric motors providing 400 additional HP, even if there was a 500 pound battery pack along the bottom of the vehicle.
Not the only one, I’ve sat in multiple of them and I must say (unpopular opinion incoming) I like it more than most Lamborghinis / Ferraris from the last decade.
You buy this car not for speed, but the technology behind it.. Bmw made this future proof.. I saw some shops tuned the 1.5l engine.. It hits 400 ish hp combined power.. Not bad for 1.5 liter turbocharged engine
The reason for the car looking like that and the cars aspects are for the safety BMWs aren’t made for speed they are made for safety and a luxurious look
Personally I hate reviews of left hand drive cars. Shifting with your right hand would take some getting used to. And those skinny tires... ugh why aren't tired consumable items
So what you're saying really is that it's an expensive waste of time and really only belongs in a museum I seriously don't think this is the way forward then must be something better than this hybrid nonsense cheers Phil
I’d like to mention that there are obviously no door bins because when the doors are upside down, everything will fall out. Doesn’t take 2.5 years of ownership to work that one out
I dont mean to be off topic but does any of you know a trick to get back into an instagram account..? I somehow lost the password. I would appreciate any tips you can give me!
The reviewer is useless he never shows the car he just prattles on describing things he could have shown, like the dated dash .He does this on all his reviews i think he thinks we are watch them because we want to see him not the CARS . MUCH BETTER CHANNEL CARWOW
Having owned the coupe I can tell you there is another 12v outlet under the passenger dashboard below the glove box :) plug your phone in there - I also never had an issue with the battery on the display key proving your not messing with it every 5 mins like a mobile.
I think leaning over to get your car parking ticket is the least of your worries. In today's car parks with narrow bays how on earth are you going to get in and out of the car with those doors...
Can this car have higher ground clearance? Being an Indian, we prefer little higher cars and this car is one of my dream car and though I want, I won't be able to drive coz its little too low...
Referring to the interior buttons and stuff are not new. Like Mercedes SL cars still, use the same buttons & interface in every model No matter what the year is. I think that is what he's trying to say. I don't agree with him. I think the i8s styling is beyond its time :D
don't listen to all the kids that need some fancy buttons and styling. I agree that it's not the most futuristic interior but it's classy and a sports car doesn't need more . You got all you need right there easy and simple with an elegant design. I like it.
There seems to be a fault with this BMW. At 6:30 there is a flashing orange light on the front of the car. I've never seen that on a BMW before. Hopefully BMW can sort this out before it starts to spread.
All other reviews of this car are far more positive. You have a fantastic futuristic looking car, that drives beautifully. You have the flexibility to be very economic utilising the battery options or sport mode gives it the kick when required. The doors only require 52cm clearance to open so not a lot different to a normal car. There is a 2nd 12v power socket under the glovebox meaning you could charge a 2nd phone. The key (if you wish to use the display key) can be charged by the induction. The rear opening window is a real plus, allowing fresh air in from the rear without the noise. All in all, its a great car.
I own one and had exactly the same thoughts you articulated when I watched this video. Some of what he says makes me wonder if he gets the i8 at all. There are lots of more accurate and positive reviews and he leaves out so many of the incredible things about the i8. His comments about understeer are way overblown for the 2019, maybe more of a point with the early year models, but he is driving a 2019 Roadster. I've driven a lot of racecars and know what understeer is. Who is this guy??
@@rodgerlee7302 Hope you are still enjoying your i8 Roger. When I was shopping around a few years ago, I finally went for one that I liked. Whilst I was waiting, I checked out some TH-cam reviews, and discovered this review was actually the car that I had bought! 😀. I recognised the number plate.
@@cobby4444 thanks for sharing that. Fun coincidence! How is the car performing for you thus far? I find that many reviews overplay the idea that the doors might be a problem in tight parking spaces. However, I find the opposite so far. In many cases the doors are easier to open without risk of banging the car next to me. Sure, I can see the potential to have the door trapped by a car too close, but that happens to me with normal car doors.
Review was a bit half baked. No mention of the performance for the price. Did you think it was fast? Is the 3 cylinder smooth? Is the transition between electric and petrol seemless and hard to notice? Is the car incredibly quiet and cosseting? The car actually does 45mpg in comfort mode and yes, 30mpg in sport but you didn’t mention that 30mins in sport will give you 8miles or so ‘free’ electric miles.
James Batchelor is the reason why I am now unsubscribing from this channel. It was good with the old team but this bloke has no idea on cars or how to review them. Think Carbuyer must have been desperate when they employed him. I notice that all the other move on but he is stuck there, because nobody else will have him.
Ye but we now know the dash is dated lol
"Review was a bit half baked"
The sly dig at a man dressed in baked bean colour trousers.
To be fair he mentions the horsepower at about @5:00 and mentions the handling @7:20.
When you buy car to go with your pants...
...you know when you've been Tango'd
How do you know what colour his pants are? Have you got x-ray eyes??
Gandalf606 yes, I’m also known as Kal- L or Clark Kent
They’re not pants they’re trousers.
This guy got the right idea! He wore the brown pants!!
i took mine away to do a 2 week road trip to france, switzerland and the italian lakes,, absolutly no problem with luggage space, the shelf behind the seats takes 2 cabin bags and the boot will take a medium suitcase + a small squashy bag, i did 1750 miles and managed 42 mpg over the trip and that was only being charged in the uk before going on the eurotunnel,
This is 1 of the most beautiful things ever
awesome car. have done a 2 week road trip in one with two people. although not much storage, if you pack smart, it's doable. so much fun. great review
I actually really love this review. I'm sorry there are so many people that are just looking for positive reinforcement that the BMW i8 is awesome. Granted, hands down the i8 one of the most striking and beautiful cars ever produced, in my opinion. For someone like me, who is thinking of buying one now in 2024, knowing full well that the car is out of production for 5 years, so even a 2019 roadster with low mileage is "the end of the road". It is a sad reality, so a video like this is invaluable.
- Good point about the narrow tires, producing understeering
- Good point about getting in and out of the car - it is actually quite difficult to exit the vehicle gracefully
- Excellent point about the windows not rolling down fully, leaving that annoying 5 cm of window glass, so you cannot rest your arm out the window.
- Good point about the noise with the windows down, even with the glass diffuser. Probably best to only drive the roadster with the roof off when going through winding roads < 45 MPH. For highway driving, the noise is probably too much.
The other thing I would worry about with buying a hybrid is an ageing battery. It is well known that batteries lose their power with age, especially after repeated charge - discharge cycles. Think about your cell phone battery life after only 2 years of use. Now imagine your car having similar issues. i would like to know if it truly is a viable option to drive the car in electric only mode in 2024, or will most of these batteries be so worn out, that the "hybrid" portion is now just theory, and the car has to only be driven in sport mode.
The final comments about the comparison between a Porsche 911 Carrera and the Mercedes Benz AMG GT are excellent comparison cars, that absolutely must be evaluated by prospective buyers before buying the BMW i8. I myself am trying to decide if the unique looks of the i8 are worth it, or if it makes more sense to get a used Porsche 911 cabriolet of similar age, for a very similar price. Yes, you won't be as unique on the road, but that car will have far superior performance and handling than the i8.
I wish there was an aftermarket for this car, for example the option to buy a new replacement battery with a larger capacity, to allow maybe 100 - 150 miles range.
Would also have been amazing to have the evolution of this line continue, with newer models having electric motors for each wheel, similar to the Tesla Model S plaid. I could only imagine a "souped up" BMW i8 with a 450 HB combustion engine, and with more powerful electric motors providing 400 additional HP, even if there was a 500 pound battery pack along the bottom of the vehicle.
Trousers match the seats.
Some poor editing in this review, especially in the first half.
Not only do you look like will from the invetweeners but you sound like him too
Lmao so True
Briefcase wanker
am i the only one who loves the interior of this car?
Yes!
Not the only one, I’ve sat in multiple of them and I must say (unpopular opinion incoming) I like it more than most Lamborghinis / Ferraris from the last decade.
You buy this car not for speed, but the technology behind it.. Bmw made this future proof.. I saw some shops tuned the 1.5l engine.. It hits 400 ish hp combined power.. Not bad for 1.5 liter turbocharged engine
Awesome review, James.
Love from Cape Town, South Africa.
Needs sharper creases and is a hideous shade of Orange, but that's enough about the trousers..
I’d be worried about the depreciation levels
your name could not match better with this car
The reason for the car looking like that and the cars aspects are for the safety BMWs aren’t made for speed they are made for safety and a luxurious look
I just saw this today outside the spa. Looking good, but I dont know about the color tho
You’ve copied the carwow thumbnail
Is it powered by Duracells or is it only the paint job that is sponsored by Duracell?
Does bmw i8 not have blind spot detection, if so what do people do?
£12,000? More not that much?!?, your getting payed too much!, £12,000....that’s a new Car to some!
I can almost feel the understeer!
What colour is that lads pants.my god.
I liked the model and mileage.
But that much money for 2 seats ?
Great review 👍
It is not a range extender like the i3, unlike that one, in this one the engine drives the rear wheels.
The door alone is a feat of engineering. Now a proper two seater.
intentionaly match the pants ?
Great review, James!
Coo pay or coop which is the right pronunciation
I mean I don’t remember typing in “ negatives about the BMW i8” there’s literally no talk on the positives of the car
He’s got no legs 😳
What on earth are you talking about
🤣🤣🤣
@@BobaShakeMallow he's got no legs
Personally I hate reviews of right-hand-drive cars. Shifting gears left-handed would take some getting used to. And those skinny tires... ugh.
Personally I hate reviews of left hand drive cars. Shifting with your right hand would take some getting used to. And those skinny tires... ugh why aren't tired consumable items
Those pants....didnt even see the car
FujinBeatz trousers
Dunno who this guy is but I'd not trust him with my car 'cos most of the time he's only got one hand on the wheel.
This still gets manufactured?
lool, the urge to change models every 2 years pointless.......make for 6-10 years its still selling. theres 3 in my area
These pants + The car + Some pumpkins would be great for the upcoming halloween! Great review tho!
Not as fast as it looks LOL
I don’t think its a good car with its price.
there is no eleante way to get inside the i8 sadly
The review is like as if he(british) hates germans.
WHAT ARE THOSEEEEE????????
What’s happens to Matt
If you mean Mat Watson, he's got his own channel now: Carwow
So what you're saying really is that it's an expensive waste of time and really only belongs in a museum I seriously don't think this is the way forward then must be something better than this hybrid nonsense cheers Phil
Why do I feel like the hype for the i8 lasted shorter than my phone battery life
Why? Just get a 911..
😡
Disappointed car for disappointment company
Visually stunning........ electrically garbage. 33 miles????? Take out the gas engine and give it 300 miles of eletric range.
Carbuyer seems to be knockoff of carwow.
fishy fishy a not so good one too
Actually, it's the other way round (go back and see the Mat Watson reviews on Carbuyer).
33 miles range on electric motor is a joke ,car manufacturers should do a bit more than that.
This guy is so creepy
BRAKE horse power, left side driving... i guess all british are born legs first....
wtf are you on about
Futuristic-looking but not good-looking in my opinion.
This car is a flop end of story.
theres 3 in my area ppl buyin them
I’d like to mention that there are obviously no door bins because when the doors are upside down, everything will fall out. Doesn’t take 2.5 years of ownership to work that one out
Here have a medal for pointing out the bleeding obvious *
Lmao like you can afford that you bum
Get your phone then oof your phone is dead
I dont mean to be off topic but does any of you know a trick to get back into an instagram account..?
I somehow lost the password. I would appreciate any tips you can give me!
@Micah Kairo Instablaster :)
Im not normally to keen on the design of BMW's generally but I do really love the external design of this car.
I8 bmw keh
Let's face it, if there were door pockets, when you open the doors everything will fall out
The reviewer is useless he never shows the car he just prattles on describing things he could have shown, like the dated dash .He does this on all his reviews i think he thinks we are watch them because we want to see him not the CARS . MUCH BETTER CHANNEL CARWOW
This thing is a goddamn icon.
Having owned the coupe I can tell you there is another 12v outlet under the passenger dashboard below the glove box :) plug your phone in there - I also never had an issue with the battery on the display key proving your not messing with it every 5 mins like a mobile.
I think leaning over to get your car parking ticket is the least of your worries. In today's car parks with narrow bays how on earth are you going to get in and out of the car with those doors...
I wanted to buy this car but when I saw terrifying thing of windows not coming all the way down - no way I'm gonna get it!...
Same here, not enough cup holders, and to think I almost bought it 😳
Can this car have higher ground clearance? Being an Indian, we prefer little higher cars and this car is one of my dream car and though I want, I won't be able to drive coz its little too low...
If I can’t store a McDonald’s in it I’m not buying it 😕
How does that interior look dated!!???
Referring to the interior buttons and stuff are not new. Like Mercedes SL cars still, use the same buttons & interface in every model No matter what the year is. I think that is what he's trying to say.
I don't agree with him. I think the i8s styling is beyond its time :D
It looks incredibly dated.
don't listen to all the kids that need some fancy buttons and styling. I agree that it's not the most futuristic interior but it's classy and a sports car doesn't need more . You got all you need right there easy and simple with an elegant design. I like it.
All of a sudden I have a craving for a pumpkin latte....(the horror)
I really miss bag of crisps test. Mat? Why'd you do that? :(
I'll have to get some midgit friends
If u like it , you ll buy it
If u don’t like it , you won’t buy it
That’s it .
How do you get in or out in tight parking spaces? If there was door bins stuff would fall out when you open the door.
That is my dream car
Why did he choose to wear those trousers?
There seems to be a fault with this BMW. At 6:30 there is a flashing orange light on the front of the car. I've never seen that on a BMW before. Hopefully BMW can sort this out before it starts to spread.
Prototype indicators or just James' trousers?
Not sure about that colour.
Or the colour of the car come to that.
Is this electric car
Futuristic looking German Prius.
Those doors are irrational...
wow
"Dated dashboard"?, how to improve on perfection...... booring narrator, very silly
I'll take tesla any day
Amazing 😀 😀 2018 bmw i8 review .
I have crippling depression
Vines will help you out