BMW i8 - Things You Should Know Before Buying

The BMW i8 is one of the most sought after cars of the moment and there’s no doubt about it. At the moment, the waiting list is one year long which means that if you order one now, you’ll be getting it in November 2015.

Sounds discouraging, right? Well, it might very well be but we’re optimists around here and though that even though you have one year to prepare for your very first ride in the i8, it’s not too early to start right now.

Therefore, we put together a couple of tips for you, things you should know before starting the 1.5-liter 3-cylinder engine in the back and roll off the dealership’s parking lot.

Be careful with the sport mode

The i8 can be driven in a couple of different modes, just like any other BMW of late. However, since it has such a high desirability, it will probably attract a lot of customers that are new to the blue and white roundel company. That means, they’re not particularly familiar with the way the automatic gearshift knob works.

BMW’s system is a bit special compared to others and, in order to get to manually shift your gears, you’ll have to tilt the lever to the left. Pushing and pulling will shift up and down respectively. However, that’s all you’ll be able to do. In order to go backwards or put the car in neutral, you’ll have to tilt the lever to the right. That’s something newbies will forget about.

It might sound stupid and logical but trust us when we tell you that you might be surprised a couple of times. It’s better to be prepared, especially since we’re sure you’re going to drive this car in sport mode.

The fuel consumption is not going to be what you expect

BMW claims that the i8 will do 121 mpg (2.1 l/100 km) but the EPA found the cars it tested a bit more thirsty. Basically they said that it sips 4 times more from the tank, rating it at 28 mpg (8.4 l/100 km) on a combined cycle. Sure, your results will differ but we reckon the EPA was a bit too harsh here.

Owners claim that their cars usually return between 30 and 35 mpg (7.8 l/100 km - 6.7 l/100 km). Better results can be achieved if you also charge the car but the ones we mentioned were recorded without ever charging the battery alone. All the drivers seem to prefer to just fill up the tank and go, leaving the internal-combustion unit to work as a generator as well.