BMW i3

Something is amiss with my ears. The medical term, I believe, is ‘auris defectivus’. The fact that I’m half deaf in my left ear and supersensitive to noise is definitely not the i3’s fault, though. In fact, more than ever I’m grateful to be running a car as quiet as the electric BMW.

Because of my wonky ears, I now drive with the stereo permanently off. again, it’s got nothing to do with the quality of the upgraded Harman/Kardon sound system, which is top notch; it’s simply more comfortable for me. The cathedral-like serenity inside the cabin is actually just as enjoyable as anything the sound system could produce.

One reader had this to say about his i3 in comparison with his 2013 Mercedes-Benz S350 CDI: “While the S-class makes very little noise, it can’t compete with something that makes no noise. When I get into the Mercedes and start it up, I think, ‘really? Do we need all this commotion?’.” That sums up the i3’s achievement nicely.

The i3 isn’t completely silent as it glides along, of course. The absence of engine noise tends to highlight the occasional suspension clonk at low speeds, some tyre and wind noise on the motorway and even the hum of the climate control, and there’s a thrum from the rear when the range extender is running, but very few conventionally powered cars can compare with the i3’s soothing sense of refinement, especially if they run on nasty old diesel.

Meanwhile, the i3 has been throwing up phantom collision warnings and pedestrian alerts on wet, foggy or frosty mornings. as the day warms up and the moisture evaporates, they tend to disappear. This quirk isn’t specific to the i3; an M4 I drove recently did likewise.

Still, the i3 had no trouble coping with runs from London to Oxford and down to the south coast over Christmas. Colder weather may have affected its range a little, but the i3’s everyday usability remains as outstanding as ever.