[alexw]

Here’s one big win for the BMW: their customer service is MUCH better than Kia’s. I’d bring my used (CPO) cheap-as-they-sell 328 in to get a light replaced under warranty and they’d give me a loaner to get me on my way even if it might be a quick thing. They’d give you a loaner for an $80 oil change.

I bought the most expensive car Kia sells, get a ride home from a friend, then wait 5 days before they even offer me an update.

 

[alexw]

My local Kia dealer gives me a shuttle ride home and picks me up because I live within their ten mile range.

I'd love that. I live 7 miles away, and don't even really need a car 80% of the week. But my dealer just hands you the paperwork and points you to the waiting room.

I chose my FE because it is a rolling power wall. V2L sold me.

I'm actually a bit disappointed there. "V2L" as a concept promises a whole lot more than "two outlets that are slightly different kinds of inconvenient to use" I was a lot more impressed back when I thought there'd be a way to use bidirectional (AC) EVSE to power your house i.e. in an outage.

 

[alexw]

oh man, that's rough. I just test drove a loaded e40 this morning and my impression was basically it was feature-for-feature comparable to the EV6, but better in nearly every way. Certainly not so much the case without the ADAS package or the parking cameras though (which - those parking cameras blow the EV6 system out of the water).

And they're really going to command the $10k dealer markup if the ENTIRE subsequent model year can only be ordered without the goodies.

 

[alexw]

When you say the e40 was better in every way, can you elaborate. The BMW is not faster, although, it is certainly a better handling car than the EV6. I think the infotainment is also better on the BMW. What aspect of the cameras did you find better. Did the one you drive have 3D view. My car would not, as it was removed due to chip shortages. But I would be curious what else you thought was better on the BMW. I was not paying a mark-up. The car, equipped as I originally built it was 64,800. Maybe I should auction my build slot -- just kidding. But, apparently there is a long wait for the car, and of course, the tax credit will dsappear at the end of 2023, as it will for the EV6.

All just first impressions, mind:

• the best part about the EV6 physically is the same as any crossover - a hatchback with folding seats that lets you cram bulky and awkward stuff into the space however fits. Sedans are dumb in this regard - even if they've got folding seats, you still have the parcel shelf and rear windshield. The i4 gets this perfect, but in a compact and attractive sedan look. Obviously more space is nice, but day to day driving, I'd PREFER a smaller car than the EV6. i4 strikes a better balance for me with all the best sedan aspects and none of the drawbacks (since the trunk door is a hatch, and the parcel shelf is removable).
• The auto steering performs similar to the EV6, but gives you a warning to take over instead of just stopping suddenly, leaving you to realize as you drift out of the lane. Pros and cons here, but BMW's style would be my preference. Adaptive cruise works about the same as the EV6, HOWEVER it will do stop-and-go on any road, not JUST highways like the EV6. Of course, it's an option package so there's that.
• Top-tier lights, not that this bothers me as much as some about the EV6. Also probably that much more expensive to replace, though who knows how much Kia will charge.
• 360 cameras. My EV6 seems to have some alignment issues with the cameras where, farther away from the camera, the stitching is perfect, but close in, there's a jump moving from side to front or rear. I mentioned this to the dealership, but they shrugged it off and didn't do anything about it so who knows if it's fixable. In summary, parking space lines are trustworthy on the BMW system, and questionable on my EV6. There's also just a LOT more fit and finish to the system on the BMW:
  • Projected lines for all kinds of maneuvers are clearer and seem more accurate, just generally offering more info
  • The system projects ultrasonic sensor measurements in 3D into the scene, which is seems helpful and certainly looks impressive
  • Auto-park actually works. I didn't get a chance to try parallel, so I'm not sure if it's an "auto curb your rims" system like the EV6, but at least perpendicular works much more reliably.
• HUD: The EV6 HUD is useful, but somewhat half-baked. The most annoying thing is it's only sharp and crisp if you cock your head at an angle, because otherwise the reflection paths are different between your two eyes. I deal with it, but it's WILDLY better on the BMW. Seeing how good it can be actually annoys me now about how good it isn't in the EV6. Then the actual info displayed is better too - you get an actual map view in the HUD if you want it, as well as in the binnacle, neither of which Kia offers.
• Seats: This is probably the biggest one for me: the seating adjustment range is WAY wider in the BMW. You can lower your seat down quite far if you want the racecar position and tons of headroom. You can move the wheel WAY out from the dash to sit far back to kick your legs out way in front of you. Or you can sit up and high cramped up to the wheel like a grandma if that suits you. The EV6 is objectively more limiting, especially for taller people. I got a comfy seating position just test driving the BMW. I've been driving the EV6 for months and my seating position is still a compromise of preferences. I could fix it like 3 different ways in the EV6 but I'm at the max extent of adjustability already for any of them. The BMW just worked.
• Skis: the BMW has 3x independent folding seats, meaning you can fold down JUST the middle to get long items in with 4 passengers. This is not to be underestimated, especially when a roof rack costs so much (range) on an EV.
• Power: I guess the e40 is slightly less powerful than the AWD EV6? If so, it's not enough that I notice or care. Also it's a little bit more FUN to have all the power at the back rather than split like the EV6, but that's also not a huge priority for me.
• Tidbits: BMW doesn't seem to have any of those head-scratching "how did they let that happen?" quirks like a wireless charging pad with wired-only carplay, or power modes that mimic an ICE vehicle and force you to turn off the car manually or let you enter "accessory mode" where your stereo will drain your 12V battery in half an hour.

Comparing the two directly, it just becomes obvious in the details that the EV6 is a little cut-rate, and BMW took a little more time and money to dial in the finer points.

 

[alexw]

Yeah, that sucks - would be a dealbreaker for me as well.