Li Auto i8

Let me share my driving experience of the past few days. Since I picked up the car, I've been driving it almost every day and have basically got the hang of its basic functions. First, let me share my wife's thoughts:

1. It's quiet. The noise is really low. You could almost say it's like a sealed space.
2. Gentle (?). We have a ten - month - old baby at home. It's easiest to lull the baby to sleep in this car. But when we used to drive the old S4, the baby would always be jolted awake on speed bumps or special road surfaces. With the i8, we don't have this problem. Coupled with the quiet space, as my wife puts it, it's like a moving cradle.
3. The rear - row screen is too big. If the second - row passengers aren't lying down, the screen is almost right in their faces, whether they're adults or kids. It's tiring for adults to look at, let alone kids. If you want to let the kids watch something occasionally, it's better to install the child safety seat in the third row.
4. The autonomous driving is really scary. It doesn't slow down at merging points, which scares her so much that her heart beats like crazy. I don't really agree with this point personally.

Now, here are my own feelings:

1. As the main driver, the VLA assisted driving really saves me a lot of effort. Although it takes away some of the driving pleasure, isn't that what I bought it for? I used to drive performance cars, which was so tiring. Now, it's really comfortable! Nothing is perfect. As a driver and a father, I can't fully trust the assisted driving. After all, it's not omnipotent. In general, I still need to take over for 5% - 10% of the total driving distance. The main reason is that there are too many rule - breaking drivers on the road. Also, because the VLA follows the rules strictly, sometimes it can't merge into traffic at intersections or ramps in time (seriously, no one gives way), which may cause you to miss an intersection or ramp. You need to pay attention to this. It's better to take over the driving yourself when exiting a ramp in heavy traffic. Saving effort doesn't mean peace of mind. This is true for all assisted driving systems, whether in the past or in the future. Your life is your own. No amount of money can compensate for the lives of you and your family.
2. The road - feel filtering is really strong, which is what my wife calls "gentle". Let me give you an example. It rained heavily in Beijing yesterday. Since I had to go out to get the car registered today because I'm going to get the window tinting done, when I drove through areas with standing water, it was like driving a boat. I hardly felt any resistance. When passing over bumps, the shock absorption was so good that I hardly felt like I was driving on an uneven road. I knew I was on an irregular road surface, but I didn't know what I was running over. It was extremely comfortable.
3. I think it's fair to say that the i8 is a big toy for adults. In the past few days since I picked up the car, I've been researching how to set up the in - car system and how to use the Task Master to make my driving more convenient and safe. It's definitely a blessing for tech enthusiasts. I'm sure many tech lovers will agree with me.
4. In terms of energy consumption, I estimate I've driven about 355 km since I picked up the car, and there's still 41% of the battery left. Overall, it's within my expectations.

¡¾Subjective Experience¡¿

1. Driving Experience:
When the air suspension is at its lowest, it feels like a sedan; when it's at its highest, it feels like an SUV. The NVH performance is top - notch. I reckon only Mega or top - end luxury cars are better.

2. Assisted Driving:
During my commute from parking space to parking space, it's too conservative in handling competitive situations during peak hours. Usually, I can't help but intervene.

3. Infotainment System Functions:
The infotainment system of Li Auto generally gets high marks. The intercom function for the third row is quite interesting, and there's also automatic suspension adjustment. The voice control is very powerful, allowing you to operate various apps via voice.

4. Range and Fuel Consumption:
Currently, the driving power consumption is around 15. The power consumption of other electrical appliances varies from person to person.

5. Function Layout:
There is a lot of storage space in the four door panels and below the center console, which is actually sufficient for daily use. There's also storage space in front of the second - row seats. It's no problem for a family of six to travel daily.

6. Modification and Installation:
I prefer to use the car without any modifications, but I bought an air mattress. I have photos, and the result is okay.

Car Usage Experience
1?? I was one of the first batch of car owners in Beijing on August 20th. After the delivery in Shijingshan that morning, I went directly to have the car wrapped. It was 40 kilometers from the park to the car wrapping shop. The overall initial experience was really great. Compared with my previous fuel-powered car, it was like a cross-era experience. The comfortable seats and interior, the smooth interaction with the car's infotainment system, the intelligent assisted driving...
2?? It's been 10 days since I picked up the car. Considering the time for window tinting, I've actually driven it for a week and covered 900 kilometers.
First of all, what I'm most satisfied with about the i8 is its NVH. Compared with my previous fuel-powered car, it's really a pleasant surprise. Whether on the highway or in urban traffic, it's very quiet. With the music playing inside the car, you can hardly feel much outside noise, making the journey truly enjoyable.
3?? I won't go into too much detail about Li Auto's excellent interior and intelligent driving, as they're already among the best in the industry. Compared with the previous Mega, the i8 has upgraded seats with better wrapping and lateral support. Due to its shape, when changing lanes or taking turns, it lacks the "boat-like" feeling of the L series and feels more like a sedan. This also impressed me a lot.
4?? Energy consumption is what everyone cares about the most. In my usage scenario with my family of three, with the front and rear air - conditioners on full blast. Under normal urban driving conditions without aggressive driving, the power consumption is 14 - 15 kWh per 100 kilometers. When I drive aggressively alone, the power consumption is around 17 - 18 kWh per 100 kilometers.
Converted to range:
Normally, it can travel 580 - 620 kilometers.
When driving aggressively, it can go 450 - 500 kilometers.
On the highway, it can cover about 400 kilometers.
The above data is from when I hardly used NOA. It will be more energy - efficient if NOA is used on the highway.
As for charging, I haven't charged the car outside yet. The electricity price in Beijing is 0.45 yuan per kWh. It costs about 44 yuan to fully charge the 97 - kWh battery.
Disadvantages and Shortcomings
Of course, every car has its pros and cons. After a week with the i8, there are a few things I'm not very satisfied with.
1?? The internal small details are not refined enough. Although the i - series in this generation has upgraded a lot in terms of interior, details such as the fabric on the roof, the physical buttons of the second - row air - conditioner, and having to manually push to close the fridge, I think Li Auto could do better. Oh, and the i8 doesn't have a fragrance system... It can only be said that Li Auto is very precise in its product segmentation, probably preparing for the subsequent i9.