BMW Brilliance iX3

### I. The Process of Choosing the IX3
1. In June this year, I saw the oil price skyrocketing. The price of 92-octane gasoline had risen to over 9 yuan. Coupled with the fact that my old car had been in use for nearly 10 years, I made up my mind to switch to an electric vehicle.
2. Most of the people around me had bought the Model Y. I couldn't resist trying it out, but I found it too basic. There was just a single screen, which didn't suit my taste. I could barely get used to the single-pedal mode, but I just couldn't stand that jerky feeling.

### II. Usage
1. I bought the Creation Edition with an exterior in black and an interior in brown. I think BMW's black is quite classic. It even shows a hint of blue under the sun. The only drawback is that black gets dirty easily. It gets covered with a layer of dust in 2 - 3 days, so I have to wash the car frequently. Fortunately, I usually do it myself.
2. After buying an electric car, I felt like it lacked something without a charging pile. So, I rented a parking space in the community where I live in Baiyun (you can apply for a charging pile as long as you have a one- or two-year lease agreement, which is very easy). This way, I've achieved free charging using a 380V 11kW charger. Generally, when the remaining range is about 100 kilometers, I schedule the charging to start at 12 noon, and it's usually fully charged by around 4:30 p.m. The performance is quite good.
3. In terms of driving experience, BMW's handling is beyond doubt. I've also driven the fuel - powered X3, and I feel that the electric vehicle is smoother and more refined. The BMW logo is really worth it. Sometimes, some of the assisted driving functions can be a bit of a headache, but you'll understand once you've driven it.
4. Regarding the range, the power consumption is around 15 - 16 kWh per 100 kilometers. Generally, after a full charge, based on the dashboard display and actual estimates: in stop - and - go city traffic, the range is about 380 kilometers; in a mix of city and expressway driving, it's about 420 kilometers; on the highway at a speed of 100 kilometers per hour, it's about 460 kilometers, and at 120 kilometers per hour, it's about 390 kilometers. However, in cold weather, the range decreases by about 30 - 50 kilometers. This is the basic power consumption performance. In reality, I don't wait until the battery is completely empty to charge. I charge according to the dashboard display. BMW's dashboard display assesses the remaining range based on the current driving conditions, which is quite good. I usually go to charge when there's over 100 kilometers of range left. So, to be precise, this car needs to be charged after driving about 300 kilometers. It's more troublesome on the highway. The highway charging piles charge 1.8 yuan per kWh without a time - of - use tariff, so it's not very convenient for long - distance trips. But it's sufficient for my daily commute between Baiyun and Panyu in Guangzhou. I used to take the Huaguang Expressway to Panyu Bridge when driving a fuel - powered car. Now, after switching to the IX3, I take Guangzhou Avenue directly to Panyu because the highway toll is 21 yuan, while a single charge only costs me a dozen yuan. So, I usually take the slower route.

### III. Minor Modifications
Seeing that many people on the forum had problems with the drive shaft due to circuit modifications, I dare not make major circuit changes. I just want to modify some small things that don't involve the circuit, just to make do.
1. Since I use a Huawei phone and don't want to use a wired connection, I bought a car - use adapter on Taobao and installed it in the armrest box interface to achieve wireless HiCar. It's really useful. It automatically connects as soon as I get in the car (as long as Wi - Fi and Bluetooth are on and not connected to other devices). There are no problems with navigation or listening to music. It's so great.
2. I can't afford to replace the crystal gear lever, but I still want to make the car look nicer and cover the original blue color (actually, I don't want to change the circuit). After searching on Taobao for a long time, I finally bought a crystal two - piece set and a suede gear lever cover.
3. The steering wheel cover was sewn by my wife (I even want to say that I wouldn't mind having more wives like her). It's perfect. After sewing, the hand - feel is immediately upgraded. It's definitely worth installing. It not only protects the original steering wheel but also improves the hand - feel. However, if you're not skilled, it will take 3 - 4 hours. As the saying goes, no pain, no gain.

The replacement cycle of electric vehicles is extremely rapid. BMW's off - the - beaten - track electric vehicle meets my daily driving needs and offers the handling experience characteristic of BMW. Whether it is highly intelligent or not doesn't matter much. What truly counts is a comfortable and safe driving and riding experience. There is no 100% perfect car; there are only the big toys we personally favor. The overall "Black Knight" exterior looks really cool, and the red interior is also quite appealing. The plastic on the center console control panel requires extra care. As for the intelligence, it's okay. What on earth can we do with it in the car? Isn't the most important thing to drive safely? So, large connected screens and assisted driving features can be sacrificed. I'm still getting used to operating the electric vehicle. Once I get used to the regenerative braking, there won't be many problems. I'm still exploring other aspects. Overall, I'm having a great experience. It's like being in the honeymoon phase, and I can't help but look at it more often every day. I haven't experienced the charging process of the vehicle yet since it's not time for the first charge. The sense of novelty is still strong, and I'm constantly buying various small accessories. Based on the current situation, the actual range should be a bit over 400 kilometers, close to 500. I'm looking forward to taking more journeys with it.

The overall appearance is okay, with an above-average level of good looks. The front face looks a bit odd. I'll modify it when I have time. The rear-row space is a bit small, but it's sufficient. The trunk space is quite large; it can easily hold three suitcases. Regarding charging, it took about 42 minutes to charge around 30 kWh with DC fast charging. Is that considered slow? In terms of range performance, it consumes power quickly in traffic jams. Traffic in Beijing is terribly congested. After driving about thirty kilometers, the range dropped from 200 to 120, which really gave me a fright... It performs much better without traffic jams. Also, it might be related to my driving style. As a novice driver, my car consumes about 20 kWh per 100 kilometers. In terms of intelligence, the voice interaction is far inferior to domestic cars. There's a delay of about one second in the response, and the functions aren't as diverse, but they're basically sufficient. What should I say about the lane-keeping function? It gave me a shock once. I was signaling to change lanes to the right, but it forcibly steered the car back! There are many physical buttons, which was one of the reasons I chose the IX3. The interior is fine. There's no unpleasant smell in the car. The seats are comfortable and have leg rests, but there's no lumbar support, so my back and neck ache after a long drive. The handling of the IX3 is really good. The steering is precise, the chassis is stable, and the power is sufficient. The 360-degree camera of the top - spec version is very useful, and the HUD can display the speed and the map. The built-in dashcam isn't very reliable. It's said to automatically record 20 seconds before and 20 seconds after an accident. It's recommended to get a separate one. Older people don't like fancy things, so they're generally satisfied with the IX3.