This issue is the third long-term review in April 2024, presented by BMW long-term test writer Jimmy, and the unveiled model is the BMW X3 M40i.
2022款X3 M40i
Owner: Jimmy Location: Hangzhou, Zhejiang
During the Qingming holiday in early April, I planned to go to southern Zhejiang, starting from Hangzhou early in the morning, the traffic was still very smooth, the weather was just a little gloomy, and there was no rain. Heavy rain began to fall when crossing the section of Zhuji to the vicinity of Pujiang Yiwu, and the speed of traffic began to decrease. I thought about driving more carefully on rainy days and keeping more distance, but I didn't expect an accident.
There were two cars in front of me who had a rear-end collision, the front car braked, I observed the red light in front of me, and subconsciously braked quickly, but I didn't dare to step on the slippery road too much, and the co-pilot was also reminding me to brake quickly. Approaching the car in front, I braked when I saw the license plate, but the two cars behind did not brake, and hit the rear two times in succession...... Judging from the scene and the photos, the rear-end collision of the first car behind is more powerful, the speed and distance between the vehicles and the brakes are not well controlled, and the second rear car rear-end collision should not have enough braking.
Fortunately, the traffic police at the scene of the accident arrived quickly, urging us to hurry up and get off the highway and go to the exit of the highway to deal with it. After going to the highway exit, I saw that nearly 20 cars were parked waiting for the traffic police to deal with the accident, and it was also shocking to say that there were two trams behind the road just now that collided and caught fire. After waiting for some time, the traffic police came to deal with it and rushed to the next place. When driving in complicated weather, everyone should be more careful. It is also not easy for the traffic police, and the handling of accidents in heavy rainy days does not stop.
After this accident, I share some of my feelings, and I also want to listen to the views and suggestions of my riders:
- In complex weather such as heavy rain and fog, try to minimize high-speed travel, leave more distance between vehicles and emergency response.
- Afterwards, look at the dash cam video playback, and the distance from the car in front or there is reaction time, such as stepping on the deep in advance, braking will be better? The right lane is also empty, is it appropriate to change lanes to the right if you have the ability to adapt?
- The braking of the vehicle is very important, and the brake is the last guarantee in complex weather and accidents. M40i's MP front 4 rear 1, usually braking is confident, this time I feel that the time to step on it is late, the road surface in heavy rain, is it appropriate to step on it in advance?
- Less than 1 minute after the collision, BMW officials and 4S stores called, concerned about the problems encountered, personal safety? Need help? The 4S shop also said that it would arrange a tow truck for free, which was very good.
- The scene of the accident was raining heavily, we still came out to the inside of the road to check, reported to the traffic police to deal with it, and simply took a video, and was about to remind the rear car to put a warning triangle, the traffic police appeared on the other side of the road, and the on-site treatment command was very timely.
- When processing at the high-speed exit, the 4S shop asked me if I was going on the trip or going back? We can arrange a replacement vehicle, or send a car to pick us up, and let the staff of the local branch in Yiwu come to the scene to check the car, these customer service are very nice.
The follow-up store provided a 320i standard axle car to travel, and I also drove hundreds of kilometers during this time, and briefly talked about the driving experience. I hadn't driven a sedan much before, and I found that my vision was low, and my sitting posture felt a little sunken. I always feel a little sleepy in the car, and I don't know if it's because I didn't drink coffee.
The overall found that the car is very flexible to drive, the body is small, the fuel consumption is not high, and it is still convenient to travel through the city road, but I feel that the chassis is more comfortable, the road sense is relatively less, and the steering wheel is also a little empty. After 120km/h at high speed, there is no feeling of gripping the ground, the brakes are soft, and changing tires and brakes should be different. During this time, the driving is relatively slow, the city is mainly commuting, and occasionally the surrounding area is down.
In addition, I would like to mention that there is a lack of spare parts during the maintenance period, which needs to be shipped from Germany, and the supply there is tight, and it has not been shipped until the end of the month. When it comes to imported accessories, it will take a long time.
In the last issue, Carpaly often can't connect, and I saw a message from a rider saying that you can keep pressing the "back" button next to the knob to exit the background program, which can greatly reduce the situation of not being able to connect. After trying, I found that it really works, the masters are among the riders, and other riders who have similar problems can also try it.
April 2024 vehicle information
Mileage of the month (km): Approx. 160km (stop at 4S store)
Total mileage (km): 13820
Average fuel consumption this month (L/100km): 12.1 (I think it's actually higher)
This month's cost: about 200 yuan for gas
Original tyres: Pirelli P Zero Front: 245/40 R21, Rear: 275/35 R21
Car purchase dealer: Hecheng Zhibao 4S store
Editor's Comments:
When a BMW performance car encountered an accident, the powerful braking system was still quite reliable, but the rear car did not brake in this accident and still rear-ended. However, it also enriches the X3 M40i owner's road emergency driving experience and has a deeper understanding of the car.
The key is that the customer service of the BMW brand and the 4S store is strong enough, and the proactive and timely post-accident contact, the free tow truck in place in time and the intimate scooter provision are all guarantees for BMW owners to enjoy driving on the road with peace of mind. Nowadays, the seasons are changing and extreme weather is frequent, so please pay attention to safety when driving, and have a safe journey.
Please leave a comment