2020 BMW I8 Plug-in Hybrid

There are two body styles to choose from either the standard i8 Coupe or the i8 Roadster, but there are no trim options or customization options available as such with the 2020 BMW i8. The only standard trim is priced at $147,500 making it an exclusive car, and for the features it offers and the segment it is placed in, there are much better and valuable options available. However, BMW also didn’t give up; they not only gave up the best looks but also the most advanced tech and features, at least everything they could fit in the car.

Which trim should you buy?

There is no option to choose from, the reason being there is no need to. The standard car in itself is pretty well equipped in terms of performance, comfort, and entertainment sections altogether. Still, there is a need to increase the set of safety features as for the price the number of driver aids you get seems quite less.

How many sports cars have their best asset is high fuel economy. Well, as of now the i8 seems to be the only one as there are not many hybrid sports cars for 2020. However, from next year, the number is going to increase considerably as many manufacturers are turning over to less polluting and environmentally friendly alternatives. When you use both the engine, the car offers a combined range of 69 MPGe. The efficiency is quite good considering the performance of the car.

When using the gas engine only it gives a combined range of 27 mpg and backed up by the 11.1-gallon fuel tank it allows for a total range of 300 miles which has an extra 17 miles added to it with the help of the electric motor. The battery pack takes about 3 hours to charge fully from 0 at a regular charging station.

Lexus is a clear winner when it comes to fuel economy as not only does it have the best MPG figures on offer but a bigger fuel tank than the rest also allows for the best range. All the cars in the segment are pretty good at fuel efficiency as there is no point in making a hybrid car that does not deliver great fuel efficiency figures. The range remains the least for the BMW i8 in the segment.

When you step inside the 2020 BMW i8, you will notice that the aggressive design language of the exterior turns into a simple and subtle design in the interior department. The cabin has a good design language and while it is a driver-focused cabin, it looks stunning and is not like the interior we are used to seeing in other BMWs. The interior of the i8 comes with carbon fiber trims, distinctive blue accents, and perforated leather seats and also has a well-arranged center stack, traditional gauges are replaced with digital instrument clusters, but among all the premium feeling and good looking features, there are a lot of parts and trims which feel cheap for the price.

Officially the BMW can seat up to four people, but in reality, the rear seats are not even comfortable enough for adults for a short road trip. The rear seats remain better suited for children as the legroom and headroom are extremely restricted. The front seats are comfortable for even people over six feet, and they are also cushioned enough to provide comfort on long drives. While the not-so-traditional scissor doors look good, they are pretty unconventional as they make getting in and out of the car quite difficult. Although the seats provide a good driving position and good front visibility, the thick A-pillars and small rear window hamper overall visibility from inside the car.

The BMW offers better space upfront than the rest, and also has a big trunk. The best front and rear proportions are offered in the Lexus along with a trunk as big as the one present in the i8 which indicates that the LC500h makes better use of the available space. The NSX plays safe by providing space for just two occupants, so there is no criticism about the rear seats. Some exclusive interior highlights include:

• Heated seats
• Digital gauge cluster
• Carbon fiber interior trims
• 6-way power-adjustable front driver seat
• Automatic climate control
• Start/stop button
• Auto-dimming interior rearview mirror
• Tilt/telescopic steering column

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The infotainment unit is an 8.8-inch screen just like the gauge cluster. However, this screen displays all the infotainment functions and also offers navigation with the help of 3D maps. The i8 misses out on BMW’s iDrive system but still comes with a lot of features integrated. The head unit is paired with a premium 11-speaker Harman Kardon audio system with a 360-watt amplifier. 

While Android Auto is absent, Apple CarPlay is there for seamless smartphone connectivity for iPhone users. It is easy to get used to the touch-pad controller, which is used to control the infotainment system's functions. As standard, you also get up to 20GB of free storage for music. Few other feature highlights of the car include:

• Apple CarPlay smartphone integration
• 11-speaker Harman Kardon Sound system
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Voice Control
• USB audio ports
• SiriusXM Satellite radio
• Online navigation map update

Launched almost five years ago, it still looks fresh and will look fresh for a long time to come. BMW gave attention to the design and the curvy lines, sharp edges and aerodynamic design language give it a futuristic and appealing look. The 2020 BMW i8 looks more like an aircraft than a conventional car. Since hybrids are an idea of the future, BMW decided to make the design look futuristic too. 

Even though it has been six years of the same design in the i8, it still looks fresh and new and will keep looking like that even in the future. The LED lights with daytime running LEDs help to give the car good looks, with better visibility, the limited Ultimate Sophisto edition comes with unique door sills, and 20-inch alloy wheels with E-copper paint and black brake calipers.

Polestar has the highest ground clearance, making it a better choice to drive over rough roads as it can easily get over high bumps and slopes. The BMW i8 is the longest car in its segment and also comes with the longest wheelbase. The use of carbon fiber and mixed alloys to make the bodywork of the BMW can be seen when the weights are compared as it is the lightest of the lot. Few other distinct highlights of the i8 include:

• Power-folding heated side mirrors
• Two-tone paint
• Butterfly doors
• Thermoplastic fenders and bumpers
• BMW iU shaped LED headlights
• Colored rear bumper insert
• Black-grille with metal surround look

Just like other expensive sports cars, the i8 has been excluded from the safety tests that IIHS and NHTSA perform on the cars. But this does not mean that the i8 is not safe, in fact, the carbon-fiber bodywork provides reassurance of safety. The structure in itself is well made and designed to provide excellent safety in case of any uncertain event.

Just like other cars of the day, the 2020 BMW i8 also comes with standard and advanced safety features, starting with the most important feature in terms of safety that is airbags, and the i8 has eight of them, including a knee airbag. Other standard safety features are tire pressure monitoring system, traction control, ABS, stability control. The safety features include:

• Traction control
• Stability control
• Emergency braking preparation
• Pre-collision safety system
• Post-collision safety system
• Tire pressure monitoring
• Emergency braking assist

2020 BMW i8 vs 2020 Acura NSX

The Acura NSX is for sure more expensive than the two cars. The performance of the Acura NSX is just unbeatable for the segment. The Acura performs pretty well in almost every regard. The BMW has a less powerful engine in comparison. However, the performance on the i8 is not bad either. It also offers a more futuristic exterior design and better handling between the two.

2020 BMW i8 vs 2020 Polestar 1

While Polestar is a new brand, its car is not in any way designed or built by amateurs. The Polestar 1 offers better performance than the BMW, has better power, and slightly better overall range than the BMW. But BMW is a more established brand and offers better driving dynamics. The Bimmer is also cheaper between the two. If you are not ready to take a risk with a new brand, the BMW i8 is a better option here for less money. 

2020 BMW i8 vs 2020 Lexus LC 500h

The Lexus LC500h is a hybrid version of the regular LC500. It uses a V6 and a combination of two motors, the driving characteristics do not change much, and the comfortable and handsome-looking interior along with a reasonable price tag makes it a good choice for EV buyers looking for better comfort and range. But if you want driving fun, the BMW i8 is obviously a better choice between the two.

The future is already here, this can be seen perfectly in the 2020 BMW i8 with the use of hybrid tech to provide excellent performance figures along with exceptional mpg figures. The comfortable and simple-looking interior and the futuristic exterior design make it a great choice. However, the best part about it is the crazy performance that is matched by equally exciting driving dynamics. You can buy the BMW i8 if you want a car that packs good performance and can be a daily commuter without ripping your pockets.