Our goal is to establish trusting relationships between buyers and sellers, since this is the best way to help customers make the right decision. This is one of the less appealing aspects of buying second hand. However, it goes without saying that it gives rise to different methods and tactics: Some sellers will disguise a car that's been in an accident under a fresh coat of paint, tamper with the odometer or conceal theft. Second Hand - Not Second Bestĭid you know that considerably more used cars are sold than new cars? We think this second-hand system is nothing short of fantastic. We've uncovered irreparable damage several times in the past, but other times our vehicle history checks draw a blank - and sometimes that's actually a good thing. The information we provide relates solely to the vehicle, its odometer reading, any accidents that have been covered up, where the vehicle comes from and much more - it never gets personal. Let's be clear: Although we strive to find every detail of a vehicle's life so far, we are focused only on the vehicle's history, and do not collect any information on previous owners. Privacy for Customers - Transparency over Vehicles The used car import and export market is booming and many owners would be surprised to find out exactly what happened to their vehicle during its previous life abroad. We believe your next car shouldn't be hiding anything from you.ĬARFAX Vehicle History Reports contain over 28 billion historical records from 20 European countries, the US and Canada, which are updated daily with new information.Įven if you live in a country we don't collect vehicle data from, it's still always worth checking the Vehicle Identification Number without obligation. Our primary goal is to help you get to know your next car from the inside out before deciding to make an investment that will be part of you and your family's everyday life. As an independent vehicle history provider, at CARFAX we've made it our mission to tell you everything you need to know by uncovering as many events as possible from the previous life of a used car. Rear drive means there's no torque steer, and with no CV joints to protect, the turn circle is a bubble-car-like 32.3 feet.Sometimes what you don't know can't hurt you, but that's not the case when buying a used car. The electric assist steering feels overly light, but it points the car accurately - just get all your braking done before that sharp corner. Regenerative braking is strong enough to permit one-pedal driving in nearly all city conditions (bad news for those still mourning the loss of three-pedal driving), but careful ankle calibration is required for smoothness. Top speed is limited to 93 mph (55 mph in range-extending mode). (This hybrid design also makes the motor small and light for its output.) BMW's 0-62-mph estimate of 7.2 seconds (7.9 with range extender) seems realistic and would rank the i3 ahead of all mainstream EVs we've tested except Teslas and Fiskers. The motor's 184 lb-ft of torque launch the 2850-pound i3 briskly, and instead of the power tapering off above 3000-4000 rpm as in most permanent-magnet-motor EVs, this one charges on a bit stronger thanks to its patented combination of permanent and switched-reluctance electromagnetic fields. BMW i's heart is in the right place but it's hard not to roll your eyes a little at some of these details. The seat fabric made from recycled plastic bottles looks and feels like normal cloth, while optional leather is tanned using olive-tree extract. The forward dash and upper door panels are made from renewable kenaf plants (a hemp relative) and look like cheap trunkliner material that's rock-hard to the touch. The main gauges are concentrated in a freestanding iPad Mini-like display ahead of the driver, while infotainment/nav/ConnectedDrive functions appear on a wider screen that hovers over an open stowage bin in the center of the dash. The gear selector is a rotary gizmo on the steering column. But let's focus on the car, which looks and feels about as futuristic as its carbon-fiber "Life module" body on aluminum "Drive module" rolling chassis design concept suggest. The car itself is one element in a suite of mobility products and services BMW envisions offering, so the company has invested in DriveNow (a car sharing program), ParkAtMyHouse (land sharing), and M圜ityWay (a location-aware city guide app).