The last issue of “Car Owner Reviews” left a deep impression on me, especially the word “real” in the comments from many friends. This was also the motivation for me to continue updating.
As I said, the purpose of establishing “Car Owner Reviews” is to allow more car owners to express their views and also to help more friends who want to understand new energy vehicles. So without further ado, let’s continue today.
The brand we are highlighting in this issue is “LI (Ideal)“.
As LI’s first offering, the LI ONE is very important. After its official delivery in 2019, sales in November reached 1011 units. Compared to the NIO ES6 and other cars at the time of delivery, it appears to be doing quite well.
So why do users buy the LI ONE? Is it because of its product strength or simply because of admiration for Li Xiang himself? In the national LI car owner group on 42HOW, three LI ONE owners gave the following answers.
Driver B is a journalist and car enthusiast.
He had already written three articles about LI before I spoke with him. Therefore, in the following text, I will try my best to reproduce his original words and share his views on LI and LI ONE with you directly in his own words.
“In my opinion, a car is a partner with flesh and blood, and not just a means of transportation.” Driver B sees a car as a partner.
Driver B knows about LI for a reason, because he is a fan of Li Xiang. “I know about LI ONE mainly because I am a fan of Li Xiang. I started following Autohome when I was in college. So along the way, I felt that the cars Li Xiang makes should meet my expectations.”
“I am a person who loves cars. I used to drive BMW 320i, Jimny, GTI, and other cars, all of which are cultural and controllable vehicles. And this year I became a father, so I planned to switch to a larger car ahead of time.” Like the other two car owners later, Driver B is also a father.
As for why he chose a new energy vehicle, he answered as follows: “I definitely prefer new energy models because it is a trend and the technology make you feel like you are not out of touch with this era. Therefore, choosing a high-quality new energy intelligent vehicle brand is my first choice for this car change. LI ONE is perfect for me.”
Driver B’s LI ONE
The fundamental reason for buying LI ONE
According to his statement, Driver B chose the LI ONE because it lives up to LI’s publicity and does not make him feel anxious about its energy supplement.“`
Choosing Ideal ONE is because it eliminates the range anxiety caused by the need to recharge. I use the term “range anxiety” because it has caused some trouble for Ideal ONE.
It can be refueled by gasoline, just like a traditional car. Nobody talks about the range of a gasoline car. Or perhaps the broader meaning of range is just another way of saying “refueling.” However, people tend to think of range in a narrow sense, as how far the car can go with one tank of gas, or how far it can go with one charge. This actually puts the advantage of Ideal ONE in a difficult position.
The biggest advantage of Ideal ONE is that it eliminates the range anxiety caused by the need to recharge. Because the problem of re-charging belongs to a system, it is not something a car company can solve on its own. Whether it’s Tesla now or NIO in the future, no matter how many charging and switching stations they build, they cannot make charging as convenient as filling up at a gas station, nor can they achieve the efficiency of refueling.
Under these circumstances, even though my home has a charging pile, I didn’t choose an electric car just because I don’t want to feel anxious about energy replenishment at certain moments.
Ideal ONE hits the nail on the head here. It can be driven like a gasoline car. For example, since I got the car, it took 10 days to get it registered and installed with a charging pile because workers were on holiday. So I had to drive it like a gasoline car for a month.
Initially, I was worried it would be inconvenient because I couldn’t plug in at a charging pile. But later, after using the battery preservation mode, I found that its refueling is completely consistent with that of a gasoline car. Note that it must be in battery preservation mode, not hybrid mode, because in hybrid mode, electric power will still drain and you still need to think about charging.
In summary, battery preservation mode is a mode that allows Ideal ONE to be driven completely like a gasoline car. Starting the day before yesterday, I used battery preservation mode till now, and drove over 200 kilometers. The fuel consumption is basically around 10 to 10.5. My other car, the 2007 Golf GTi, consumes about 12 after driving under the same conditions. For a car as large as Ideal ONE, its fuel consumption is still satisfying to me.
The handling of Ideal ONE has exceeded my expectations.
Before it was launched, people were concerned about energy consumption estimates and how it would feel to drive. But it turned out the other way round – it drives beautifully.
As for why the handling of Ideal ONE is so good, I think Li Xiang is a BMW fan, and I am too, because people who like BMW pursue handling. Even if it is a family car, I believe Li Xiang will make its highway driving performance as close to BMW as possible.
“`To be honest, during the time I drove the Ideal ONE, as an owner of a short-axis BMW 3 Series and GTi, I think it really achieves good handling without any sudden or uncomfortable moments. Of course, this is not from an expert’s perspective, but from the perspective of the general public’s feeling.
Judging by the general public’s feeling towards handling, it truly does not lag far behind most SUVs in terms of braking, steering, cornering, and agility. As I’ve mentioned before, it looks most like an Audi Q7, but it cannot reach the level of handling that a BMW X5 can attain since its highway attributes are unmatched.
Comparison of the side view of the Ideal ONE with the BMW X5
Areas where the Ideal ONE falls short of expectations
The energy consumption problem is not because the car itself is not good, but because of the concept created in the early stage of promotion where the NEDC is 800 km, and the urban winter attenuation is 5\% to 7\%. This led to high expectations from users, causing them to calculate the energy consumption after receiving the car, which was not realistic.
Moreover, the noise and vibration issues with the range extender that people are concerned about seem average to me. Its strength lies in the moment of start-up where you can barely feel anything, while its weakness manifests during slow driving, including the moment of parking and turning off the engine. However, the extent to which you can “feel” this weakness is just about the same as with automatic engine start-stop systems in gasoline-powered cars.
Finally, the assembly process issue. Although the Ideal ONE’s current workmanship level can basically reach that of joint venture cars, there is still a little gap compared to that of luxury cars such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, or NIO in my personal opinion. Hence, improving the factory’s assembly process as soon as possible is crucial for the Ideal ONE.
Why I Write About the Ideal ONE
I work in the news media industry, with no connection to the automotive industry whatsoever. However, I like to write, so I wrote three articles centered around the Ideal and the Ideal ONE, based on my own understanding.
The first article was written just after the Ideal ONE debut but before I had received the car. I wanted more people to know about the Ideal ONE, so I wrote a concept article that was neutral and objective based on the pre-release advertising. My initial goal for writing the first article was to introduce the Ideal ONE to more people.
The second article was based on my test of the Ideal ONE’s winter power loss since the car faced a small crisis with users when I was writing it.The crisis is that most of the new owners of the Ideal ONE may not have a deep understanding of cars. They may have ordered and picked up the car simply because they like Li Xiang or want a car like this. In the user’s impression, the Ideal ONE is just a car that can run 800 km and will experience a 5% reduction in range in winter.
This brings about a problem: the Ideal ONE did not meet the expectations of users. In this case, the Ideal ONE will encounter some obstacles when it comes to being shared and recommended by car owners.
Furthermore, the hybrid mode incorporates the calculation of the electric range, so its energy consumption will be relatively low, even as low as 6-7 liters. This will make non-owners and new owners think that’s the fuel consumption of the Ideal ONE, but in fact it’s not.
So, the Ideal ONE has created some expectations in users that don’t match the reality. Although there is no problem with the calculation mode, no one will delve into the logic behind it, only looking at the surface level. Therefore, I am very worried that the Ideal ONE will be killed by its own hype, because being killed by hype is more terrifying than growing up from criticism.
At the time of receiving the car, I conducted a winter power consumption test. Under the worst conditions of the year (winter), I did a detailed, objective and neutral display of the energy consumption of the Ideal ONE. This enables everyone to really understand what the Ideal ONE is actually like in practical use.
After that, I compared the actual situation with the current fuel-efficient and hybrid cars to see what level of car the Ideal ONE is.
In the third article, I specifically used the Ideal ONE as a fuel-efficient car. According to the data provided by Ideal, a large proportion of Ideal ONE owners cannot install a charging pile, so I conducted a long test in a charging-free mode. Based on the standards of a fuel-efficient car, the noise and vibration of the Ideal ONE when it is not charged are the same as those of a four-cylinder gasoline car, and its comprehensive fuel consumption is lower, so there is no anxiety when driving long distances.
Based on all my test results, I have compiled a non-display energy consumption data for everyone: in winter low temperatures, on congested urban roads with an average speed of 23-25 km/h, the Ideal ONE can travel 93.5 km in pure electric mode (using 83% of the electricity); in hybrid mode (17% remaining electricity), the city fuel consumption is 9.6 liters per 100 km, and the highway fuel consumption is 10.8 liters per 100 km; in energy-saving mode (66% remaining electricity), the city fuel consumption is 10.6 liters per 100 km on congested urban roads; and in energy-saving mode, the highway fuel consumption is 9 liters per 100 km.The conclusion that I have reached is that, in the winter without charging, Ideal ONE’s extended range electric technology can reduce energy consumption by 20% compared to traditional fuel-powered cars. As the best hybrid technology in the world, Toyota and Honda’s hybrid system can reduce energy consumption by 35% compared to traditional fuel-powered cars, thus showing a difference between Ideal and the two Japanese manufacturers. In the summer, Ideal ONE’s fuel consumption should decrease by another 15%, and I will provide further conclusions after testing.
Through the extended range electric technology, Ideal can equip a mid-sized SUV with a 1.2T three-cylinder engine and achieve a 0-100 km/h acceleration of 6.5 seconds, equivalent to the power experience of a 3.0T engine, while also reducing fuel consumption by 20% compared to same-sized fuel-powered cars, which some consider to be a black technology. Therefore, I believe that the ideal mode to prove the strength of the Ideal ONE extended range electric technology is the energy preservation mode.
Opinions of Ideal ONE Among People Around
Family members are generally satisfied, finding the vehicle spacious and comfortable. However, most people still have negative opinions about Ideal ONE. For instance, 80% of my friends who own a GTi or a Jimmy jeep do not understand why anyone would buy new energy cars. They generally have three viewpoints:
- Why spend over RMB 300,000 when there are better options?
- Why bother? Cars like this do not retain their value.
- Is it worth being a guinea pig?
I think my friends’ questions are valid and represent some of the issues that most car owners encounter. We do not need to provide an answer because a good product speaks for itself. As Ideal continues to improve, the answers to these questions will become more apparent.
Thoughts on Domestic Brands
I believe Chinese enterprises, particularly new energy car companies, face a difficult undertaking due to the low-speed development of China’s automobile market. This presents an added challenge for new energy car brands. Despite the difficulties, companies like NIO, Ideal, XPeng, and WM are working hard to create quality products for their customers.
Therefore, I hope every brand that puts their heart into producing high-quality products and offering attentive services can succeed. Additionally, vehicle owners, potential vehicle owners, and followers should be more tolerant and avoid conflict or division. We should support and embrace domestic brands since they are all Chinese.
I have driven both NIO ES8 and ES6, and Ideal ONE. I believe these three cars represent the highest levels of China’s car industry and exceeded my expectations of domestic brands. Before, I had test-driven Geely’s Borui and felt the company had done an excellent job, with its configuration and driving experience at that price point. This led me to buy one, resulting in my belief that Geely is a very conscientious brand.Similarly, when I test drove the cars from NIO and Xpeng, I found that their cars, especially the ideal ones, have advantages over some of the main models from Geely, whether it’s about luxury, functionality, or usage scenarios. That’s why I think Chinese car brands are really great. I hope we can work together and strive for a place on the world stage of the automotive industry.
Definition of Cars
A car is definitely a conclusion drawn from a car owner’s personality, values, and even their outlook on life. In my life, a car is a flesh-and-blood companion, not just a means of transportation. You can see from the cars I bought that they are all special.
Overall Satisfaction with Ideal ONE
I give a 5-star rating to the overall satisfaction with my ideal ONE. It basically meets my expectations, even exceeds them in some aspects. The shortcomings have been improved through OTA updates, so I will still give it 5 stars.
I recommend it to family or friends with a 4-star rating, deducting one star because the durability of ideal ONE needs further verification, including its future quality and whether it will have any problems. It can only be tested over time, and no other way can make a judgment. Thus, I will give it 4 stars. If after one year, ideal ONE is very stable in terms of car condition, quality, and service, then I will give it 5 stars when recommending to family and friends.
“He understands the internet thinking of us engineering males and solves our choice paralysis,” Lee said about Li Xiang.
Lee’s first encounter with Ideal was at the launch of Ideal ONE. “At first, I also thought it (Ideal Cars) was just PPT-made cars and just wanted to see what could happen. After the on-time start of the press release, the product introduction, and later learning about Li Xiang and his entrepreneurship process.”
Lee’s Ideal ONE
According to Lee, he did not know Li Xiang at first and just found out about him by chance on the Internet. “He had a press conference, and maybe the tech celebrity I followed went there, so I went to watch the press conference too.”
When it comes to Li Xiang himself, Lee praised: “His description of the product and its functions, as well as the interpretation of the usage scenarios, are very appealing to me. He understands the internet thinking of us engineering males.”During the ideal ONE launch, Lee was looking at cars. One of the reasons he wanted to buy the ideal ONE was its practicality. “At that time, there was no price yet, probably around 400,000 yuan. Of course, what we were really looking at was its practicality and its configuration. I’ve also attended launches from traditional manufacturers, but the ideal ONE launch really caught my eye, there was something interesting about this car.”
Regarding the “something interesting” about the ideal ONE, Lee explained, “Li Xiang proposed an intelligent electric vehicle without mileage anxiety. Because I like NIO and Tesla, I believe I need an intelligent vehicle too. The so-called “intelligence” from traditional automakers gives me the feeling of just having CarPlay, which is useful, but ultimately not as imaginative as I thought it would be.”
“However, the ideal ONE is different. It gives me the feeling that the CEO has proposed a growth together. This makes me see the possibility of having new functions like software and OS updates. It is no longer a fixed system, but a system that grows and changes.”
But at that time, Lee did not place an order. After considering it comprehensively, he made a reservation. According to him, his reservation number was over 40,000 at that time, so it was almost impossible for him to get the car quickly.
Fate is just that magical. By chance, Lee met a friend from Beijing in a car club. Because of the license plate problem, the friend from Beijing gave his number to Lee, which was much earlier than his 40,000-plus number- NO.3617.
Regarding his friend giving him the reservation, Lee said, “Now I know he lost thousands of yuan, and the transfer price was expensive. I am very grateful in my heart.”
Afterwards, with the expectation of the ideal ONE, Lee went to Shenzhen for a test drive. He is from Xiamen, but because there is no sales center in Xiamen, he went back and forth to Shenzhen for a day to test drive the car. He said to me, “I took the first bullet train there and the last one back, all for the ideal.”
The fundamental reason for buying the ideal ONE is based on family needs. “The ideal launch was on October 18th. In July of the same year, our family welcomed twin daughters. The demand for a car immediately increased, and the ideal ONE made me feel that this car was built for families like ours. I used to like Peugeot 5008, Kodiaq, and the like, but after watching the ideal launch, I don’t even want to look at them anymore.”
Here, my focus is not on the car, but on the “twin daughters.” Lee also answered my question, they are twins. He joked with me, “One ton weight, two thousand jin (the Chinese word for pound) = one ton, it’s so funny.” For the family, Lee needs a bigger and more comfortable car, and he also hopes that his family can have a comfortable ride.On the other hand, Lee personally felt that “the technology sense of the Ideal ONE is too strong, and I cannot resist it. I am half an IT man (not engaged in the industry). I am willing to try and use new technology products.”
“In fact, I also locked in the order at the last minute. I joked in the group that Ideal should be called the “barking car-making method”. The more you bark, the more you get, and the price is not increased. Whether it is from considering the user experience or soliciting opinions, this is an unprecedented car-making enterprise, which is very admirable.” He expressed his admiration for Ideal again.
First car in life: Ideal ONE
When it comes to the first car in life, I believe everyone will go through careful consideration, and the Ideal ONE is Lee’s first car in life. I asked him if he had ever thought that choosing a new energy vehicle right away would be unreliable?
Lee taking a photo with the delivery expert
His real answer impressed me. “I am answering this question specifically for the Ideal ONE. Choosing Ideal actually has a lot of psychological pressure. Before picking up the car, I hardly dared to mention even the best colleagues, relatives and friends, only saying that I might buy a new energy car. I was afraid that my observations and opinions that I have observed and researched for a long time would be considered brainwashed. Because I also talked to my colleagues about NIO before, they simply thought it was junk to cheat subsidies. Even after they went to the showroom to see the ES8, they still held the same opinion.” That’s how Lee put it.
“Later, I had the opportunity to talk to a classmate for an afternoon. He drove a BMW 5 Series and kept persuading me to buy a joint venture car with this price, not to choose a new brand. But I am actually very persistent about Li Xiang and his product. If the first card fails, then his entrepreneurship fails. Yes, what my classmates said is correct, “This is none of your business.” But I would rather choose a real and unpretentious enterprise.” He expressed his trust in Li Xiang and Ideal.
Regarding the attitude of his family and relatives towards the Ideal ONE, Lee said: “My father-in-law asked as soon as he saw it, what kind of car is this? I haven’t heard of it. What about others, like Volkswagen, BMW, Audi. I sent him many articles to explain, and finally convinced him. My wife and I have the same idea and she likes this car too. Of course, a few days ago, some relatives who knew about cars came to our house and kept criticizing it. I asked him to take a look at the car before commenting, but he refused. By the way, that relative also asked me why I didn’t buy the Model X of Tesla, which was even more outrageous.”
As for the Model X, Lee himself admits that he really likes it, but the price is too high. “It’s too expensive, you can buy two or three ONEs with that price. I like it, but I can’t invest in it indefinitely, after all, I have two children. Buying Ideal ONE is also a big investment for a working-class family.”I asked him, if the budget is not an issue, which one will you choose between these two cars?
“I might still choose ONE. Foreign products are not completely based on Chinese people’s needs. If I were to use it myself, I would accept different product styles. But when it comes to a product that requires considering the usage experience of family members, domestic products do better.”
In other words, you value practicality and localization more?
“Yes, but some product characteristics should also be maintained. Being too casual is not very good. For example, the reduced configuration of imported cars being localized, I am particularly disgusted about this. So, brand premium has made them a lot of money. I also hope that the ideal can play the first card well.”
“Three Modes” Experience
In the urban area of Xiamen, Lee basically does not use other modes but only uses the range-extender mode. “Although I don’t have a home charger, charging is very convenient in Xiamen, and there are many fast chargers, so I can also get a good driving experience.”
“I will use the hybrid mode when I am running at high speeds and the power is low. The feeling is still good. I can’t say that the range extender has no noise or vibration, but I think people who come from petrol cars should be able to accept it, and the power is enough.”
Definition of a car
“Before I bought this car, I told my wife that my definition of a car is an extension of the home. This car can broaden our horizons, go further, and enrich our lives while being convenient for daily use. For example, taking parents and children to a slightly farther place”. This is how Lee explains his definition of a car.
Things that Lee is not very satisfied with Ideal ONE
“The first one is definitely given to ideal. After all, it is not really intelligent at the moment. It still cannot understand many things, and I look forward to OTA later. In addition, I think that the so-called intelligent electric cars do not seem to be very intelligent in my opinion. Is it necessary for officials to add new functions later? It can’t be said that adding a voice assistant makes it an intelligent electric car. At least currently, I think it still lacks the ability to think, and it cannot be called intelligent.”
“In terms of interior design, I think it still lacks a sense of delicacy. Although practicality has been achieved, from the perspective of some beauty-lovers or girls, the interior of this car is still mediocre.”
“The speed of OTA may be relatively slow. Many of the functions that everyone wants have not been implemented yet, such as dashboard diversification, etc.”
Overall Satisfaction of Ideal ONE
If you were to rate “Overall satisfaction of Ideal ONE” and “Would you recommend it to family or friends”, how would you do it? Total score is 5 stars.”Overall satisfaction is 4 stars, keeping 1 star for OTA. There is still room for improvement in some areas, such as the education level of Ideal’s classmates is not high enough, at most junior high school. The interface style is still relatively monotonous and there is room for further improvement. It would be better if the content of the air conditioning operation screen can be customized. The co-pilot entertainment screen should provide some vehicle information for viewing, not just entertainment. As for hardware, the electronic child lock is missing, which is regrettable, and the HUD, I don’t think there is anything else to add. If you add more, what else do you expect for 328,000 yuan?”
“Recommended for 4.5 stars, keeping 0.5 stars waiting for Ideal to become more famous before adding it. Just wait until it becomes more famous, and then recommend it to friends. Otherwise, you will be under psychological pressure like me, which is not good.”
“The delivery expert explained the functions to me, and sometimes I am confused by my own questions. My wife even joked, whether you are explaining to him or he is explaining to you.” Lin knows a lot about Ideal ONE.
Similar to Lee, Lin also learned about Ideal ONE by chance. “I happened to be shopping in the mall, and then learned about it in the exhibition hall. My child was studying in the mall’s exhibition hall, and I was wandering around the mall while the child was studying. After that, I accidentally went to the exhibition hall to see the displayed cars. After a few months, I had a test drive a few times.”
As for the Ideal brand, Lin said that he had never heard of it before. “Because I didn’t pay attention to domestic cars before. Except for occasionally learning about NIO, I think all domestic cars are very low-end, except that NIO is a bit stronger.”
Lin’s Ideal ONE
I asked him, what attracted you to learn about Ideal ONE?
Lin answered: “Originally intended to buy an electric car, I originally wanted to buy the Model 3 high-performance version or the NIO ES6. There are not many good choices on the market now. After counting, there are only Tesla, NIO, and Ideal that can meet my requirements. Other brands are still not very impressive. After taking my wife for a test drive, my wife said that Ideal’s rear seats are suitable for our family because I have two children. And Ideal has excellent car interface, and the UI design is very good, of course, there is electric drive.”
As for why to buy an electric drive car, Lin said, “It is for the smoothness of the electric car’s power response, driving feel, and economy.”
I asked again, why did you decide to buy Ideal ONE compared to Model 3 and NIO ES6?”Model 3 is very good for driving, but I gave up because I need to frequently use the back seat. NIO ES6 is great in all aspects, but it has a low completion rate of the infotainment system and the UI is not as beautiful as expected. Many car owners complain that the 4G network occasionally disconnects and the reverse video is blurry. Also, I’m worried about NIO going bankrupt, so I gave up. ” This is what Xiaolin said.
Compared to the previous two, Xiaolin is more optimistic about Li Xiang. “Although Li Xiang is also a new force, I think they are not as extravagant as NIO in selling cars, and the range extender is also a selling point. This should be important for many people. I am more optimistic about Li Xiang.”
However, despite being optimistic, Xiaolin still had some issues with the Li Xiang ONE after taking delivery.
Issues with the Li Xiang ONE
“After taking delivery, I found out that there are many imperfections with the Li Xiang ONE, some of which cannot be solved temporarily, most of which are related to the details of the infotainment system.” Xiaolin said.
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“The most annoying thing for me is when I listen to music on USB. Every time I lock and unlock the car, the USB needs to be scanned again. The time it takes depends on the number of songs. Scanning 800 songs takes 4 minutes, and there is no memory of which song was played last. Also, when there is a push notification on the phone, the infotainment system will pause the music or movie for 3-5 seconds.”
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“The windshield wiper is not sensitive enough in light rain and slow driving speeds, and it won’t wipe even when the front windshield is covered in rain. The rear wiper only has one speed and wipes very quickly. The engineers may have less experience in SUVs.”
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“The energy consumption meter does not calculate the energy consumption of the air conditioner. It only displays the driving energy consumption. When the air conditioner is on, I don’t know how much energy is being consumed, giving the test driver a false impression of low energy consumption.”
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“The voice function is too simple, and cannot control features such as window opening, sunroof opening, and driving mode.” Regarding this issue, I would like to supplement with Fan Haoyu’s answer. He said: “In the short term, we will not open voice control related to driving safety, because voice control can be used by the whole car. If other passengers adjust the ADAS settings or driving mode, it may create safety hazards.” Therefore, voice control of driving modes will not be activated in the short term.
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“The automatic parking function has some problems. It cannot identify parking spaces and the success rate of backing in is low. Moreover, there is a serious noise issue. I contacted Li Xiang’s engineers and after-sales service, and the answer I got was that it was normal for the ESP to be in operation. However, the sound is too loud, and I am not satisfied with this answer. Although I don’t use the automatic parking function in daily life, it is not acceptable to brush off this feature like this.”
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“When driving in normal electric mode, there is a humming sound in the front row when the speed exceeds 50 km/h, and the sound gets louder as the speed increases. I suspect it is the sound of the motor speed. I have asked the after-sales service at the delivery center to check, and they said that it may be a problem with the front wheel bearing and promised to replace it to give it a try.”- Additionally, Xiaolin is somewhat dissatisfied with the appearance. “The exterior design is mediocre, which is a common problem with domestic cars. It cannot match big brands like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi in terms of appearance, but it is considered better than average among domestic cars. In terms of appearance, the difference is not just a little bit. However, the workmanship is good.”
“Besides that, the Idean ONE basically satisfies me,” he said.
The Ideal ONE with a sun film applied
The fundamental reason for buying Idean ONE
Unlike many car enthusiasts who purchased Idean ONE because it is a new energy vehicle without range anxiety, Xiaolin bought it for other reasons. “I didn’t really care about whether there was any range anxiety or not. Other people might care about that.”
He said, “I valued the space and the UI interface of the car machine in the Idean ONE. Sometimes my kid likes to watch cartoons and just needs to ask for music, which is quite convenient. My kid is very satisfied with it.”
Xiaolin picked up the car on January 3, and he stated that the pickup process was quick. “I already knew a lot about Idean ONE before picking it up, so the pickup process was quick. I checked the appearance and interior of the car, signed the papers, activated it, and then just drove away.”
“When the car was delivered, the delivery expert explained the functions to me, and sometimes I was even able to ask the expert questions that he couldn’t answer. My wife even joked and wondered whether I was explaining the car to him, or vice versa. One of the interior door panels had marks from being compressed in the factory, so I mentioned it to the expert, and then the delivery expert said that the panel needed to be replaced.” Xiaolin understands Idean ONE very well, and he also stated that he is very satisfied with the company’s service.
How people around him see Idean ONE
“When my friends asked me what kind of car Idean ONE is, I just said it is a domestic car without going into further detail. Even if I explained it, they would not understand it and would just waste saliva. I didn’t mention it was a new energy vehicle. I didn’t even mention the brand. If I mentioned the brand, I would definitely hear a lot of comments like ‘guinea pig,’ ‘never heard of it,’ and ‘it doesn’t hold its value.’ When they asked how much it cost, I said it was less than 200,000. If I said it was more than 300,000, I would definitely get more questions. However, it depends on the person. If someone knows about cars, I will explain more about it.” Xiaolin also expressed his frustration about people’s understanding of new energy vehicles.
Regarding people who understand cars, Xiaolin said that he would talk to them about the principles, degree of intelligence, and assisted driving of the car.
Continuing, Xiaolin said, “The number of people who can accept this car is really not many. Before I purchased it, I talked to a friend who had been in the used car business for over ten years. He didn’t understand it. He didn’t even understand why I wanted to buy Tesla, let alone why I wanted to buy Idean. He told me not to touch electric cars and that gasoline cars were safer.”“`
“My wife used to think of electric cars as toys when I mentioned wanting to buy one. But after test driving Tesla, NIO, and Ideal, her attitude changed. Now she won’t even touch our 5 Series, and her only complaint about the Ideal is that it’s slightly larger than she’s used to.
Ideal One isn’t Lin’s first car, it’s his third, an additional purchase.
“We have a Subaru Forester and a BMW 530 at home. She used to drive the 530, and I drove the Forester. She won’t touch the BMW now, it just collects dust. After we got Ideal One, I’ve only driven the Forester twice. If I can drive the Ideal, I will. My wife uses it more frequently since she takes the kids to school, and now she’s the one who always drives.”
If you had to rate “Overall satisfaction with Ideal One” and “Whether you would recommend it to family or friends” on a scale of 1 to 5 stars, what would you give?
“I would give it 4/5 overall. It feels great to drive. My only complaints are the details of the car’s features and design.”
“I would give it a 4/5 for recommendation as well. If someone was interested in learning more about the car, I would still recommend it.”
To sum up, I’ve expressed my views on new energy cars many times using plenty of examples. But I will always maintain a stance of “It’s okay if you don’t accept it, but don’t be prejudiced”. My opinion is in line with those of other car owners — we all hope that every brand that puts effort into their products and services can improve. We should keep an open mind and avoid disputes and factions. Considering that we are all domestic brands and Chinese brands, we should support and tolerate each other. Even an encouraging word is better than nothing.”
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This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.