R7 vs. 3 series? A 3 series owner’s first impressions of R7.

R7 vs 3 Series? A 3 Series Owner’s First Impression of R7

Due to my marriage, my family needed to add a daily commute car. We previously owned a BMW 325li 20 years ago, and now we wanted to buy an electric vehicle to replace our old gasoline car. As my spouse likes SUVs, we directly passed on all sedans. However, I quite like the self-owned brand L7 produced by SAIC.

Let me share my car buying experience!

The acceptable price range was around 300,000 RMB, and there were only a few SUVs at this price point. I directly passed on plug-in hybrid SUVs, don’t ask me why. The Model Y’s seats were too hard, and the interior was too rough, so I passed on that as well. After Avita 11 and XPeng G9 were launched at a corresponding price, I thought the price was too high, so I refunded the deposit for both, even though G9 later lowered their price. It was then when I coincidentally saw an advertisement for the R7 from Byton the day before its launch. I had previously seen the ES33 concept car, and I knew it would go into production, but I didn’t pay too much attention as I didn’t have a car-buying need at the time. After seeing the R7, I was surprised by its youthful, coupe-like design, which was created by the Volkswagen CC designer. If I didn’t have a budget for the 3 Series gasoline car at the time, I might have considered the CC. The size of the R7 is one size larger than the Model Y in length, width, and height. The three screens inside the cabin also surprised me, as did the interior in white, which I like. So, I quickly made a reservation for a test drive.

The sales staff were enthusiastic and called me the next morning to give me more details and remind me to watch the product launch that night. I immediately ordered a long-range high-end version with rear-wheel drive and included all the optional accessories because of the 20,000 RMB subsidy from Jiading district for electric cars, such as electric doors, streaming media rearview mirror, AR-HUD, and comfort package.

During the National Day holiday, I went to the dealership to see the exterior and interior of the car, which was indeed handsome and high-tech. However, the test drive was not available until after the holiday, and I had to go on my honeymoon after the holiday. So finally, on October 20th, I test drove the car. I consider myself quite knowledgeable about cars, so I had a question about the MacPherson front suspension. It was a question that had been playing in my mind for a while, as I thought it was the only downside of the R7. Although my 3 Series also has MacPherson front suspension, it has been improved to a double ball structure. After the test drive, all my doubts were cleared up, as the SAIC engineers did an excellent job in adjusting the MacPherson front suspension. It drove comfortably, and the chassis feedback on bumps was good, and the filtering was proper. During the test drive, it was the four-wheel-drive version, and when the sales staff pressed the accelerator pedal, my wife and I were laughing so hard. So I chose the rear-wheel-drive version, as I think 5.8 seconds 0-60 mph is enough. After the satisfying test drive, I finally signed the contract on the 24th. I thought I signed too late, and I was worried that I might not be able to get the car before the end of the year and may miss the Jiading subsidy. However, the sales staff assured me that I would get it at the end of the year, so I was no longer worried.On 11/7, someone in our car enthusiast group saw their status change to “待提车” (waiting for pick-up) on the app. I was envious, but then on 11/9, my app status also changed to “待提车”. I was urged to quickly submit my quota application, but because there is a quota review in Shanghai, I missed the first collective delivery day. The first batch of owners had a collective delivery on 11/12 in Minhang, Shanghai, and the delivery ceremony was quite ceremonious and there were many gifts. However, I have to complain a bit here since the delivery ceremony in Anting was too simple, and the gifts were not plentiful. Fortunately, we were later informed that the gifts are on the way and will be mailed to everyone. In this regard, I hope that FEV will treat everyone equally in terms of the delivery ceremony and gifts.

Since the quota typically takes five working days, I thought I would not be notified to pick-up the car until Thursday, 11/17. But unexpectedly, on Tuesday 11/15, the delivery team asked if I could pick-up the car the next day. I was so excited that I immediately took a leave of absence.

The next day, I drove to the Anting delivery center early in the morning. The appearance of the delivery center looked very grand. When I entered, the receptionist smiled and helped me register my information. In the waiting area behind the sofa, someone brought me a cup of water and asked me to wait. Soon, my delivery specialist, Xie Xiuxiu, took me to inspect the car. The white exterior was really handsome! Forgive my poor photography skills, but I took the photos in 3-5, and there were no problems after inspecting a round, except for some water droplets on the car after washing it, which the delivery team carefully wiped off for me. After getting in the car, the delivery specialist was patient and explained some practical functions of the car. The battery was also charged to healthy levels, and the white interior was more luxurious than the other two colors. We smoothly paid and insured the car, and the whole process was clear and fast. During the period of obtaining the temporary license plate, the delivery team took me to lunch upstairs. After finishing the meal, my temporary license plate was ready, so I drove straight back home.

The driving experience all the way was simply amazing! Actually, I was a bit nervous when test driving because it wasn’t my car, but after picking up the car, I let loose. For me, the 5.8 seconds acceleration of the rear-wheel drive was already very fast, with a strong sensation of being pushed back, and it was very linear, not like other electric cars that suddenly sped up. The driving experience of the R7 is similar to that of many gasoline cars, and there is no jerking or nodding after low speed or stopping. I experienced some nodding during the test drive, but since picking up the car, everything is perfect. I kept saying “Hi FEV” all the way, experiencing the intelligent technology. Voice interactives can basically solve 80% of the button functions.

Image 7: After the license plate was obtained, it was white with green, the 7890 little guy.Image 8: The new car is parked far away from the car next to it, afraid of getting scratched when they open the door.

Image 9: Can’t wait to have a picnic at Yuanxiang Lake in Jiading with friends!

After driving for so many days, my feeling is that it is just as good in handling as my BMW 3 Series. It changes lanes quickly and has basically no tilt. The chassis filtering is also good, and the feedback when crossing bumps is even better than my 3 Series. And when it comes to acceleration and low-speed jolts, it handles better than the 3 Series. I don’t even want to drive my 3 Series anymore haha. After talking about the handling, let’s talk about the sense of technology. It is beyond comparison with the 3 Series. The electric and suction doors are very high-tech, and the logic is even stronger than the Zeekr 001. When I get close, the car automatically unlocks, and when I walk away, it automatically locks. The triple screens + AR-HUD allow me to always drive with my head up, while my wife sits on the queen’s co-pilot seat, pressing the massage button, and happily watching dramas with her feet resting on the footrest. The list settings in the central control screen are clear, and there are not too many sub-lists, but the functions are complete. At first, I was worried that the backrest angle of the rear seat was too straight, but my family unanimously agreed that it was very comfortable, and the angle seems to have been deliberately designed to be conducive to the waist and back. The legroom in the rear seat is one arm’s length, and the headroom is two and a half fists, without being affected by the sleek design. Although the trunk space is smaller than many SUVs, it is much larger than my 3 Series!

Until now, I haven’t encountered any problem, and there are too many advantages to write about. I will write more in the next post. Finally, I wish everyone a happy car delivery, and for those who haven’t received their car yet, the moment is about to come!