I picked up the car on Monday, Deep Green color with black wheels and black interior. I had been waiting for about two weeks. Originally, I planned to get a new car for my wife, either a Mini or an X3, or maybe a Model Y.
However, my wife wasn’t particularly eager to change cars, and having two young children was the only reason we considered it. So, we decided it would be better to add a six-seater car to our household.
We didn’t want to spend too much on a larger car, so we were looking at the 300,000 to 400,000 RMB range. It felt like there weren’t many good options in that price range. Both my wife and I liked the square-shaped design of the Li One, and we didn’t mind it being an electric vehicle. We also didn’t want any range anxiety typically associated with electric cars, so the Li One became almost the only choice for us.
Although I had test driven it before, it was just a brief experience.
After driving it for three days, I’m starting to get a good feel for it, and I must say, it’s really great.
I previously drove a new C200 for six years. Although it had a 2.0T engine, I wasn’t satisfied with its acceleration. I’m not sure if it was a transmission issue, but it was much worse compared to my very first car, a 200 horsepower dual-clutch Mondeo.
The Li One, or rather the linear acceleration of an electric drivetrain, has its advantages, and it feels very comfortable. Although it may not have the power of those electric cars that can go from 0 to 100 km/h in 3 or 4 seconds, it’s not far behind the ML350 and X5 3.0 that I’ve driven before.
The driving experience, especially the feeling of body roll during turns, is much more comfortable than the C200. It might be something common to larger vehicles.
The interior space is spacious enough. With the third row pushed back, adults can still sit with their legs in the middle, although the floor of the last row is slightly elevated, which is probably unavoidable.
In terms of the infotainment system, although I haven’t received the September OTA update yet, it still offers a lot of content compared to traditional cars. After a few days of use, I haven’t found many inconveniences in terms of functionality and operation.
The seat firmness of the 2021 model suits my taste perfectly. Although the overall interior may not be luxurious, it doesn’t feel like a cheap car either. Considering the price range, I’m satisfied with the interior, although it’s still not as good as the NIO ES8.
The audio system, although it doesn’t seem to have a well-known brand, is decent and sufficient in terms of sound quality. The key is cheap, only 400 RMB per piece. I don’t even care if it falls into the washing machine. Previously, a key for a Mercedes cost over 4,000 RMB. Moreover, I use the Bluetooth key, and now I have no idea where my car key is.
On the other hand, there are a few points of dissatisfaction. The wireless charging gets quite hot. When I place my iPhone 12 Pro Max on it, it becomes hot within a short time.
Sometimes the doors don’t need much force to close, and they end up not being properly closed. However, this also happened frequently with my C200.
The automatic parking feature failed during the test drive, either because I used it incorrectly or the parking space was too small and the car was too large, and
the distance from the opposite side wasn’t sufficient. The salesperson’s demonstration of the feature also failed. I tried it again yesterday when I returned home, but it still didn’t work.
There is no display screen in the rear seats, and it seems like there’s no option to install one. This is a drawback for a family car with children. I can’t let the kids sit in the front passenger seat, so they can only watch the front passenger screen from the rear seats. However, there’s no issue with the child sitting in the rear seat watching the screen because the distance is sufficient, and it helps with maintaining good eyesight and preventing motion sickness. In reality, I only use it for a couple of episodes during long trips. I hardly use it in urban areas.
As for the fuel priority mode and the noise from the range extender, I think it’s alright. It’s definitely noticeable, especially at low speeds, but it’s within an acceptable range.
I haven’t installed a charging station yet, and I get 30 meters of free installation. However, my parking spot in the underground garage is the farthest, and calculating the electric wiring needed, it would cost around 130 meters and require a 10-gauge wire. If it exceeds 30 meters, the 10-gauge wire costs 55 RMB per meter, which I think is quite expensive. I’m considering finding someone to do it myself.
The delivery center is quite far away, so if there are any issues that need to be fixed, I’m not sure if I have to travel all the way there.
It seems like the Li One uses a China Unicom network for connectivity, and the signal isn’t very good in some underground garages. In my home garage, the signal is almost nonexistent in the spot where I park.
For maintenance, I use the Li Plus membership for vehicle pick-up and drop-off. I have used it five times in a year, and I’ve never cared about the location of the maintenance center. I have never visited one before.
The Li One in Deep Green costs 348,000 RMB, and the insurance is 7,000 RMB. Overall, I feel like it has everything I wanted and needed. It’s truly amazing for a family car.