Видео

I’m pretty sure that they think they’re driving - you can tell they’re enjoying it though! 😄

In areas with cold weather, many i3 drivers use the seat heaters instead of cranking up the cabin heater to get a little bit of additional range. When you’re talking about the smallest 60Ah battery in the 2014-2016 models that’s undergone degradation over 8-10 years, every little bit of juice counts! If it’s warm all the time, then of course, no big deal if the seat heaters work or not.

You have great taste! I had a 2009 as well, but upgraded to a 2014 because of some of the nice mid model refresh upgrades. Way more good things than bad things about the Z4, for sure! 👍

Do you see significantly reduced range in the winter as your i3 gets older, or is it manageable? On a 2016 with 60Ah battery, I get about 65 miles (105 km) in the summer and about 20-25% less range in the winter. Still useable, but I would be nervous without the REx! 😅

@@thefleet yes I do. In summer (25C) I have 240km range with the 94Ah battery. At -25C there is merely 150 km left.

Haven’t seen one show up on the used market yet, in Europe or the US! In comparison, there have been at least five or six RoadStyle editions that have popped up on Carvana this year. I think the HomeRun would be the ultimate i3 if you could get your hands on one! 👍

The local BMW dealer used to offer storage, but they stopped when they were bought out, so that’s why the snow tires are in the living room! 😫 Thanks for the tip, there are some BT locations around here!

I was shocked, but then remembered that she eats even better than the humans do, LOL

A lot of cars struggled in the Chicago freeze, including Teslas! It was crazy seeing all the bricked cars at the Supercharger stations, and the Model Y was getting about half its normal range on the highway. Range anxiety is no fun!

Agreed 100%! Some owners have been using Momo tires, they are way cheaper with acceptable results. Bridgestone Potenza S001 tires can also be found on special at Tire Rack, I picked up a set of rears for ~$90 a tire.

WeatherTech one piece 3D scanned all weather floor liners - they fit great! 👍

I hope the link works: www.weathertech.com/bmw/2016/i3/floorliner-digitalfit/

I’m honestly surprised that there are still quality control issues even after manufacturing millions of these. I have a friend with a Gigafactory Berlin built car that is far superior in fit and finish, despite that facility only being open about 2 years.

Um, it was a "pleasure device for women" that I didn't catch until I was editing the video. Not mine, LOL

I think the tall roof of the i3 makes the dogs feel more comfortable inside. ^_^ I'm jealous of your i4, drove one as a loaner when the i3 was in for service and really liked it, even though it was a base RWD eDrive 35.

More like 12, I like the idea of a goat button 🐐

Seriously though, your opinion is as good as anyone else’s, so thanks for stopping by, watching, and leaving a comment. I read all of them and take them into consideration. Appreciate you! 👍

I started with a 2009 35i as well, in Deep Sea Blue Metallic with the Ivory White interior. Loved that car and got great use out of it before upgrading to the 35is. Around 30,000 miles BMW replaced the injectors for the same reason under warranty, and I just had them do the plugs and coils while they were in there. Followed the same maintenance for the 2014 car to keep the N54 happy. No HPFP, water pump, or turbo issues yet, keeping an eye on those items! Totally agree with you about ditching the RFT and going to more “normal” tires. Really liked the Continental DWS06 All Seasons on the 35i’s 18-inch wheels. Other cars are quicker, but there’s plenty of kick from the engine/DCT combo and with the roof open and wind in your hair it feels even faster. You have good taste! 👍

No way the E89 is trash! I have had two (2009, 2014) and they are great cars and a lot of fun. Just like any car, there are issues to look out for and hopefully anyone who wants to buy one can check it over to make sure they get a good one like the one you had. Thank you for watching! 👍

Really fascinating to see internals of the i3 taken apart on your channel - thanks for taking the time to show us! At least in the US, i3 prices have taken a dip lately, so I'm on the hunt to update my 2016 60Ah to a 2019+ 120Ah model. Appreciate you stopping by and contributing!

@@thefleet Many thanks :) Yes they are a wonderful car but not many folk know how to fix them it seems. Got another from the dealer next week where they said nothing wrong yet I had already diagnosed 2 HV cable insulation failures...

What drugs? 🤫😆

not a supportive comment and purely an opinion as many other car enthusiasts also love dogs and enjoy dogs being in their car

I didn’t like the i3 when it first came out, but gained a deeper appreciation after learning more about it and buying a pre-owned one. One of my favorite cars, and so unique and ahead of its time! Thank you for watching and leaving a comment! 👍

To be fair, the $3,500 was for injectors, spark plugs, and ignition coils. Also to be fair, there are a lot of dealers in the US that overcharge for service and parts, check out this scary story on the BMW i3 where a dealer quoted $71k to fix a $50k car! 🤦🏻‍♂️ www.thetruthaboutcars.com/cars/news-blog/bmw-i3-owner-quoted-over-70-000-for-new-battery-44505121

@@thefleet When the car is past the manufacturer's warranty it is better to take the car to an good independent garage where the labour rates are much lower but even so I know in the US even backstreet garages charge an arm and leg. The labour to do all three injectors spark plugs and coils should be the same since all the work is in that area.

You are 100% correct, a quality independent mechanic is a must, or being blessed with the tools, space, and know-how to do it yourself! 👍

You have good taste! 👍 Enjoy your awesome manual Z4, their days are sadly numbered with BMW dropping it from their future products. 😭

@@thefleet more reason to keep it !1

Thanks for the contributions! I think BMW would have done a little more about some of these issues if the Z4 was a higher-volume model like a 3-series, but alas we’re stuck with issues that remain unfixed…

@@thefleet And as of today my tenth recall letter for replacement battery cable, but i don't want the dealer messing car up. Been ok 14 years now.

It’s a gem! 💎 I didn’t appreciate the i3 when it first came out, but trying to make up for it now. Thanks for watching! 😄

それはいい考えです！

Thanks for watching! Overall it’s a really good car, so much so that we have two! Just a few things to look out for so they can be addressed under warranty or taken care of before they turn into bigger problems. 👍

I was disappointed to see that US cars don’t have that knee cubby since space is at such a premium. One thing that the US cars get that the RHD cars don’t is the slot-in cup holder on the side of the center console, so there’s that, I guess! 😅

@@thefleet worst than that , non of the EU cars have that cup holder :(

That is terrible! Did BMW just not include the slot overall, or did they just omit the accessory piece that slides in? A retrofit could get expensive if new console and trim pieces were needed. Thanks for sharing your knowledge! 👍

@@thefleet no slot at all,. if you want to retrofit you have to drill it , or change the whole console. Bit idiot choice

The i3 was so far ahead of its time for something that came out 10 years ago - agree that it’s a shame BMW killed it off and just now are refocusing on EVs. Fortunately it has only been out of production less than 2 years at this point and there were 250,000 made, so hopefully parts and service will be available for the foreseeable future for all of us holding on to these cars. Thanks for watching and commenting, truly appreciate it! 👍

@@thefleetdo you know how many of the i3S variant were made out of the 250k? I have one of the last to be made in the UK and will be hanging on to it.

@@SLJ2776 You should definitely hang on to it, already somewhat rare and getting rarer! 😄 So in terms of i3s models released, BMW hasn't released an i3s-specific breakdown, but... - Public sales data shows a higher volume of i3 sales earlier in the lifespan of the car. - The i3s was introduced around 2017-18, midway through the product cycle. - After speaking with many dealers, the i3s was never the volume seller, feedback from customers cited its higher price point and stiffer suspension as factors. - Based on the above factors and some additional data, an educated guess would be around 40-50,000 units out of 250,000, only about 15-20% of overall production. - On the secondary used market, i3s models make up about 15% of the available vehicles, with the majority being "regular" i3 cars. If you had a specific special trim of the i3s, you would definitely know the number produced. Here's some of the production numbers for those: i3s RoadStyle: 900 units i3s HomeRun: 20 units

@@thefleetthanks good info. I have the Interior World - Suite with i3s propack, fluid black

Thanks for watching! 👍 BMW really went all in on special editions, and while some are just fancy paint and sticker jobs, some of them are super wild. Definitely hope to get my hands on one someday, somehow! 😄

Love mine as well, had a 2009 35i in Deep Sea Blue Metallic and upgraded to a 2014 35is after the LCI changes. It’s not perfect, but it is so fun to cruise around in and putting the top down never gets old! 😄

Here’s a video on this channel that will answer your question! 👍 ruclips.net/video/wkS-TIMCCDs/видео.htmlsi=gqMDUXl1GtHIr68c

It’s been very interesting to see 2014-2015 models still driving around with less battery degradation than expected. I’m with you on these being around for a while, with the aluminum, CFRP and plastic construction. BMW made the last new i3 cars in 2022, and they made 250,000 overall, so we should have parts for quite some time to come as well, be they new or salvaged. Great comment, appreciate you watching! 👍

I would love to upgrade to a 120Ah i3s and am keeping an eye on the market for an opportunity! Thank you for watching!

@thefleet I have exactly this Version and can only recommend it. Simply the perfect EV! Maybe we'll see a new video with the 120Ah version at some point.

Thanks for watching and commenting! I’m going to pin your comment to the top so anyone watching this can research other potential issues. 👍 These videos are representative of my long term ownership experience with these cars, and I simply haven’t had many issues with the Fit. It’s kind of hard to make a video and show people a problem when it doesn’t exist on your car… 😅

Nice rundown on possible Fit problems. My brother had a Fit several years ago - i drove it on a long trip one time...and it's true: the seats are very uncomfortable when traveling long distances. I was thinking about buying a Fit but now i'm not sure - given all these potential issues. Perhaps i'll just keep driving my del Sol as it's been an excellent car.

Happy to be part of the i3 family! That’s great that you got one of the last ones made, with all the updates and improvements BMW added over the years. Hope it lasts you for a long time to come! 👍