Absolutely you should buy one, my wife has a 2019 and it’s fantastic, I always want to drive it. Cannot see us ever selling it. I would recommend anyone getting an i3, it just makes you smile every time.
Hey totally agree, bought our new (2020) i3s in January this year for £18.5k with 18,000 miles.. a fantastic little car, great value for money. The 42kw battery is plenty for most trips up to 150 miles.. perhaps even more in the summer! Just love its quirky looks, lightness, speed off the line, ergonomics being a bmw fan boy anyway (my other car is a bmw i4 40).. The i3s was meant to be our second car, my wife’s car.. but I’ve ended up swapping over and driving it more as so enjoy its simplicity. Also it’s easy to park and has a turning circle like a London black cab, perfect for city living. We got some great options on this too.. I really recommend the sunroof, reversing camera, comfort access and lodge interior.. so totally different and still concept car looks. My advice would be to get one while you still can, as there’s still many low mileage examples available on the 2nd hand car market 👍✅ great videos keep up the good work!
I've just sold my Peugeot e-208 and Mini Cooper SE L3, both 2023. Regretfully, I lost £5,000 each after selling to the main dealer as I'm too impatient to deal with private buyers. Last week, I bought a 2021 BMW i3 120ah for £13,500 with 24,000 miles. Can't believe it cost £33,000 brand new 3 years ago. The e-208 range of 200 miles was amazing as my daily commute was 70 miles on the motorway, but the Mini Cooper SE was an absolute joke, 90 miles range at 95% SoC and I had to use a public charger to arrive home, although it did charge from 20% to 80% in 15 minutes in cold/hot weather! I'm satisfied that the BMW i3 will meet my needs compared to what the Peugeot e-208 and Mini Cooper SE offered. I'm more than happy with 150-190 miles of range, and then charge it overnight at home for 7p/kWh. The only drawback is that the insurance is so much higher than the e-208 and Mini, and the rear tyres are £161-£200 each to replace! I don't know why but I also drive a Citroen Ami for shorter trips to Central London and back (10 miles total) via 20mph roads.
Hi Tom, I would say yes, buy an i3 in 2024. I love mine which has the Rex, I rarely use the Rex but it is handy on long runs. It is like having an extra 20Kwh battery! I can get 180 miles in winter and 210 miles in summer which I think is great, it's the best car I've ever had.
If ever there was a cult car in the making, this is it. You know a car is in that category when drivers wave to one another. I can't imagine ever selling my i3. So cheap to run; so much fun.
As an i4M50 owner, we just replaced our second car with a 3 year old i3s. And belive it or not, we sometimes fight who can take the i3 for the day. I love this little agile car…. There are downsides, range is limited, the suspension is a bit stiff…… At the end, it fits 4 adults comfortley and you can park it so easy. Lucky I‘m privileged, i have a charger at home as well as in at the office. Range is not an issue.
7 месяцев назад+17
My i3s will probably be my last car. I drive a Skoda Enyaq for work and had my boss's Kia EV6 GT for the weekend, but these cars are incredibly annoying with all the gimmicks and pseudo assistance systems (which are actually more annoying than helpful). The i3 is still such a simple and easy-to-use car and the older I get, the more I learn to appreciate the simplicity of things. And I especially love the completely noise-free driving, which has now been made impossible by meaningless regulations. In times when a responsible person should think about what they do and how they do it, the i3 is the compromise between total sacrifice and the luxury of owning a car that I can justify to the next generation. I don't need more car, but it shouldn't be less either.
After four years of driving i3S's (a 2018 S -Rex and now a 2022 120ah) I agree totally with your thoughts. I am coming to the end of my agreement and I'm going to refinance the remainder rather than hand it backas I can't even think about giving it back yet.. I've seen some newer cars but nothing ticks all the boxes like the little i3 Which is pretty amazing since even the latest iteration is OLD now by EV terms. All these young whippersnappers still had some catching up to do and they're only just getting there now - but none offer quite the unique "concept" experience like the i3.. and especially not for the kind of money you can get an i3 for now. If it suits your needs (and it won't suit all) it's a superb car. I feel priviledged to have owned not one but two.
I'm currently considering buying a lease-return i3 (about 3 years old). The prices in Germany are about 50% below the new price because e-cars are selling very badly at the moment. Your positive assessment is therefore very helpful and I only hope that you are not a BMW employee. 😁.
Hi Tom, greetings from the U.K. I bought a new i3 in 2019, still have it, still love it. Now at 43k miles. My only niggle is the ride quality, which is quite harsh for my taste. My only expense has been 4 new tyres at 37k miles - I chose Continentals over the factory fit Bridgestones, imho the Continentals are a big improvement in terms of noise and comfort, and come with more tread depth than the Bridgestones. Shout out to Wisely Automotive for there excellent videos for i3 owners.
I use my i3-REX since december 2014 and get 204.000km on the counter. Last year I was from Belgium with my car in Rome -we were two drivers- yes I also like this car!
Btw I'm 85. After buying the car in 2014 and because my wife liked very much to be in the car we were on the road and made trips every day of the year but one single day, with snowy weather, the i3 got a quiet day of rest.
Finally a big fan like me 😊 At the up side I would like to add - amongst others - the small turning circle and the ease of parking in small parking places. Who needs a bigger car when you’re driving alone or with up to three passengers (with little luggage)? I’ve got a mid 2019 full optioned i3S with 55k km, a battery range of 230km in the winter (19”) and 280 in the summer (20”), both in Comfort (Eco is about 20-30km more). Currently I see no alternative on the market and with the upcoming road tax (given the tariff for combustion cars, starting at 60% in 2025 up to 100% in 2030, based on weight) I’m laughing to all the SUV-EV’s with their +2000kilo and my 1365kilo 😎 Many save and happy kilometers to you 🤗
Love our I3 (2021 120AH) as a second car besides our Porsche Taycan RWD. Bought it in december 2023 with 13.000 km and now driven almost 19.000 km. fine second car!!
Bought one of last i3S new in May 22. For my trips 95% in London and southeast England it’s been perfect. Medium length trips to Wales and Cornwall no problem - I target the older/slower 50 kWh rapids for those as theSUV brigade will be desperate for ultra- rapids. Agree tyre wear and replacement are a background worry but I get close to 5 miles/kWh in summer and maybe 4 in winter, so cheap to run yet great fun.
We got a 2018 i3s 94ah maxed out with 83k kms. I hope it will be forever our secondary family car for sub 300km travels and for the city. It’s just perfect. To be honest, we use our i3 much more than our “primary” car around 4:1 Now we are looking to replace our primary (travel) ICE car for an i4 or BYD Seal.
I’ve been driving a BYD Seal for four months. It's a fantastic car, but it's a bit too big-both long and wide-for city driving. I'm now considering getting a smaller, more agile second car. Still trying to decide whether to go for a REx or a BEV.
@@rlander we would keep the i3 for the city. The only problem is that Byd informed us that the lead time on the seal 3.2 locally is around 12-14 months 🤯 so maybe i should make peace with the model y, but i really dont want to. It would be a longtime loaner so used i4 isnf an option
2 месяца назад
Thank you for this feedback! Your passion for this car comes through very much, but I think THIS car is all about exactly that! Wish you a great day!
I've been the proud owner of a black I3s for two months now and have enjoyed every single journey since then. A 2020 model with the large battery, keyless entry, adaptive LED headlights, large screen and Harman Kardon music system with 33k kilometers for 20k euros. That was a no brainer in my eyes! I am now also lucky enough to be able to charge at my workplace for 15 cents per KW. The best, most fun, highest quality and cheapest car to run which I've ever owned! It's a shame that BMW has stopped production, although the decision is understandable for economic reasons.
Hi Tom, greetings from Finland! I've driven my 2014 BMW i3 60 Ah for over 8 years and almost 100 000 kms. The car is a masterpiece in engineering, I like that there is not much to rust as panels are mostly plastic. The light interior is still very futuristic. The biggest downside in my opinion is the suspension. With bad roads it is harsh and shaky on 19 inch wheels.
I drive the I3S rex fantastic car bought it from BMW in London area 2 years ago ,drove it back to the NE of England absolutely no problem , stopped a couple of times fuel enroute after using the hold state of charge function and arrived home with about 40 miles of range left in the battery . Now i rarely use the scooter engine in the boot . I agree about the dire lack of tyre choices available ,i wish at least they would have an all season tyre option as trying to find chains or socks to fit these wheel sizes is impossible, very niche me thinks .
I went the other direction, went from 19s to 20s and replaced the tires with larger 195/55/20 MOMO tires and it’s great! They are very inexpensive, more comfortable, higher grip, but downside is, heavier, slightly lower efficiency. I think it’s worth it, more comfortable than my 19s on Bridgestones
So there’s zero problem with fitment? No modifications required? You mentioned a slight change in efficiency. Could you provide the efficiency numbers before and after? Thanks very much.
My Bmw i3 is targetted to the town life ( silence at low and medium speed 75 km/h ) in the south west of France . On the motorway , I have to rely on the "REX" , the thermal twin cylinder south Korean "Kimco" "range extender" . If you own your garage with direct acces to a private plug , and If you use it mainly in town , it is worth buying despite the motorway range and actually limited access to charging stations which some of them are unusable directly with a bank card in South West France of 2024 . intermediate cards with annual prebuy and of several brands are necessary ;perhaps my best choice should have been the TOYOTA C-HR 184 hp.
I am narrowing down my options for an EV. It is either this i3 or the Tesla Model 3. The i3 has significantly better headlight technology and I have heard the 2018 and newer models are pretty reliable. I am just hoping maintenance won't be a headache considering the car is discontinued.
Awesome video! I've been obsessed with the i3 for the past few months. Just when my interest was beginning to fade, you drop this video and boom-my obsession is back in full swing. I'm really tempted to get a 2021 i3 and hold onto it forever, but I'm wondering if I should wait for the prices to drop a bit more.
I bought mine two months ago. I3 from 2019 with the 42Kwh battery an 70000 km mileage. For only 14.000 euro (incl subsidies) a great buy. It gets me everywhere! The only thing I don't like is the small infotainment screen and it's apparently quite difficult to upgrade in the facelift model.
one of the biggest advantages of this car is that it is the first to have one pedal drive. Because even Tesla with its model S did not have that. just a hold hill. and the e up only has one pedal in forward gear, but in reverse a creep.
These cars make me sad. I saw one a few years ago and absolutely fell in love with it but I had no idea what kind of car it was. Once I tracked it down I was excited to buy one until I found out the avg range is about 65 miles. That's shorter than my commute back and forth to work everyday. I'm bummed about it because I really love the look but it's just not a practical car....at least for me.
The car aside, why do people insist on presenting a video whilst driving - on a fast road too! You can tell that he has to divert his attention away from the presentation and concentrate on the road around him, which give us all a lot of "Um's, ah's, er's" and unexplained silences. It's crazy. It's dangerous. And it's not pleasant to watch. I'm half-way through and I don't want to see any more. My attention has been on his surroundings rather than what he's saying, and so I have missed some of his comments. I've learned nothing that I didn't already know about the car. Maybe it'll get better, But I won't be here it see it. Nah... Not for me.
Noooooo, dealerd fix one thing and break another or do a rral bad job, all bmw dealrs in south florida a shitti. I was hooing to keep mine, but noo on rutine maintennace sht happaes, the las tire they put the aligmenr was done wrong. Therr is no end to the hell of owning any bmw, the i3 is a troubke fee car if tou do right.
Absolutely you should buy one, my wife has a 2019 and it’s fantastic, I always want to drive it. Cannot see us ever selling it. I would recommend anyone getting an i3, it just makes you smile every time.
It does! Even after 1,5 years I get a smile. Normally I'm quickly bored with cars and want to switch them out after 1 year.
Hey totally agree, bought our new (2020) i3s in January this year for £18.5k with 18,000 miles.. a fantastic little car, great value for money. The 42kw battery is plenty for most trips up to 150 miles.. perhaps even more in the summer! Just love its quirky looks, lightness, speed off the line, ergonomics being a bmw fan boy anyway (my other car is a bmw i4 40).. The i3s was meant to be our second car, my wife’s car.. but I’ve ended up swapping over and driving it more as so enjoy its simplicity. Also it’s easy to park and has a turning circle like a London black cab, perfect for city living. We got some great options on this too.. I really recommend the sunroof, reversing camera, comfort access and lodge interior.. so totally different and still concept car looks. My advice would be to get one while you still can, as there’s still many low mileage examples available on the 2nd hand car market 👍✅ great videos keep up the good work!
Thank you so much for your kind reply!
I've just sold my Peugeot e-208 and Mini Cooper SE L3, both 2023. Regretfully, I lost £5,000 each after selling to the main dealer as I'm too impatient to deal with private buyers. Last week, I bought a 2021 BMW i3 120ah for £13,500 with 24,000 miles. Can't believe it cost £33,000 brand new 3 years ago. The e-208 range of 200 miles was amazing as my daily commute was 70 miles on the motorway, but the Mini Cooper SE was an absolute joke, 90 miles range at 95% SoC and I had to use a public charger to arrive home, although it did charge from 20% to 80% in 15 minutes in cold/hot weather!
I'm satisfied that the BMW i3 will meet my needs compared to what the Peugeot e-208 and Mini Cooper SE offered. I'm more than happy with 150-190 miles of range, and then charge it overnight at home for 7p/kWh. The only drawback is that the insurance is so much higher than the e-208 and Mini, and the rear tyres are £161-£200 each to replace!
I don't know why but I also drive a Citroen Ami for shorter trips to Central London and back (10 miles total) via 20mph roads.
Hi Tom, I would say yes, buy an i3 in 2024. I love mine which has the Rex, I rarely use the Rex but it is handy on long runs. It is like having an extra 20Kwh battery! I can get 180 miles in winter and 210 miles in summer which I think is great, it's the best car I've ever had.
A lot of people think I’m weird but I like it as much as the Alpina it replaced!
If ever there was a cult car in the making, this is it. You know a car is in that category when drivers wave to one another. I can't imagine ever selling my i3. So cheap to run; so much fun.
As an i4M50 owner, we just replaced our second car with a 3 year old i3s. And belive it or not, we sometimes fight who can take the i3 for the day. I love this little agile car….
There are downsides, range is limited, the suspension is a bit stiff……
At the end, it fits 4 adults comfortley and you can park it so easy.
Lucky I‘m privileged, i have a charger at home as well as in at the office. Range is not an issue.
My i3s will probably be my last car.
I drive a Skoda Enyaq for work and had my boss's Kia EV6 GT for the weekend, but these cars are incredibly annoying with all the gimmicks and pseudo assistance systems (which are actually more annoying than helpful).
The i3 is still such a simple and easy-to-use car and the older I get, the more I learn to appreciate the simplicity of things.
And I especially love the completely noise-free driving, which has now been made impossible by meaningless regulations.
In times when a responsible person should think about what they do and how they do it, the i3 is the compromise between total sacrifice and the luxury of owning a car that I can justify to the next generation. I don't need more car, but it shouldn't be less either.
Totally agree. I just love the classic Idrive system!
Love mine too, had an e46 M3 prior and 640d just before too. But this thing is fun, costs next to nothing run and puts a smile on your face.
Cool!
After four years of driving i3S's (a 2018 S -Rex and now a 2022 120ah) I agree totally with your thoughts. I am coming to the end of my agreement and I'm going to refinance the remainder rather than hand it backas I can't even think about giving it back yet.. I've seen some newer cars but nothing ticks all the boxes like the little i3 Which is pretty amazing since even the latest iteration is OLD now by EV terms. All these young whippersnappers still had some catching up to do and they're only just getting there now - but none offer quite the unique "concept" experience like the i3.. and especially not for the kind of money you can get an i3 for now. If it suits your needs (and it won't suit all) it's a superb car. I feel priviledged to have owned not one but two.
I'm currently considering buying a lease-return i3 (about 3 years old). The prices in Germany are about 50% below the new price because e-cars are selling very badly at the moment.
Your positive assessment is therefore very helpful and I only hope that you are not a BMW employee. 😁.
Hi Tom, greetings from the U.K. I bought a new i3 in 2019, still have it, still love it. Now at 43k miles. My only niggle is the ride quality, which is quite harsh for my taste. My only expense has been 4 new tyres at 37k miles - I chose Continentals over the factory fit Bridgestones, imho the Continentals are a big improvement in terms of noise and comfort, and come with more tread depth than the Bridgestones. Shout out to Wisely Automotive for there excellent videos for i3 owners.
I am considering the continentals along with Michelin. Enjoy your car!
I use my i3-REX since december 2014 and get 204.000km on the counter. Last year I was from Belgium with my car in Rome -we were two drivers- yes I also like this car!
Btw I'm 85. After buying the car in 2014 and because my wife liked very much to be in the car we were on the road and made trips every day of the year but one single day, with snowy weather, the i3 got a quiet day of rest.
We're on our third: 2014, 2015, 2020. Bought the 2020 last summer with 14K mi. Nothing like it, best urban car ever.
I drive mine for a month now, and it's such a joy to drive it!
Finally a big fan like me 😊
At the up side I would like to add - amongst others - the small turning circle and the ease of parking in small parking places.
Who needs a bigger car when you’re driving alone or with up to three passengers (with little luggage)?
I’ve got a mid 2019 full optioned i3S with 55k km, a battery range of 230km in the winter (19”) and 280 in the summer (20”), both in Comfort (Eco is about 20-30km more).
Currently I see no alternative on the market and with the upcoming road tax (given the tariff for combustion cars, starting at 60% in 2025 up to 100% in 2030, based on weight) I’m laughing to all the SUV-EV’s with their +2000kilo and my 1365kilo 😎
Many save and happy kilometers to you 🤗
Thank you so much for your kind words! Enjoy your car!
Love our I3 (2021 120AH) as a second car besides our Porsche Taycan RWD. Bought it in december 2023 with 13.000 km and now driven almost 19.000 km. fine second car!!
That's a lovely two car garage!
Bought one of last i3S new in May 22. For my trips 95% in London and southeast England it’s been perfect. Medium length trips to Wales and Cornwall no problem - I target the older/slower 50 kWh rapids for those as theSUV brigade will be desperate for ultra- rapids. Agree tyre wear and replacement are a background worry but I get close to 5 miles/kWh in summer and maybe 4 in winter, so cheap to run yet great fun.
The tires are a small price to pay for the enjoyment the car gives and they are practically the only cost.
We got a 2018 i3s 94ah maxed out with 83k kms. I hope it will be forever our secondary family car for sub 300km travels and for the city. It’s just perfect. To be honest, we use our i3 much more than our “primary” car around 4:1
Now we are looking to replace our primary (travel) ICE car for an i4 or BYD Seal.
I’ve been driving a BYD Seal for four months. It's a fantastic car, but it's a bit too big-both long and wide-for city driving. I'm now considering getting a smaller, more agile second car. Still trying to decide whether to go for a REx or a BEV.
I would love to have an i4 in the future and keep this as a secondary car when it’s over 300k kilometres.
I love the Bev
@@super69ev exactly what we did
@@rlander we would keep the i3 for the city. The only problem is that Byd informed us that the lead time on the seal 3.2 locally is around 12-14 months 🤯 so maybe i should make peace with the model y, but i really dont want to. It would be a longtime loaner so used i4 isnf an option
Thank you for this feedback! Your passion for this car comes through very much, but I think THIS car is all about exactly that! Wish you a great day!
I've been the proud owner of a black I3s for two months now and have enjoyed every single journey since then. A 2020 model with the large battery, keyless entry, adaptive LED headlights, large screen and Harman Kardon music system with 33k kilometers for 20k euros. That was a no brainer in my eyes!
I am now also lucky enough to be able to charge at my workplace for 15 cents per KW.
The best, most fun, highest quality and cheapest car to run which I've ever owned!
It's a shame that BMW has stopped production, although the decision is understandable for economic reasons.
Hi Tom, greetings from Finland! I've driven my 2014 BMW i3 60 Ah for over 8 years and almost 100 000 kms. The car is a masterpiece in engineering, I like that there is not much to rust as panels are mostly plastic. The light interior is still very futuristic.
The biggest downside in my opinion is the suspension. With bad roads it is harsh and shaky on 19 inch wheels.
Agreed! Just bought one a month ago and LOVE it
So, you have no potholes where you live?
Enjoy!
I owned my one now for a month and be very happy with it and it was a right decision to buy it.
I drive the I3S rex fantastic car bought it from BMW in London area 2 years ago ,drove it back to the NE of England absolutely no problem , stopped a couple of times fuel enroute after using the hold state of charge function and arrived home with about 40 miles of range left in the battery . Now i rarely use the scooter engine in the boot . I agree about the dire lack of tyre choices available ,i wish at least they would have an all season tyre option as trying to find chains or socks to fit these wheel sizes is impossible, very niche me thinks .
I went the other direction, went from 19s to 20s and replaced the tires with larger 195/55/20 MOMO tires and it’s great! They are very inexpensive, more comfortable, higher grip, but downside is, heavier, slightly lower efficiency. I think it’s worth it, more comfortable than my 19s on Bridgestones
So there’s zero problem with fitment? No modifications required?
You mentioned a slight change in efficiency. Could you provide the efficiency numbers before and after?
Thanks very much.
My Bmw i3 is targetted to the town life ( silence at low and medium speed 75 km/h ) in the south west of France . On the motorway , I have to rely on the "REX" , the thermal twin cylinder south Korean "Kimco" "range extender" . If you own your garage with direct acces to a private plug , and If you use it mainly in town , it is worth buying despite the motorway range and actually limited access to charging stations which some of them are unusable directly with a bank card in South West France of 2024 .
intermediate cards with annual prebuy and of several brands are necessary ;perhaps my best choice should have been the TOYOTA C-HR 184 hp.
I am narrowing down my options for an EV. It is either this i3 or the Tesla Model 3. The i3 has significantly better headlight technology and I have heard the 2018 and newer models are pretty reliable. I am just hoping maintenance won't be a headache considering the car is discontinued.
Just drove from Limoges to Calais needed to charge 3 times with a 13kWh / 100Km by driving at max road speeds :)
Awesome video! I've been obsessed with the i3 for the past few months. Just when my interest was beginning to fade, you drop this video and boom-my obsession is back in full swing. I'm really tempted to get a 2021 i3 and hold onto it forever, but I'm wondering if I should wait for the prices to drop a bit more.
If you pre heat the car whilst it's still on the charger you'll get better range in the winter.
I bought mine two months ago. I3 from 2019 with the 42Kwh battery an 70000 km mileage. For only 14.000 euro (incl subsidies) a great buy. It gets me everywhere! The only thing I don't like is the small infotainment screen and it's apparently quite difficult to upgrade in the facelift model.
That was the bottom of the market. Good deal!
Had ours from new since 2017 and an ideal commuting car. Cannot see us replacing it for some time
Do you have the rex model? Any issues with repairs etc?
Amazing video. You got a subscriber! Just curious to know which i3 should i get ? (Year , version ?
one of the biggest advantages of this car is that it is the first to have one pedal drive. Because even Tesla with its model S did not have that. just a hold hill. and the e up only has one pedal in forward gear, but in reverse a creep.
I love mine 👍
Everyone seem to love their cars 🥰
I would love to buy one but the only ones I can afford are the older 2014-2015 models. I would appreciate any advice.
I’m going to buy 2017 i3 too
Read my comment ...
These cars make me sad. I saw one a few years ago and absolutely fell in love with it but I had no idea what kind of car it was. Once I tracked it down I was excited to buy one until I found out the avg range is about 65 miles. That's shorter than my commute back and forth to work everyday. I'm bummed about it because I really love the look but it's just not a practical car....at least for me.
Sure, why shouldn’t you buy an i3 in 2024.
The car aside, why do people insist on presenting a video whilst driving - on a fast road too! You can tell that he has to divert his attention away from the presentation and concentrate on the road around him, which give us all a lot of "Um's, ah's, er's" and unexplained silences. It's crazy. It's dangerous. And it's not pleasant to watch. I'm half-way through and I don't want to see any more. My attention has been on his surroundings rather than what he's saying, and so I have missed some of his comments. I've learned nothing that I didn't already know about the car.
Maybe it'll get better, But I won't be here it see it. Nah... Not for me.
Noooooo, dealerd fix one thing and break another or do a rral bad job, all bmw dealrs in south florida a shitti. I was hooing to keep mine, but noo on rutine maintennace sht happaes, the las tire they put the aligmenr was done wrong. Therr is no end to the hell of owning any bmw, the i3 is a troubke fee car if tou do right.
Absolutely no , its a terrible looking wheelchair