For me the big attraction in the i3 is the range extender. Although in practice I hardly ever use it. Simply having it there means I never have to worry about running out of charge before reaching the next charger, or if I find a charger occupied or out of service I can just go on to another.
Very fair review. We have an i3 Rex which we bought when it was 10 months old. It's a terrific car and great fun to drive. I agree it feels a bit skittish, but you do get used to that. The really fun part is the acceleration - as you say, it beats almost any car off the line and up to 50 miles an hour (which in the U.K. is what you really need, because you can't usually travel too far without being snarled up in traffic. Yes, the boot is tiny, but big enough for the local shopping. You can of course fold the rear seats if you need a bigger payload. The suicide doors are much criticised, but frankly we very rarely have rear seat passengers; even if we have the grandchildren with us, you can treat the i3 as a 3 door car and just fold the front seats forward, no problem. The minimalist interior we find massively attractive, it is so uncluttered. In the warm weather we have had recently, have been getting 135-140 miles on a full charge, plus the safety margin of another 80 miles on the range extender. Had the vehicle 7 months, and yesterday topped up with petrol for the 2nd time in 4900 miles - and we don't expect to use petrol except when the car kicks into a maintenance cycle for the petrol motor - which happens every 7 weeks for about 10 minutes. Who can put a price on fun? But by buying after 10 months it took the sting out of the price. As you say, depreciation has not been that heavy on the i3. I'm glad I won't be facing depreciation on a diesel car in future. I guess many motorists will be shocked when they come to part with their diesel cars. Also have bought a 2018 40kWh demo vehicle which is a terrific car, but a very different experience. Very comfortable and a big upgrade on the previous Leaf. The new Leaf is almost as quick as the i3 and feels more planted on the road. Thanks for your very enjoyable videos.
I bought a 5 year old fully-loaded i3 BEV six weeks ago, and the horrendous depreciation meant that it was about the cheapest way to dip my toes into electric vehicle ownership. One thing that people don't really consider is the efficiency of the car - the i3's low weight and small battery mean that even with the current cold weather, I'm getting 4.5 miles per KWh - Tesla drivers report between 2.5 and 3 in real world use, it doesn't make a huge difference, but on a penny to penny comparison with petrol costs round here (they call it "gas" in these parts) it's like getting 206mpg. I tend not to carry passengers, but I do carry lots of wooden panels - 50" x 16" by various thicknesses. With the back seats down (and a home made cardboard & wood liner) I can fit up to 700lb of panels (two stacks side by side) in the car, and it still moves like a little speed demon. Love the beast. I would like to see a battery upgrade option, but I can live with the range I'm getting.
In your 20's?! I couldn't have afforded one in my 20's, but I'm in my 40's and my family are now grown up (and I'm more financially comfortable) so its actually perfect for me. In 8 months I've had passengers on only 3 occasions. Its MY car! For the driver, space is huge compared to other cars. I feel too hemmed in in conventional cars and love the open interior. Performance is great for the rare time i push it. Range is excellent, even in winter (100+). Feels solid and just so totally different from anything Iv e ever had before. Leasing definitely the way to go I think b ut am already fretting about the end of the lease because i like it so much! It is pricey but everything else is too conventional for my taste. Running costs negligible and rex is so useful - have only ever used rapid chargers on 3 occasions for a quick top up and have done several 200+ mile trips without worrying (and proper BMS means rapid charges are always rapid so i rarely use the rex for long periods!). Handling is a bit skittish but never a problem and overall grip seems very good. My only proper criticism is the regen braking in snow on summer tyres can produce an alarming effect, but we don't get much snow near me so hardly a deal breaker. like you say, its marmite, and it will make sense for some, but none at all for others. Zoe (or eventually model 3) are the only others that get my juices going, but the Zoe needs CCS charging and more power IMO. Good balanced review!
phil watt your comment is spot on. Due to you as I’m retired have ordered my i3 but not the Rex. Thank you as I think this car is just fun and practical for my little run around.
Good stuff. One year in and Im still really happy with it. Non Rex version will be fine - I just don't use it in summer as range is still around the 130-150 mark (I actually have to create reasons to use the rex in summer to avoid the dreaded 'maintenance cycle' happening at inopportune moments). If rapid charging, try and find instavolt chargers - they seem to be the best. And look for pod point as they are usually free and are good for slightly longer stops (and they just work, just make sure you take cable with). Look for the facebook group (UK) as it is very useful.
You need to try a higher spec car that's a base model i3 with no options. My advice for what it's worth. You want to try the middle size wheels and inflate them to 2.5bar front and 3.0bar rear and it transforms the handling and cornering grip. The tyre pressures are critical to eliminating the bounce. At 80mph the i3 has better range than leaf 30Kwh at 60mph. It's a fast lane EV. As you say the steering is great and that's important to me. Also get the rex model and run the nuts off it for 500 miles. You won't give it back afterwards. Try the premium audio, the adaptive LED headlights and the driver assist plus pack.
bought our s/h BEV i3 2.5 years ago, ex-dealer-demo, 356 miles on the clock for £16k. Today, 13k miles later it's worth..... £16k! Love the performance and once you learn to smooth your inputs down (doesn't like people who jab at the controls) ime, it holds it's own at normal speeds against 'normal' cars (friend with a 320d cannot pull away from it down a B road for example) Drive it like an old 911 (bit slower in, then hard accel at the apex to rotate the car round and out the turn) and i find it to be actually brilliant. It's more than the sum of it's parts, i smile every time i drive it, feels way more special than any other EV or small car, and the fact it costs buttons to run is a bonus. Even if you gave me a Leaf, it would sat un-driven because i enjoy driving.....
Considering how old this car is now the styling still looks fresh and the interior design is still very contemporary and shows others how to do car interiors. BMW used the opportunity to utilise the freedom from a conventional power train to produce something different without just looking like they tried to be wilfully different. Some impressive engineering too.
I would love one. Had one for 2 days from Liverpool BMW. Would highly consider used one for £15k or less. But new they are just out my price range. Loved the zippiness of the car and the build quality. Plus the REX version is a great option to have when chargers are not working or full.
depend what you are comparing with ...... for / us 100 mile a day commute for at the time last June a 3 yr old festa 10k on clock 10k form Arnold Clark £250 per month 60 payments plus fuel = £500 per month a brand new i3 25k miles pcp just over £500 a month 48 months
Jordan Bronson way too many emojis a little bit sad that really let me ask you a question if you were stood in front of me would you be the way you are? You little man
Where to begin...! :) We've had an i3 for just over 2 years, I actually test drove a first gen Leaf two days before and I then went to see the i3 (presuming it would be too small for us). Once I'd taken it for the test drive there was no way of going back to the Leaf I'm afraid! Financially, we lease it on contract hire and it worked out as about £650 extra (per year) above the Leaf and converting that to the literal laughter that I produced on the test drive meant that it was a done deal. Space wise, we have two children and my parents live 250+ miles away and we manage to fit everything in. I'm not saying it isn't a squeeze at times, but it's certainly a feasible family car. It's the only car we use as a household and it manages everything. I've taken three 6ft passengers in the car before and there were comments as to the 'tardis' like nature of the car at the time. Cornering - it just takes time to be comfortable with it, but you can drive it pretty tight into bends! (I learnt to drive in a 2CV, so a bit of body roll doesn't phase me :) ) We've just extended the lease for a further year as we love it so much!
AHi impressed with your review of i3, I'm on my second one and love it to death, no way would I go back to an ice car. Have to admit to not speeding around corners (although I think it woul cope) but on the straight and narrow oh yes, always brings a smile to my face when driving, yes it can be a bit clunky but the driving experience makes you forgive that. Always interested in seeing your vids please carry on the good work ! Merry Christmas
Glad you liked it, you need to try the range extender version, that's its hidden USP over everything else. Also the larger wheels are much better with harder tyre pressures. That was a fairly low spec car you tested. Also highly recommend the premium audio and driver assist plus pack with adaptive cruise Control. Its expensive but its not like there's much choice in the small premium EV segment lol. Spend more time with one and the rex model. You will be driving the wheels off it in no time.
Nice review. I picked up one in the Netherlands last May, 94ah, fast charge, pano roof, harman kardon sound system, 16000km, navigation model, wood finish, for €22.500. got €2.000 subsidy (got in just before prices went up I think). Love it, it's much more of a metropolis car, but still I get 240km range in nice weather, fast charge gets to 80% in the time you but a coffee and consume, it's difficult to resist the temptation to put your foot down at the lights, I have taken on and beaten a Tesla, although clearly at the time they didn't realize it was a race. Back seats fold forward leaving a fairly large flat surface that my 6mtr telescopic ladder fits in no problem with all painting equipment. + I did a road trip to north Yorkshire and across to Whitby... Avv it 😉
I used to have the same 30kwh leaf as you. Now first of all, i3's depreciate by 40%in there first year, (I was actually lucky enough to buy BMW Ireland managers wife's i3) so you would be an absolute fool to buy one new and with the same sized battery, it goes nearly twice the distance then the leaf. Its expensive because its refined and well engineered. Unlike the leaf, it has battery cool and it take 2/3 of the time to charge it then the leaf from 5% to 80%. When the leaf hits 80%,the i3 is at about 95% or so. The price: My i3 brand new would've been 55k euros. I bought it for 30k with 5k miles on it. Its insane
Andy, great review, thought I would add my experience so far. I leased an i3 REX 94ah about 18 months ago and at that time there were some stonkingly good deals. Mine goes back in November and I would say the price to lease for this car has increased by around 60% since my deal, so for that reason I will not be getting another. With regard to the skinny but tall wheels I did read an interesting article regarding the use of skinny 19 inch wheels versus conventional wheels like say the Leafs 16 inch. The thinking behind the taller wheels is you get the same contact patch of rubber on the road as say a 16 inch 200mm wide tyre but without the frontal wind resistance, so its supposed to offer the same grip levels but better aerodynamics. I also own a Leaf and strangely while the i3 is seen as a city / urban car it is far more efficient at motorway speeds than the Leaf is. You can cruise at a steady true GPS speed of 70mph for around 30% more distance than the equivalent 30kwh Leaf. You can also run the battery to 6% without any range anxiety as you have the REX, so it truly allows you to use pretty much all the battery range offered without worrying about arriving at a faulty or busy charging point when on long motorway journeys. I know that seems to go against what people think the car is in terms of a city car but for me its my motorway car. I use my Leaf for my shorter sub 100 mile round trips. Another very good point with this car is when you do find a working motorway CCS charger which is a miraculous event nowadays it don't half charge quick compared to the Leaf. In my experience the battery charges at a full 108 to 110amps on EH chargers until it reaches just under 90% before it starts to tail off, thats if the EH CCS charger doesn't break down mid charge. The Leaf seems to tail off after only just over 60% capacity. Ultimately car choice is always down to the individual but I find the i3 a great motorway cruiser, but I still feel more comfortable driving the Leaf. The i3's main failings are its handling is more easily upset by bumpy corners, its a more uncomfortable ride on bumpy roads, the rear doors are a pain in car-parks, there are no opening windows in the rear, oh and the boot space is not as big as the Leafs by a country mile. Finally I doubt I would buy an i3 out of warranty as the reliability and cost of repair especially with the REX option seems to be a major worry to me.
I love mine. I drove from Warrington Cheshire to Cornwall, which is over 330 miles, using the REX mode, no problems whatsoever. Great to drive, makes me smile every time I get behind the wheel.
I bought a used 2017 this year and I absolutely love it. I would not buy new but used it was over $20k less. I live in Vancouver, B.C. an urban driving tangle. This car is easy to manoeuvre and park in tight spaces. I’m tall and love the headroom, never feel cramped. The boot is small but I only grocery shop for two and it’s plenty big enough for that. Also the rear seats fold down completely flat with the tug of a strap giving you loads of space. It’s fun to drive and perfect for the short urban trips I make.
Did I just read through two hundred comments?! Thanks for the video and your honest OPINION. Looks like there are some haters out there whining about minor things like video quality or tire size, but I really appreciated the review as a "first drive, first impressions" perspective! I've seen several reviews that are either "owned it for awhile, and here's all the reasons I love it!" OR "owned it for awhile and here's what I hate!" So going along for a ride with you as your opinions were formed was refreshing! Thank you too to all those whose comments added useful information about their ownership and experiences. It seems those who drive one, and it suits their needs, love it. Hope to afford my own soon!
If you change the framerate on your camera you can avoid the rolling shutter in future! I think the screens in the car are 50hz, have been caught out by this before when recording the screens in our car.
I recently ordered a new 120Ah i3, if you go easy on the options you can get them for under £30k (carwow). It will be my first EV, it was the test drive that sold it to me above the other EV's I tried. I am getting used to the radical styling, now that I notice them out on the road.
Disagree with your comments about the boot space, I have carried all sorts of large items including bags of gravel, lounge chair etc albeit by folding down the rear seats backs. Our weekly shop fits easily in the alloted boot space and the height of boot floor eases unloading without bending one's back. For those wondering about conering ability not to worry, I have pushed the envelope on some curvy dippy Suffolk back roads and this car is balanced, sticks like glue and is very capable. The agressive regen is a favorit tool for one pedal driving that also adds charge while saving on brake pads. In three years ownership the only negative is when parking next to other cars rear door access is compromised. One may have to do a planned shuffle of doors to gain access to the rear.
Dont forget about the Front trunk (on the small side) but greatly useful for cleaning tools etc. REX model also allows for long trips/camping if needed eg. from SF to LA in the USA in less time (no need to charge). No other EV can say that.
oh yeah, and other drivers are starting to release that it's WAY faster than it looks, especially at between 20 and 40 mph! (no, it's no where near the performance of a proper sports car (M3 for example) but the fact it makes no noise, and shows no signs of how fast it can go gives it massive sleeper potential......
Robert Johnston I have just fitted the luggage extender from Wokeby in Bavaria. It cost €460 delivered. It fits perfectly into the space where the Rex is sited. It’s a bit expensive I know but it holds all the charging equipment, first aid and tools etc. and gives you an empty front loading space and a clear boot.
Also, I disagree that the boot is "useless" we take a family of three camping in an i3, but I'm not going to claim it's large either, and we do often have to use one of the back seats (folded down), as well as removing the boot cover and piling up to the ceiling in some circumstances!
Electric Vehicle Man that's not really a mini then lol. Mine was a 2002 BBR 275 Cooper S. Had a boot big enough for a fold up toothbrush lol. Just been to Bradford BTW lol
The open space feeling is one of the things I like most of my i3. The open space between the front seats is really nice. It makes it easy to get out on the other side of the car when parking blocks the driver door. And it makes it feel very spacious, lots of room for your legs. The material on top of the dash is one of the things I don't like. By it self it is fine, but it reflects too much in the windshield.
You can either look at this and other EVs in comparison with fossil fuel cars, or accept that EVs are the only cars to consider. Being a passionate environmentalist I am strongly on the latter camp. I've owned just about every type of polluting vehicle you could mention over the past 40 years and the moment I decided to switch (after a VW f**ked up Seat) the 40 years went out the window and I went for the i3 as being the most environmentally friendly EV around. On top of that, it has brought back the joy of driving I had when I first learned to drive, so, rather than just sit there on a long journey with the cruise control on, getting from A to B as soon as possible, I now enjoy testing out different ways to eek out a few more miles from the battery and taking my time. Then, for the little boy racer still in me, there's that acceleration! I've now owned two 2nd hand REXs and they are double the price I've ever spent on a car but, for me, I'd rather put my savings into this, and feel like I'm doing something for my grandkids and planet, than leave them in a bank somewhere to be invested in oil companies.
I actually like the i3. Some of the wheels not fantastic, but I suppose they were designed aerodynamics. It is too small for my needs though and the price is too big. I am also looking for something with more range.
I have a 2014 i3 and I love it. You hit the head of the nail with a statement about the SAAB. There are no batteries under the trunk, Under the trunk to the left you have the driveline and on the right side there may be a heat pump or a REX. so one cannot get a REX with heat pump. The only thing I am missing is, you should be able to adjust the accelerator so there are greater areas where you can lift and coast before you start to brake, the accelerator is a bit edgy. It is somewhat easier to get out of the back seat if you move over the front seat with the small handle at the top of the headrest. The trunk will be around 1000L if you turn down the rear seats.
Purchased a used 2015 i3 Rex about 7 months ago and have driven it 11,000 miles. I drive it for my 44 mile commute most days; for that it is perfect. Often I will come home and after charging for a few hours we will be off again; usually with 2 or 3 of us in the car. For runs of 20 to 30 miles it is very good; particularly if the roads are good. The interior is bright and airy; I really like it in the light grey color. My parents are in their 80's and the rear seat is open and low enough that they can get in and out with little trouble. I avoid parking to close to another car if we need to use the rear seat. You do need to unbuckle to let someone get out of the rear seat; a minor inconvenience. Of course that would also mean it is not a good car for Uber. The car can be unsettled on rough roads or in heavy cross winds on the highway. I find the Rex makes the car usable; the electric range is good enough about 95% of of the time. Overall, I my car has been driven in electric mode for 2000 miles out of 51000 miles total driven, 4% of the total miles on the vehicle. This is my first BMW.
Nice video - thank you - I absolutely enjoy my 2016 i3 (BMW CPO, 7,800 miles - great CPO warranty) - I am a long time BMW driver (replaced a 2014 328GT with 160,000 miles). But, I would not have purchased without the range extender. Unless, the battery driving distance was 200-250 miles. I commute 76 Miles (122km) each way to work daily. My employer provides free EV charging. With some creative driving, I can make it to work with approximately 8-10 miles left of EV driving. But, there are days I need to add about 10 miles using Range Extender. I find the car comfortable - I'm 6'1". Handles well, lots of room - you do not feel claustrophobic inside. Lots of storage bins and nice cup holders. Disappointments: I have the base model: two speakers and no way to easily add speakers, halogen headlights, they now offer LED, no provision for roof rack. I am an avid cyclist, I have come to rely on the built in roof rack adapters. I was able to add a trailer hitch to use with a hitch bike rack. I'm looking forward to may years of driving the i3 - I would like to see more DC Fast chargers in the Northeast USA (Philly, NYC, Boston)
Tony Frewin yes, if you want to open the rear doors the driver or front passenger have to remove their seat belts. To be honest though, I don't often want to let people in or out of the back seat when I'm not also getting out, apart from anything else you also have to open the front door before you can open the rear and you can't really open the front door from the rear at all. One thing missed in the video: the front seat backs will tilt forward and that makes it a lot easier to get at the back.
The range made this a non starter for me because of what I want for the money hence the Model 3, but my respect for what they did and the forward thinking from the factory to the materials made me very happy and feel that every brand, including Tesla can learn so very valuable lesson moving forward in the EV car making space.
Andy had difficulty opening the rear door from the back seat. That wouldn't usually happen because without a second person to open and close the front door first, the rear doors (and seats) are unusable.
There is always a market for premium brand vehicles. The Vauxhall Insignia is broadly equivalent to a BMW 3 series, and arguably a more practical car, but the BMW is popular because of its premium image and better driving experience despite the cost over the Vauxhall. Exactly the same principles apply to an EV in this respect as to an ice car. In the case of the i3 it is also technically much more advanced than a Leaf as an EV: thermal battery management, aluminium chassis, carbon fibre passenger cell, plastic body panels. Arguably it is a concept car that made it into production, and this is attractive in its own right. I recently drove an i3; one week later I ordered one - I was that impressed with it. Leaving the EV component aside, the i3 is a fantastic car to drive. Then add in the advantages of it being an EV, it becomes awesome - IMHA.
I've had a Leaf and liked it but its not a car that feels special in any way. The I3 does make you feel special and with no kids to worry about its a perfect size for my needs. Having the 94ah Rex means its practical on the two of three times per year I have to drive further than the Fully Electric range. I love mine
66K done in mine REX version gives total freedom. Enough room in boot for me. Tyres good only just due to get 2nd set of tyres. If you need more than 4 seats obviously no good but no complaints from my passengers. Not best if heavy Motorway driver but is capable in the right hands. Most fun car I have had and same price as 3 series diesel so take your choice. So until any other sub 30K as quick comes along this is unbeaten EV for me.
Buy a good 2nd hand one its a no brainer. I've just got a 2019 42Kwh with 18K full leather for £25K well worth it. Drives like its on rails and has the speed of a Gazelle. Love it. Oh and for a man always worried about dents there a thing of the past just like rust :-) One more thing I performed a range test with a light foot in Eco Pro and got 214 miles range ! then on the way back to my hilly home I got 188 so this is just perfect for what I need day to day. I mean it will take me 4 weeks to do 180 miles anyway.
Why did we buy one (a used one)? 1) Range extender (OMG this was sooo much the reason we were able to enter the EV market) 2) Green manufacturing process & materials 3) Built from the ground-up as an EV 4) Looks (very marmite, but I love it) Downsides? 1) Only 4 seats 2) Stupidly expensive tyres for what they are (they're unique to the i3 - 19" as standard, 20" optional) 3) Range (realistically only 60 miles before the REx kicks in) 4) If I break it, it'll be expensive to fix - Aluminium chassis / Carbon fibre body / Plastic panels 5) Yeah, the boot is small, but honestly, it's never actually been a problem
Fair assessment (just the standard wheels are 19" rather than 17" for what it's worth). Personally, when I bought mine in 2016, the competition was the old-style 30kWh Leaf, and the older 22kWh(?) Zoe with no rapid charging if I remember right. Key things for me over the 30kWh Leaf; so much more fun obviously from decent test drives of both, adaptive cruise control and single-pedal control style (both not available on the pre-2018 Leaf), and eco credentials that knock everyone else into a cocked hat - not just the car itself, but also the Leipzig factory where it's made. Substantially more expensive, yes - I was prepared for that and for various reasons was treating myself - but offset a fair amount by the significantly lower depreciation. The utility questions (number of seats, boot size) were not relevant to me. If I were choosing today, it's a lot closer now for the 2018 Leaf as that has the single-pedal stuff, adaptive cruise control and more - just that ridiculous decision not to put in proper battery management in that holds it back, I think. I would also certainly lease rather than purchase.
I like the idea of on-board Gen. I bought a used 2015 Nissan Leaf SL low miles for $12K USD. If I want emergency back up away from charge station, I have a very small Ryobi 2000 watt inverter gas generator, I could carry in the back. Not practical but I could pull it out and charge at level 1, good for about 8-10 miles per hour charge. All EV is just simple and pure. If you want a hybrid or "plug-in"r car they are cheaper and in many ways better than the BMW i3.
I own an i3S Rex. Love it. The S fixes the roll issue a bit. Boot space is adequate. I dont have kids yet.... but even with one it would work out no problem Range is good for me. my commute gives me 240km of real world range. The price is indeed in the engineering. The CFRP shell is safer than regular steel cars or aluminium. it has one of the most efficient E motors) I average mostly 11.0kwh/100km's - a non S even goes below 10.00kwh/100km The battery is state of the art even today. it's rated for an end of life (75%) @ 910.000km It uses it's aircon to cool the battery. iDrive is indeed brilliant.
Great review. I totally agree with the space issues, having 4 seats makes it limited, if giving extra person a lift! Boot is far to small, no good for family holidays etc. If you want to have 4 people you can’t fold down one seat to fit in long objects / suitcases etc. So I would say over priced when you compare to a Leaf / Ioiniq / e-Golf which are cheaper but similar car bracket.
We've used one as our only car for more than two years and have done many family holidays with 2 children - we've just gotten used to huge cars, looks back at what we were driving in the 1940-50's in the UK (I own a 1936 and a 1948) and they look small compared to the i3 :)
The best SECOND HAND EV you can buy. I call that colour scheme the Orca (killer dolphin), not the best option. With REx and fast charge DCC option it can go anywhere.
You want to know why i3 owners went for the i3. For me, in a word: rex. I have the smaller battery i3 and the REx gives me the freedom to not worry about range. I just had a long weekend in Cambridge for my wife's birthday. The trip there was entirely on battery, but most of the journey the car was telling me we would be a mile or two short of the planned charging stop but we made it (just). The return trip didn't have a convenient charger so we had about 10 miles on petrol. Neither way was a problem: the REx is there when you need it and ignored when you don't. I've had emergency trips when I didn't have time to faff with chargers, and trips with planned charging stops when I just wanted to get home; both of those I just ran on multiple tanks of petrol. The rest of the time I diligently plan trips to avoid using any petrol so I've also had as many as three 'maintenance cycles' in a row where the petrol engine runs after 8 weeks of non-use.
Thanks for this great video; it's really helped me in choosing my first EV. Same goes for 95% of the comments - you always get a couple. My thoughts on it are, in no particular order: love the fact that it's the greenest EV, in using mostly recycled and/or recyclable materials, plus that the energy to manufacture it is totally non-fossil; I think they look great; I don't need a fifth seat, or a big boot whilst two people are in the back, and so would flip one or both seats forward on the rare occasion I need more boot space; rear doors are a cool design but appreciate the impracticality - I rarely have passengers so no drama for me; I never buy new for environmental and depreciation reasons and so the reasonable secondhand price, paired with how well they maintain their value, makes them economically sensible; I can't afford a Tesla but love to fang it a bit so the acceleration is appealing - particularly when compared to alternative EVs in this price bracket; the handling is understandable for a car designed to be energy efficient (skinny wheels) but it's about adapting and becoming a better driver, so it can be pushed closer to its limits. So I'm really keen on getting one, particularly if the claims that you can buy more rangy batteries at a later date, for a reasonable price, hold true. Unfortunately they're a lot more pricey here in New Zealand, so I'd probably have to do a personal import from the US. I dream of paying British EV prices! And don't even start me on the lack of chargers here....
I’m currently debating between this and the e-mini as my next car, in a year or so, to replace my current ICE Mini Cooper, both expensive but could get this cheaper used obviously. Big factor for me is fun and handling.... which may lean to the mini, but it’s a risk on a new car. I don’t need practicality obviously and the i3 looks more practical than my current mini.
They do NOT hold their value well... which is a great thing for us used car buyers! I just got a 2015, Tera World with every high-end option, 22k miles, BMW CPO (certified with warranty extension) for $18kUSD. BTW... the standard tires (tyres?) are 19", optional ones are 20"... part of what gives it a "Hot Wheels" look.
Is it my imagination or does the drive/front passenger, have to unbuckle their respective seatbelt, in order the a rear passenger to exit the i3? Lao worth noting, to open a rear door from the outside, a front door must be opened first. Did none of BMW's design team, ever enter or exit the rear seats?
There are no batteries under the boot/trunk. Batteries are all in the floor structure of the car. The motor, final drive and optional REX live under the boot.
The dash is made from Hemp 😱 I love my i3, but it is hideously expensive and grossly short on boot space with a teeny-tiny frunk, too. It’s perfect for my 50 mile per day commutes and it is a fun drive. I’m coming to the end of my PCP and I’m in a dilemma because the balloon payment is massive (monthly payments were low and APR was at 0%) and I’m not convinced by the current line up of EV’s on the market. The Model 3 won’t reach here until late 2019, which I have a reservation on, so I’m not sure what to do...
Andy, I love my i3 94ah Rex Suite in Protonic Blue. But I ordered it when the deals were great. Ordered Dec 16 delivery end March 17. I only pay £231 a month with 9 months down. I would have to pay about double that today. It will go round corners much faster than you did, but driving like a nutter kills that tyres. I have heard of tyres lasting 7,000 miles and others getting 30,000 miles, so it depends how you drive.
Nick, I am in the process of purchasing a 2016 i3 94ah Rex suite (tera I believe in US). It is also in the stunning protonic blue with sports package so has the nice wheels and comfort access so you do not need the remote to open and lock the car. I got a 24 hour test drive in one and fell in love with it. It is second hand and almost half price at 2 years old and just over 20k miles. Dealer sticking new tyres on front as were below the 3mm minimum they allow on second hand cars. It only has business nav and does not have the parking package. At first I was disapointed it did not have the 10 inch screen but thinking about it, I don't look at that screen very often. And as far as the parking package, who needs a parking camera on a car this small. As far as parking itself, I have seen the damage it can do to your alloys hitting kerbs so would never use it anyway. I feel I am getting my perfect car. Also as it is a 66 plate it just manages to avoid the 1st March 2017 road tax changes so I have free road tax even though it is the Rex model. The book price of the car I am getting is just under £41k which would also mean an extra £310 on top of the £130 for a hybrid for 17 plates onwards. £440 a year is a bit steep. So a 66 plate, 94ah Rex is the perfect choice. Getting it next week and I can't wait. Only issue I had when I first started driving it was I had a slight sea sick fealing. I have heard others experiencing the same thing. I suppose you need to get used to it. Possibly caused by the adaptive cruise control which I love. Mine also has the trafic queue assist which I believe means the car steers itself below 35mph. I still need to check that out. I have seen you tube videos where an i3 is driving itself with no-one in the car. OK it was only at 2mph but still impressive. Andy, I must have watched hundreds of EV videos before deciding on the i3 and a lot of them were yours. Was very close to choosing a 33kwh leaf but the range extender was the clincher If you need that extra miles of range then you can get it from the generator rather than having to wait 30 to 45 mins charging. You can also turn on the generator, once below 75% charge to hold your battery range steady so never affecting performance. An EV with no range anxiety, the perfect combination. Why lug around a huge weight of batteries when you normally only do the occational long journey. My car also has the upgraded sound system. I don't think I could have found a better used car. Plan to buy it and keep it as it has an 8 year battery waranty. Keep up the excellent reviews Andy.
They could have made the boot bigger if they had designed it BEV not REx. The empty space where the REx could be wastes a lot of space. It should have had a deeper boot. That would help.
These reviewers over think the reviews? Its a BMW, so the MSRP is going to be high regardless. Those that are loyal to the brand will not complain about the price or whether what you get for the price compares to other EVs. Also, its a city intended car, its not a high performance sports cars, so the fact that it doesn't corner as well or handle as well as a 3 or 'M' Series is irrelevant. The materials used in the interior are lightweight recyclables used to reduce weight and cost. Obviously, BMW could have used far more posh and heavier materials and they could have built the i3 as a high performance EV, but that would defeat the purpose of what they were aiming for.
Why are they called suicide doors anyway? Since they cannot be opened without the front doors being opened first, committing suicide using them is virtually impossible, contrary to ordinary back doors.
Marc van Leeuwen it seems from the 20s and 30’s. Basically it’s because you cannot see when you open them, and risk being hit by an overtaking car when exiting.
Much prefer the vauxhall ampera E-REV, it holds the road really well, has a massive loading area, and? Unlike the BMW i3, which can only drive at 50mph when using the extender, the vauxhall ampera, in range extender mode, can drive at 70-80-90 mph with ease.
I ran an Ampera for three years before my i3 and absolutely loved it but owning an i3 was always my intention and ive not been sorry. They are two entirely different designs, no comparison. The i3 feels more spacious, is easier to enter and exit, doesent feel as heavy, has greater electric range and is nonconventional in construction. I would favor the Ampera for long journeys for its comfort but more petrol would be consumed.
Quite right this bmw should not be twice as expensive as a leaf it should be three times.... i now have a bmw i3 rex, the problem for me is i am now returning my leased tesla and the tesla is so so much better than the i3 in every way but money and the fact once you have an ev there is no going back .... The i3 cost me 17k used a model 3 used would cost me 40k which makes the tesla an absolute bargain....The odd thing about the i3 it is a smooth road only car , bump steer is dangerous and this is the i3 default setting....
I'll be back in an EV shortly and to be honest, you can pick up a used i3 for around £16k (2015). That's Leaf Tekna 30kwh price. Decisions, decisions!!
The sad thing is Munro and Associates dismantled this car and concluded in their report that BMW manages to make this car actually very profitable. That means no money to make it and all profit selling it. So basically their counting on their branding to deliver the pricey request. I think this car could be $10,000 US cheaper and BMW would still profit off of it. So you can either afford it or you can't.
Love the Saab comparison at 16:10 and what Saab did with the whole EV idea would have been interesting had the directorship, collectively, have the business sense of a grapefruit. Would I have an I3 if I had the budget? Probably. A price drop comparison - three years on would be interesting.
They can call it ugly, they can call it stupid, they can call it expensive. They can call it whatever they want not changing the fact it will keep more money in my pockets. Will i miss my M3 f80?probably, but thinking driving costs of a I3s unbeateble.
Thanks for giving a fair as possible assessment ev man.I own one .Cost is something all ev owners have to bear as early adopters and mostly as green warriors , we pay the extra.Over time all things become equal you pay a bit more here ,you save a bit more there.The car is cleverly engineered to keep the weight down.just look under the front wheel archers and you will see that many parts of the assembly are made from alloy and not steel.All these weight saving features are giving the owner excellent acceleration while using less energy to provide it.There is no better feeling on the road than leaping away from the traffic lights and leaving some fossil car far behind.
It's far too expensive new, but it looses half its value in 2 years and then much more slowly after that. There seem to be *many* 2 year old i3s around with low miles and a good price. I need the larger battery, though, so I have to wait another year for the 2017 model to become affordable. Trust me, though, the first 2017 i3 REx I see for less than US $25,000 and I'm all over it!!!
Great ev but much too expensive needs to be well below £25k I'm torn between the new GR YARIS which is ice and more expensive however a fully fledged wrc car or i3s swayed towards Toyota butttt if these cost below £25 k new would've probably gone for one and become an ev convert
I was lent an i3. I parked in a car park and couldn’t get my daughter out of her car seat that was in the back of the car as you cannot open the rear door unless the front door is open and there wasn’t enough space between cars to get round the back of the rear door.
In my situation this is perfect for home charging on my drive. Charging on the road is tricky I guess, you'd be mad to leave it sticking into the road although at the front or back you'll have someone hit it trying as they park
kuro68000 it is because you are in Great Britain, in lhd countries, the charge side is off the road side. But you have a point, could be designed better for rhd countries
Another big negative for the i3 are the tyres which are around £200 each! So if you are buying a used one pay close attention to the amount of tread left.
Martin Woods the tyres are £115 each online so your price is miles out. My partner also managed 29k on her last set of i3 tyres so they wear very well. It's also 2 year servicing.
I'm not sure why you would recommend it other than interior build quality, if the ride is jittery and it feels tipsy in the bends and it's so expensive.
It's not that tipsy in the bends, just not hot hatch good. Expensive to but, but overall cost of ownership is quite good. £3 charge does about 120 miles
I'm thinking of getting an i3. Used, with a 94Ahr battery, so would someone kindly tell me:- Are the adaptive led headlights worth seeking out? and if so what decides if a particular car has them as the ads never seem to mention them. Do all 94Ahr-batt cars have the fast charging capability, and [rookie question] do I need to be carrying a cable to fast charge away from home, or do the charge points have their own [captive, of course] cables to be plugged into my car? ...so much to know, so difficult to find out. Except here on this channel, of course! (Thanks for the great videos, EVM!)
I've just helped my grandparents buy a 94ah i3. They love it! Theirs isn't one with LEDs but not the end of the world. All 94ah have fast charging. You have to carry a type 2 cable which is slower charging, you'd use it at home or plugging in at a supermarket. Fast chargers have the cables attached to the charging station. Hope this helped, let me know if you'd like anymore information 😄
ive said it many times on here. but i really cant wait for the specs of the mini e to come out. im a cooper s driver n i think that will be my next car.
Of course BMW uses something different to tell you about their batteries than every other company maybe to make it sound like their batteries are larger? This car is way too expensive...
But its not the energy capacity of the battery in reality. You would need to know the voltage as well to determine that .Its a pointless/ meaningless unit and should have been kwh
Very nice as a car, after Tesla as internal simplicity with a few buttons seems to me excellent as choices. By making a loan, you can change the car. And BMW is a brand as it should be, quality price .... nn there is much to complain about an excellent choice after TESLA.
I've just noticed the position of the seat belt on the back door passenger.,does it mean you have to get out to let the passenger out because seat belt is yours at the front., because there's no B pillar
For me the big attraction in the i3 is the range extender. Although in practice I hardly ever use it. Simply having it there means I never have to worry about running out of charge before reaching the next charger, or if I find a charger occupied or out of service I can just go on to another.
Yea, my Dad is looking at the REX too :)
Very fair review. We have an i3 Rex which we bought when it was 10 months old. It's a terrific car and great fun to drive. I agree it feels a bit skittish, but you do get used to that. The really fun part is the acceleration - as you say, it beats almost any car off the line and up to 50 miles an hour (which in the U.K. is what you really need, because you can't usually travel too far without being snarled up in traffic. Yes, the boot is tiny, but big enough for the local shopping. You can of course fold the rear seats if you need a bigger payload. The suicide doors are much criticised, but frankly we very rarely have rear seat passengers; even if we have the grandchildren with us, you can treat the i3 as a 3 door car and just fold the front seats forward, no problem. The minimalist interior we find massively attractive, it is so uncluttered. In the warm weather we have had recently, have been getting 135-140 miles on a full charge, plus the safety margin of another 80 miles on the range extender. Had the vehicle 7 months, and yesterday topped up with petrol for the 2nd time in 4900 miles - and we don't expect to use petrol except when the car kicks into a maintenance cycle for the petrol motor - which happens every 7 weeks for about 10 minutes. Who can put a price on fun? But by buying after 10 months it took the sting out of the price. As you say, depreciation has not been that heavy on the i3. I'm glad I won't be facing depreciation on a diesel car in future. I guess many motorists will be shocked when they come to part with their diesel cars. Also have bought a 2018 40kWh demo vehicle which is a terrific car, but a very different experience. Very comfortable and a big upgrade on the previous Leaf. The new Leaf is almost as quick as the i3 and feels more planted on the road. Thanks for your very enjoyable videos.
Stephen Shannon inflate your tyres to the 4 person settings Inside the drivers door. It reduces the skittishness
thanks for the tip. Will give it a try.
I didn't find the i3 skittish to drive, in fact I was impressed by the handling and grip on offer.
I bought a 5 year old fully-loaded i3 BEV six weeks ago, and the horrendous depreciation meant that it was about the cheapest way to dip my toes into electric vehicle ownership. One thing that people don't really consider is the efficiency of the car - the i3's low weight and small battery mean that even with the current cold weather, I'm getting 4.5 miles per KWh - Tesla drivers report between 2.5 and 3 in real world use, it doesn't make a huge difference, but on a penny to penny comparison with petrol costs round here (they call it "gas" in these parts) it's like getting 206mpg. I tend not to carry passengers, but I do carry lots of wooden panels - 50" x 16" by various thicknesses. With the back seats down (and a home made cardboard & wood liner) I can fit up to 700lb of panels (two stacks side by side) in the car, and it still moves like a little speed demon. Love the beast. I would like to see a battery upgrade option, but I can live with the range I'm getting.
In your 20's?! I couldn't have afforded one in my 20's, but I'm in my 40's and my family are now grown up (and I'm more financially comfortable) so its actually perfect for me. In 8 months I've had passengers on only 3 occasions. Its MY car! For the driver, space is huge compared to other cars. I feel too hemmed in in conventional cars and love the open interior. Performance is great for the rare time i push it. Range is excellent, even in winter (100+). Feels solid and just so totally different from anything Iv e ever had before. Leasing definitely the way to go I think b ut am already fretting about the end of the lease because i like it so much! It is pricey but everything else is too conventional for my taste. Running costs negligible and rex is so useful - have only ever used rapid chargers on 3 occasions for a quick top up and have done several 200+ mile trips without worrying (and proper BMS means rapid charges are always rapid so i rarely use the rex for long periods!). Handling is a bit skittish but never a problem and overall grip seems very good. My only proper criticism is the regen braking in snow on summer tyres can produce an alarming effect, but we don't get much snow near me so hardly a deal breaker. like you say, its marmite, and it will make sense for some, but none at all for others. Zoe (or eventually model 3) are the only others that get my juices going, but the Zoe needs CCS charging and more power IMO. Good balanced review!
phil watt your comment is spot on. Due to you as I’m retired have ordered my i3 but not the Rex. Thank you as I think this car is just fun and practical for my little run around.
Good stuff. One year in and Im still really happy with it. Non Rex version will be fine - I just don't use it in summer as range is still around the 130-150 mark (I actually have to create reasons to use the rex in summer to avoid the dreaded 'maintenance cycle' happening at inopportune moments). If rapid charging, try and find instavolt chargers - they seem to be the best. And look for pod point as they are usually free and are good for slightly longer stops (and they just work, just make sure you take cable with). Look for the facebook group (UK) as it is very useful.
You need to try a higher spec car that's a base model i3 with no options. My advice for what it's worth. You want to try the middle size wheels and inflate them to 2.5bar front and 3.0bar rear and it transforms the handling and cornering grip. The tyre pressures are critical to eliminating the bounce. At 80mph the i3 has better range than leaf 30Kwh at 60mph. It's a fast lane EV. As you say the steering is great and that's important to me. Also get the rex model and run the nuts off it for 500 miles. You won't give it back afterwards. Try the premium audio, the adaptive LED headlights and the driver assist plus pack.
bought our s/h BEV i3 2.5 years ago, ex-dealer-demo, 356 miles on the clock for £16k. Today, 13k miles later it's worth..... £16k! Love the performance and once you learn to smooth your inputs down (doesn't like people who jab at the controls) ime, it holds it's own at normal speeds against 'normal' cars (friend with a 320d cannot pull away from it down a B road for example) Drive it like an old 911 (bit slower in, then hard accel at the apex to rotate the car round and out the turn) and i find it to be actually brilliant. It's more than the sum of it's parts, i smile every time i drive it, feels way more special than any other EV or small car, and the fact it costs buttons to run is a bonus. Even if you gave me a Leaf, it would sat un-driven because i enjoy driving.....
Considering how old this car is now the styling still looks fresh and the interior design is still very contemporary and shows others how to do car interiors. BMW used the opportunity to utilise the freedom from a conventional power train to produce something different without just looking like they tried to be wilfully different. Some impressive engineering too.
I would love one. Had one for 2 days from Liverpool BMW. Would highly consider used one for £15k or less. But new they are just out my price range. Loved the zippiness of the car and the build quality. Plus the REX version is a great option to have when chargers are not working or full.
depend what you are comparing with ...... for / us 100 mile a day commute for at the time last June a 3 yr old festa 10k on clock 10k form Arnold Clark £250 per month 60 payments plus fuel = £500 per month a brand new i3 25k miles pcp just over £500 a month 48 months
+Michael rigby
- Mathematics and English are not your favorite Subjects in School huh? LMFAO !!!
Jordan Bronson I see that comedy was your least favourite subject
+Michael rigby
- It all depends on the Audience that can understand " English + Mathematics "! 😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆
Jordan Bronson way too many emojis a little bit sad that really let me ask you a question if you were stood in front of me would you be the way you are? You little man
Where to begin...! :) We've had an i3 for just over 2 years, I actually test drove a first gen Leaf two days before and I then went to see the i3 (presuming it would be too small for us). Once I'd taken it for the test drive there was no way of going back to the Leaf I'm afraid! Financially, we lease it on contract hire and it worked out as about £650 extra (per year) above the Leaf and converting that to the literal laughter that I produced on the test drive meant that it was a done deal.
Space wise, we have two children and my parents live 250+ miles away and we manage to fit everything in. I'm not saying it isn't a squeeze at times, but it's certainly a feasible family car. It's the only car we use as a household and it manages everything.
I've taken three 6ft passengers in the car before and there were comments as to the 'tardis' like nature of the car at the time.
Cornering - it just takes time to be comfortable with it, but you can drive it pretty tight into bends! (I learnt to drive in a 2CV, so a bit of body roll doesn't phase me :) )
We've just extended the lease for a further year as we love it so much!
AHi impressed with your review of i3, I'm on my second one and love it to death, no way would I go back to an ice car. Have to admit to not speeding around corners (although I think it woul cope) but on the straight and narrow oh yes, always brings a smile to my face when driving, yes it can be a bit clunky but the driving experience makes you forgive that. Always interested in seeing your vids please carry on the good work ! Merry Christmas
Glad you liked it, you need to try the range extender version, that's its hidden USP over everything else. Also the larger wheels are much better with harder tyre pressures. That was a fairly low spec car you tested. Also highly recommend the premium audio and driver assist plus pack with adaptive cruise Control. Its expensive but its not like there's much choice in the small premium EV segment lol. Spend more time with one and the rex model. You will be driving the wheels off it in no time.
Nice review.
I picked up one in the Netherlands last May, 94ah, fast charge, pano roof, harman kardon sound system, 16000km, navigation model, wood finish, for €22.500. got €2.000 subsidy (got in just before prices went up I think).
Love it, it's much more of a metropolis car, but still I get 240km range in nice weather, fast charge gets to 80% in the time you but a coffee and consume, it's difficult to resist the temptation to put your foot down at the lights, I have taken on and beaten a Tesla, although clearly at the time they didn't realize it was a race.
Back seats fold forward leaving a fairly large flat surface that my 6mtr telescopic ladder fits in no problem with all painting equipment.
+ I did a road trip to north Yorkshire and across to Whitby... Avv it 😉
I used to have the same 30kwh leaf as you. Now first of all, i3's depreciate by 40%in there first year, (I was actually lucky enough to buy BMW Ireland managers wife's i3) so you would be an absolute fool to buy one new and with the same sized battery, it goes nearly twice the distance then the leaf. Its expensive because its refined and well engineered. Unlike the leaf, it has battery cool and it take 2/3 of the time to charge it then the leaf from 5% to 80%. When the leaf hits 80%,the i3 is at about 95% or so.
The price:
My i3 brand new would've been 55k euros.
I bought it for 30k with 5k miles on it. Its insane
Andy, great review, thought I would add my experience so far. I leased an i3 REX 94ah about 18 months ago and at that time there were some stonkingly good deals. Mine goes back in November and I would say the price to lease for this car has increased by around 60% since my deal, so for that reason I will not be getting another.
With regard to the skinny but tall wheels I did read an interesting article regarding the use of skinny 19 inch wheels versus conventional wheels like say the Leafs 16 inch. The thinking behind the taller wheels is you get the same contact patch of rubber on the road as say a 16 inch 200mm wide tyre but without the frontal wind resistance, so its supposed to offer the same grip levels but better aerodynamics.
I also own a Leaf and strangely while the i3 is seen as a city / urban car it is far more efficient at motorway speeds than the Leaf is. You can cruise at a steady true GPS speed of 70mph for around 30% more distance than the equivalent 30kwh Leaf. You can also run the battery to 6% without any range anxiety as you have the REX, so it truly allows you to use pretty much all the battery range offered without worrying about arriving at a faulty or busy charging point when on long motorway journeys. I know that seems to go against what people think the car is in terms of a city car but for me its my motorway car. I use my Leaf for my shorter sub 100 mile round trips. Another very good point with this car is when you do find a working motorway CCS charger which is a miraculous event nowadays it don't half charge quick compared to the Leaf. In my experience the battery charges at a full 108 to 110amps on EH chargers until it reaches just under 90% before it starts to tail off, thats if the EH CCS charger doesn't break down mid charge. The Leaf seems to tail off after only just over 60% capacity.
Ultimately car choice is always down to the individual but I find the i3 a great motorway cruiser, but I still feel more comfortable driving the Leaf. The i3's main failings are its handling is more easily upset by bumpy corners, its a more uncomfortable ride on bumpy roads, the rear doors are a pain in car-parks, there are no opening windows in the rear, oh and the boot space is not as big as the Leafs by a country mile. Finally I doubt I would buy an i3 out of warranty as the reliability and cost of repair especially with the REX option seems to be a major worry to me.
I love mine. I drove from Warrington Cheshire to Cornwall, which is over 330 miles, using the REX mode, no problems whatsoever. Great to drive, makes me smile every time I get behind the wheel.
I bought a used 2017 this year and I absolutely love it. I would not buy new but used it was over $20k less. I live in Vancouver, B.C. an urban driving tangle. This car is easy to manoeuvre and park in tight spaces. I’m tall and love the headroom, never feel cramped. The boot is small but I only grocery shop for two and it’s plenty big enough for that. Also the rear seats fold down completely flat with the tug of a strap giving you loads of space. It’s fun to drive and perfect for the short urban trips I make.
Did I just read through two hundred comments?!
Thanks for the video and your honest OPINION. Looks like there are some haters out there whining about minor things like video quality or tire size, but I really appreciated the review as a "first drive, first impressions" perspective! I've seen several reviews that are either "owned it for awhile, and here's all the reasons I love it!" OR "owned it for awhile and here's what I hate!" So going along for a ride with you as your opinions were formed was refreshing!
Thank you too to all those whose comments added useful information about their ownership and experiences. It seems those who drive one, and it suits their needs, love it. Hope to afford my own soon!
If you change the framerate on your camera you can avoid the rolling shutter in future!
I think the screens in the car are 50hz, have been caught out by this before when recording the screens in our car.
Pez Cuckow hello mate 👋
I recently ordered a new 120Ah i3, if you go easy on the options you can get them for under £30k (carwow). It will be my first EV, it was the test drive that sold it to me above the other EV's I tried. I am getting used to the radical styling, now that I notice them out on the road.
Disagree with your comments about the boot space, I have carried all sorts of large items including bags of gravel, lounge chair etc albeit by folding down the rear seats backs. Our weekly shop fits easily in the alloted boot space and the height of boot floor eases unloading without bending one's back.
For those wondering about conering ability not to worry, I have pushed the envelope on some curvy dippy Suffolk back roads and this car is balanced, sticks like glue and is very capable.
The agressive regen is a favorit tool for one pedal driving that also adds charge while saving on brake pads.
In three years ownership the only negative is when parking next to other cars rear door access is compromised. One may have to do a planned shuffle of doors to gain access to the rear.
Dont forget about the Front trunk (on the small side) but greatly useful for cleaning tools etc. REX model also allows for long trips/camping if needed eg. from SF to LA in the USA in less time (no need to charge). No other EV can say that.
oh yeah, and other drivers are starting to release that it's WAY faster than it looks, especially at between 20 and 40 mph! (no, it's no where near the performance of a proper sports car (M3 for example) but the fact it makes no noise, and shows no signs of how fast it can go gives it massive sleeper potential......
Boot size can be fitted with extra compartment if you not have Rex . Enough to take all the cables , foam , ect that come with i3 .
Robert Johnston I have just fitted the luggage extender from Wokeby in Bavaria. It cost €460 delivered. It fits perfectly into the space where the Rex is sited. It’s a bit expensive I know but it holds all the charging equipment, first aid and tools etc. and gives you an empty front loading space and a clear boot.
Also, I disagree that the boot is "useless" we take a family of three camping in an i3, but I'm not going to claim it's large either, and we do often have to use one of the back seats (folded down), as well as removing the boot cover and piling up to the ceiling in some circumstances!
The boot is much bigger than the mini Cooper S lol. You also missed the frunk which is ideal for all the cables that usually end up in the leafs boot
The Minis boot is bigger and deeper. (5door mine is)
Electric Vehicle Man that's not really a mini then lol. Mine was a 2002 BBR 275 Cooper S. Had a boot big enough for a fold up toothbrush lol. Just been to Bradford BTW lol
I just bought an off lease 2016 with 21000miles. Love the way it drives, and I am learning to not us my indicators .... lol
Own one ..love it.. quality build
Well that's all completely changed😂 can pick a mint one up sub £20,000 now
The open space feeling is one of the things I like most of my i3. The open space between the front seats is really nice. It makes it easy to get out on the other side of the car when parking blocks the driver door. And it makes it feel very spacious, lots of room for your legs.
The material on top of the dash is one of the things I don't like. By it self it is fine, but it reflects too much in the windshield.
You can either look at this and other EVs in comparison with fossil fuel cars, or accept that EVs are the only cars to consider. Being a passionate environmentalist I am strongly on the latter camp. I've owned just about every type of polluting vehicle you could mention over the past 40 years and the moment I decided to switch (after a VW f**ked up Seat) the 40 years went out the window and I went for the i3 as being the most environmentally friendly EV around.
On top of that, it has brought back the joy of driving I had when I first learned to drive, so, rather than just sit there on a long journey with the cruise control on, getting from A to B as soon as possible, I now enjoy testing out different ways to eek out a few more miles from the battery and taking my time. Then, for the little boy racer still in me, there's that acceleration!
I've now owned two 2nd hand REXs and they are double the price I've ever spent on a car but, for me, I'd rather put my savings into this, and feel like I'm doing something for my grandkids and planet, than leave them in a bank somewhere to be invested in oil companies.
Well said, I get all of that and I’ll be getting a 42 kWh BEV very soon and will love the challenge of optimising the performance as you do 👍
I actually like the i3. Some of the wheels not fantastic, but I suppose they were designed aerodynamics. It is too small for my needs though and the price is too big. I am also looking for something with more range.
I have a 2014 i3 and I love it.
You hit the head of the nail with a statement about the SAAB.
There are no batteries under the trunk,
Under the trunk to the left you have the driveline and on the right side there may be a heat pump or a REX. so one cannot get a REX with heat pump.
The only thing I am missing is, you should be able to adjust the accelerator so there are greater areas where you can lift and coast before you start to brake, the accelerator is a bit edgy.
It is somewhat easier to get out of the back seat if you move over the front seat with the small handle at the top of the headrest.
The trunk will be around 1000L if you turn down the rear seats.
Purchased a used 2015 i3 Rex about 7 months ago and have driven it 11,000 miles. I drive it for my 44 mile commute most days; for that it is perfect. Often I will come home and after charging for a few hours we will be off again; usually with 2 or 3 of us in the car. For runs of 20 to 30 miles it is very good; particularly if the roads are good. The interior is bright and airy; I really like it in the light grey color. My parents are in their 80's and the rear seat is open and low enough that they can get in and out with little trouble. I avoid parking to close to another car if we need to use the rear seat. You do need to unbuckle to let someone get out of the rear seat; a minor inconvenience. Of course that would also mean it is not a good car for Uber. The car can be unsettled on rough roads or in heavy cross winds on the highway. I find the Rex makes the car usable; the electric range is good enough about 95% of of the time. Overall, I my car has been driven in electric mode for 2000 miles out of 51000 miles total driven, 4% of the total miles on the vehicle. This is my first BMW.
Nice video - thank you - I absolutely enjoy my 2016 i3 (BMW CPO, 7,800 miles - great CPO warranty) - I am a long time BMW driver (replaced a 2014 328GT with 160,000 miles). But, I would not have purchased without the range extender. Unless, the battery driving distance was 200-250 miles. I commute 76 Miles (122km) each way to work daily. My employer provides free EV charging. With some creative driving, I can make it to work with approximately 8-10 miles left of EV driving. But, there are days I need to add about 10 miles using Range Extender. I find the car comfortable - I'm 6'1". Handles well, lots of room - you do not feel claustrophobic inside. Lots of storage bins and nice cup holders. Disappointments: I have the base model: two speakers and no way to easily add speakers, halogen headlights, they now offer LED, no provision for roof rack. I am an avid cyclist, I have come to rely on the built in roof rack adapters. I was able to add a trailer hitch to use with a hitch bike rack. I'm looking forward to may years of driving the i3 - I would like to see more DC Fast chargers in the Northeast USA (Philly, NYC, Boston)
Looks to me like the driver would have to remove his seat belt to allow the rear door to be opened even if he didn’t want to get out.
Tony Frewin yes, if you want to open the rear doors the driver or front passenger have to remove their seat belts. To be honest though, I don't often want to let people in or out of the back seat when I'm not also getting out, apart from anything else you also have to open the front door before you can open the rear and you can't really open the front door from the rear at all. One thing missed in the video: the front seat backs will tilt forward and that makes it a lot easier to get at the back.
Or it just adds a bit of 'old world charm' back to driving as you open the door for your passengers - I like to make an event of it in ours! :D
The range made this a non starter for me because of what I want for the money hence the Model 3, but my respect for what they did and the forward thinking from the factory to the materials made me very happy and feel that every brand, including Tesla can learn so very valuable lesson moving forward in the EV car making space.
Andy had difficulty opening the rear door from the back seat. That wouldn't usually happen because without a second person to open and close the front door first, the rear doors (and seats) are unusable.
There is always a market for premium brand vehicles. The Vauxhall Insignia is broadly equivalent to a BMW 3 series, and arguably a more practical car, but the BMW is popular because of its premium image and better driving experience despite the cost over the Vauxhall. Exactly the same principles apply to an EV in this respect as to an ice car. In the case of the i3 it is also technically much more advanced than a Leaf as an EV: thermal battery management, aluminium chassis, carbon fibre passenger cell, plastic body panels. Arguably it is a concept car that made it into production, and this is attractive in its own right. I recently drove an i3; one week later I ordered one - I was that impressed with it. Leaving the EV component aside, the i3 is a fantastic car to drive. Then add in the advantages of it being an EV, it becomes awesome - IMHA.
A BMW with indicators, whatever next 😆
Man, what they think of... just... mind-blowing... :-D
I3 owners are the'black sheep' of BMW drivers!Proper signals and good manners....
Stuart Pocklington people WITH brains in their head.
Ok...you got my like for the indicator comment. Good job brother, nice review. 👌🤙
I've had a Leaf and liked it but its not a car that feels special in any way. The I3 does make you feel special and with no kids to worry about its a perfect size for my needs. Having the 94ah Rex means its practical on the two of three times per year I have to drive further than the Fully Electric range. I love mine
66K done in mine REX version gives total freedom. Enough room in boot for me. Tyres good only just due to get 2nd set of tyres. If you need more than 4 seats obviously no good but no complaints from my passengers. Not best if heavy Motorway driver but is capable in the right hands. Most fun car I have had and same price as 3 series diesel so take your choice. So until any other sub 30K as quick comes along this is unbeaten EV for me.
Buy a good 2nd hand one its a no brainer. I've just got a 2019 42Kwh with 18K full leather for £25K well worth it. Drives like its on rails and has the speed of a Gazelle. Love it. Oh and for a man always worried about dents there a thing of the past just like rust :-)
One more thing I performed a range test with a light foot in Eco Pro and got 214 miles range ! then on the way back to my hilly home I got 188 so this is just perfect for what I need day to day. I mean it will take me 4 weeks to do 180 miles anyway.
i have used 2014 i3 i just love it one year put 10000 mile on cost $1 for 50 mile on light bill fun to drive
Why did we buy one (a used one)?
1) Range extender (OMG this was sooo much the reason we were able to enter the EV market)
2) Green manufacturing process & materials
3) Built from the ground-up as an EV
4) Looks (very marmite, but I love it)
Downsides?
1) Only 4 seats
2) Stupidly expensive tyres for what they are (they're unique to the i3 - 19" as standard, 20" optional)
3) Range (realistically only 60 miles before the REx kicks in)
4) If I break it, it'll be expensive to fix - Aluminium chassis / Carbon fibre body / Plastic panels
5) Yeah, the boot is small, but honestly, it's never actually been a problem
How do you tell if a BMW is stolen - the driver is using the indicators.
Fair assessment (just the standard wheels are 19" rather than 17" for what it's worth). Personally, when I bought mine in 2016, the competition was the old-style 30kWh Leaf, and the older 22kWh(?) Zoe with no rapid charging if I remember right.
Key things for me over the 30kWh Leaf; so much more fun obviously from decent test drives of both, adaptive cruise control and single-pedal control style (both not available on the pre-2018 Leaf), and eco credentials that knock everyone else into a cocked hat - not just the car itself, but also the Leipzig factory where it's made. Substantially more expensive, yes - I was prepared for that and for various reasons was treating myself - but offset a fair amount by the significantly lower depreciation. The utility questions (number of seats, boot size) were not relevant to me.
If I were choosing today, it's a lot closer now for the 2018 Leaf as that has the single-pedal stuff, adaptive cruise control and more - just that ridiculous decision not to put in proper battery management in that holds it back, I think.
I would also certainly lease rather than purchase.
I like the idea of on-board Gen. I bought a used 2015 Nissan Leaf SL low miles for $12K USD. If I want emergency back up away from charge station, I have a very small Ryobi 2000 watt inverter gas generator, I could carry in the back. Not practical but I could pull it out and charge at level 1, good for about 8-10 miles per hour charge. All EV is just simple and pure. If you want a hybrid or
"plug-in"r car they are cheaper and in many ways better than the BMW i3.
I own an i3S Rex. Love it.
The S fixes the roll issue a bit.
Boot space is adequate. I dont have kids yet.... but even with one it would work out no problem
Range is good for me. my commute gives me 240km of real world range.
The price is indeed in the engineering.
The CFRP shell is safer than regular steel cars or aluminium.
it has one of the most efficient E motors)
I average mostly 11.0kwh/100km's - a non S even goes below 10.00kwh/100km
The battery is state of the art even today. it's rated for an end of life (75%) @ 910.000km
It uses it's aircon to cool the battery.
iDrive is indeed brilliant.
I promise you, that boot would cause a headache with kids.
remove the parcelshelf.
lay down one seat.
lay stroller behind the front seats.
1 kid is doable. 2 kids not so much I agree.
I had an Octavia vRS when ours was born and that was sometimes full to the brim. Try doing a family shop whilst having even the basics in the car.
Great review. I totally agree with the space issues, having 4 seats makes it limited, if giving extra person a lift! Boot is far to small, no good for family holidays etc. If you want to have 4 people you can’t fold down one seat to fit in long objects / suitcases etc. So I would say over priced when you compare to a Leaf / Ioiniq / e-Golf which are cheaper but similar car bracket.
We've used one as our only car for more than two years and have done many family holidays with 2 children - we've just gotten used to huge cars, looks back at what we were driving in the 1940-50's in the UK (I own a 1936 and a 1948) and they look small compared to the i3 :)
The best SECOND HAND EV you can buy. I call that colour scheme the Orca (killer dolphin), not the best option.
With REx and fast charge DCC option it can go anywhere.
You want to know why i3 owners went for the i3. For me, in a word: rex.
I have the smaller battery i3 and the REx gives me the freedom to not worry about range. I just had a long weekend in Cambridge for my wife's birthday. The trip there was entirely on battery, but most of the journey the car was telling me we would be a mile or two short of the planned charging stop but we made it (just). The return trip didn't have a convenient charger so we had about 10 miles on petrol. Neither way was a problem: the REx is there when you need it and ignored when you don't. I've had emergency trips when I didn't have time to faff with chargers, and trips with planned charging stops when I just wanted to get home; both of those I just ran on multiple tanks of petrol. The rest of the time I diligently plan trips to avoid using any petrol so I've also had as many as three 'maintenance cycles' in a row where the petrol engine runs after 8 weeks of non-use.
Thanks for this great video; it's really helped me in choosing my first EV. Same goes for 95% of the comments - you always get a couple. My thoughts on it are, in no particular order: love the fact that it's the greenest EV, in using mostly recycled and/or recyclable materials, plus that the energy to manufacture it is totally non-fossil; I think they look great; I don't need a fifth seat, or a big boot whilst two people are in the back, and so would flip one or both seats forward on the rare occasion I need more boot space; rear doors are a cool design but appreciate the impracticality - I rarely have passengers so no drama for me; I never buy new for environmental and depreciation reasons and so the reasonable secondhand price, paired with how well they maintain their value, makes them economically sensible; I can't afford a Tesla but love to fang it a bit so the acceleration is appealing - particularly when compared to alternative EVs in this price bracket; the handling is understandable for a car designed to be energy efficient (skinny wheels) but it's about adapting and becoming a better driver, so it can be pushed closer to its limits. So I'm really keen on getting one, particularly if the claims that you can buy more rangy batteries at a later date, for a reasonable price, hold true. Unfortunately they're a lot more pricey here in New Zealand, so I'd probably have to do a personal import from the US. I dream of paying British EV prices! And don't even start me on the lack of chargers here....
Just uploaded a comparison video of all 3 EVs.
I’m currently debating between this and the e-mini as my next car, in a year or so, to replace my current ICE Mini Cooper, both expensive but could get this cheaper used obviously. Big factor for me is fun and handling.... which may lean to the mini, but it’s a risk on a new car. I don’t need practicality obviously and the i3 looks more practical than my current mini.
8:40 speaks volumes.Nice one, Andy! Thanks.
They do NOT hold their value well... which is a great thing for us used car buyers! I just got a 2015, Tera World with every high-end option, 22k miles, BMW CPO (certified with warranty extension) for $18kUSD.
BTW... the standard tires (tyres?) are 19", optional ones are 20"... part of what gives it a "Hot Wheels" look.
it's a nice little car, not very practical, but very quirky. I had one for a weekend and would buy it, but not for 45k!
I paid £31k for mine from new. Costs buttons to run. £3 charge does 120 miles.
Is it my imagination or does the drive/front passenger, have to unbuckle their respective seatbelt, in order the a rear passenger to exit the i3? Lao worth noting, to open a rear door from the outside, a front door must be opened first. Did none of BMW's design team, ever enter or exit the rear seats?
There are no batteries under the boot/trunk. Batteries are all in the floor structure of the car. The motor, final drive and optional REX live under the boot.
The dash is made from Hemp 😱
I love my i3, but it is hideously expensive and grossly short on boot space with a teeny-tiny frunk, too. It’s perfect for my 50 mile per day commutes and it is a fun drive. I’m coming to the end of my PCP and I’m in a dilemma because the balloon payment is massive (monthly payments were low and APR was at 0%) and I’m not convinced by the current line up of EV’s on the market. The Model 3 won’t reach here until late 2019, which I have a reservation on, so I’m not sure what to do...
Watching some older videos, I have an i3 and love it also. Mine is not 'crashy' at all, and I run it through the corners very quckly.
Andy, I love my i3 94ah Rex Suite in Protonic Blue. But I ordered it when the deals were great. Ordered Dec 16 delivery end March 17. I only pay £231 a month with 9 months down. I would have to pay about double that today. It will go round corners much faster than you did, but driving like a nutter kills that tyres. I have heard of tyres lasting 7,000 miles and others getting 30,000 miles, so it depends how you drive.
Nick,
I am in the process of purchasing a 2016 i3 94ah Rex suite (tera I believe in US). It is also in the stunning protonic blue with sports package so has the nice wheels and comfort access so you do not need the remote to open and lock the car. I got a 24 hour test drive in one and fell in love with it. It is second hand and almost half price at 2 years old and just over 20k miles. Dealer sticking new tyres on front as were below the 3mm minimum they allow on second hand cars. It only has business nav and does not have the parking package. At first I was disapointed it did not have the 10 inch screen but thinking about it, I don't look at that screen very often. And as far as the parking package, who needs a parking camera on a car this small. As far as parking itself, I have seen the damage it can do to your alloys hitting kerbs so would never use it anyway. I feel I am getting my perfect car. Also as it is a 66 plate it just manages to avoid the 1st March 2017 road tax changes so I have free road tax even though it is the Rex model. The book price of the car I am getting is just under £41k which would also mean an extra £310 on top of the £130 for a hybrid for 17 plates onwards. £440 a year is a bit steep. So a 66 plate, 94ah Rex is the perfect choice. Getting it next week and I can't wait. Only issue I had when I first started driving it was I had a slight sea sick fealing. I have heard others experiencing the same thing. I suppose you need to get used to it. Possibly caused by the adaptive cruise control which I love. Mine also has the trafic queue assist which I believe means the car steers itself below 35mph. I still need to check that out. I have seen you tube videos where an i3 is driving itself with no-one in the car. OK it was only at 2mph but still impressive.
Andy, I must have watched hundreds of EV videos before deciding on the i3 and a lot of them were yours. Was very close to choosing a 33kwh leaf but the range extender was the clincher
If you need that extra miles of range then you can get it from the generator rather than having to wait 30 to 45 mins charging. You can also turn on the generator, once below 75% charge to hold your battery range steady so never affecting performance. An EV with no range anxiety, the perfect combination. Why lug around a huge weight of batteries when you normally only do the occational long journey. My car also has the upgraded sound system. I don't think I could have found a better used car. Plan to buy it and keep it as it has an 8 year battery waranty.
Keep up the excellent reviews Andy.
Been looking at a 2014 on Autotrader £14000 and only 9000 miles
You can get the REX for £15000
+mynewschannel
- My Dad is looking at those REX too. Another way is buy a Generator for $1000.00 or have it built-in.... Same thing! LOL
They could have made the boot bigger if they had designed it BEV not REx. The empty space where the REx could be wastes a lot of space. It should have had a deeper boot. That would help.
These reviewers over think the reviews? Its a BMW, so the MSRP is going to be high regardless.
Those that are loyal to the brand will not complain about the price or whether what you get for the price compares to other EVs.
Also, its a city intended car, its not a high performance sports cars, so the fact that it doesn't corner as well or handle as well as a 3 or 'M' Series is irrelevant. The materials used in the interior are lightweight recyclables used to reduce weight and cost. Obviously, BMW could have used far more posh and heavier materials and they could have built the i3 as a high performance EV, but that would defeat the purpose of what they were aiming for.
Why are they called suicide doors anyway? Since they cannot be opened without the front doors being opened first, committing suicide using them is virtually impossible, contrary to ordinary back doors.
Marc van Leeuwen very good Point made 👍
Coach doors is more like it.
It comes from the 1930 or 1940 mobster cars where peoples got pushed out while in motion. Need to watch old movies.
Gilles Pelletier: in my dictionary being thrown out of a moving vehicle (with or without bullet hole) does not qualify as suicide
Marc van Leeuwen it seems from the 20s and 30’s. Basically it’s because you cannot see when you open them, and risk being hit by an overtaking car when exiting.
Much prefer the vauxhall ampera E-REV, it holds the road really well, has a massive loading area, and? Unlike the BMW i3, which can only drive at 50mph when using the extender, the vauxhall ampera, in range extender mode, can drive at 70-80-90 mph with ease.
I ran an Ampera for three years before my i3 and absolutely loved it but owning an i3 was always my intention and ive not been sorry.
They are two entirely different designs, no comparison. The i3 feels more spacious, is easier to enter and exit, doesent feel as heavy, has greater electric range and is nonconventional in construction.
I would favor the Ampera for long journeys for its comfort but more petrol would be consumed.
Quite right this bmw should not be twice as expensive as a leaf it should be three times.... i now have a bmw i3 rex, the problem for me is i am now returning my leased tesla and the tesla is so so much better than the i3 in every way but money and the fact once you have an ev there is no going back .... The i3 cost me 17k used a model 3 used would cost me 40k which makes the tesla an absolute bargain....The odd thing about the i3 it is a smooth road only car , bump steer is dangerous and this is the i3 default setting....
I'll be back in an EV shortly and to be honest, you can pick up a used i3 for around £16k (2015). That's Leaf Tekna 30kwh price. Decisions, decisions!!
Don't test drive an i3 then or you'll certainly choose it! :) Addictive little go-karts!
The sad thing is Munro and Associates dismantled this car and concluded in their report that BMW manages to make this car actually very profitable. That means no money to make it and all profit selling it. So basically their counting on their branding to deliver the pricey request. I think this car could be $10,000 US cheaper and BMW would still profit off of it. So you can either afford it or you can't.
Love the Saab comparison at 16:10 and what Saab did with the whole EV idea would have been interesting had the directorship, collectively, have the business sense of a grapefruit. Would I have an I3 if I had the budget? Probably. A price drop comparison - three years on would be interesting.
The front seat fold forward as well to help access to the rear.
Colin Harvey yes they do and if you pull the sunshade down they will stay forward
Those wheels are 19" not 17". 19" wheels are standard, 20" optional
Great Review cant wait to test drive it myself
They can call it ugly, they can call it stupid, they can call it expensive.
They can call it whatever they want not changing the fact it will keep more money in my pockets.
Will i miss my M3 f80?probably, but thinking driving costs of a I3s unbeateble.
Thanks for giving a fair as possible assessment ev man.I own one .Cost is something all ev owners have to bear as early adopters and mostly as green warriors , we pay the extra.Over time all things become equal you pay a bit more here ,you save a bit more there.The car is cleverly engineered to keep the weight down.just look under the front wheel archers and you will see that many parts of the assembly are made from alloy and not steel.All these weight saving features are giving the owner excellent acceleration while using less energy to provide it.There is no better feeling on the road than leaping away from the traffic lights and leaving some fossil car far behind.
Just like the Leaf, a car better bought used. But unlike my Leaf, you could expect the battery to hold up over 10 years.
It's far too expensive new, but it looses half its value in 2 years and then much more slowly after that. There seem to be *many* 2 year old i3s around with low miles and a good price. I need the larger battery, though, so I have to wait another year for the 2017 model to become affordable. Trust me, though, the first 2017 i3 REx I see for less than US $25,000 and I'm all over it!!!
Great ev but much too expensive needs to be well below £25k I'm torn between the new GR YARIS which is ice and more expensive however a fully fledged wrc car or i3s swayed towards Toyota butttt if these cost below £25 k new would've probably gone for one and become an ev convert
How expensive are those tyres?
Is this the 2017 or 2018 model?
HAHAHA Storm Trooper, so damn right!
Damn i can't do ur accent :P
Marco Panzanni it’s called English son
I was lent an i3. I parked in a car park and couldn’t get my daughter out of her car seat that was in the back of the car as you cannot open the rear door unless the front door is open and there wasn’t enough space between cars to get round the back of the rear door.
Yep thats correct you have to choose carefully when parking or access to the rear seat will be nigh impossible.
The charging port on the side is silly. Cable sticks right out into the road/pavement. Front charge ports are much better, like the Leaf and Zoe.
In my situation this is perfect for home charging on my drive. Charging on the road is tricky I guess, you'd be mad to leave it sticking into the road although at the front or back you'll have someone hit it trying as they park
kuro68000 it is because you are in Great Britain, in lhd countries, the charge side is off the road side. But you have a point, could be designed better for rhd countries
Except that if you have a front end bump in a Leaf or Zoe, then the charger takes the hit.
Another big negative for the i3 are the tyres which are around £200 each! So if you are buying a used one pay close attention to the amount of tread left.
Martin Woods the tyres are £115 each online so your price is miles out. My partner also managed 29k on her last set of i3 tyres so they wear very well. It's also 2 year servicing.
I got mine for £100 each...
Andreas Juul Mikkelsen from a man down the pub ?
Martin Woods it pays to shop around
I'm not sure why you would recommend it other than interior build quality, if the ride is jittery and it feels tipsy in the bends and it's so expensive.
It's not that tipsy in the bends, just not hot hatch good. Expensive to but, but overall cost of ownership is quite good. £3 charge does about 120 miles
I'm thinking of getting an i3. Used, with a 94Ahr battery, so would someone kindly tell me:-
Are the adaptive led headlights worth seeking out? and if so what decides if a particular car has them as the ads never seem to mention them.
Do all 94Ahr-batt cars have the fast charging capability, and [rookie question] do I need to be carrying a cable to fast charge away from home, or do the charge points have their own [captive, of course] cables to be plugged into my car?
...so much to know, so difficult to find out. Except here on this channel, of course! (Thanks for the great videos, EVM!)
Yes adaptive
I've just helped my grandparents buy a 94ah i3. They love it! Theirs isn't one with LEDs but not the end of the world. All 94ah have fast charging. You have to carry a type 2 cable which is slower charging, you'd use it at home or plugging in at a supermarket. Fast chargers have the cables attached to the charging station. Hope this helped, let me know if you'd like anymore information 😄
BMW thank you for a great car like this, future proof like a Beetle however the Beetle started so wrong...the i3 start is so right! Thx BMW.
The I3S 120 Ah (appr 40 kWh) is a better car. It has much wider wheels and sport mode, more power and torque. The car can’t rust!
I3s has wider track and wheels. Much sportier with slightly more power too
I think your missing the point , you lease a BMW , 200 a month on a 2 year 8k 23+3
And that deal is where?
I'd snap someone's hand off if that deal existed
John Dinsdale yup me too
Electric Vehicle Man in his dreams
£245/mth quoted on the Fully Charged episode that looked at leasing EVs
Gotta have a car with a 'coomfort' mode.
ive said it many times on here. but i really cant wait for the specs of the mini e to come out. im a cooper s driver n i think that will be my next car.
docgspot So was I, and what an utter disappointment that are!
Of course BMW uses something different to tell you about their batteries than every other company maybe to make it sound like their batteries are larger? This car is way too expensive...
We have both the Renault Zoe and the BMW i3 (BEV) . And trust me, the i3 is worth EVERY PENNY over the zoe!
Indeed, you need to go and drive one to see what you're missing @Matt Barnes :)
Crash course in engineering units: "AHH..." is Ah i.e. amphours, so it is not a brand name, it is the capacity of the battery!!
I know.
But its not the energy capacity of the battery in reality. You would need to know the voltage as well to determine that .Its a pointless/ meaningless unit and should have been kwh
Very nice as a car, after Tesla as internal simplicity with a few buttons seems to me excellent as choices. By making a loan, you can change the car. And BMW is a brand as it should be, quality price .... nn there is much to complain about an excellent choice after TESLA.
Do the back seat fold flat
Yes
I've just noticed the position of the seat belt on the back door passenger.,does it mean you have to get out to let the passenger out
because seat belt is yours at the front., because there's no B pillar
Yes. The front door also has to open before the back can be opened.
I think it just adds a bit of 'old world charm' back to driving as you open the door for your passengers - I like to make an event of it in ours! :D
Interior, like Scandinavian design!?
Still no electro-station wagon for sale... :(
Just don’t buy it or lease it new... CPO is the way to go....
Are EVision related to Diggerland? Because even in Kent the pickup location is a Diggerland.
Looks like the same parent company - H.E. GROUP LTD
maethorechannen I have 25% off all their rentals 👍😎