Thanks. Been really wanting this vehicle (which I do not NEED) and it's helpful to see 'regular' people do long term tests. Any car is great for a week, especially for auto journalists. But real people doing reviews in real world terms and durations...that's gold! Thx! Anything break yet?
I’ve owned the same car for four or five years and I learned quite a bit from your video. Thank you. I agree that this car is still so very enjoyable to drive.
Great review. Answers a lot more questions than most reviews. This is on my radar to purchase. You cover things most reviews don't. Appreciate you taking the time to share.
buying used can be tricky especially if you are looking at the pre 2017 models which originally had plastic motor mounts and plastic motor mount bolts, all which can break and crack at any minute. If buying pre 2017, make sure to check if the mounts have been replaced with steel or aluminum ones.. The REx versions can also be problematic because it more steps in maintaining the car. If buying an i3 with a REx, make sure to have it checked because it's very expensive to repair/replace.. The battery in the i3 seems solid and after 7 years many 2014 i3s still are able to go the full 75 to 82 original miles on a fully charged battery. Check for battery degradation and check to see how often the car was CCS charged.. Again, after 7 years the 2014 models are still solid and are holding up extremely well. There now about $12k on average for lower mile versions.
Hi Mamadou, Thanks for the comment. Do you have a picture or link to these parts you're talking about in the i3s before 2017? Where have you seen or heard of them cracking or braking? Why where they plastic to start with if indeed they were plastic? I think 2014 is aluminum machined bolts. Here is the only thing I found on this: www.mybmwi3.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16633 Probably all 2015's have the reinforced nylon/plastic/non-metal/whatever motor mount. However, since a stronger mounting Bolt and modified traction control software were installed, the number of broken bolt/mount reports has plummeted, so I'm not as concerned about this problem as I once was. Our 2014 BEV is probably quicker than those with the heavier aluminum motor mount :D
@@lavalabs The i3 started out with plastic motor mounts and inferior motor mount bolts. BMW recalled all the i3s years ago to have the bolts replaced but did not actively replace the plastic mounts, the consumer had to specifically ask for the mounts to be replaced when the bolts were replaced. There are a few videos on RUclips about the mounts and bolts.. Its very problematic because the mounts can crack when the car hits a pothole or train track hard, the rear wheels will hit the pavement hards and the rear wheels will spin fast. After 2016, all i3's had aluminum motor mounts supposedly.
Thanks Mamadou, I will definitely look into this. I think the i3 that we have did get some recalls done before we bought it. So I’m wondering if they got replaced or not. I wanna see how hard it is to actually get to them. I’ll look up some videos. If you have a link please do share. Thanks again!
@@mamadouaziza2536 So it looks like this only happened to the Rex models of the i3 and I only found a 2 cases where people showed where it cracked and they replaced them. They were bo on the Rex version with an engine attached to the motor. I will however take a look at mine. Don't think it's a problem though. So far.
I have had my “Litl’ Blue” 2017 BMW i3 BEV 33Kw 94Ah since 01/25/2021. I bought it in showroom condition from an original owner with 24k on the odometer. I’m 75, drive it about 30-100 miles a month mostly to pick up online ordered groceries and to visit the VA clinic. I use a 240V, 16A (3.84Kw) Level 2 charger in my carport routed inside as an alternate to my dryer outlet. I get 13.5 miles per hour of charging, and at home my FPL electric cost is $0.031 per Mile. If there is a more perfect EV out there, I simply don’t want it. I don’t need more range, acceleration, styling, features, reliability, comfort, handling, or value. Litl Blue is obviously my Forever Car. Paid $16,500 but was offered $24,000 by Edmunds 3 months ago which tickled my worn out ego. I just wish my dog Molly was still alive to share this ride and her fur as your handsome dog does.
Great review. I got the i3S new about six months ago. Like everyone else who has an i3, I love it. When people recommend other electric cars, what they don’t realise about the i3 is that it is so good to drive and so nicely made. I have already put 10,000 miles on it but still love driving it every time.
As others have said in the comments, by far the best review of the i3, thank you. I'm in the UK, I'm looking to buy one of similar age to yours, we are a family of 4 (2 young kids) so I think we can live with the size of it for a few years, we test drove a brand new one a few months ago and loved it, but way out of our budget at £34k. 2014/15 models are coming in at under £15k so I think good value for what you are getting.
Much appreciated for the kind words. I’m glad you enjoyed the review. I still really like the i3 and 2014 and 2015( if available) is still an amazing deal for this car.
@@lavalabs Afterwards it is certain that with a 60ah version you will not do 600 km. but is 350km to 400km possible with fast charging? Besides, why not take a REX version?
one of the best reviews for an i3 . learnt many firsts and thanks a have bought a used 2017 model and each day love the ca more . have a tesla 3 as well but always look for a reason to jump on this one . more fun and not intimidating . thanks again
Just got me an 13S with the 42kwh battery - it doesn't have the adaptive cruise, lane assist or self parking but to be honest it's still a great package. We charge it at home overnight and I doubt I will ever use public charging - if we need to make a long journey we will take our little Audi A2 90 which at 50mpg also makes for frugal driving. To me the i3 is an updated A2 and both have unique construction so both are keepers for different reasons. Sensible vid that so big thanks.
Thank you so mush for this review you answered a lot of my questions. Apple car play is a game changer for sure. My next car will be the i3, I've been looking at the 2017 the prices are so reasonable now. Thanks again.
Great long term review. Thanks for doing this. After seeing this, I am really glad that I got the REX model which does go 150 miles. I rarely use the feature, but for the occasional need for a longer range trip, it is really handy. I would even take a small gallon portable gas can with me if needed. The car then goes indefinitely if one just keeps filling up the gas tank. A quick stop at a gas station to fill the car and portable gas tank gets you another 150 miles. I calculated that using gas is actually cheaper than using the DC fast charging at $0.43 per kwh. As you know, nothing beats home charging ($0.13 per kwh). Many agree that the auto-park sucks and it really isn't difficult to park this little car since it's turning radius is so small and that it has so much greenhouse. I really need to emphasize how bad the back seats are for anybody other than a child. Since the windows don't roll down and that one has to be dependent upon the front seat passengers to open their doors first before the rear passengers can open theirs. You have a pretty good amount of battery SOC left after 7 years, but that should leave you with about 67 miles of electric range which is unacceptable to most people; another reason to have the REX. I am really disappointed that the i3 model line is discontinuing this year. With new battery technology, they could have made the car cheaper and extend the battery capacity even more. This quirky little Bimmer will always be one of their unique treasures. Have you heard if the latest battery (120 Ah) will fit into the first gen i3's? That would be a worthwhile upgrade especially since your car is in such good condition. Thanks again for your review
Very good point about the back seat window and how it does not open. If you’re sitting back there you are relying 100% on the person in front of you to open their window if you want some fresh air. I have only sat there one time and it wasn’t too bad because we had the AC going, but I know what you mean. As far as range I would like to have 100 miles or more ideally and I might upgrade the battery or just get a model Y when they they become a little more affordable. As of right now I am more than fine with the range that I have since I don’t drive that much currently. I am pretty sure you could put the 120 amp hour battery in there because I believe it’s the same size. Also I don’t think BMW has discontinued the i3. I know they discontinued the i8 but don’t think the i3.
@@lavalabs my bad, it appears that they only discontinued the REx since it is now not needed because of the larger battery pack. BMW has already paid for molds and tooling, so they should try and continue making the car. To stay competitive, they need to lower the price since a new i3 is more expensive than a Tesla Model 3. Wait when the Model 2 comes out, it will cause havoc in the EV market.
@@SilverShadow2LWB yeah that totally makes sense about the initial investment in the production line. Also I think they have pretty decent sales from what I can tell. And you’re absolutely right brand new they’re way more expensive. Looking forward to see the model 2 but more than anything I want to see some used M3 or MYs that are around 15-17k. I guess one can dream :-)
@@SilverShadow2LWB If they do lower the price for new vehicles, selling the older ones may be nearly impossible. You'd almost need to dump the one you have now, lease for a year or two and then buy the lower priced new model.
@@WillieStubbs You are absolutely correct. The BMW i3 has one of the worse depreciation rates of all cars. I purchased my 2015 which when new was $52k for $16,500 a year and a half ago. There is another video out there describing what a deal a used i3 is. Good for buyers, bad for sellers who purchased new even with a federal and state credit.
Nice sharing moments. Love the electric. Watching Canoo, Rivian, Lordstown, Tesla, BMW, Ford Lightning and a few others. Earlier this month, we were in a head on collision at 60 mph, both vehicles, all parties survived, banged up bad with whiplash, his was a big pick up destroyed, ours was 2021 Toyota Rav4 totally destroyed with all air bags deployed. It was horrifying as we spun around. Nobody hit us a second or third time. Take care and good luck with Lava Labs projects. Looks like fun.
Auto Auction Rebuilds did a series taking his i3 from Ok City to Los Angeles. He has REX on it. Just in case you are interested in what it is like on a long trip......
This was by far the best review I've seen. Thx so much. So very detailed. I am going possibly from a Prius to the I3 and was a little concerned about the reliability... My little Prius is a beast. Never any problems. So you can see my hesitation... Anyways, thx again very good job!
I went from the Prius to i3 and couldn’t be happier. Years of driving a Prius taught me to have a light foot so I regularly exceed my stated electric range. Also when you want to have fun driving the i3 feels like an F1 car compared to the Prius.
Even though I haven’t done it myself I have seen videos of people doing it and it seems pretty easy and straightforward to change the screen to a larger one. Some people do it when they upgrade their entertainment system to CarPlay or android audio.
I don't need an i3, but I'm still looking at buying one soon. I already have an 2005 Audi S4, 2015 Mazda CX-5, and 2017 Ram 2500, but I'm itching for something different and easy to drive around town on my days off, and the i3 fits the bill for me. Excellent video! 🤘🏽
I own a 2017 REX version of this car and I love it. I have taken many 500+ miles road trips with no problems at all. It is a really good car and it drives like a BMW, it isn't perfect but for 11k dollars, it made a lot of sense for me .
Oh yeah I know exactly how it is. In Virginia we actually have to pay a special tax for electric vehicles. I would think it’s the other way around maybe give us an incentive. Hopefully that’s coming soon...
@@ilovemyevo556 That was wayyy before used car prices went crazy and it had 70k miles on the odometer plus after fees and taxes it came close to being $14k .. still a good deal IMHO . its a great car all around
100% agree with your review. Never liked the skinny tires getting caught in highway grooves. We owned a 2014 i3 REX for 4 years. We loved ours though. My only big expense ( Dealer:$750) was when the 12v battery died. We sold it to Carvana and bought a new 2021 Tesla Model 3.
Very cool Alan. Do you find the Model 3 worth the upgrade? We considering the same thing but for a model Y. The only thing that’s stopping me is the price so far.
The Battery is the whole floor of the car, not just the small section in the video, it’s a great design though with water heating and cooling of the pack.
Thanks for putting a car seat in the back ..I've been procrastinating on buying one because I have twins and always worried about the size of the back seats!!!
So one of my biggest concerns with this car is a rear facing car seat with rear suicide doors. How it is getting your kid in and out and how do you do it?
@Lava Labs bought my 1st exact model just dif car color the updates for the i3 are no longer available but still a great car so far a bit disappointed you failed to mention the reason for 1 pedal drive that when u use if u look at the screen in front of u u see the the thing move side to side its because it has brake regeneration meaning everytime u dont press the brake and allow the auto brake from one pedal drive it slowly regens your battery a bit to give u a bit more range its lovely
Sorry for the late reply. You can see my accessories video where I talk all about where I got it and where you can get it now. Just in case you didn’t get it yet. It is a game changer
Great review, I just bought a 2019 i3 120ah and having Apple Carplay would be really nice. If you'd like to share where you bought your conversion kit I'd be happy :).
Hi, my car was Apple CarPlay prepared so I just bought the software upgrade from the Connected Drive store. Worked like a charm and the price was ~300€. @@briannhinton
This video brought back some nice memories of when I had my 2017 BMW i3 Rex Teraworld. My lease went up on it back in September of 2020, I really should have financed it after my lease. I really miss it, it is such a great little electric car. Being that my i3 was a 2017 model it had a larger sized battery that gave me around 130 miles of range on a full charge. I had the same interior as yours, same rims, only difference was the exterior color and the size of the screen, I didn't have the large screen like you have and I had the dark metallic grey exterior color. I learned so much about the i3 from watching your video, now it makes me wish I still had it so I can tinker around with it. I did want to ask you, how come when you are driving you don't have any daytime running lights on? Did you purposely turn them off
Oh yeah the ability to tinker around or modify things in the i3 is awesome. Even without the CarPlay mod there are so many things you can change or customize it is pretty cool. As far as the lights, they are set on automatic. So they turn on as soon as it gets dark outside. I believe in Virginia we’re only required to have headlights on from sunset to sunrise.
@@carbuff81 interesting I will check it out. Funny I’ve had the i3 for almost 2 years and there are plenty of things I still don’t know. Thanks for pointing it out.
@@lavalabs No problem, glad I can help. Also if you want to make all of the bulbs on your i3 LED, the only two bulbs that aren't LED on the i3 are the front turn signals and high beam bulbs, and they are super simple to change out and look so much better than the stock bulbs.
I will definitely check that out. I’m actually going to calibrate the headlights when I get a chance because the left one is just a little bit higher than the right one. Thanks again for the suggestion.
Nice review! Just wandering where did you buy your tires in Va and how much? What tires do you recommend? Stupid question Do you rotate tires? Thanks and more power to you!
I can’t believe I didn’t see this comment before. I bought these tires locally you can see in the video exactly where I got them in Richmond Virginia. And to answer your question no you do not rotate your tires on the BMW i3. I did ask that question and the reason for that is that they are slightly wider on the back!
Been very interested in getting one of lately so I've been watching a ton of videos! Yours is the best I've seen, hands down👍 Thanks for great review👊 Anything to look out for when getting a used i3?
Thought it was funny when you said when exiting the highway you didn’t take your foot off the gas … when one would think you took your foot off the electric or battery pedal - lol
awesome video man, ive had my i3 for 3 months and I love driving it every time, such a great car. I was wondering where you got the kit for apple car play ? Thanks man
This car is a steal if you can get one for $15k !!!!!!!!!!! people complain about the limited range but the REX fixes that people complain about the size but this is a city car
Wow, great review. I've only just stumbled upon these models and have been reading up on what an exceptional deal they are on the used market and how they are new EV owner friendly. How does is handle in real snow and what happens to the range when you get into the 0-20*F range? Chicago winters can be brutal!
Lol what a coincidence. It’s been 2 years since my uncle owned a bmw i3. Btw it’s 2019 model and has a non leather seat. It was sold for a good discount and it’s the extended range model. It is a black colored edition. Also it’s going to be given to me soon. But, damn bmw i3 gets dirty really easily and it’s DIRTY AF.
I've bought the carplay and I am having issues I can't figure out. Everytime I shut the car off it defaults to my music library and starts playing the first song alphabetically. That , and sometimes no sound. The settings change. One time it will play through my "external devices" which I want And sometimes I have to switch to "aux" to work which the sound quality is much worse. Could you give me some advice?
Thank you Henri, no repairs mostly just tires once a year need some nitrogen when the weather gets cool and that’s about it. The range is still about the same. May be about 3 to 5 miles less than when I first got it.
i3 is a nice little car. 40kw charging isn’t fast DC but the i3 battery is small, thus the 80 mile range. 4kw in 10 minutes would probably get you about 16 miles because 4 miles per kw is a good day in an EV.
What app is used to control the climate on the i3? We just bought a used 2014 model with range extender and maybe the app doesn’t support older models?
If you’re talking about installing an aftermarket camera you can add up to two cameras to the CarPlay kit that I installed. You can add a front and rear camera.
I have 2017 i3 BMW. My car seems to lose power every time I go through the mountains. Have you experienced reduction speed? If so how did you deal with it
Mostly yes. However take a look at the battery capacity and see if there is still good capacity left. If there is you should be good. There is a secret menu on i3s to the battery capacity left.
Still running without issues? I'm about to buy a 2016 for 15k€, but im scared to death with the AC compressor problems that I've been reading about online...
Great question. You can buy a retrofit kit of CarPlay for the i3. I bought mine on AliExpress. If you go there and just type in “BMW i3 CarPlay” you will see a couple options. It was around $220-$250. It also takes a couple hours to put in but not very difficult. It’s just running a cable harness to the main display is the hardest part. Also if you have a small display you can get a large display and put it in at this time.
Amazon and eBay also have the kits but they are a bit more expensive. However Amazon is great to read the reviews to help you install the thing and not make mistakes.
I do wish it was more… but for the majority of driving that I do in the city that’s not even the limiting factor. It is the space that I often need for the family to fit.
you know, somethings I do you like the new one very much and somethings I prefer the original. I have not driven the 2020 or the 2021. I would love to compare thought
I could but it’s not as easy as I thought. To upgrade the battery you got to drain all the coolant. It’s doable but it does require quite a bit of work
Have the batteries tested to see how much decline in capacity there's been and check to see if the failed cells can be replaced by third parties. If the individual cells can be replaced then the longevity is indefinite but if they can't, you've got designed obsolescence.
Hi John this is a really good question. The cells could be replaced individually however it’s actually a lot harder than I thought to take the battery out because you have to drain the coolant and it’s a whole process. It can be done it’s just a lot harder than I thought
Thanks. Been really wanting this vehicle (which I do not NEED) and it's helpful to see 'regular' people do long term tests. Any car is great for a week, especially for auto journalists. But real people doing reviews in real world terms and durations...that's gold! Thx! Anything break yet?
I’ve owned the same car for four or five years and I learned quite a bit from your video. Thank you.
I agree that this car is still so very enjoyable to drive.
Thanks for sharing. I bought a used 2017 Rex about a year ago and it still makes me smile quite often.
Great review. Answers a lot more questions than most reviews. This is on my radar to purchase. You cover things most reviews don't. Appreciate you taking the time to share.
buying used can be tricky especially if you are looking at the pre 2017 models which originally had plastic motor mounts and plastic motor mount bolts, all which can break and crack at any minute. If buying pre 2017, make sure to check if the mounts have been replaced with steel or aluminum ones..
The REx versions can also be problematic because it more steps in maintaining the car.
If buying an i3 with a REx, make sure to have it checked because it's very expensive to repair/replace..
The battery in the i3 seems solid and after 7 years many 2014 i3s still are able to go the full 75 to 82 original miles on a fully charged battery.
Check for battery degradation and check to see how often the car was CCS charged..
Again, after 7 years the 2014 models are still solid and are holding up extremely well.
There now about $12k on average for lower mile versions.
Hi Mamadou, Thanks for the comment. Do you have a picture or link to these parts you're talking about in the i3s before 2017? Where have you seen or heard of them cracking or braking? Why where they plastic to start with if indeed they were plastic? I think 2014 is aluminum machined bolts.
Here is the only thing I found on this: www.mybmwi3.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16633
Probably all 2015's have the reinforced nylon/plastic/non-metal/whatever motor mount. However, since a stronger mounting Bolt and modified traction control software were installed, the number of broken bolt/mount reports has plummeted, so I'm not as concerned about this problem as I once was. Our 2014 BEV is probably quicker than those with the heavier aluminum motor mount :D
@@lavalabs
The i3 started out with plastic motor mounts and inferior motor mount bolts. BMW recalled all the i3s years ago to have the bolts replaced but did not actively replace the plastic mounts, the consumer had to specifically ask for the mounts to be replaced when the bolts were replaced.
There are a few videos on RUclips about the mounts and bolts..
Its very problematic because the mounts can crack when the car hits a pothole or train track hard, the rear wheels will hit the pavement hards and the rear wheels will spin fast.
After 2016, all i3's had aluminum motor mounts supposedly.
Thanks Mamadou, I will definitely look into this. I think the i3 that we have did get some recalls done before we bought it. So I’m wondering if they got replaced or not. I wanna see how hard it is to actually get to them. I’ll look up some videos. If you have a link please do share. Thanks again!
@@mamadouaziza2536 So it looks like this only happened to the Rex models of the i3 and I only found a 2 cases where people showed where it cracked and they replaced them. They were bo on the Rex version with an engine attached to the motor. I will however take a look at mine. Don't think it's a problem though. So far.
I have had my “Litl’ Blue” 2017 BMW i3 BEV 33Kw 94Ah since 01/25/2021. I bought it in showroom condition from an original owner with 24k on the odometer. I’m 75, drive it about 30-100 miles a month mostly to pick up online ordered groceries and to visit the VA clinic. I use a 240V, 16A (3.84Kw) Level 2 charger in my carport routed inside as an alternate to my dryer outlet. I get 13.5 miles per hour of charging, and at home my FPL electric cost is $0.031 per Mile. If there is a more perfect EV out there, I simply don’t want it. I don’t need more range, acceleration, styling, features, reliability, comfort, handling, or value. Litl Blue is obviously my Forever Car. Paid $16,500 but was offered $24,000 by Edmunds 3 months ago which tickled my worn out ego. I just wish my dog Molly was still alive to share this ride and her fur as your handsome dog does.
Great review. I got the i3S new about six months ago. Like everyone else who has an i3, I love it. When people recommend other electric cars, what they don’t realise about the i3 is that it is so good to drive and so nicely made. I have already put 10,000 miles on it but still love driving it every time.
The best review ever! Thank you for taking the time to put this together.
As others have said in the comments, by far the best review of the i3, thank you. I'm in the UK, I'm looking to buy one of similar age to yours, we are a family of 4 (2 young kids) so I think we can live with the size of it for a few years, we test drove a brand new one a few months ago and loved it, but way out of our budget at £34k. 2014/15 models are coming in at under £15k so I think good value for what you are getting.
Much appreciated for the kind words. I’m glad you enjoyed the review. I still really like the i3 and 2014 and 2015( if available) is still an amazing deal for this car.
@@lavalabs Afterwards it is certain that with a 60ah version you will not do 600 km. but is 350km to 400km possible with fast charging? Besides, why not take a REX version?
one of the best reviews for an i3 . learnt many firsts and thanks a have bought a used 2017 model and each day love the ca more . have a tesla 3 as well but always look for a reason to jump on this one . more fun and not intimidating . thanks again
The best review on the i3 that I've seen
Agreed!
Just got me an 13S with the 42kwh battery - it doesn't have the adaptive cruise, lane assist or self parking but to be honest it's still a great package. We charge it at home overnight and I doubt I will ever use public charging - if we need to make a long journey we will take our little Audi A2 90 which at 50mpg also makes for frugal driving. To me the i3 is an updated A2 and both have unique construction so both are keepers for different reasons. Sensible vid that so big thanks.
Excellent, high quality video and review. Thanks.
Thanks Chris much appreciate it.
Thank you so mush for this review you answered a lot of my questions. Apple car play is a game changer for sure. My next car will be the i3, I've been looking at the 2017 the prices are so reasonable now. Thanks again.
Have 2015 i3 Rex n would love to see your mod for the Apple car play when you get time. Thanks
Great long term review. Thanks for doing this. After seeing this, I am really glad that I got the REX model which does go 150 miles. I rarely use the feature, but for the occasional need for a longer range trip, it is really handy. I would even take a small gallon portable gas can with me if needed. The car then goes indefinitely if one just keeps filling up the gas tank. A quick stop at a gas station to fill the car and portable gas tank gets you another 150 miles. I calculated that using gas is actually cheaper than using the DC fast charging at $0.43 per kwh. As you know, nothing beats home charging ($0.13 per kwh). Many agree that the auto-park sucks and it really isn't difficult to park this little car since it's turning radius is so small and that it has so much greenhouse. I really need to emphasize how bad the back seats are for anybody other than a child. Since the windows don't roll down and that one has to be dependent upon the front seat passengers to open their doors first before the rear passengers can open theirs. You have a pretty good amount of battery SOC left after 7 years, but that should leave you with about 67 miles of electric range which is unacceptable to most people; another reason to have the REX. I am really disappointed that the i3 model line is discontinuing this year. With new battery technology, they could have made the car cheaper and extend the battery capacity even more. This quirky little Bimmer will always be one of their unique treasures. Have you heard if the latest battery (120 Ah) will fit into the first gen i3's? That would be a worthwhile upgrade especially since your car is in such good condition. Thanks again for your review
Very good point about the back seat window and how it does not open. If you’re sitting back there you are relying 100% on the person in front of you to open their window if you want some fresh air. I have only sat there one time and it wasn’t too bad because we had the AC going, but I know what you mean. As far as range I would like to have 100 miles or more ideally and I might upgrade the battery or just get a model Y when they they become a little more affordable. As of right now I am more than fine with the range that I have since I don’t drive that much currently. I am pretty sure you could put the 120 amp hour battery in there because I believe it’s the same size. Also I don’t think BMW has discontinued the i3. I know they discontinued the i8 but don’t think the i3.
@@lavalabs my bad, it appears that they only discontinued the REx since it is now not needed because of the larger battery pack. BMW has already paid for molds and tooling, so they should try and continue making the car. To stay competitive, they need to lower the price since a new i3 is more expensive than a Tesla Model 3. Wait when the Model 2 comes out, it will cause havoc in the EV market.
@@SilverShadow2LWB yeah that totally makes sense about the initial investment in the production line. Also I think they have pretty decent sales from what I can tell. And you’re absolutely right brand new they’re way more expensive. Looking forward to see the model 2 but more than anything I want to see some used M3 or MYs that are around 15-17k. I guess one can dream :-)
@@SilverShadow2LWB If they do lower the price for new vehicles, selling the older ones may be nearly impossible. You'd almost need to dump the one you have now, lease for a year or two and then buy the lower priced new model.
@@WillieStubbs You are absolutely correct. The BMW i3 has one of the worse depreciation rates of all cars. I purchased my 2015 which when new was $52k for $16,500 a year and a half ago. There is another video out there describing what a deal a used i3 is. Good for buyers, bad for sellers who purchased new even with a federal and state credit.
Nice sharing moments. Love the electric. Watching Canoo, Rivian, Lordstown, Tesla, BMW, Ford Lightning and a few others. Earlier this month, we were in a head on collision at 60 mph, both vehicles, all parties survived, banged up bad with whiplash, his was a big pick up destroyed, ours was 2021 Toyota Rav4 totally destroyed with all air bags deployed. It was horrifying as we spun around. Nobody hit us a second or third time. Take care and good luck with Lava Labs projects. Looks like fun.
Geez Umm...Glad you all are okay.
Auto Auction Rebuilds did a series taking his i3 from Ok City to Los Angeles. He has REX on it. Just in case you are interested in what it is like on a long trip......
This was by far the best review I've seen. Thx so much. So very detailed. I am going possibly from a Prius to the I3 and was a little concerned about the reliability... My little Prius is a beast. Never any problems. So you can see my hesitation...
Anyways, thx again very good job!
I went from the Prius to i3 and couldn’t be happier. Years of driving a Prius taught me to have a light foot so I regularly exceed my stated electric range. Also when you want to have fun driving the i3 feels like an F1 car compared to the Prius.
Really excellent review, being used like a normal family would.
By the way this is the best review that I've seen thank you
I've had 200 miles range in my 2022 i3s in the summer.
Hello: How much range do you or would you get on pure gasoline fill up?
Great review! Thank you!
We are going to get a used one of 2017. Started to think in advance how to replace central display to the larger one.
Even though I haven’t done it myself I have seen videos of people doing it and it seems pretty easy and straightforward to change the screen to a larger one. Some people do it when they upgrade their entertainment system to CarPlay or android audio.
Exactly how much these were generic so you could put up a tablet or led monitor
Yes, brilliant video. Very helpful and a lot of effort went into it. Thanks 🙏🏻
Very thorough review. Thank you.
I loved both the car and the review was more than awesome, keep it up
I don't need an i3, but I'm still looking at buying one soon.
I already have an 2005 Audi S4, 2015 Mazda CX-5, and 2017 Ram 2500, but I'm itching for something different and easy to drive around town on my days off, and the i3 fits the bill for me.
Excellent video! 🤘🏽
It does fit the bill for exactly that. It is a very fun car to zoom around town
I own a 2017 REX version of this car and I love it. I have taken many 500+ miles road trips with no problems at all. It is a really good car and it drives like a BMW, it isn't perfect but for 11k dollars, it made a lot of sense for me .
For 11k and 2017 that’s awesome!
@@lavalabs 11k plus taxes and fees .. you know how it is 😬😁
Oh yeah I know exactly how it is. In Virginia we actually have to pay a special tax for electric vehicles. I would think it’s the other way around maybe give us an incentive. Hopefully that’s coming soon...
how the heck..where did you get it for 11k?
@@ilovemyevo556 That was wayyy before used car prices went crazy and it had 70k miles on the odometer plus after fees and taxes it came close to being $14k .. still a good deal IMHO . its a great car all around
100% agree with your review. Never liked the skinny tires getting caught in highway grooves. We owned a 2014 i3 REX for 4 years. We loved ours though. My only big expense ( Dealer:$750) was when the 12v battery died.
We sold it to Carvana and bought a new 2021 Tesla Model 3.
Very cool Alan. Do you find the Model 3 worth the upgrade? We considering the same thing but for a model Y. The only thing that’s stopping me is the price so far.
The Battery is the whole floor of the car, not just the small section in the video, it’s a great design though with water heating and cooling of the pack.
Yes definitely
the code is a sum of the last 5 digits of your VIN
Really good video, love how you how you demonstrated the noise insulation
Glad you liked it!
Thanks for putting a car seat in the back ..I've been procrastinating on buying one because I have twins and always worried about the size of the back seats!!!
Nicely done, good info, relaxed and with a good voice. Thanks!
I know its about the car but I can't help noticing you live in a lovely area😁😁
Woah dude, great quality video! Thank you.
So one of my biggest concerns with this car is a rear facing car seat with rear suicide doors. How it is getting your kid in and out and how do you do it?
Yup, that is what my back seat looked like. Great review. Subscribed ! I am going to review a Rivian this weekend
Just got mine! 2014 i3 Rex. Love it! Paid $14k for 56k miles mine is super clean. Roof needs to be fixed. Otherwise nothing else wrong with car
Congratulations on the purchase
Love the car and the review!
@Lava Labs bought my 1st exact model just dif car color the updates for the i3 are no longer available but still a great car so far a bit disappointed you failed to mention the reason for 1 pedal drive that when u use if u look at the screen in front of u u see the the thing move side to side its because it has brake regeneration meaning everytime u dont press the brake and allow the auto brake from one pedal drive it slowly regens your battery a bit to give u a bit more range its lovely
What is the Apple CarPlay module that you installed. Could you send me a link please? Much appreciated if you could!
Sorry for the late reply. You can see my accessories video where I talk all about where I got it and where you can get it now. Just in case you didn’t get it yet. It is a game changer
Thank you for sharing your time with us
Great review, I just bought a 2019 i3 120ah and having Apple Carplay would be really nice. If you'd like to share where you bought your conversion kit I'd be happy :).
Same please would like to know what kit you bought.
Hi, my car was Apple CarPlay prepared so I just bought the software upgrade from the Connected Drive store. Worked like a charm and the price was ~300€. @@briannhinton
++ Carplay is only 2018 onwards right?
That’s correct @@mrlessy. It requires iDrive 6 that came with the 2018 upgrade.
In the accessories video I go over where I got my CarPlay kit . Basically on AliExpress
Really enjoyed this video, after watching several lame i3 reviews, your was the best. Thanks! I like your video production style!
Beautiful review 😊😇 thank you!
This video brought back some nice memories of when I had my 2017 BMW i3 Rex Teraworld. My lease went up on it back in September of 2020, I really should have financed it after my lease. I really miss it, it is such a great little electric car. Being that my i3 was a 2017 model it had a larger sized battery that gave me around 130 miles of range on a full charge. I had the same interior as yours, same rims, only difference was the exterior color and the size of the screen, I didn't have the large screen like you have and I had the dark metallic grey exterior color. I learned so much about the i3 from watching your video, now it makes me wish I still had it so I can tinker around with it. I did want to ask you, how come when you are driving you don't have any daytime running lights on? Did you purposely turn them off
Oh yeah the ability to tinker around or modify things in the i3 is awesome. Even without the CarPlay mod there are so many things you can change or customize it is pretty cool.
As far as the lights, they are set on automatic. So they turn on as soon as it gets dark outside. I believe in Virginia we’re only required to have headlights on from sunset to sunrise.
@@lavalabs No the i3 has LED daytime running lamps separate from your Led headlamps, when you are driving they should be on.
@@carbuff81 interesting I will check it out. Funny I’ve had the i3 for almost 2 years and there are plenty of things I still don’t know. Thanks for pointing it out.
@@lavalabs No problem, glad I can help. Also if you want to make all of the bulbs on your i3 LED, the only two bulbs that aren't LED on the i3 are the front turn signals and high beam bulbs, and they are super simple to change out and look so much better than the stock bulbs.
I will definitely check that out. I’m actually going to calibrate the headlights when I get a chance because the left one is just a little bit higher than the right one. Thanks again for the suggestion.
very nice background music
Genuine review, I'm so excited to be driving my kids around in this!! Where can we upgrade the screen?
Can you give a tutorial or video on how to upgrade the screen for apple car play?
In the accessories video I just posted I talk about the CarPlay kit that you can buy and add to your i3
Thank you so much
Cool to see someone in the richmond area! Would like to meet you guys i went to vcu (I may be an i3 owner soon)
Great video 🙌🏽
Nice review! Just wandering where did you buy your tires in Va and how much? What tires do you recommend? Stupid question Do you rotate tires?
Thanks and more power to you!
I can’t believe I didn’t see this comment before. I bought these tires locally you can see in the video exactly where I got them in Richmond Virginia. And to answer your question no you do not rotate your tires on the BMW i3. I did ask that question and the reason for that is that they are slightly wider on the back!
Been very interested in getting one of lately so I've been watching a ton of videos! Yours is the best I've seen, hands down👍 Thanks for great review👊 Anything to look out for when getting a used i3?
I ended up getting a frunk seal so no dirt and stuff gets in and it was worth it, now I just keep a pair of chairs and my roadside kit
That’s great! Where did you get the frunk seal?
@@lavalabs this channel on youtube WOKEBY designed the frunk seal and a trunk extended storage for the BEV i3’s which I haven’t tried yet
Thought it was funny when you said when exiting the highway you didn’t take your foot off the gas … when one would think you took your foot off the electric or battery pedal - lol
awesome video man, ive had my i3 for 3 months and I love driving it every time, such a great car. I was wondering where you got the kit for apple car play ? Thanks man
I got it from aliExpress but to my surprise it is also available on Amazon. It is more expensive on Amazon but you get it much faster.
This car is a steal if you can get one for $15k !!!!!!!!!!!
people complain about the limited range but the REX fixes that
people complain about the size but this is a city car
Wow, great review. I've only just stumbled upon these models and have been reading up on what an exceptional deal they are on the used market and how they are new EV owner friendly. How does is handle in real snow and what happens to the range when you get into the 0-20*F range? Chicago winters can be brutal!
Similar to my Ford C-Max 2013 Hybrid Plug-in with 18 real miles at under 40 mph. Congrats.
Lol what a coincidence. It’s been 2 years since my uncle owned a bmw i3. Btw it’s 2019 model and has a non leather seat. It was sold for a good discount and it’s the extended range model. It is a black colored edition. Also it’s going to be given to me soon. But, damn bmw i3 gets dirty really easily and it’s DIRTY AF.
Hello, I came upon your channel, im interested in purchasing this ev, but it’s 2019. How do you get range if you wanted drive like 50 miles? Thanks
liked your review very much!
I've bought the carplay and I am having issues I can't figure out. Everytime I shut the car off it defaults to my music library and starts playing the first song alphabetically. That , and sometimes no sound. The settings change. One time it will play through my "external devices" which I want And sometimes I have to switch to "aux" to work which the sound quality is much worse. Could you give me some advice?
Super video!!! Had any repairs? Range?
Thank you Henri, no repairs mostly just tires once a year need some nitrogen when the weather gets cool and that’s about it. The range is still about the same. May be about 3 to 5 miles less than when I first got it.
i3 is a nice little car. 40kw charging isn’t fast DC but the i3 battery is small, thus the 80 mile range. 4kw in 10 minutes would probably get you about 16 miles because 4 miles per kw is a good day in an EV.
Good point
Great video thanks!
Cruis control. That’s the thing I’m confused 😆 I need to repeat 🔁 10x here
How did you put it to 45?
Belle présentation, Belle voiture.
do you have a link for the carplay device you purchased?
I talked all about it in this video BMW i3 Best ACCESSORIES Deep Dive - TOP 4 +
ruclips.net/video/yWMb4yYEw5E/видео.html
What app is used to control the climate on the i3? We just bought a used 2014 model with range extender and maybe the app doesn’t support older models?
Unfortunately the app will no longer work. They discontinued it a little bit ago. It was great while it lasted
Great video and review.
Do you know how to install a rear parking camera?
Thank you so much.
Hi Pedro thanks so much. Now do you mean an aftermarket camera in addition to the camera that’s already there?
If you’re talking about installing an aftermarket camera you can add up to two cameras to the CarPlay kit that I installed. You can add a front and rear camera.
I have 2017 i3 BMW. My car seems to lose power every time I go through the mountains. Have you experienced reduction speed? If so how did you deal with it
I have not experienced any power loss at all. It’s actually a lot of fun to go up and down hills. How fast are you going?
How do you get netflix to play?
Great video!
Hi Lava Labs , congrats on the very helpful video. Would you recommend buying this car (pre-owned) 7 years already and 81K km?Thanks!
Mostly yes. However take a look at the battery capacity and see if there is still good capacity left. If there is you should be good. There is a secret menu on i3s to the battery capacity left.
you didnt talk about the harmon kardon sound is it worth it
The speakers are not as good as they could be. There is one area where an upgrade is definitely needed.
Great video, thank you :)
A real shame these ceased US production in 2021.
I agree
How’s you get apple car play on the 2014
hi there were did you get the apple car play kit ?
Check out the accessories video I just posted a couple weeks ago I go through exactly where I got it.
the thin tire scare me if you think about the only thing between you and the road are the tires, tire is rather thin for BMW standard.
So far so good. The only time I had traction issue was during the winter with icy roads. Otherwise it handles very well.
Low profile tyres typically have better traction in most conditions, but they don't handle potholes well.
I don't know why they didn't include a cheap lid w/ a bmw logo for the frunklet
At least you got the orange holder
I agree that would be nice. At least stop the leaves in the water from getting in
Still running without issues? I'm about to buy a 2016 for 15k€, but im scared to death with the AC compressor problems that I've been reading about online...
Even though I recently sold the car, I know the guy that bought it and still no issues.
how can i check the batterys capaty kWH?
This car from the future past?!
How did you get Airplay??
Great question. You can buy a retrofit kit of CarPlay for the i3. I bought mine on AliExpress. If you go there and just type in “BMW i3 CarPlay” you will see a couple options. It was around $220-$250. It also takes a couple hours to put in but not very difficult. It’s just running a cable harness to the main display is the hardest part. Also if you have a small display you can get a large display and put it in at this time.
Amazon and eBay also have the kits but they are a bit more expensive. However Amazon is great to read the reviews to help you install the thing and not make mistakes.
@@lavalabs cool. Thanks.
Do you know if android auto can be added the same way?!
@@lavalabs What about the quality of Carplay kit? Does it have a "lag" in winter time?
Nice review
I heard the Range is only a little over 100 miles so roughly 45 miles one way Is that right?
Depends on the year and if it has the Rex (range extender) or not.
Hi Kathy, yes the range on the 2014 model at this point is less than 80 miles total on the all electric version. The newer models it’s much better
$3 for ten minutes is a game changer for me
Relaxing video
80 mile range in good conditions? I thought a Leaf was bad.
I do wish it was more… but for the majority of driving that I do in the city that’s not even the limiting factor. It is the space that I often need for the family to fit.
Do u like the 2020 edition
you know, somethings I do you like the new one very much and somethings I prefer the original. I have not driven the 2020 or the 2021. I would love to compare thought
You said you are getting a Tesla... Selling this? I'm eyeballing them between NC, Va, and SC.
We are not selling it quiet yet, still waiting for a used model Y to come down in price. That may be a while.
Shockingly, someone has a Model Y in my crappy apartment complex, lol...
can you get an extra battery installed? to double it?
I could but it’s not as easy as I thought. To upgrade the battery you got to drain all the coolant. It’s doable but it does require quite a bit of work
Do they have like left hand drive and right hand drive??
Yes.
Obrigado pelo conteúdo... 👍👍👍
Have the batteries tested to see how much decline in capacity there's been and check to see if the failed cells can be replaced by third parties. If the individual cells can be replaced then the longevity is indefinite but if they can't, you've got designed obsolescence.
Hi John this is a really good question. The cells could be replaced individually however it’s actually a lot harder than I thought to take the battery out because you have to drain the coolant and it’s a whole process. It can be done it’s just a lot harder than I thought
Do you still own it ? :)
You could have given it a bit of a clean-up, mate. This is the Internet you're uploading to after all...
Good point. Check out the accessories video where I did clean it. It took days to get the dog hair out.