Much Better Than You Assumed | 2020 BMW i3 REx Full Tour & Review
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- Опубликовано: 10 июн 2024
- We're taking a spin in the BMW i3 with Range Extender, a spunky little PHEV with a whole lot of range and a tiny generator for emergencies.
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This week on TestDrive we're looking at a vehicle that we've had on our list to feature for a while now, the 2020 BMW i3 with Range Extender. Identical to the 2019 model year, the BMW i3 has a 42.2kWh battery, a 170 horsepower electric motor located in the rear, and a rear wheel drive setup. The range extender adds BMW's 647cc Maxi-Scooter engine and a 9L (7.2L software-limited in North America) fuel tank providing around 115km of extra range to the 204 kms rated for this vehicle.
Our full tour and review of the 2020 BMW i3 eDrive goes over all the features found on BMW's tiniest i vehicle, including the driver assistance package and premium package, along with the LED headlights, front and rear park distance control, backup camera, power folding mirrors, and comfort access. We jump inside our i3 with optional BMW I Suite leather interior to go over the 10.25" iDrive 6.0 navigation system, heated front seats, manual adjustment seating, multi-function steering wheel, HomeLink, single-zone automatic climate control, and 13-speaker Harmon/Kardon audio system.
We take the 2020 BMW i3 REx on a road test to talk about how this mega city vehicle performs and handles on the road, including real-world driving. We discuss some of the benefits we've discovered with this vehicle and why buyers might be interested in paying the premium for a smaller range EV with a small gas backup.
We wrap up our review of the 2020 BMW i3 REx with our real-world energy economy information and what we ultimately liked and disliked about this subcompact luxury hatchback, and how much it cost us in electricity to drive for a week.
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I own a 2019 i3 REX, did about 12 000 Km (8 000 miles) and love it! I get about 260 Km of range in the summer, down to about 200 km now that it’s 0 C outside (27F). I regularly travel about 130 Km away for work, I usually use a charger at my destination but I always have the option to fill it up, which is why I got an i3. 95% of the time I used the batteries. Great car, especially if you appreciate the quality of the interior finish and great design.
Glad to hear it! Having the ability to charge at your destination is ideal, a lot of businesses out here in Quebec are installing large charging station options, giving employees and visitors some added incentive.
Ive been falling in love with this car!
Hopefully this video helped even more! I was skeptical about it at first but I really came to enjoy my time with it.
just remember if what he says at the 4 minute mark about the range extender he's lying the range extender can be turned on through Hold Mode and gas tank cap increased via the Beamer app and a Vgate Wireless WiFi iCar3 Code Reader for Android Torque ELM 327 iCar 3 BT Vgate OBDII Diagnostic Tool Interface 3.0 you can use hold mode to turn the range extender on and burn off gas when you feel like instead of having to run the battery down and drive a crippled car I also have to pay for 9.1 liters to fill the tank back up from empty cause I increased tank cap through the same software
You can get a tesla model 3 for this price which I have and its the best car you can buy.
@@wwecallofduty123 yes. There is no comparison between the 2. At new the BMW is too over-priced.
@@wwecallofduty123 boring.
I've seen a dozen reviews of this car here on RUclips, this is the best one! I like the style, very informative. You've got a new subscriber. Thanks!
I'm glad to hear that, thank you! We always approach each car with open eyes and try to produce the best content possible with the resources at our disposal. I was really impressed with the i3, my only regret is that it took me this long to drive it.
I bought a i3 2015 used as a second car. I love it. I find myself rushing home just to drive around town. I will be buying a new one in a few years.
Glad to hear it! I really enjoyed my time with this little i3.
@Jody Owen Hi Guy, all I know is that if the Blind can drive to the Licenses office. They deserve a license. Plus I deal with Blind drivers every day on the NC Roads.
Nothing beats a fully warm or cooled car first thing in the morning. You can either do it via the app or pick the times you want the climate to start. Perfect when leaving and coming home. Get into the car with a t-shirt when it's freezing. Such a luxury.
Can’t beat that!
About to get one and start doing rideshare FULL TIME, this feature is going to be really nice at 5am when i get out there to help Working professionals with a household of v8's in this HIGH gas price era...that are now downsizing. Ill be their chauffeur during this transition period. So encouraging to take those early shifts with this app/warm up feature.
I just bought a 2020 REx last night. Had 42 miles worth of electrons in the battery, and I live 49 miles from the dealership.
Needless to say, I learned a lot last night.
First, I learned that the REx doesn't come on until you have single percentage points of charge left. Also, it doesn't have the capacity to maintain 70-75mph.
Next, I learned Electrify America will charge you $50 for $2 worth of charge. Interesting. The initial hold charge is on my account 12 hours later. Odd.
Then I learned this car has the best headlights of anything on the road, except my Durango. Which my S/O was following me in back to the apartment.
Last, great auto-dimming mirror!
First things first: OBD2 plug and Bimmercode: tomorrow they'll be here. Must fix that annoying REx issue.
Hope it works out for you! I liked this vehicle quite a lot more than I expected I would.
I'm on my second i3. Fantastic car. By the way, the thing the presenter mentions that the driver is NOT able to control whether the car uses the petrol engine to regenerate -- in fact this depends on country and involves local rules compliance; in the UK I can turn on the range extender once the battery is below 75% and this is great for the occasional long trip -- I can drain the petrol and then still have many miles let in the battery to reach the next filling station. For non-EU drivers I believe you can software-reset this feature.
Yep, BimmerCode + dongle = re-enable Hold State of Charge and unlock the full tank. I assign HSOC to "8" on the dash so I don't have to muck around with iDrive on the road. You can only turn it on once the battery is < 75%. That's how I drove 2200 km from San Jose to Colorado Springs when we moved here in 2.5 days of driving.
Good to know! We recently read a comment from someone that said the REx was really designed for regulatory compliance, and the software-limited fuel tank in North America was due to California emissions standards. Definitely worth checking it out for any N/A owners interested in having a bit more control over their i3.
@@vanderaj Yup! That works! You can also enable limited auto driving in traffic using the "stop and go" feature as well. Will need to install a small hack into the steering wheel to mimic the euro steering wheel. Totally worth it if you end up with auto steering and throttle in traffic situations. Google "Traffic Jam Assist" and you'll find the small bypass harness to mimic the Euro steering wheel.
The Rex is a disaster mlgaplc.com/bmw-sued-national-class-action-faulty-electric-vehicles/
@@b4804514 Its fair to say the early ones weren't great. Mainly because they weren't reliable. Later ones have been much better (I have one, and its fine). The real issue was down to combination of US (californian) law preventing its use until there was only 6.5% battery remaining. Low power mode is much more likely to kick in when you have low SOC. Allowing hold SOC at a higher level effectively prevents this from being an issue in anything other than the most extreme situations. (ive never encountered it). Later models also have a bigger battery, so 6.5% of 33kwh (or 44kwh now) is more than 6.5% of 22kwh. Plus the rex power output was increased slightly. I was a bit sad when they stopped making the rex for europe, but actually these days i almost never need it so probably not a big issue. That link is 3 years old - what actually happened ultimately?
Absolutely stellar review. Very well written, well spoken, and informative. Thank you!
Glad you liked it, thanks for watching!
Gas engine is in the back, more trunk space in the BEV, both have the tiny frunk.
The gas engine auto runs if you don't use it for a long time.
The tiny tank makes sense, the generator can't keep up with power consumption so you can't run on gas very long. If you code it to Euro spec, the gas can cut in sooner & the electronically limited tank takes more gas.
We actually had the fuel engine run a maintenance during one of our drives since it hadn’t been used in a while. Didn’t drop our fuel gauge any at least.
I think it is because the fuel goes bad after a few months
More trunk space in the BEV? I don't think so. The BEV just has a space where the REx isn't. Source for your claim?
Very sad that BMW discontinued this line. This vehicle was very brave. It was one of my favorites because it reminded me off my old Toyota Scion xB lots of space to see and just drove well and could fit into tight spots I hope they revive this and kind of keep the shape a little maybe make it a little bigger and at least include something similar to Tesla's autopilot system which is so so good. Especially when you're stuck in traffic and just to stay in the lane and stuff like that.
Couldn't agree more! It wasn't a vehicle I cared about until I drove it, then I completely understood it. BMW is moving forward with their i vehicles, this at least laid the foundation for the electric future.
What a great, in-depth video. Thank you very much!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I have a Tesla, I live close to a city center, my wife hates the looks of the i3, but I can see how good it would of been in a busy city, I'm very happy with my car, but there are time's when an i3 would really make sense, for where I live. I can do road trips but so rare.
Love this car, love this review! Very comprehensive.
Thank you! We're really happy with the way this one turned out, and glad I was able to drive the i3 finally.
Nice video. I love my 2016 i3 REx (22kWh, Mega model) ... I have a long daily New Jersey commute in my i3: about 140 miles roundtrip (225km). I use a JuiceNet 40 (amp) charger at home and charge for free at one of our work's 40 amp chargers. My home charger actually charges faster (in about 3 hours and change from nearly empty 10%). Cold weather travel is where the 22kWh battery just can't make the entire trip without range extender. I'd say you'd get max 60-70 miles of actual battery without range extender kicking in. 45F and below sees me arriving at my destination with about only 1 or 2 miles of battery left (=7-8 miles indicated) BEFORE THE RANGE EXTENDER KICKS IN. Seat warmer is so negligible ... an additional electrical load (
The weather definitely affects the range, that's something we're hoping to test out this season if we can lineup some more electrics. Also good point on the tires, their small profile both width and thickness can lead to problems if you hit something, even a minor pothole could be problematic.
Great EV Rex...
I'm not sure about other countries but the reason the BMW i3's in the US don't have an option to use gas power before the battery is used up is for emissions classification. The i3 is the only car with the BEVx classification currently in the US and that means a couple things: The gas range can't exceed the battery range and the gas motor can only charge up the battery up to 6.5% before it kicks off. That is the requirement for BEVx, which has the same emission standard as EV like a Leaf or Tesla. It's very hard to fit into the EV category with a gas motor on-board, but BMW did it with the i3 and BEVx classification.
By the way, I own an i3 and it's an incredible little car. Especially if all you do is city driving. I can drive it for 2-3 days on a charge, plug it in to charge overnight on the trickle charger, and it's all ready to go again by morning. The interior is actually very spacious and comfortable. The seats appear thin but they are more comfortable than the leather seats I had in my premium Elantra. That surprised me. The natural smells from the interior materials is actually pleasant and not a punch in the face like some new vehicles. The ride is what you'd expect from any BMW: smooth, quiet, luxurious.. except for when you make turns. When you turn, you can tell that it's riding on 19" wheels with thin tires. It handles turns well but you can feel them on there. Acceleration is incredible. It's NOT slow unless you want it to be. Overall, I highly recommend this car for city drivers or anyone with around a 25 mile commute each day. It's efficient, comfortable, fast, and just generally easy to manage.
BMW has an app you can get for most cars later than 2015 that shows all kinds of useful information which is how I manage my i3. You can see if you have a lead foot, how efficient your driving style is, and if you're not very good at being efficient, there is a mode you can turn on to help you with that. ECOpro+ is great for optimizing battery usage while driving. The app is a bit clunky and slow to respond (tested the time difference between using the climate control on the app and them turning on inside the car, took well over 15 seconds). But, it works and has features I use every day.
You had me with “hemp”...
My God, what an eco-friendly car this is! It has door handles made out of hemp! Totally worth 60k...
The door panels are made of help, the handles are still normal door handles. I don't think they'd hold up long term if they were hemp-based 😀
I have had one for a couple of years... it definitely is not worth 60k.... half that, at best.
The way the things are going the next one will not only be made of hemp, it will run on hemp too!
@@dus10dnd thats why you let the suckers buy them new and them buy it used for a 75% discount
@@reggie132 It's what I did... 12k miles and only paid $20k.
I have a 2013 Rex i3 and the range is enough for most trips though this wouldn’t be an option if your planning your European tour or road 66 trip. In the Netherlands most cities are in the range of 200km which makes this car his super comfortable driving behavior in the cities take advantage over long range.
Definitely more than enough, I agree.
the cloth on the door panels is hemp but the rest of the door, frame and front dash area is reinforced carbon fibre. I LOVE my 2018 i3s REX (coded) over in Ontario BTW. Although it's a 'city car', my wife/child and I have taken it to Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec and also Toronto to NJ, NY and even Conneticut using planned fastchargers along the route and the REX if needed.
Glad to hear you're enjoying yours! The fast-charging network makes or breaks this car if you want to road-trip it.
As others have said, a few quibbles. I'll put them all in one comment:
1:15 - There *ARE* multiple ways to keep the car "on" while you're outside of it. Turn it on from the passenger's side and get out, so you don't have to open the driver's door. Put it in Drive or Reverse with the Parking Brake on and get out (it will stay in "READY" mode if it's in gear when you open the door,) then push the "Park" gear button once you're out and the door is closed (through an open window, from the passenger's side, etc.)
1:58 - The front is identical on REx vs. battery-only. The REx sits in a space in the rear that is fully empty on the battery-only model. (Which isn't usable by the customer, it's under the metal 'floor' of the trunk.) Similarly, the gas tank up front shares space with the electric cabin heater in the REx, on the battery-only model, both are replaced with a physically-larger, but more energy efficient heat pump heater unit and a much smaller resistive electric heater for when it's too cold for the heat pump. Other than the fuel door up front on the side, the only way to tell a REx apart from a BEV (battery-only) is by looking under the trunk floor to see the oil dipstick access panel. (Or, of course, turn it on and see or don't see the "fuel" gauge.)
2:55 - I have no idea why BMW limits the REx fuel tank and operation in Canada - probably the same as the US reason - to comply with California and only make one version for all of North America. California requires that to qualify as a "range extended EV" rather than a "plug in hybrid", the gasoline range has to be less than the electric range; and the gas motor can only come on when the battery is empty. Even stranger that they kept the reduced tank size in later model years with more battery range now that the battery is more than enough. But both limits can be easily changed to operate "European style" via simple software hacks using a Bluetooth ODB-II dongle and cheap mobile phone software. This unlocks the full gas tank size, and allows you to configure when the REx turns on (you can tweak what % it automatically comes on at by a few %, as well as set a "push a button to enable it now" as long as the battery is below 75%.)
12:45 - "It's not like any other EV we've driven" ... Plenty of other EVs have "single pedal driving", where letting all the way off the accelerator will decelerate rapidly, all the way to a stop (on level ground.) Have you really not driven any of them?
16:15 - ECO PRO and ECO PRO+ do not actually fully limit the speed. They just "kind of" limit. If you are pressing the accelerator normally, it will "pause" accelerating at the stated speeds, but if you push the pedal even further, it will accelerate further up to the same electronically-limited top speed as on COMFORT mode. (Basically it makes an "acceleration dead zone" with the pedal when you hit that speed.) Also, strangely, if cruise control is simply enabled (even if not actively engaged,) those max speeds are completely ignored. It does give you a big warning on the dashboard when you exceed the stated "max" speeds, though.
We've heard from quite a few people about how to keep the car on, still should be an easier way to do it since the other PHEV/EVs we've driven work normally. It seems the electronic limit on the fuel tank is just a carryover for the US regulations/requirements. Unfortunately since our market is about 1/10th the size of the US it ends up being cheaper for the manufacturers to ship us the same spec'd vehicles as they send to the US.
Using BimmerCode and an OBD dongle, you can easily enlarge the fuel tank to 9L and enable "Hold State of Charge" that lets you activate the engine at any charge level under 75%. You can then refill the tank as many times as needed if there isn't charging along the way on a longer trip.
We've had a number of comments about that also.
@@PRNTestDrive You got the tank capacity wrong. Starting in model year 2017 the full volume of the tank is available. Not limited anymore.
Two statements made in the video about the not holding when stopped don't agree with my experience in my 2018 Rex. In normal driving without using the adaptive cruise control, when stopped on an upwards grade the car will automatically hold the car from rolling backwards while you are in Drive mode. On a downwards grade the car will roll forward if the brake is not applied. With adaptive cruise control on, and you let the car stop by itself when traffic stops, the car will automatically hold its position on either grade without needing any brake action, and then continue ahead as the traffic begins to move.
I've a 2016 rEX i3 and love it! Bought it with 9k on the clock for 23k. Loaded out! The real deals on this car are buying CPO.
Nice review! Maybe I'll trade mine for a '19 in a few years.
Nice! CPO is always a great option, we first launched our car coverage on older BMW content and we've always been advocates for buying something that's a few years old.
I was going to buy a 2017 CPO, then at the last minute found it had been in a front end collision with another vehicle, severe enough to disable it and require towing from scene. Could not believe a major BMW dealer would certify such a car, and then even hide the CarFax report on their web site. Needless to say I backed out of the deal. But will still consider one from a non-shady dealer.
The body panels are thermoplastic. The "lifepod" is CFPR. The drivetrain is aluminum. You can keep the REx from coming on easily enough... just don't fill it up with fuel. And you can enable Hold State of Charge where you can turn on the REx early.
We had a comment about the HSOC feature the other day, seems to be something you can code in as it's available from the factory in other markets.
Actually the door panels and made of kenaf, not hemp. It's a completely different plant. So, unfortunately, you can't smoke your door panels if you run low. ;-)
I was hoping to get all the specifics for the materials used on the inside, but the only paperwork I found from BMW mentioned the hemp use.
You can bring the motor on when the main battery is below 75% charge level !
Good to know!
Great video bro you talked me into getting 1 . I was after to snag a cpo 2020 for 18,9 out the door not including the Ev credit I pick it up Saturday. What tint do you have or recommend
Awesome, glad to hear it! I typically like to go around 20-25% on my windows. I believe my current C-Class is darker, but that's how I got it.
@@PRNTestDriveI went 20 all around , 35 on the rear windshield thanks for the advice
So disappointed that the '20 did not get anything new! No new range or blind spot detection.... What gives BMW ¿ will just keep my '17 Rex, besides, we are all getting so many new choices in the next 12-18 months from VW/Ford/etc.. Enjoyed your review - clear video, audio, and speech!
I charge every evening just for Max range as my job commute changes daily. Have only used my REX about 3 times a year, but when I did, I needed it. No chargers in my state to speak of
The only thing BMW did for 2020 was added a special edition for the i3s and i8, a bit disappointing overall but I suspect BMW is keeping it as-is as they plan to discontinue it. They've got new BMW i vehicles coming up like the i4 and iX3 which will likely sell a lot better. Either way I really enjoyed my time with this one!
@@PRNTestDrive increased range, heads up display, puddle lights, blind spot monitoring....... and it would be nearly perfect.
New bmw boss says another upgrade coming in an interview. I believe that's code for other EV models are a bit further off.
There's a way to use the gas. If you use "beemercode" app, you can set the 75% hsoc (hold state of charge), so at 75% battery, you can use just the gas & get about 80-100 miles before needing another 2.5 gallons. Much more usable as a roadtrip vehicle.
This model is more attractive as an off lease car since the MSRP is equal or more to a Tesla M3 and there is no comparison. Also, a tech can change the gas tank setting to European mode and use the full fuel tank capacity.
I feel there's a better chance for dealer negotiations on an i3 over a Tesla, even here in Quebec where EV/PHEVs are incredibly popular, the i3 doesn't sell super well.
The MSRP is not what you’ll pay necessarily, as you must know, after rebates and other incentives. I bought a new 2019 REx in Sept. with an MSRP of over $55k. Dealer sold it to me for $49.8k, minus another $10k BMW corporate incentive for AAA members, and then a $7.5k U.S. federal tax rebate and a 1.5k state rebate, which brought my final price down to $30.8k! Tesla federal incentives are almost completely phased out.
Absolutely. That's how I got mine, 10,000 miles, 3 years old, certified preowned warranty that lasts more than 10,000 miles longer than the original warranty, and cost less than 1/2 the original asking price.
I have an i3. I love it but in the winter you lose a lot of range. That said I would buy another one.
Any electric will lose range in the winter unfortunately. This week we're in another PHEV and the range is less than 30km in our climate right now.
Can someone tell me if you need to pay a subscription to use your phone to heat the cabin? Do you also need a subscription to set departure times for warmup on the console screen?
The departure time ventilation via the iDrive system is built in, you just need to set it each night/day before you want to use it. If you want to be able to control it through your phone though you will need to subscribe monthly/yearly to BMW ConnectedDrive services.
Really appreciated your review, very informative. I’m intending on buying an i3 in a couple of years when I’ve sold by little business and the van I currently drive. I can see why people buy one with REX, but I can’t help but wonder whether the weight of the engine (generator) is a little self defeating, given it reduces range from 240 to 200 (did you say?), especially when you can add 50% of extra range in 30 minutes. I’ve owned 19 Beemers here in the U.K. and love them, but I refuse to buy another ICE car. BMW built a factory to build this car and did so in an environmentally manner and runs it renewable energy. Then they innovated new materials and manufacturing techniques to build a car that predominantly sustainable and recyclable. Sounds 21st century to me. The i3 I buy will last me from 2022 to my old age (I’m 61) and I don’t mind a little compromise re charge planning and waiting to help with the inevitable transition to electrification. Cheers Geoff
You definitely do take an EV range hit due to the added weight and mechanics of the gas engine. If you're able to charge often then the regular i3/S is the way to go without the REx. Personally I'd skip the range extender also, I recently drove the 2020 Nissan Leaf with about 363km of range and drove at most about 250km in one day, so the i3 would be right in my ballpark of useage. It should work well for you, I enjoyed it quite a bit!
PRN_TestDrive I’m assuming I’d simply charge at home as a matter of course and adopt a strategy for longer journeys. Mine would be to never wait for that last 20%, just fast charge from wherever it was at up to 80% and get going. That might mean stopping twice for between 15 and 30 minutes on a 400 mile round trip and being patient if in use etc, but the payoff would be energy costs of 5 pence a mile (based of public fast charger rates) rather than 25 pence. Cheers G
Would you reccomend this car for a beginner?
I'll turn 16 next February, and as of now all I'm looking for is a small car, preferably electric because the charging is free + (mostly) no maintenance.
Used they go for around $15k... would you think it's worth it?
Thank you!
In the used market I can see these being a pretty good option as a first car, especially if where you live has the infrastructure for electric vehicles. The range extender on this could also come in handy if you need it as a backup. I can see this being pretty good overall, as you're right maintenance should be lower on this and it provides a good experience for the price.
@@PRNTestDrive Thank you! ☆
How many DB's inside the car while the range extender is running?
Good question, that's something we've only just started playing with on our videos, and I'm not sure it's a feature we're keeping.
I have the 2017 i3 Rex, and I find that I could use about 20 extra km on the range.
It seems like I'll find myself almost home, and then the gas kicks in. Not everyday mind you, but it's happened a fair number of times.
For me, an extra 20 km would really help, but that's just my experience.
I'm sure its possible for BMW to achieve this, even the Chevrolet Bolt got a small range boost for 2020, I just don't think it's financially feasible for BMW to make any updates for the i3 with their next generation electrics starting to be unveiled.
ive had a '14 and now a '17. I like the car, but for that price tag I can get a fully loaded Tesla 3 and still go on a vacation. Lease is up time to move on.
Are the new BMW i vehicles of any interest to you? The i4 might be a proper Tesla-competitor.
PRN_TestDrive I haven’t seen the vehicle yet or the specs. Hard to tell. Not much info out there. I’ve had all kinds of Bmw from the i3 to an m5. However in this category competition is getting way ahead of Bmw.
The MSRP is not what you’ll pay necessarily, as you must know, after rebates and other incentives. I bought a new 2019 REx in Sept. with an MSRP of over $55k. Dealer sold it to me for $49.8k, minus another $10k BMW corporate incentive for AAA members, and then a $7.5k U.S. federal tax rebate and a 1.5k state rebate, which brought my final price down to $30.8k! Tesla federal incentives are almost completely phased out.
Ima project baby can it sit on 22s wit no issues ?😭🙌🏾💯
They’d likely have to be super low profile tires, not sure if the ride would suffer a lot, or considerably though.
This and i8 were interesting design and technology exercises that seem not to have changed much in a while. BMW should try hybrid and electric on their mini brand first which is already small and could be a test bed for the future BMWs. I figure BMW is not updating these because they are working on full electric vehicles.
The i3 received a very mild facelift like this one, the biggest change was the front turn signals, before they used to have circular fog lamps instead of these LED signals. BMW Group is slowing rolling out PHEVs, including the new Mini Countryman PHEV. BMW Group's CEO decided not to continue with the company this year due to their shortcomings in electrification, and I agree that they're behind.
When BMW created the i series, they put a lot of ideas in. While press favours the i8, buyers favour the i3. Becaue of the good sales figures and its unique position in the market (electric hot hatch, luxury city car, light carbon for excellent country road handling), they can not easily pull it off the market as the previous BMW boss wanted to.
The i3 and i8 were tech demonstrators. This car, designed in the early 2010's, and first released in 2013, is giving its features to the next generation of BMW's range in 2021. It's literally that far in advance of the rest of their cars. BMW lost a lot of time bringing this to market, because my 2015 is the most reliable, fastest car I've ever owned, including a Turbo Beetle.
At least in the US, the reason the REx fuel tank is limited has to do with California’s EPA rules. The electric range MUST be larger than the range with the REx. It can be re-coded to allow not only full use of the fuel tank, it also the ability to set the REx to maintain a battery charge level, provided that the battery level is below 75%.
That's what we've heard. California seems to have some very strange laws, it's just weird that it ends up affecting the entire continent.
how is the motor not working if the heater / sound system is on and the battery is empty ?
The fuel motor kicks in around 10-15% battery charge left, unlike some of the PHEVs we've driven this year that use the fuel motor to supplement the heating system during cold weather, the i3 draws everything from the electric system unless it's low on charge, in which case the fuel motor only acts as a generator.
in several places in Europe you can upgrade the Bmw i3 battery but in my opinion the best is impexneth from the Netherlands and they have original 120ah Bmw batteries, not foldable and the price is around 6000 eur
When you say upgrade the battery, is that just a larger kWh capacity in the same size format the OEM one takes up?
@@PRNTestDrive larger 120ah battery original from BMW
"The front area, if you don't get the Range Extender, would be a larger area for storage. But on this, the front is a smaller storage area" The front is the same on the BEV and the REx versions: the ICE is in the back.
Fuel tank is in the front.
@@PRNTestDrive But it doesn't make the storage area smaller, does it? The version without the range extender has the same amount of storage.
So this car is about $10,000 cheaper in the U.S. But, if I did buy it, it would have to be the i3s. The S looks sportier and has beefier tires. I think it's iconic by generation X standards and as a rental on Turo it was enjoyable.
I'd like to check out the i3s at some point too, especially with the slightly wider tires and small power boost.
Volt engine only charges the battery. It is a gas generator like the i3. This was up to 2013.
We drove a 2018, the documents we got from GM stated the engine could also drive the front wheels, and we experienced it plenty of times during our week with it. Perhaps the first generation was different, we never drove it so I can’t say anything about it.
@@PRNTestDrive Yes. GM put a more beefy engine into the newer volt in 2016/2017 and changed the config a bit in response to performance questions while running on the engine alone. My 2013 does not drive the wheels at all. Don't mind it actually, less engine wear and tear and more reliability. I'm at 120k miles and the car is still perfect - no significant issues
Glad to hear it!
The REX is in the back, the Frunk is the same in all models.
The most beautiful looking BMW ever! 🤪
I mean it's not the worst they've done 😀
Gas motor coming automatically on when near empty battery is a US law thing.
Anywhere else you can switch on range externder anytime that battery is lower than 70%
It's always interesting how the US regulations affect cars.
75% actually
I subscribed
Glad to have you on board!
Does having a range extender mean you can go as far as you want as long as the little ice has gas?
Exactly! The ICE will generate enough electricity as needed once the vehicle gets to about 10% charge left (in North America), so as long as you stop for fuel every 7-9km you could drive it continuously as long as you want without having to stop for a charger.
The gas engine can't keep up, you start losing power, especially in u.s. spec
would it be able to maintain freeway speeds? Like say 125 kmph against a mild headwind?
@@rajkirannatarajan9276 yes, for a little while, if you're not almost home, you should look for charging or get off freeway. Gas turns on at about 10% charge.
My 2018 Rex provides approximately 50 miles to the range if the 1.9 gal tank is full. That's enough to find a gas or charging station. The ICE does not increase the battery charge level, it just holds it at the same level at which the ICE switches on. So you eventually do need to recharge.
It's so attractive
I think so too! Took me a little while though.
The i3s looks even better.
@@autoapex1641 thx bro I will watch the vids I to think it's very cute and nice car it just took a while for me to like it but if i had the car i would love it!
How much is it in dollars?
Is the range extender Worth it?
Depends entirely on how much driving you plan on doing with it. The REx can be handy, but you do have to cycle it through as per the owner's manual, meaning you'll be using gas/fuel and maintenance on it even if you end up doing 100% electric only. The trade off is you get that bonus range if you end up getting stuck somewhere.
i live in the uk , i have a bmw i3 rex as i drive a car to suit me not me suit the car, no hunt the charger which may not work and if it does you have to wait, no planing the journey, so i would never have one without the rex as it is a proper (the engine does not drive the wheels) ev... charge at home cheap at night while i sleep...
You can turn the car on from the front passenger seat and exit without turning the car off ;)
I suppose so, or BMW could just let it run like everyone else does.
Nice vids . Weird guy loves weird design,haha
I think I'm the only automotive journalist who also likes the design of the Honda Clarity 😂
In US at least the tesla model 3 is obvious choice over this as very near same proce andmodel 3 superior in many ways.
In UK though the i3 is about $10k cheaper new so not so much a clear cut choice any more.
Best bargain is used - with i3 about half price for a nearly new (6 monthold) i3 vs nearly new model 3.
The i3 seems to be a decent option in the used market here as well.
Yeah
How can them rubber band tires be approx. $900 to replace, yikes! No mention of the cost of replacing hybrid battery after warranty expires. ( 8yrs or 100k miles) $16,000 msrp. And approx $4,000 at mom and pop shops for a refurbished one depending on city your in.
Long term ownership of any of these hybrids is going to be interesting. I've read about some of the first Honda Insights & Toyota Prius' as people look to service the batteries after 10-15 years, it gets pricey.
@@PRNTestDrive ....Prius hybrid battery replacement is $600 installed 18mo. Warranty's. Here in LA.
I bet it’s a lot more out here. We have a lot of PHEV/EVs here but it’s relatively new for the area.
only two tyres wear quickly , why would you replace the battery
foi me dito que o rex ja foi chao que deu uvas agora tinha acabado mas ate morrer estamos senpre a aprender
Bit late to the party ... but just for interest.
There is actually a way of manually activated the range extender in the iDrive (also, a preset can be allocated as a shortcut).
Here is the link for one of the reviewer explaining this (save me describing it) -
ruclips.net/video/2J90Tqcib4g/видео.html
(@ 4.00 mins)
I believe it's accessible for Euro-spec i3 models only, you need to use a specific BMW diagnostic software to re-code North American vehicles.
My next car 👀❤️
Nice!
I really don't understand that tiny gas tank. Give it 30l+(8 galons+) and it is perfect all-around EV that's useful even as an only car.
Those 7 liters are remnant of the first gen that was hampered by Californian law that required it had less range on rex than on batteries (to be classified as EV). Even if they don't want to give everyone else usable gas tank, why not at least keep up with battery capacity and give it 14 liter gas tank now?
The REX is just an antidote for range anxiety, it is not something you would want to use daily. Many buyers prefer the BEV version, because it is lighter and has more EV range while saving a lot of money upfront.
@@LilaKuhJunge If I have an I3 with a REX and a bigger gas tank, I wouldn't need two cars. For normal use I wouldn't need to use gas, but on a crazy busy day, I could fill up and just drive.
Also I have relatives that are rural. I could still visit them just filling the gas tank first. With regenerative braking I get a huge range and peppy drive even on rolling hills and mountains.
Also I believe that BMW hasn't retuned the REX's gas motor for single rpm charging. This could greatly increase the gas assisted range. The electric black cabs in London do this.
Maybe if the're was a easy way to drain out some gas after preparing for a cancelled trip...
@@richardgray2706 I use HSOC to get the tank down and to occasionally run the Rex. However, there are various issues with running a low tank on an i3, so I tend to keep mine filled up Petr K, I have the 2015 Rex, the one with the smallest battery range, and I rarely use it. It's there to allow you just get in and drive when you need to. That's how I drove from San Jose to Colorado Springs in 2.5 days. It's a very comfy tourer, so you don't need two cars.
@@LilaKuhJunge As someone with an i3 REx, it doesn't do much for range anxiety, at all. First, I bought an EV, so I don't want to run the REx. Second, at normal highway speeds, the REx can't keep up with electrical demand, so you still need to find somewhere to charge or drive at lower speeds which might be unsafe on certain highways. I have driven some road trips in the i3 and it is a significant task each time.
@@vanderaj Thanks for the info. I was only thinking about reducing the gas in the tank if its a Big tank, but I wonder if the issues would still apply then. I do know about recoding the the European options,
Because it allows the ability to drive at full highway speeds for a long time if you start the engine at 75% charge.
How easy is it to get replacement parts when needed? I'd choose this car over the bolt if I knew that I could get easy access to OEM parts without spending a fortune every time. Tesla is out for me because I disagree with their right to repair stance, despite having a really solid infrastructure.
BMW historically has been pretty good with stocking parts for their vehicles well after the warranty period and the vehicles have hit obsolescence. The electrics though are a bit of a tough one though, since I'm not sure if BMW has the same policy towards these cars. Ultimately it's hard to say for sure, I'd have to look for someone who specializes in these i-models to know what they've experienced.
The "high" difference of the "pure electric" EV range and "pure electric" REX range is because the gas tank sits exactly where the heat pump would go. So the difference is extra weight and no heat pump on the REX models. Pro tip: Get the model without the REX, because the REX is by far the most unreliable part of the whole car.
I agree, the REx might be important for some who are seriously anxious about going electric, but depending on how you use the i3 you won't have any need for it, better to go for the full EV.
I don't understand...2019 was the last year of the i3.
According to whom? BMW even has a special edition 2020 i3s & i8 coming out.
@@PRNTestDrive Ahhhh, I just saw that when I Googled. 900 only made! Thanks for the response. When I called my dealer last week to inquire about a new i3 lease, he told me no 2020s...so I just got the 2019 i3s. My THIRD i3...LOVE them so much!!!
Hmmm, I think it’s more accurate to say there is *only* a special edition in 2020. Can’t find a single i3 2020 for sale anywhere in the U.S. I’d love it if I were wrong, so please explain where they’re available.
@@ramblin-randy That is completely wrong - BMW reiterated they will keep producing the i3 through at least 2024, with at least one more battery capacity increase coming (likely for the 2021 model year.) They've even said that 2019 was their top selling year ever for the i3. ("About 36,000" in 2018, and "20% increase in sales" for 2019. But those are worldwide, and the US sales have decreased somewhat.)
Note that the i3's model years generally come out in the actual calendar year - so the 2020 is *JUST* coming out now, in January 2020. That would be why you couldn't find any when you posted your comment.
The i_8_ is getting a "special edition only" treatment for 2020, as 2020 will be its last year. (And the i8 has even skipped a few years - there was no 2018 at all, it went from 2017 to 2019.)
Anonymous Freak I wonder why the dealer told me different? Any 2020s for sale anywhere yet?
For the same price, just buy a dual-motor AWD Tesla Model 3 with over 300 km.real-world range. Resale of the i3 is horrible.
BMW will need to get serious about electrification, the i3 has been a useful stepping stone for the brand, but buyers are starting to accept longer-range EVs over these small gas range extenders.
There aren't that many used Model 3s for a low price yet, so most people will have to settle for a CHEAP CHEAP i3 for now. I mean, you get a luxury car from a luxury brand and all of that technology for sub $25k. It's a steal. Not sure why anyone would buy the i3 new, but when used, it's definitely an unmatched deal.
This episode of test drive is brought to you by EV Doodee. Hah. He said Doodee!
I drive at least 100+KM per day so I think I would have to charge it daily.
Definitely will have to then, and there's nothing wrong with plugging it in each day. BMW seems to have marketed this, or at least designed it as an city vehicle, somewhere that people would drive within the downtown part and not necessarily need to charge it all the time.
I *could* go a week between charges, but I plug it in every day at home. That's really the best way to deal with EVs - just take the extra 10-15 seconds to plug in when you get home, and you'll always be full.
BMW wants to do something different so badly that they'll do something stupid if they have to get there. No coast mode and no real gas tank pretty much destroy this from today's market. They refuse to really update this thing to today's standards for EV operation. Everything else is stunningly beautiful and well done. I'd get one in a heartbeat, after the initial 75% first year depreciation. Ok, that's a bit of exaggeration. Probably closer to 70%.
The reality is the i3 was a stepping stone for BMW, much like the Tesla Roadster was for them. BMW's using the feedback and results they've gotten from this car and applying new methods to their BMW i vehicles, like the new i4 and their PHEV offerings.
@@PRNTestDrive So please explain why they aren't using this feedback on the i3. Again, the list of things to fix have always been; 1. Selectable coast mode, 2. Fuel tank > 5 gallons, 3. Tires from the 20th century instead of the standard rim protector series. Look, I like BMW (adequately) and I love the effort in so many things they put into this car. I collect cars. I will likely add one of these to my collection. But I would have already added one this year if they had at least fixed that coast mode issue (lack thereof). I'll eventually add one anyway. I have a Volt and a Leaf, both second gen. I just don't want to downgrade to less features. Well, technically, it wouldn't be a downgrade since I won't be getting rid of the two I have. I'll probably sell my Z4 at some point and keep a BMW in the family by getting an i3.
@@retrodog63 What exactly does a "coast mode" do and what is its benefit?
@@izzard It allows you to take your foot off of the brake without notable (more than a regular transmission ICE vehicle) aggressive braking. A true coast mode would be more represented by what it feels like when you shift a manual transmission into neutral and let the car coast, but that's not what I'm talking about here. Most people who drive the I3 for the first time have to get used to the aggressive automatic braking and then learn how to "baby" it by giving it a lot more attention and control to maintain the desired speed and deceleration. Cars like the Gen2 Leaf allow the driver to go in and out of this mode with the shift selector right there where your hand is resting. BMW requires that you reach up to the shifter (behind the steering wheel) to shift into neutral and back out again, making it a pain to do this regularly and efficiently. And then you are forced into a true coast mode that feels equally unnatural to the driver.
retrodog63 Hmm… that just sounds like changing EVs to make them behave like ICE cars though. When I don’t want to ride my i3’s pedal I use the cruise control. I’ve never heard of using N to coast while driving in an i3. N in an i3 isn’t for any kind of driving: it’s for when the vehicle is being moved by an external force such as an automatic car wash or being pushed out of a dangerous position or pulled onto a low-loader.
I think more car company should do the same put small generators to charge the battery whilst you're driving instead of totally going fossil fuel free. But 60,000 no thank you!
It's pricey, but in-line with what you'd expect from a luxury-class vehicle by comparison. Mercedes-Benz with their EQ vehicles will be the next major luxury manufacturer to roll out their lineup, after Audi's newest e-trons. I think we'll see pricing adjust as more competition hits the market.
Unlike tesla, bmw has shareholders that demand profit and not taking a loss on each vehicle. Just saying
@@nosoupforyou425 Tesla is a new company, relatively speaking, and losses as you move through maturity are normal. Further, Tesla is now profitable.
@@dus10dnd new company that is 16 years old. Profitable for 3 quarters of those 16 years does not make for a profitable company. Lay off the weed!
@@nosoupforyou425 So being as they're the only recent and viable US auto manufacturer, you're able to define what that timeline should look like? The long standing auto manufacturers also routinely have issues with being profitable, so I wouldn't use that as a guidepost, really.
My biggest turn offs are this car loses 70% of its value quite quickly, the price is too high for the low battery range and those ridiculous little doors are pointless and cost more to make. They should’ve left them like the last concept version. 2 doors and hatch and I would’ve considered buying it. Since they didn’t listen to customers they didn’t sell very well. Hopefully next time they’ll listen to the many customers they lost.
BMW's early electric i vehicles are much like any new technology, it ends up acting as a stepping stone for the manufacturer to get to the next stage in the EV world. The R&D they put into the i3 has matured and gives us a vehicle like the new iX3, or BMW's latest suite of PHEVs like the X5 xDrive45e I'm driving this week. I see enough of these out here in Québec, they certainly weren't volume sellers but it wasn't BMW's intention for that either.
Wow, that price is ridiculous. You can buy the upcoming Model Y with 260mi range.
Used prices on these are ridiculously good... You could get one with less than 12,000 miles on it for less than $23,000 USD!
The MSRP is not what you’ll pay necessarily, as you must know, after rebates and other incentives. I bought a new 2019 REx in Sept. with an MSRP of over $55k. Dealer sold it to me for $49.8k, minus another $10k BMW corporate incentive for AAA members, and then a $7.5k U.S. federal tax rebate and a 1.5k state rebate, which brought my final price down to $30.8k! Tesla federal incentives are almost completely phased out.
Most EVs come with dual motors providing AWD which is a must in Northern USA and obviously Canada. No wonder this car is marketed as a inner city one since it is only RWD.
Everything else in its features is in the range of love to hate, and most buyers could justify only a preown version with much cheaper price. The range extender is mostly pathetic with its tiny gasoline tank, its noice and incapacity to produce enough electricity to move the car on needing supply from the battery, thus with depleted battery even with full gasoline tank the car quickly might be undrivable on highway providing something like slow turtle mode.
I'd skip the range extender on this and just stick to the full electric. BMW needs to work on their electric offerings, they're falling behind.
The range extender of supposed to be activated at 75 percent battery and then you can run forever as long as you have gas ..
why would anyone buy one of these things when you can buy a much better EV for a lot less money? While this car might have made sense when it was introduced, it's kind of a non-starter now.
It's the same reason why I see so many base-spec BMW 320is and Mercedes CLA 250s with halogen headlights; the brand. However EV buyers tend to be more price-conscience so the i3 might not appeal to those who would normally consider a BMW to begin with.
They won't. I have one, so I am speaking from experience. This car is an excellent value used, but definitely not new, unless you buy it through Costco when they have $10k off and couple it with the full federal tax credit in the US. Even still... that puts the price near the Tesla Model 3 Standard Range, which has far more range and far fewer annoyances.
Dude they're called coach doors
No one calls them that, they’re suicide doors.
Yes, that’s what we called them on Lincoln Continentals back in the 70’s, suicide doors.
does the term suicide doors offend suicidal people?
they are called crap doors
Get over it. It was not a bad approach. BMW bet on batteries staying expensive/heavy and concluded it was worth trying to reduce weight using carbon-fibre and a smaller battery. It didn't work out and in hindsight everyone knows better... This makes sense from the angle of an _actually_ environmentally moved customer. As it turns out, customers prefer heavy long-range EVs with a less revolutionary body (read Tesla). I understand that. BMW seems to have understood aswell. I predict the end of carbon-fibre mass market cars. To inhale some life into this car, they should create a non-Cali model with a 30L REX tank.
That seems to be the direction BMW is going in with their upcoming i4 and iX3s, both more traditional car-designs with better range than this.
I really don't agree that fossil fuels are the future. As a species we need to get away from them ASAP.
@@izzard I agree. However, who said fossil fuels are the future?
Michael Jahn You said they should create a model with a bigger tank. That’s what I disagree with: I think the future should move away from fossil fuels so I hope the need for it is eliminated by creating a similarly-capable BEV.
Yawn
Fun fact, the cost of beef would go up as much as 15% if leather stopped being used globally. And the animals will be killed either way so the leather going into car seats actually eliminates waste byproducts of what we are already manufacturing. Also why go for a fancy rim when the goal was range? Get some plastic inserts that cover the rim, lowering the drag like tesla does and hyundai/kia does. There are so many things on this that just scream "BMW branded PHEV" just to appease the EU regulations when it comes to hybrids and fuel economy averages. I am sorry but I can't give this anything more than a "made to appease, not to sell" badge. (funfact, the pacifica hybrid was released to appease the US government but actually turned out to be a successful vehicle)
Also buying any car is not environmentally friendly, whether we are talking about this or a hellcat. Whats the environmental impact of digging up the lithium for the batteries? What kind of powerplant feeds your charger? Tesla gets away with superchargers being all solar, but for the rest, whether it be home or public, it comes off the grid meaning its likely off a fossil fuel or nuclear plant, maybe just maybe a bit of solar and a bit of wind. Only time this is truly environmentally friendly is if 100% of your home power comes from renewables, and very few people have that.
I am all for electric vehicles, but some of these EV's, like this one are made for the wrong reasons. Ones made for the right reasons are the teslas, the i-pace, and the new porche one for luxury EV's and the leaf, the clarity, the ioniq, the egulf and even the one fiat EV for economy EV's. As of right now either EV's are luxury cars where the electric motors add to the luxury/sport experience or they provide cheap, efficient and reliable transportation to and from work in city and suburban environments. BMW with this is trying to tackle both of those with one vehicle, and add a bunch of environmentally friendly bs stuff on top of it just to try and sell it. They don't even make the damn thing, its funny that a toyota is closer to bmw's engineering team than their "own" vehicle
It's ironic because California is hard pushing for EV's and desperately trying to rid the world of gas vehicles, yet most the EV's there charge off fossil fuels.
We definitely need to look at the energy being produced to power/charge these vehicles. Ideally I'd like to take my house off-the-grid, get some solar panels, but I don't think we're quite at that point yet, definitely not to make it make financial sense.
@@PRNTestDrive it's just a huge issue with EV's right now, most people buying them don't think twice about how the system works
BMW solar carport. Who r they appeasing? This is the 1st volume German BEV, after 2 electric test fleets (MINI & 1 Series, neither available for sale), this lays the groundwork for 2 dozen new electric volume BMW. It was built from the ground up as an urban runabout, was never intended as an M car (though they will sell u an S). Along with multiple PHEV, this est'd. BMW's electric leadership, their EV market share is now greater than their ICE & they're just getting started. BMW built a dedicated CFRP factory in Washington state for access to fresh water, i3 is built @ their Leipzig factory, wtf ru even talking about that they don't even manufacture i3?! Assume the Toyota you reference is the BMW drivetrained Supra Canadian Magna build in Austria alongside Z4, u really have NO idea what ur typing about!
This car is NOT worth the money. Maybe BMW:s worst car. Buy a tesla model 3 or a polestar 2 instead.
U forget that this design started in 08
Mr Hippie Okay but then lower the price and 170 HP while the tesla and the polestar has 400 for the same price cmon man.
I like the Tesla, and I like the i3. They are different. The Tesla is wider than the i3 and has a giant turning circle. The i3 is a city car. The i3 is way easier to drive in small spaces. I drovethe Tesla 3, electromechanica solo, and i3. I bought the i3 BEV because it fits my needs best.
@@JasonAikenEngineer I'm not saying it's a bad car but the price you pay compared to what you get is not worth it. $ 10-15 000 less would be more resonable.
The I3 is an electric car killer. BMW designed this very funky car to promote more ICE sales. There is nothing BMW about this car. It has so many problems in design and execution it makes me laugh anyone would buy a car with back seat windows that do not open and a door you can't open until the front door is open. This is the least of it- the one petal driving is crazy bad- with regen on all the time it is very hard to drive. Then the skinny big tires that make the car very unstable to drive over 55 mph. Hats off to BMW for a compliance car that is as awful as it gets for an EV IMO. The money they spent on research and design was wasted. Why not modify a 3 series? It would take sales away from their main profit generators
B.s., 165,000 units & counting in 50 global markets is the reverse of "compliance". i3 buyers are new to the brand, so much for promoting ICE sales (which are already @ record highs). You don't know what BMW is that you can't recognize a clean sheet from the ground up innovative design, tech., engineering & manufacturing CFRP showcase. Back doors are a safety feature for kids, any BMW, even this urban runabout, is engineered for Autobahn traffic. If you 've driven it @ all u couldn't even figure out how to drive, 1 incompetent road test doesn't contradict the many happy ownership experiences. You'll get ur electric 3 Series wish with upcoming i4. Which you probably also won't be able to drive...
Worst electric car made.
Nope!
I thought so at first until I actually drove it. My 'opinion' about it was based on what other people think & said. I'm glad I actually drove it so I'd get my own feel for it.