Lol yes it is. So far they’ve been the same in reliability but with the Tesla costing less in maintenance. To be fair the tesla is less than a year old and the i3 is over 8 with the additional Rex.
ZERO issues so far at 73,000 miles on our loaded 2017 REx. .....Not even a hiccup. My biggest gripe is the adaptive cruise gives up during intense rain.
I have a 2014 i3 with a REX I bought a year and a half ago for $13,500. It's more like $16,000 now. We often go between San Angelo, TX and Lubbock, TX (about 200 miles) which is pretty inconvenient with a non-Tesla EV with a 250 mile range (only level 2 charging available for most of it) and impossible in a non Tesla EV with an 80 mile range. The REX makes the i3 completely usable in West Texas which is a charging desert. I'd rather not use gasoline, but the REX bridges the gap until there is more infrastructure since there is a gas station every 50 miles or so which means zero range anxiety. In town, the 60-70 mile all electric range is plenty.
@@worldtrav72 My wife drives the other one in town; however, on the local Air Force base I've seen a couple i3's, a few Teslas, a Bolt, an Audi e-Tron, a Volt and a guy I work with has a Nissan Leaf. You are correct that they are few and far between, but I am seeing more electric cars than before. It's very encouraging. 🙂
Anything to look out for? I really like this vehicle and I’m wondering if it’s suitable for a college kid like myself, I have a bmw 3 series and I’m tired of the maintenance hassle. Each dealership visit is almost 1 grand. Are these reliable?
I went from a 2015 i3 Rex to a 2021 Hyundai Kona so basically from a real world 80 miles of EV range to a real world range of 300 miles and you know what? I miss my i3 all the time. Don't get me wrong, the Kona is an amazing car, but the i3 had personality. I mean it made you happy to be in it every day and that's the feeling I miss. This 2020 model has tempted me to switch back many times now.
I love my 2018 i3 to death. It’s the perfect size for zipping around the big city. The perfect everything for the city, really. It parallel parks like a dream. It carries just the right amount of cargo. It has amazing range in city traffic. It has amazing handling because of how far the wheels can turn. Admittedly, it doesn’t have much grip because of the small tires, doesn’t have much range on the freeway, and is, frankly, a death trap at high speeds because of the carbon fiber body. But I wouldn’t want anything else for taking sharp corners and uturns in San Francisco!
I owned a 2015 I3 Rex in 2018. I loved it until i got the message the Rex is not usable in July 2022... Brought it to BMW dealer and it costed me 2000 to replace the fuel injector . A few days ago, I craved for a coffee, and once i started the car i got Drive Train error: stop immediately, the I3 won't start, i thought my battery was low, so plugged in the charger, the charge line cycled from amber to rad and then turned off. I just leave it there and researched the internet. It seems like quite a few people experience this issue with the I3. I was able to start the engine and charged the car about 5 min later. Well, it was good while it lasted, do you really want to drive the car when it can sudden die like that? not me, I sold the car a few day later and bought the Tesla model 3.
Buyer's Guide additions: Most 22kWh cars have plastic motor support brackets that are somewhat prone to failure, and when it breaks, the now-unsupported motor can flail around and smash a bunch of other stuff ($$$). 33kWh/42kWh cars have aluminum brackets instead of plastic. Also, there are delamination issues with the carbon roofs. The carbon roof is cool, and I would prefer it otherwise, but because of the delamination issues, getting the sunroof (which then uses a painted metal roof skin instead of carbon) is probably a safer bet. All that said, we'd love to own another i3 someday. Wonderful, unique, fun car for the right use case.
Thats the main issue that put me off from this car, a lot of model-specific parts makes it look like a pain in the wallet to maintain for an extended period of time
I remember back in 2019 before I bought my Bolt, I researched all sorts of lease options. At that time, if you looked around in some of the less EV-popular regions, you could lease a pretty well equipped i3 for less than $200/month. I ended up buying my Bolt for $15k off MSRP (all cash discounts/rebates, no tax credits) It’s amazing how in such a short period of time, Evs have gone from undesirable and selling for thousands of $ under MSRP to thousands of $ _over_ MSRP. For the price of this car used, you’re in the same range as a NEW Bolt EV. I don’t think the quirkiness of the i3 makes up for the substantially improve range and better tech (along with new car warranty and better reliability) of the Bolt EV for basically the same price. If you’re dead set on an i3, wait for the used car market to crash again. From the looks of things, you won’t have to wait very long.
Haha I said basically the same thing. Didn't see this comment. You are spot on. The Bolt and Bolt EUV are the best EV value going right now. We were lucky to find a new 2023 EUV slightly under MSRP. No hassle buying experience at Autonation Mesa AZ. New car with warranty and Chevy covered the cost of installing a 220 outlet and the EUV includes a level 2 charger. Plus you can get ventilated seats!!!! The seats have been Improved in the newer Bolts but the I3 we're definitely more comfortable. I3 was very expensive to service out of warranty as is any luxury brand vehicle from what I have heard.
@@fvvfvbbbb I bought my first EV 3 weeks ago. A 2023 Bolt EUV Premier with the Sun and Sound and Super Cruise packages. In Radiant Red Tintcoat, it's beautiful. So far, i'm very happy with the car. I was looking at the Hyundai Ioniq 5 but it was too expensive for my budget.
Great job on this used EV series guys! I rented an i3s on Madeira island a couple of weeks ago. It was a lot of fun on the narrow steep roads there. I'd pay the extra to get an S as it def has a better suspension setup than the non-S and wider stance, but everyone's needs vary. Great city, or in my case, island car.
Yeah pretty frustrating here in the US it's really hard to rent an i3 most of the rental companies don't really carry them anymore or you can't pick the car that you're going to rent . yes you can rent them on Turo but turo is pretty expensive and it's sort of a hassle
the batterery is not that high iup in the boot, that the heatpump and other stuff. if its a REX the motorcycle engine fill all that space. I have the REX 33 and seldom use the extender but it work fine if you cant get a available charger you just put in 2 gallon and that normally gets you home. Thinks it can become a classic and there are made so many that you can hope for a newer battery and keep it going.
Very informative series. I think the Ioniq EV should be considered. I really don't think any of the EV's will compare to the Bolt. When it comes to EV's I think most people are concerned about the range.
skip the ioniq6 died one in my country and they just bury it w/o any decent autopsy nor update and only a year they cut the lifeline swap to cheapo ioniq5
Thanks for pointing out, didn’t realize. Sad then that drivers without the REX paid for it in lost space (though another commenter mentioned the possibility of getting an alternate one for BEV-only models). I guess every car has some wasted space for economic reasons but good to know.
I always heard that skinnier tires were better in the snow because they cut through it better. I have seen some old model T videos where they go through almost a foot of snow with their bike-like tires. Probably worse on ice though.
We bought a used First year used I3 with only 11000 miles on it for just under 20k. It was expensive for 82 mile range. It was the pure EV only model which was allowed to use the HOV lane in Phoenix so wife used it for commuting. We loved it...fun to drive. Great vehicle. Unfortunately the small battery lost about 30 miles of range during the two years we owned. Yeah the used car market is crazy. The price of the used I3 with better range are close to 30k. Your best bet is a new Bolt or Bolt EUV with way more range. We just picked one up...good refresh for 22 and now that the battery issues are resolved and Chevy lowered the price I think they are the sweet spot for affordable EVs.
@@rcpmac Perhaps we we're eligible for a replacement...but BMW seemed a little flacky on replacing the battery. First they would have to do their "testing" and if they determine the battery was still within their "acceptable" range loss you would be charged for the testing. We had it done once and it was in their acceptable range. If we had kept it for another couple of years it probably would have qualified but mean while driving a car with only 50 mile range or so was not fun. We decided to move on. Fun to drive but pricey to maintain.
great Job!, my wife's 2018 has been a great car------------was bought CPO for 25 grand with 13k miles 18 months ago! get about 125 mpc. She loves it and it's been great in the winter!
I was sort of considering the i3 120Ah when shopping for a full EV to replace my 2014 Volt. But the Bolt EV was selling for around the same price, and it has a significantly higher capacity battery which would let me do my usual ~300 mile trip with only a single charging session on the way home.
@@phenex551 Yeah, there's a trip I make several times a year to a city that is about 150 miles away. So a round trip is over 300 miles (Counting miles driven in the city).
Until used prices come back down to earth on used EV's they can just sit on the lots. People want as much for a used i3 and you can order a brand new Bolt for direct from GM. I wouldn't be interested unless it was the 42kwh with the Rex to make it useable if you wanted to take it on a road trip. I liked BMW was cutting edge and focused on efficiency and light weight. If prices don't come down people will probably be ordering new.
yep! Hard to buy an out of production (and out of warranty) 2019+ i3 for the same price as a new Bolt. Bolt rides softer and has longer range too. I expect the IRA will squeeze the pricing differential for used cars towards the $25000 mark for maximum tax rebate value.
This normally is a great used buy, but the recent market shifts have shot even the 2014 models much higher than they normally sell for. I was surprised how much the cars are going for. I wouldn't recommend grabbing one of these used until the market self-corrects.
Many of these will be eligible for a tax refund in the USA starting in Jan ( if your income is low enough to qualify ). $25k will be $21k after rebate!
@@worldtrav72 true, but before the market insanity, that $25K used car was selling for $13-15K used. It's helpful, but I stand by my original statement.
Although still relatively expensive vs range, at $18k purchase price my 2015 i3 with range extender engine (80 miles EV + 80 miles engine) covers 99% of of my daily use and has cost me only $30 in gas and $100 in maint over 18 months. We have low electricity costs ($0.11/kWh) so change to my home electric bill has been minimal as my use is < 15 miles a day.
buying a BMW i3 Today (March 2023) it would be the best decision you can make if you take the time to look and search for an used one with clean history. I have spent hours in the last 3 weeks searching for an I3 and I can assure for obvious reasons, you can find a 2017 under $20,000 or even a 2018 for slightly over 20. Since BMW stopped making the i3 in 2021 and started a year earlier the MINI Cooper SE (fully electric) Now, most people like myself are debating which one get used , since you can find a 2020 or even a 2021 MINI for $25,000 and they will keep going down. honestly, I personally like better the i3 looks and space, and MINI uses same batteries electric technology for now except MINI are FWD and i3 is a RWD .Other than that I strongly recommend you to buy an i3 , the prices will keep going down . ciao
Just bought a 2015 rex with 33,000 miles in the tera form loaded for 14,500...the dealer didnt even no what they had. When i got home i found out it had apple car play put in it and a new 12 volt battery was just put in and it was already coded for hold state of charge at 75 percent....even had AM radio coded in...was a happy camper....
I gotta be honest here, I bought an i3 reluctantly, and wears super cynical about it, being a San Diego resident and native. Everything here is incredibly inflated. But I’ve come to really love my i3. I get almost 100 miles per charge (17.6kwh true), which costs me $4.00. Granted I’m always in eco mode and don’t really go over 56mph, but I am totally in love now. Went from a hater, to a complete advocate. But still, FUCK CALIFORNIA!
So... I'm confused here Out of Spec. Have you made a video for the car you guys finally chose? If yes, Im not seeing it. Can you help answer my question please? Thanks so much!
I guess for 2nd car (like one you or your partner would have for around town) it wouldn't be bad but I couldn't live with my only car getting 150 miles.
Neighbor has the BMW and like us Solar chargers her EV. The BMW had serious teething pains early on. Dunno if those are solved. Starting to look like German EV may have poor resale value like German ICE’s.
The BMW i3 used to be quite a buy but everything has increased in the last couple of years. The 2014 i3 used to commonly sell for $12k in Georgia, now they average $17k for that same year.
before you title the video like that, you should put a big disclaimer that because the I3 has a Carbon Fiber Chassis, the insurance premium on that car is ridiculous, be prepared to spend a load of money on insurance, just because the carbon fiber chassis on that car. Great car otherwise.
@@tedgray489That’s actually quite high though considering the X5 is a whole different class of vehicle! Guess that CFRP tub don’t come cheap to insure, super interesting to know. Thanks for mentioning Victor.
lol i live in mine full time sad but true and i love it my dad was an jouneyman electrician so he got me a flex solar panel for the roof and wired it strait to the battery pack im golden now long as the sun is out lol
A solar panel on an i3 roof will generate about 500 watt hours or 2 miles of range with a day of optimum summer sun. This 12v panel cannot be wired to your high voltage 400v battery without a lot of trouble. More likely it is wired as a trickle charger for the low voltage accessory battery. This could still be somewhat beneficial but don’t get the idea that you have a solar car.
8:30 - It wasn't due to "extending the battery". Even the original 2014 has a metal plate there with no under-floor storage. In models with the range extender, there is an access hatch to access the oil dip stick and fill. A third party company made an alternate metal plate for BEV models that gave you a small amount of storage by making the REx space usable from under the floor mat.
Don't sleep on it...this is a time to invest I recently just bought another property valued at over $3m. I wish knew the right investment firm to invest with earlier, better late than never thought.
@@phildonnavan4300 That's amazing, I have been hearing about Expert Charles patrick and their genius mind in the crypto market, please how did you earn such good amount?..
@@Camille_hendrick_01 I think I'm blessed because if not I wouldn't have met someone who is as spectacular as expert Charles Patrick I think he is the best broker I ever seen
They're brilliant little cars and so much fun to drive, and I think might end up being a future classic. A very unique and innovative design. I've had a 2015 REx for the past four years and it's not missed a beat, however due to the limited range of an older model means I've since supplemented it with a Tesla for longer journies.
At one point you could pick up off-lease i3 for mid to high teens now they're in the 20s. As much as I love the shape, styling and carbon body, you can find used Teslas for similar prices. BMW doesn't care about this product anymore and none of their new electrics fit the same niche. Sad... At this point it would be ideal if (at least) BMW allowed battery upgrades to the largest battery on all models or just open sourced the car altogether for people to modify.
I prefer more miles for the dollar. Since I purchased a used 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV on Black Friday I think I got a good deal. Good video about premium cars.
08:20 that’s not the battery under there. The battery is under the main floor. That cover in the trunk is over the motor (and the REx, if so equipped).
I had a 2014 BMW I3 and the 12V battery died. I had it replaced at the dealership. After replacing the battery, the dealership was never able to get the car to start again. Their sales team offered me $500 for the car. I had it towed to Carmax and they bought it for $6K.
We were surprised how spacious the I3 was inside. We were able to get the very large boxes with our newly purchased surround sound system from Fry's Electronics in it. Almost had to leave the wife at the store it was such a tight fit. But with a little shuffling the boxes around she was able to come home too. Would have been a tough call...speakers or wife.... LOL.
i disagree the issues that the bmw have with there motors and heating if not fixed before warranty especially for those that lost the REX engine or fuel contatmination issues run in to the hundreds to repair, i would look especially at the service history to see if its been upkept as well
I'm interested to see what you guys think about the Chevrolet Spark EV. Although, I'm pretty concern for long term parts and support for these used cars.
I’d look to see who supplied the battery for the spark. Was it LG Chem? My 17 Focus EV was great until the battery lost 1/2 it’s capacity and no explanation.
@@estyrer2From what I have read, 2014 ones were supplied by A123 who went out of business. The replacement batteries and 2015-2016 models are by LG Chem. Thanks for the insight! How is it for getting it serviced on the Ford Focus EV? Are you still driving it?
@@Lucratics wow, I forgot all about A123. The contamination issue during manufacturing that ruined the batteries in the Bolt AFAICT affected the availability of replacing mine. Ford was replacing defective Focus batteries that had gone bad in previous model years than mine but by the time mine went to sh1t they couldn’t of cared less. They ended up buying the car back from me. It was quite an ordeal in which I sorta feel still used from but financially I made a little money on paper. I now have a Mach-E that is quite a nice upgrade which was difficult to find. Someday I’ll have to write a book about the experience.
I crossed it off my list due to a single tire available and how fast they apparently wear out. Otherwise I dislike paying BMW prices for repairs. If you can afford that it could be a great BEV for running local errands.
That is definitely a major downside and something I wished I mentioned even more explicitly in the video. The consequence of having the narrowest tires in the industry is being forced to OEM prices and availability.
I have a 2014 Rex, purchased in 2017 CPO for 18k put the door having 20k miles on it. It now has 80k miles on it, it has needed...... a 12v accessory battery and 2 sets of tires. 1st set cost $600 second set purchased 3 months ago cost $900 due to inflation. It is the most dead reliable and maintainence free vehicle I have ever owned. It is parked in my garage next to my E30 and R53 Mini. We needed it for 500 Mike's a week commuting. We had to take out son 25 miles each way to and from his private school for 3 years. He is no longer there and we no longer need the car. I am tempted to sell it except it is such a great car I am having a hard time parting with it.
@@jimcesiro5109 would u recommend this vehicle for a college kid looking for reliable daily that still retains that “cool” factor? Anything’s to look out for?
@@wr8thbeatz322 This is the same poster as above. Does the college kid have someplace the charge the car? How far will he have to drive? The battery on a used i3 has had some degradation. Mine used to have 80 miles range, it now has 60ish. I would only own a REX model, I have a phone app called Bimmercode, it costs $40. With it you can go into the cars CPU settings and change it over to the Euro specs instead of the california. 2 of the biggest changes are increased gas tank size from 1.8 gal to 2.3. Then the big one, the ability to toggle on and off the REX when YOU want to. California forced BMW to keep the REX off until the batteries are depleted. The Euro models give you the ability to turn on the REX once the batteries hit 75% and hold them there. This is a huge help when you want to take the car on a longer trip. If you get an i3 REX make sure to get the app and change those settings. As far as maintenance goes, there is almost none. I just took mine to BMW and had my scheduled service performed. It cost $437, that included a full vehicle check, brakes check, and oil change on the REX engine. I do not need to service it again until 2025. I am putting mine up for sale next week, there is an add on the BMW is Forum I just put up. Look in the cars for sale section. There is also a lot of good informaton here, it would be a good place to sign up and ask the same question. www.mybmwi3.com/forum/
@@Jims5543 Thankyou Jim for the mini ownership summary! I will definitely look into that forum link for more info. I’ve heard across the i3 community that tire replacement is really expensive due to the special size. My daily commute is about 12-24 miles max. I guess it really depends on driving habits but based on your current tire tread wear, could u gauge how often u would need to replace them?
Tires are so thin for efficiency… whereas model 3 has super wide tires and is very efficient too (not suggesting to compare the two). Idea for an experiment- find thinner, low rolling resistance tires (ahem… Drew at martian wheels), and see what kind of range difference it makes on a model 3 LR for road tripping 💡
I bought a used 2014 I3 REX from a private party with 60K miles for $10K. It also came with winter tires. On average I get 50 to 70 miles year round and I only use on average of 5 gallons of gas each year. Don't worry about the REX because you won't use it much. It's an awesome car and so fun to drive.
I was thinking about buying one for 13k 50,000 miles… would u recommend this vehicle based on your experience? Ima college kid looking for something “maintenance free” in a sense. Are these reliable?
@@wr8thbeatz322 My i3 has been very reliable. I would recommend an i3 Rex only if you can charge easily on a daily basis. Even a level 1 charger works Ok overnight, but a level 2 charger really helps.
@@dennisbird5901 that awesome to hear. Any ev road apps you recommend that provides the most accurate routes, station status, chargers levels etc? Also I’ve also wondered if I used a 220v every night to charge a i3, would that Jack up the electric bill of my household? Definitely plan to google these questions but if u have any insight please share! Thx for the response
@@wr8thbeatz322 I use Plug Share and A Better Route Planner. You electric bill go up, but it will be a lot less than gas. I spend about $1.40 to $1.60 for a fullcharge which will take me 50 to 70 miles. A gas car with 35 mpg would cost $5.14 to $7.20 to go the same distance. Plus, some places I got to have free Level 2 chargers. That drives the cost of travel down even further. Last year I drove 6000 miles and only used $5 in gas.
Great video Max - you are awesome! The guy in the back seat wanted to talk SO BAD ha ha. Tell him to get a camera and make his own videos lol. You do a great job Max and your videos are fun and entertaining! Concave chest - work on it :) Big thumbs up 👍👍👍
Got a 2020 i3 BEV a few months ago - range anxiety shouldn't be a thing if you're able to charge at home. 150 miles should be plenty enough to get your daily driving done. I got to test drive a Nissan Leaf before and the acceleration is not even close to an i3's. No regrets except the experience from a typical dealership. Rex models were very tempting but with my DIY mindset, more parts in a car means more things to worry about. With just BEV models, all you have to worry about is the 12V battery and the (rare) tires. You shouldn't have to change brakes anytime soon if you're able to utilize the one-pedal driving style!
The fixation on skinny tires is weirdly American. PSI = Pounds per square inch. Take the weight of the car, divide it by the PSI that you put in the tires. That will give you a number in square inches. When you set the car on the ground, the tires will settle until that many square inches of rubber are on the road. If tires are too small they will settle/compress too much and that constant compression/decompression as the tire rolls will cause heat. That's bad. But if the tires are too big, they can actually put more rubber in contact with the road than the calculated square inches. In that case, there is not enough weight on each square inch of tire to give you good traction. It might be a surprising revelation to some, but the engineers actually figured all of this out and specified the tires which give you the best traction. I think that is a good thing. And if those tires are narrow, well so much better for the planet. I know that most Americans (though not me) seem to want to maximize their consumption of earth's resources, so maybe this car is not for them. But I kind of like it.
I would never buy an i3. Fixing anything will require significant $$$$$$. BMW's should only be leased from new. That way when they fall apart at the end of the lease its not your problem.
Regarding 2016 and earlier, those years used the 3G network telematics. Since 3G got shut down in the US a few years ago, the telematics in those models doesn’t work anymore. 2017 onward are ok with 4G LTE.
DID HE JUST SAY "THE CHEVY BOLT EVEN THOUGH IT'S A GROUND UP EV, DOES IT LOOK THAT FUTURISTIC? NO". That's the 2nd time this guy's said some stupid shit
It's a shame that these European EVs get crippled by replacing the three phase capable type2 connector with type1 if they are exported to the US. Didn't Nicola Tesla invent thre phase AC in the US?
08:25 There was never any (original) storage space under the trunk floor, even for the smaller batteries. The motor lives there, the battery is further up front. There is although a 3rd party floor available for the pure EV version that give some additional storage where the REX would be mounted.
I have two Tesla's and just purchased a new Bolt EUV for my kids to share as one is driving and the other soon will be. I cant see buying an old I3 for 20k when you can get a new Bolt for 26k. GM failed with the Bolt DC charging speed but we only use it for around town and at 26k that is hard to beat.
I have the i3s in the UK since new two years ago, I absolutely love it and will be sad when the lease runs out next December. Someone is going to get a great used car when it’s sold on with about 25k miles on the clock. 🇬🇧 the price is going up a two year old example sold to a dealer for £3,000 more than it cost new.
We had a 2014 BEV i3 which we loved until the main computer brain went out just a few weeks out of warranty. This “brain” is in the bottom/middle of car and requires them to disassemble the entire car with over 30 hours of repair to get to this part. What kind of design choice is that?? The local BMW dealershp started out wanting over $12K to repair and after much complaining and contact to BMW Corporate, they “lowered” the charge to $9400, which was almost the value of the car…….plus BMW messed up the repair and the same thing happened again……BUYER BEWARE…..I would NEVER buy a BMW again, what a nightmare experience that took many months to resolve. Traded it in as soon as it was running again…….range was terrible and tires were very soft and very expensive to replace since only Bridgestone makes them.
yeah, that stinks! I wonder if the infant mortality issues are all behind us in the used car market? Seems like if they are doing to die, they have already done so and those that live on will continue on for quite some time?
What don't people get about COASTING in a electric car? Coasting not only recharges the battery ,it also gets you closer to your destination. The Chevy VOLT I own has a paddle on the steering wheel for regenerative braking. This is the way to go. Having your car stop because you take your foot off the accelerator peddle for a few seconds is ridiculous.
the REx is a superlight backup - a two cylinder bike engine drives a generator. The usual hybrids have full meachanical drive trains duplicating the electric one.
I like Max's videos because he's a bit awkward with movements and hand expressions. It's like he's a little nerdy, a little drunk, and a little stoned all at once.
For those that don't know, you have very limited range in this car even if you have the gasoline engine to recharge you there's only two gallon reserved Max. In addition to that the tires are specialty tires that are only sold for that BMW and not used elsewhere. Which means you're going to pay a high price when it's time to replace those tires potentially every two or three years. This tires aren't cheap. In the end economically I don't think that car makes any sense at all.
if you can be patient, you can find the tires for 'normal' pricing at Costco. The issue is how long can you run them. Lot's of people say 20,000-30,000 miles tops for i3 vs. 40k+ on regular cars. However, if you are using it as a city car, like me (my yearly mileage is
The tires are tall and narrow, but the contact patch is the same as mini cooper, it is just long instead of wide. This car doesn’t have the tech package, so it has the smaller display.
We’ve been slammed with other projects but we want to keep covering cheap EVs. One of our employees has a Bolt and Kyle ended up getting that first Gen LEAF. We may end up buying another but for now this series is on hiatus
The one thing I'm thinking is that buying a used EV is a big gamble. I bought a used Mitsubishi i-miev. Where I think the BMW i3 hybrid which is not a true hybrid because the petrol engine does not drive the wheels. This means no gearbox clutch internal combustion drive train alternator and a load of other stuff. The other thing when buying a used EV is the condition of the battery. Quick charging will destroy the battery very quickly. I'm wonder that if you have this with a range extender it will charge the battery at a more reasonable rate thus preserving the battery. Something paramount when buying a used EV. Now with the volt it has an internal combustion engine drive train. But the one thing with volt or Holden as it was called in Australia none have ever required a new battery. The battery in those things just keep going. Not so with 100% EVs. So buying a used EV brings a whole new thought and consideration process than with any ICE car.
The batteries on the i3 are bulletproof it seems. I’ve seen reports of 90% capacity remaining on vehicles with 125, 150k miles. EVs are seldom dc charged because home charging is 1/4 the cost. In addition, these are typically city commuter cars. Specific to the i3, the battery’s top end is buffered against charging to actual 100% and when dc fast charging it tops out at a relatively low 50kw pace. And you are correct, the battery can’t really be run down to 0 because the range extender kicks in at 6% I believe. Btw if you are considering one there is a simple method to check on the battery capacity in the menu. I heard about the i3 from an owner who typically left his m3 home to drive this one. Actually he has the sport model which I also recently bought.
Purity? Seriously? What a lame way to view it. If you can get more range out of a car that has terrible range why wouldn't you?. It turns a compliance car into an actually usable vehicle for someone who lives outside of a city. It's pretty short-sighted so people should ignore this guy unless they live in a city and don't travel. Taken to consideration also if you live in a cold climate where you're going to lose 40% of your range as soon as the temperature drops. That was bad advice for the majority of people, so ignore it.
My take is that if you need that range and don’t live in the city fine, but the i3 is probably not the car for you. If you’re depending on the REX then you are probably better off with better-designed plugin hybrids. Maybe I’m weird for disliking REX but I think it only adds to your reliability woes owning a BMW. If you live in a cold climate BEVs struggle more but there are plenty of people who own Teslas and do just fine. I think embracing options is good; but we shouldn’t try to shoehorn a car into a purpose it wasn’t built for. The i3 is a city car through and through in my book and that’s my honest advice.
@@iMaxPatten Sure, Tesla's are great, it's kind of like Marie Antoinette suggesting the peasants eat cake though. Aren't you missing the point a bit? He offers the i3 up as being a good budget option. Currently there are very few budget options that offer any decent range to someone who's unable to afford a Tesla or other a typical EV. Usually the next argument that comes from people who are wealthy or well off is to suggest that EV's aren't for the peasants. Which is the definition of elitism but not completely based in falsehood considering their cost. And I'm not about to suggest that that's what you're next statement was going to be. I would say though that some might wish to make a go of it with something like the i3. Particularly if they're handy and the idea of maintaining that small engine without running to a mechanic every time doesn't frighten them. I would say that it's almost a perfect solution for those who want to move to an electric platform yet still want to be able to crawl under a car and get their hands dirty now and then.
We have both an i3 and a Tesla. The i3 is highly underrated with superior build quality.
I've never heard anyone make that claim. Well, maybe "build quality" is different than reliable.
Lol yes it is. So far they’ve been the same in reliability but with the Tesla costing less in maintenance. To be fair the tesla is less than a year old and the i3 is over 8 with the additional Rex.
ZERO issues so far at 73,000 miles on our loaded 2017 REx.
.....Not even a hiccup.
My biggest gripe is the adaptive cruise gives up during intense rain.
@@davidmccarthy6061 lol no one lauds tesla for their cheap build quality
@@davidmccarthy6061 BMW electric is reliable because it's electric not gas engine
I have a 2014 i3 with a REX I bought a year and a half ago for $13,500. It's more like $16,000 now. We often go between San Angelo, TX and Lubbock, TX (about 200 miles) which is pretty inconvenient with a non-Tesla EV with a 250 mile range (only level 2 charging available for most of it) and impossible in a non Tesla EV with an 80 mile range. The REX makes the i3 completely usable in West Texas which is a charging desert. I'd rather not use gasoline, but the REX bridges the gap until there is more infrastructure since there is a gas station every 50 miles or so which means zero range anxiety. In town, the 60-70 mile all electric range is plenty.
wow...an i3 in West Texas oil-country?! "Good on ya, mate!" Is your i3 a unicorn? Have you ever seen another out there?
@@worldtrav72 My wife drives the other one in town; however, on the local Air Force base I've seen a couple i3's, a few Teslas, a Bolt, an Audi e-Tron, a Volt and a guy I work with has a Nissan Leaf. You are correct that they are few and far between, but I am seeing more electric cars than before. It's very encouraging. 🙂
@@chrisb508 that’s surprising. Having talked to people in the southwest who routinely travel 30-40-50 +miles to do what city people can do in
@@worldtrav72 Indeed. It doesn't even have to be about the environment. I don't even know how much gas costs because I go to one so infrequently.
Anything to look out for? I really like this vehicle and I’m wondering if it’s suitable for a college kid like myself, I have a bmw 3 series and I’m tired of the maintenance hassle. Each dealership visit is almost 1 grand. Are these reliable?
I went from a 2015 i3 Rex to a 2021 Hyundai Kona so basically from a real world 80 miles of EV range to a real world range of 300 miles and you know what? I miss my i3 all the time. Don't get me wrong, the Kona is an amazing car, but the i3 had personality. I mean it made you happy to be in it every day and that's the feeling I miss. This 2020 model has tempted me to switch back many times now.
Had a 2019 on a lease. They basically gave this car out for free back then. Was paying $150 a month with $0 down/drive offs.
I love my 2018 i3 to death. It’s the perfect size for zipping around the big city. The perfect everything for the city, really. It parallel parks like a dream. It carries just the right amount of cargo. It has amazing range in city traffic. It has amazing handling because of how far the wheels can turn. Admittedly, it doesn’t have much grip because of the small tires, doesn’t have much range on the freeway, and is, frankly, a death trap at high speeds because of the carbon fiber body. But I wouldn’t want anything else for taking sharp corners and uturns in San Francisco!
I owned a 2015 I3 Rex in 2018. I loved it until i got the message the Rex is not usable in July 2022... Brought it to BMW dealer and it costed me 2000 to replace the fuel injector . A few days ago, I craved for a coffee, and once i started the car i got Drive Train error: stop immediately, the I3 won't start, i thought my battery was low, so plugged in the charger, the charge line cycled from amber to rad and then turned off. I just leave it there and researched the internet. It seems like quite a few people experience this issue with the I3. I was able to start the engine and charged the car about 5 min later. Well, it was good while it lasted, do you really want to drive the car when it can sudden die like that? not me, I sold the car a few day later and bought the Tesla model 3.
@@phuonguy1 ...which dies in a similar manner :)
It had shortcomings in crash tests, but it wasn't the carbon fiber construction. It still outperformed other cars with more traditional body designs.
Death trap? Remember that all cars are crashtested...
Buyer's Guide additions: Most 22kWh cars have plastic motor support brackets that are somewhat prone to failure, and when it breaks, the now-unsupported motor can flail around and smash a bunch of other stuff ($$$). 33kWh/42kWh cars have aluminum brackets instead of plastic. Also, there are delamination issues with the carbon roofs. The carbon roof is cool, and I would prefer it otherwise, but because of the delamination issues, getting the sunroof (which then uses a painted metal roof skin instead of carbon) is probably a safer bet. All that said, we'd love to own another i3 someday. Wonderful, unique, fun car for the right use case.
There was a recall on those mounts
I wonder if those tires will be available say a decade from now, they seem pretty unique.
or if the tires will even be available for it anymore.
Thats the main issue that put me off from this car, a lot of model-specific parts makes it look like a pain in the wallet to maintain for an extended period of time
I remember back in 2019 before I bought my Bolt, I researched all sorts of lease options. At that time, if you looked around in some of the less EV-popular regions, you could lease a pretty well equipped i3 for less than $200/month. I ended up buying my Bolt for $15k off MSRP (all cash discounts/rebates, no tax credits) It’s amazing how in such a short period of time, Evs have gone from undesirable and selling for thousands of $ under MSRP to thousands of $ _over_ MSRP.
For the price of this car used, you’re in the same range as a NEW Bolt EV. I don’t think the quirkiness of the i3 makes up for the substantially improve range and better tech (along with new car warranty and better reliability) of the Bolt EV for basically the same price. If you’re dead set on an i3, wait for the used car market to crash again. From the looks of things, you won’t have to wait very long.
Haha I said basically the same thing. Didn't see this comment. You are spot on. The Bolt and Bolt EUV are the best EV value going right now. We were lucky to find a new 2023 EUV slightly under MSRP. No hassle buying experience at Autonation Mesa AZ. New car with warranty and Chevy covered the cost of installing a 220 outlet and the EUV includes a level 2 charger. Plus you can get ventilated seats!!!!
The seats have been Improved in the newer Bolts but the I3 we're definitely more comfortable. I3 was very expensive to service out of warranty as is any luxury brand vehicle from what I have heard.
@@fvvfvbbbb I bought my first EV 3 weeks ago. A 2023 Bolt EUV Premier with the Sun and Sound and Super Cruise packages. In Radiant Red Tintcoat, it's beautiful. So far, i'm very happy with the car. I was looking at the Hyundai Ioniq 5 but it was too expensive for my budget.
Great job on this used EV series guys! I rented an i3s on Madeira island a couple of weeks ago. It was a lot of fun on the narrow steep roads there. I'd pay the extra to get an S as it def has a better suspension setup than the non-S and wider stance, but everyone's needs vary. Great city, or in my case, island car.
Yeah pretty frustrating here in the US it's really hard to rent an i3 most of the rental companies don't really carry them anymore or you can't pick the car that you're going to rent . yes you can rent them on Turo but turo is pretty expensive and it's sort of a hassle
the batterery is not that high iup in the boot, that the heatpump and other stuff. if its a REX the motorcycle engine fill all that space. I have the REX 33 and seldom use the extender but it work fine if you cant get a available charger you just put in 2 gallon and that normally gets you home. Thinks it can become a classic and there are made so many that you can hope for a newer battery and keep it going.
Very informative series. I think the Ioniq EV should be considered. I really don't think any of the EV's will compare to the Bolt. When it comes to EV's I think most people are concerned about the range.
skip the ioniq6
died one in my country and they just bury it w/o any decent autopsy nor update
and only a year they cut the lifeline swap to cheapo ioniq5
The Aluminium lid in the back has motor under it and the rex engine if specified not the battery.
Thanks for pointing out, didn’t realize. Sad then that drivers without the REX paid for it in lost space (though another commenter mentioned the possibility of getting an alternate one for BEV-only models). I guess every car has some wasted space for economic reasons but good to know.
A German couple make a rear trunk that goes where the Rex motor would be for the BEV model.
This adds extra storage.
I always heard that skinnier tires were better in the snow because they cut through it better. I have seen some old model T videos where they go through almost a foot of snow with their bike-like tires. Probably worse on ice though.
We bought a used First year used I3 with only 11000 miles on it for just under 20k. It was expensive for 82 mile range. It was the pure EV only model which was allowed to use the HOV lane in Phoenix so wife used it for commuting. We loved it...fun to drive. Great vehicle. Unfortunately the small battery lost about 30 miles of range during the two years we owned.
Yeah the used car market is crazy. The price of the used I3 with better range are close to 30k. Your best bet is a new Bolt or Bolt EUV with way more range. We just picked one up...good refresh for 22 and now that the battery issues are resolved and Chevy lowered the price I think they are the sweet spot for affordable EVs.
That’s very untypical. Your battery was on a 7 year 100k mile warranty. You were eligible for replacement.
@@rcpmac Perhaps we we're eligible for a replacement...but BMW seemed a little flacky on replacing the battery. First they would have to do their "testing" and if they determine the battery was still within their "acceptable" range loss you would be charged for the testing. We had it done once and it was in their acceptable range. If we had kept it for another couple of years it probably would have qualified but mean while driving a car with only 50 mile range or so was not fun. We decided to move on.
Fun to drive but pricey to maintain.
great Job!, my wife's 2018 has been a great car------------was bought CPO for 25 grand with 13k miles 18 months ago! get about 125 mpc. She loves it and it's been great in the winter!
I was sort of considering the i3 120Ah when shopping for a full EV to replace my 2014 Volt. But the Bolt EV was selling for around the same price, and it has a significantly higher capacity battery which would let me do my usual ~300 mile trip with only a single charging session on the way home.
Your usual ~300 mile trip??.. 😳
@@phenex551 Yeah, there's a trip I make several times a year to a city that is about 150 miles away. So a round trip is over 300 miles (Counting miles driven in the city).
Until used prices come back down to earth on used EV's they can just sit on the lots. People want as much for a used i3 and you can order a brand new Bolt for direct from GM. I wouldn't be interested unless it was the 42kwh with the Rex to make it useable if you wanted to take it on a road trip. I liked BMW was cutting edge and focused on efficiency and light weight. If prices don't come down people will probably be ordering new.
yep! Hard to buy an out of production (and out of warranty) 2019+ i3 for the same price as a new Bolt. Bolt rides softer and has longer range too. I expect the IRA will squeeze the pricing differential for used cars towards the $25000 mark for maximum tax rebate value.
This normally is a great used buy, but the recent market shifts have shot even the 2014 models much higher than they normally sell for. I was surprised how much the cars are going for. I wouldn't recommend grabbing one of these used until the market self-corrects.
Many of these will be eligible for a tax refund in the USA starting in Jan ( if your income is low enough to qualify ). $25k will be $21k after rebate!
@@worldtrav72 true, but before the market insanity, that $25K used car was selling for $13-15K used. It's helpful, but I stand by my original statement.
Although still relatively expensive vs range, at $18k purchase price my 2015 i3 with range extender engine (80 miles EV + 80 miles engine) covers 99% of of my daily use and has cost me only $30 in gas and $100 in maint over 18 months. We have low electricity costs ($0.11/kWh) so change to my home electric bill has been minimal as my use is < 15 miles a day.
Also will fit 3 high school kids and a pair of skis and a cooler inside for beach day - it’s bigger inside than one might expect!
@@worldtrav72 understood. But my point is that the i3 was INSANELY CHEAP used before the market madness.
He goofy ass dealer really needed to sit down with you in the back seat😂
buying a BMW i3 Today (March 2023) it would be the best decision you can make if you take the time to look and search for an used one with clean history. I have spent hours in the last 3 weeks searching for an I3 and I can assure for obvious reasons, you can find a 2017 under $20,000 or even a 2018 for slightly over 20. Since BMW stopped making the i3 in 2021 and started a year earlier the MINI Cooper SE (fully electric) Now, most people like myself are debating which one get used , since you can find a 2020 or even a 2021 MINI for $25,000 and they will keep going down. honestly, I personally like better the i3 looks and space, and MINI uses same batteries electric technology for now except MINI are FWD and i3 is a RWD .Other than that I strongly recommend you to buy an i3 , the prices will keep going down . ciao
100% agree. Not great car but great used car.
Just bought a 2015 rex with 33,000 miles in the tera form loaded for 14,500...the dealer didnt even no what they had.
When i got home i found out it had apple car play put in it and a new 12 volt battery was just put in and it was already coded
for hold state of charge at 75 percent....even had AM radio coded in...was a happy camper....
Awesome .. How isn’t doing ? I’m looking forward in getting one .. 😊
Dang people really like the i3.
Anyone recommend a used i3 thats 10k?
I gotta be honest here, I bought an i3 reluctantly, and wears super cynical about it, being a San Diego resident and native. Everything here is incredibly inflated. But I’ve come to really love my i3. I get almost 100 miles per charge (17.6kwh true), which costs me $4.00. Granted I’m always in eco mode and don’t really go over 56mph, but I am totally in love now. Went from a hater, to a complete advocate. But still, FUCK CALIFORNIA!
So, you get a free donut with the i3, awesome!
No, I looked and mine didn’t have one. It might have been a special promotion
I have the 2017 with Rex but hardly ever use the Rex. I have only seen a gas station once in 3 months, over all I enjoy my refrigerator on wheels.
Get the 2017 BEV with tech package then retrofit with Apple carplay/Android auto best bang for buck!
So... I'm confused here Out of Spec. Have you made a video for the car you guys finally chose? If yes, Im not seeing it. Can you help answer my question please? Thanks so much!
I guess for 2nd car (like one you or your partner would have for around town) it wouldn't be bad but I couldn't live with my only car getting 150 miles.
Neighbor has the BMW and like us Solar chargers her EV. The BMW had serious teething pains early on. Dunno if those are solved. Starting to look like German EV may have poor resale value like German ICE’s.
The BMW i3 used to be quite a buy but everything has increased in the last couple of years. The 2014 i3 used to commonly sell for $12k in Georgia, now they average $17k for that same year.
anyone paying 17k for a 2014 i3 has lost their mind. Prices are going to plummet next year.
before you title the video like that, you should put a big disclaimer that because the I3 has a Carbon Fiber Chassis, the insurance premium on that car is ridiculous, be prepared to spend a load of money on insurance, just because the carbon fiber chassis on that car. Great car otherwise.
My insurance isn't bad on a loaded with all options available 2017.. about the same as our 2018 X5 i40e.
@@tedgray489That’s actually quite high though considering the X5 is a whole different class of vehicle! Guess that CFRP tub don’t come cheap to insure, super interesting to know. Thanks for mentioning Victor.
For me a Tesla model 3 standard range was x3 the cost of a i3s 120ah strange that.
@@MILKYBAR1969 That’s strange? Just out of curiosity I might call my insurance company and see what a Model 3 would cost me.
Tire size
They are staggered 175 rear and 155 front
lol i live in mine full time
sad but true and i love it
my dad was an jouneyman electrician
so he got me a flex solar panel for the roof and wired it strait to the battery pack
im golden now
long as the sun is out lol
which panels did you mount?
they are made by renogy
A solar panel on an i3 roof will generate about 500 watt hours or 2 miles of range with a day of optimum summer sun. This 12v panel cannot be wired to your high voltage 400v battery without a lot of trouble. More likely it is wired as a trickle charger for the low voltage accessory battery. This could still be somewhat beneficial but don’t get the idea that you have a solar car.
8:30 - It wasn't due to "extending the battery". Even the original 2014 has a metal plate there with no under-floor storage. In models with the range extender, there is an access hatch to access the oil dip stick and fill. A third party company made an alternate metal plate for BEV models that gave you a small amount of storage by making the REx space usable from under the floor mat.
The rear door opening like that makes putting a wheel chair or walker in lots easier
I saw someone using it that way on tiktok
Donuts are efficient! They put that hole in the middle to save weight!
Maybe that was BMW’s interpretation of “give me a donut as a spare” or something 😂
@@iMaxPatten Hahahaha. I’ve eaten my share of day [plus] old donuts. It could work.
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Don't sleep on it...this is a time to invest I recently just bought another property valued at over $3m. I wish knew the right investment firm to invest with earlier, better late than never thought.
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I started with just 4,000 dollars few months ago now earning up to 17,000 dollars WEEKLY
@@Camille_hendrick_01 I think I'm blessed because if not I wouldn't have met someone who is as spectacular as expert Charles Patrick I think he is the best broker I ever seen
They're brilliant little cars and so much fun to drive, and I think might end up being a future classic. A very unique and innovative design. I've had a 2015 REx for the past four years and it's not missed a beat, however due to the limited range of an older model means I've since supplemented it with a Tesla for longer journies.
At one point you could pick up off-lease i3 for mid to high teens now they're in the 20s. As much as I love the shape, styling and carbon body, you can find used Teslas for similar prices. BMW doesn't care about this product anymore and none of their new electrics fit the same niche. Sad... At this point it would be ideal if (at least) BMW allowed battery upgrades to the largest battery on all models or just open sourced the car altogether for people to modify.
I prefer more miles for the dollar. Since I purchased a used 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV on Black Friday I think I got a good deal. Good video about premium cars.
It’s a good car, but if you literally ever do road trips you will need another car or plan to rent one.
08:20 that’s not the battery under there. The battery is under the main floor. That cover in the trunk is over the motor (and the REx, if so equipped).
love the face of the seller during the driving test 🤣
that Doughnut is the Spare Tire. just add air!
I had a 2014 BMW I3 and the 12V battery died. I had it replaced at the dealership. After replacing the battery, the dealership was never able to get the car to start again. Their sales team offered me $500 for the car. I had it towed to Carmax and they bought it for $6K.
How many miles was on your car?!? That’s awful I’m sorry for ur loss man does that mean you wouldn’t recommend this car?
Well I guess I won’t be buying this then😭 thnx man! Lol
They should have given you a new one ..
For the right price this works as a great daily driver to a truck or suv owner for sure.
We were surprised how spacious the I3 was inside. We were able to get the very large boxes with our newly purchased surround sound system from Fry's Electronics in it. Almost had to leave the wife at the store it was such a tight fit. But with a little shuffling the boxes around she was able to come home too. Would have been a tough call...speakers or wife.... LOL.
i disagree the issues that the bmw have with there motors and heating if not fixed before warranty especially for those that lost the REX engine or fuel contatmination issues run in to the hundreds to repair, i would look especially at the service history to see if its been upkept as well
Will you guys be reviewing the Electrified G80? Would love to hear your take on it and how it stacks up against other EV's.
I'm interested to see what you guys think about the Chevrolet Spark EV. Although, I'm pretty concern for long term parts and support for these used cars.
I’d look to see who supplied the battery for the spark. Was it LG Chem? My 17 Focus EV was great until the battery lost 1/2 it’s capacity and no explanation.
@@estyrer2From what I have read, 2014 ones were supplied by A123 who went out of business. The replacement batteries and 2015-2016 models are by LG Chem.
Thanks for the insight! How is it for getting it serviced on the Ford Focus EV? Are you still driving it?
@@Lucratics wow, I forgot all about A123. The contamination issue during manufacturing that ruined the batteries in the Bolt AFAICT affected the availability of replacing mine. Ford was replacing defective Focus batteries that had gone bad in previous model years than mine but by the time mine went to sh1t they couldn’t of cared less. They ended up buying the car back from me. It was quite an ordeal in which I sorta feel still used from but financially I made a little money on paper. I now have a Mach-E that is quite a nice upgrade which was difficult to find. Someday I’ll have to write a book about the experience.
I love the i3
Same here.... 145 mile range in town and 125 to 130 miles on freeway with the 32 kWh battery.
I had a soul EV it does have one pedal driving if you put the car in B mode on the gear seletor.
Would be curious to see your take on a Ford Focus Electric to see how it stacks up against the other compliance cars and Leaf
I crossed it off my list due to a single tire available and how fast they apparently wear out. Otherwise I dislike paying BMW prices for repairs. If you can afford that it could be a great BEV for running local errands.
That is definitely a major downside and something I wished I mentioned even more explicitly in the video. The consequence of having the narrowest tires in the industry is being forced to OEM prices and availability.
I have a 2014 Rex, purchased in 2017 CPO for 18k put the door having 20k miles on it. It now has 80k miles on it, it has needed...... a 12v accessory battery and 2 sets of tires. 1st set cost $600 second set purchased 3 months ago cost $900 due to inflation.
It is the most dead reliable and maintainence free vehicle I have ever owned. It is parked in my garage next to my E30 and R53 Mini.
We needed it for 500 Mike's a week commuting. We had to take out son 25 miles each way to and from his private school for 3 years. He is no longer there and we no longer need the car. I am tempted to sell it except it is such a great car I am having a hard time parting with it.
@@jimcesiro5109 would u recommend this vehicle for a college kid looking for reliable daily that still retains that “cool” factor? Anything’s to look out for?
@@wr8thbeatz322 This is the same poster as above. Does the college kid have someplace the charge the car? How far will he have to drive? The battery on a used i3 has had some degradation. Mine used to have 80 miles range, it now has 60ish. I would only own a REX model, I have a phone app called Bimmercode, it costs $40. With it you can go into the cars CPU settings and change it over to the Euro specs instead of the california. 2 of the biggest changes are increased gas tank size from 1.8 gal to 2.3. Then the big one, the ability to toggle on and off the REX when YOU want to. California forced BMW to keep the REX off until the batteries are depleted. The Euro models give you the ability to turn on the REX once the batteries hit 75% and hold them there. This is a huge help when you want to take the car on a longer trip. If you get an i3 REX make sure to get the app and change those settings. As far as maintenance goes, there is almost none. I just took mine to BMW and had my scheduled service performed. It cost $437, that included a full vehicle check, brakes check, and oil change on the REX engine. I do not need to service it again until 2025. I am putting mine up for sale next week, there is an add on the BMW is Forum I just put up. Look in the cars for sale section. There is also a lot of good informaton here, it would be a good place to sign up and ask the same question.
www.mybmwi3.com/forum/
@@Jims5543 Thankyou Jim for the mini ownership summary! I will definitely look into that forum link for more info. I’ve heard across the i3 community that tire replacement is really expensive due to the special size. My daily commute is about 12-24 miles max. I guess it really depends on driving habits but based on your current tire tread wear, could u gauge how often u would need to replace them?
Would love you guys to check out the Chevrolet spark EV! Great Video!
Tires are so thin for efficiency… whereas model 3 has super wide tires and is very efficient too (not suggesting to compare the two). Idea for an experiment- find thinner, low rolling resistance tires (ahem… Drew at martian wheels), and see what kind of range difference it makes on a model 3 LR for road tripping 💡
We were lucky to get 20k miles out of those skinny I3 tires....uggg. They did perform pretty well for bicycle tires.. LOL.
So interesting. Great video. Thanks. Just bought a 2015 i3 BEV...love it! Never looking back...
How is it holding up for you ? Could you give an update.
I bought a used 2014 I3 REX from a private party with 60K miles for $10K. It also came with winter tires. On average I get 50 to 70 miles year round and I only use on average of 5 gallons of gas each year. Don't worry about the REX because you won't use it much. It's an awesome car and so fun to drive.
I was thinking about buying one for 13k 50,000 miles… would u recommend this vehicle based on your experience? Ima college kid looking for something “maintenance free” in a sense. Are these reliable?
@@wr8thbeatz322 My i3 has been very reliable. I would recommend an i3 Rex only if you can charge easily on a daily basis. Even a level 1 charger works Ok overnight, but a level 2 charger really helps.
@@dennisbird5901 that awesome to hear. Any ev road apps you recommend that provides the most accurate routes, station status, chargers levels etc? Also I’ve also wondered if I used a 220v every night to charge a i3, would that Jack up the electric bill of my household? Definitely plan to google these questions but if u have any insight please share! Thx for the response
@@wr8thbeatz322 I use Plug Share and A Better Route Planner. You electric bill go up, but it will be a lot less than gas. I spend about $1.40 to $1.60 for a fullcharge which will take me 50 to 70 miles. A gas car with 35 mpg would cost $5.14 to $7.20 to go the same distance. Plus, some places I got to have free Level 2 chargers. That drives the cost of travel down even further. Last year I drove 6000 miles and only used $5 in gas.
Great video Max - you are awesome! The guy in the back seat wanted to talk SO BAD ha ha. Tell him to get a camera and make his own videos lol. You do a great job Max and your videos are fun and entertaining! Concave chest - work on it :) Big thumbs up 👍👍👍
That D print though...
That was a very informative review, thank you!
Very cool! Didn’t know it had a frunk
Has anyone tried charging an i3 at a Tesla charging station?
Got a 2020 i3 BEV a few months ago - range anxiety shouldn't be a thing if you're able to charge at home. 150 miles should be plenty enough to get your daily driving done. I got to test drive a Nissan Leaf before and the acceleration is not even close to an i3's. No regrets except the experience from a typical dealership.
Rex models were very tempting but with my DIY mindset, more parts in a car means more things to worry about. With just BEV models, all you have to worry about is the 12V battery and the (rare) tires. You shouldn't have to change brakes anytime soon if you're able to utilize the one-pedal driving style!
Waiting for this 2018 i3 at bmw dealership to drop to 20k lol. Sitting at 22k rn and dropping in price weekly.
Is one of these worth it at 14900$?
The fixation on skinny tires is weirdly American. PSI = Pounds per square inch. Take the weight of the car, divide it by the PSI that you put in the tires. That will give you a number in square inches. When you set the car on the ground, the tires will settle until that many square inches of rubber are on the road. If tires are too small they will settle/compress too much and that constant compression/decompression as the tire rolls will cause heat. That's bad. But if the tires are too big, they can actually put more rubber in contact with the road than the calculated square inches. In that case, there is not enough weight on each square inch of tire to give you good traction. It might be a surprising revelation to some, but the engineers actually figured all of this out and specified the tires which give you the best traction. I think that is a good thing. And if those tires are narrow, well so much better for the planet. I know that most Americans (though not me) seem to want to maximize their consumption of earth's resources, so maybe this car is not for them. But I kind of like it.
I would never buy an i3. Fixing anything will require significant $$$$$$. BMW's should only be leased from new. That way when they fall apart at the end of the lease its not your problem.
Crazy misinformation
Regarding 2016 and earlier, those years used the 3G network telematics. Since 3G got shut down in the US a few years ago, the telematics in those models doesn’t work anymore. 2017 onward are ok with 4G LTE.
DID HE JUST SAY "THE CHEVY BOLT EVEN THOUGH IT'S A GROUND UP EV, DOES IT LOOK THAT FUTURISTIC? NO".
That's the 2nd time this guy's said some stupid shit
Loved this car - so funn and cute
It's a shame that these European EVs get crippled by replacing the three phase capable type2 connector with type1 if they are exported to the US. Didn't Nicola Tesla invent thre phase AC in the US?
08:25 There was never any (original) storage space under the trunk floor, even for the smaller batteries. The motor lives there, the battery is further up front. There is although a 3rd party floor available for the pure EV version that give some additional storage where the REX would be mounted.
Congrats to Alex for winning the R1T, that's sick!!!
But you need the range extender to travel far ..
I have two Tesla's and just purchased a new Bolt EUV for my kids to share as one is driving and the other soon will be. I cant see buying an old I3 for 20k when you can get a new Bolt for 26k. GM failed with the Bolt DC charging speed but we only use it for around town and at 26k that is hard to beat.
I have the i3s in the UK since new two years ago, I absolutely love it and will be sad when the lease runs out next December. Someone is going to get a great used car when it’s sold on with about 25k miles on the clock. 🇬🇧 the price is going up a two year old example sold to a dealer for £3,000 more than it cost new.
IF you are buying anything with 4 wheels in this "market"......I promise you're getting F***d
This (BMW i3) is a phenomenal example of engineering excellence and new technology development.
did urkel design this car? what were they thinking? people will look at you for all the wrong reasons
I owned a Solar Orange i3 Rex and absolutely loved it. Lowered and spacers were on mine too.
Hyundai Kona and Hyundai Ioniq electrics can be found for around $25,000. Might be interesting to consider as options for the $25k EV purchase.
We had a 2014 BEV i3 which we loved until the main computer brain went out just a few weeks out of warranty. This “brain” is in the bottom/middle of car and requires them to disassemble the entire car with over 30 hours of repair to get to this part. What kind of design choice is that?? The local BMW dealershp started out wanting over $12K to repair and after much complaining and contact to BMW Corporate, they “lowered” the charge to $9400, which was almost the value of the car…….plus BMW messed up the repair and the same thing happened again……BUYER BEWARE…..I would NEVER buy a BMW again, what a nightmare experience that took many months to resolve. Traded it in as soon as it was running again…….range was terrible and tires were very soft and very expensive to replace since only Bridgestone makes them.
yeah, that stinks! I wonder if the infant mortality issues are all behind us in the used car market? Seems like if they are doing to die, they have already done so and those that live on will continue on for quite some time?
What don't people get about COASTING in a electric car?
Coasting not only recharges the battery ,it also gets you closer to your destination.
The Chevy VOLT I own has a paddle on the steering wheel for regenerative braking.
This is the way to go.
Having your car stop because you take your foot off the accelerator peddle for a few seconds is ridiculous.
Coasting doesn’t recharge your battery. What don’t YOU get
the REx is a superlight backup - a two cylinder bike engine drives a generator. The usual hybrids have full meachanical drive trains duplicating the electric one.
He was comparing it to a Chevy volt which also uses the generator auxiliary approach
I like Max's videos because he's a bit awkward with movements and hand expressions. It's like he's a little nerdy, a little drunk, and a little stoned all at once.
Thanks! That’s what I try to go for
Chesapeake Climate Action Network Action Fund is back!
the battery is in the floor, not below the trunk, there is where the engine is located.
I3 owner, good idea to get a dealer warranty. $900 for a seatbelt.
I love my 2017 panda! I'm running to the ground!
Do the original 2017-2022 Hyundai Ioniq EV
For those that don't know, you have very limited range in this car even if you have the gasoline engine to recharge you there's only two gallon reserved Max. In addition to that the tires are specialty tires that are only sold for that BMW and not used elsewhere. Which means you're going to pay a high price when it's time to replace those tires potentially every two or three years. This tires aren't cheap. In the end economically I don't think that car makes any sense at all.
if you can be patient, you can find the tires for 'normal' pricing at Costco. The issue is how long can you run them. Lot's of people say 20,000-30,000 miles tops for i3 vs. 40k+ on regular cars. However, if you are using it as a city car, like me (my yearly mileage is
@@worldtrav72 its only money in the end right? We all need to drive what we enjoy. From my heart enjoy your i3!! 🥰
The tires are tall and narrow, but the contact patch is the same as mini cooper, it is just long instead of wide. This car doesn’t have the tech package, so it has the smaller display.
Tech package is optional. Some tech packages came with the small display during Covid shortages. The Sport model has wider tires.
What happened to these Used EV Videos? What did you end up buying? Or did OoS Reviews just drop this series?
We’ve been slammed with other projects but we want to keep covering cheap EVs. One of our employees has a Bolt and Kyle ended up getting that first Gen LEAF. We may end up buying another but for now this series is on hiatus
When is Jordan going to be filming again. We miss his insight
Did anyone see what flavor the doughnut was?
The one thing I'm thinking is that buying a used EV is a big gamble. I bought a used Mitsubishi i-miev. Where I think the BMW i3 hybrid which is not a true hybrid because the petrol engine does not drive the wheels. This means no gearbox clutch internal combustion drive train alternator and a load of other stuff. The other thing when buying a used EV is the condition of the battery. Quick charging will destroy the battery very quickly. I'm wonder that if you have this with a range extender it will charge the battery at a more reasonable rate thus preserving the battery. Something paramount when buying a used EV. Now with the volt it has an internal combustion engine drive train. But the one thing with volt or Holden as it was called in Australia none have ever required a new battery. The battery in those things just keep going. Not so with 100% EVs. So buying a used EV brings a whole new thought and consideration process than with any ICE car.
The batteries on the i3 are bulletproof it seems. I’ve seen reports of 90% capacity remaining on vehicles with 125, 150k miles. EVs are seldom dc charged because home charging is 1/4 the cost. In addition, these are typically city commuter cars. Specific to the i3, the battery’s top end is buffered against charging to actual 100% and when dc fast charging it tops out at a relatively low 50kw pace. And you are correct, the battery can’t really be run down to 0 because the range extender kicks in at 6% I believe. Btw if you are considering one there is a simple method to check on the battery capacity in the menu. I heard about the i3 from an owner who typically left his m3 home to drive this one. Actually he has the sport model which I also recently bought.
And that is y I bought mine years back
Compared to other evs around the same price the battery seems superior
i3 vs 500e cost/performance too choice?
Purity? Seriously? What a lame way to view it. If you can get more range out of a car that has terrible range why wouldn't you?. It turns a compliance car into an actually usable vehicle for someone who lives outside of a city. It's pretty short-sighted so people should ignore this guy unless they live in a city and don't travel. Taken to consideration also if you live in a cold climate where you're going to lose 40% of your range as soon as the temperature drops. That was bad advice for the majority of people, so ignore it.
My take is that if you need that range and don’t live in the city fine, but the i3 is probably not the car for you. If you’re depending on the REX then you are probably better off with better-designed plugin hybrids. Maybe I’m weird for disliking REX but I think it only adds to your reliability woes owning a BMW. If you live in a cold climate BEVs struggle more but there are plenty of people who own Teslas and do just fine. I think embracing options is good; but we shouldn’t try to shoehorn a car into a purpose it wasn’t built for. The i3 is a city car through and through in my book and that’s my honest advice.
@@iMaxPatten Sure, Tesla's are great, it's kind of like Marie Antoinette suggesting the peasants eat cake though. Aren't you missing the point a bit? He offers the i3 up as being a good budget option. Currently there are very few budget options that offer any decent range to someone who's unable to afford a Tesla or other a typical EV. Usually the next argument that comes from people who are wealthy or well off is to suggest that EV's aren't for the peasants. Which is the definition of elitism but not completely based in falsehood considering their cost. And I'm not about to suggest that that's what you're next statement was going to be. I would say though that some might wish to make a go of it with something like the i3. Particularly if they're handy and the idea of maintaining that small engine without running to a mechanic every time doesn't frighten them. I would say that it's almost a perfect solution for those who want to move to an electric platform yet still want to be able to crawl under a car and get their hands dirty now and then.
Coach doors are entrapped by the front door as they are on the i3. Suicide doors are not.
Still a suicide door. The name comes from what happens to the exiting person if a car side swipes it. It crushes the person exiting