BMW i3 Review: The future of small cars?
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- Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
- The i3 has been a very successful entry into the electric vehicle market, and since it first launched in 2013, BMW hasn't been resting on its laurels.
In 2016, the original 60Ah version was given a jolt with a 94Ah variant that boosted its all-electric operating range to over 200 miles. A year later, BMW refreshed the styling and added the nippier i3s.
Then in late 2018, BMW introduced a beefy 120Ah battery that improved range by up to 30%. There's still the option on all models to add a small range-extender petrol engine to boost overall range, but whilst that alleviates some of the range anxiety, it feels like a contradiction in terms as the BMW i3 makes the most sense as a pure electric vehicle.
There are many small battery-electric vehicles on the market, but none hit the practicality/prestige sweet spot quite like the BMW i3 does. Is this the future of small cars? It may very well be.
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I'm very happy with my i3 (2019 120Ah), I kept the options list short - sun protection glass and the uprated sound system. Shopping around got me this (in mineral grey, also extra!) for a tad over £30k. Running costs are so low, from £230 per month on petrol to about £15 a month on electricity (charging at home on Octopus Go), which makes the cost of ownership much lower than I had expected. It's not perfect, the ride is too hard for my taste, but overall I would say it's the best car I've ever owned. Just to correct you, like all current EVs, there are no selectable gears - the motor is directly connected to the rear wheels via a trans axel, which provides a fixed reduction ratio and differential - reverse is achieved electronically by rotating the motor in the opposite direction. This simplicity is one of the many reasons an EV requires almost no maintenance and should last 500k miles (batteries permitting). No clutch, no alternator, no drive belts or cam belts, no fuel injection, no exhaust system, no engine, so therefore no engine oil to change or leak on your drive. Electric is definitely the future, no more combustion cars for me.
Holy crap, they will last 500k? You got me excited. I’m about to buy an i3 w about 25k miles on it. Glad to hear that it should even go a few hundred thousand
@@mdougf Hi Mark, welcome to the club. If you can, get a later model after the facelift in 2018 - you can tell this from the front, the indicators are horizontal and LED on the revised model, and LED headlights are standard fit. Facelift ones come with either 94Ah (early) or 120Ah battery packs. If you can stretch to a 120Ah, I think it's worth it. Range in Winter is about 140 miles on a charge (keep the heating low and use the heated seats and A/C instead) in summer, I regularly got 210 miles from a charge - like any car it depends how heavy with the right foot you are. The i3 manages it's battery pack very well, so you should see no impact on range through degradation. Still love mine - the pre-conditioning is great in Winter, set it on the App and get into a warm defrosted car 10 mins later - awesome!
@@simonreeves2017 Thanks for this advice! So if i get a 2018 then the facelift was already done? I had planned to get a 2018 rex
Mark F - personally I would not get a REx version. They no longer have zero car tax, the little combustion engine needs servicing, they are heavier, so less range on battery, and the only problems reported with the i3 have been with the REx version. The i3 is my first electric car, and I was worried about range, running out of charge, getting stranded etc. The reality was very different - for me at least. Being able to charge at home is the most significant factor, if you have a home where you can do this, then you'll be fine without the REx, also public charging gets better every day, so even if you want to do a long journey, it's not a problem.
not just that but the aspect of being able to 'replace' any non CPO cars parts like bushings/tires/bearings etc...rotors are able to be done DIY too or various aspects of the car like Upgrading the scree/infotanement to an apple car system can also be done DIY...then after the factory warranty expires you can mod it or really Delve into the cars potential. I got the rex which yes can be faulty which is why i added a year to my warranty bc im mainly going to use it for UBER/ride share or uber eats, near a University populated/dense area....so if i need to charge or hyper fast charge or etc....i can look at CLOSE local/jobs and end my charging session if need be to make a quick buck then go back to charging if im just using or trying to maximize any free L2 charge potential options. Or consider that slower charge/period a lunch break/uber eats session until fully charged....and back to ride sharing. Unlimited mile coverage for break replacement/ac/etc for up to a couple years...all the features of the car like auto off at park/open door etc...climate control for pets and its used price. Purchased from a single owner(lease limited miles 16,000), with plenty of life on tyre. My only worry is if upgrading the screen to the bigger screen and apple play could void any coverages, as well as any system/software modification. If not ill have to wait until im past the warranty/life. As much as i want the ability to enable the REx "earlier" depending on the kind of work/flow and charging access i intend on using for the best monetary impact/practicality. I also just want the REX so i can take jobs/here or there and not worry about having to charge/super charge as often...or be able to go from LA/OC and take good viable jobs more conveniently. Sure i may worry post warranty about the rex/any potential issues...and yet i would JUMP at the chance to enable it at 50-75% charge...and enable it to use more fuel than the USDM limits total fuel consumption....plus as more data/user research comes in over the years....i can implore the most viable/usable mods etc....Its why i only went with REX bc CPO. Otherwise i would have aimed for a 120ah, or even a 2018 i3s just for the sportier implications or when im off the clock i can cruise some windy roads for funs the added fun factor....but since its for PURELY a workhorse/tool i got it for the CPO coverage on the REX. I do half feel that it is faulty if they expect such low "USAGE" from end users they wont encounter as many "ISSUES" vs ppl that flashed their system to enable the REx at their own discretion at 75% or less charge. Encountering reliability/issues with the range extender.
The quality and professionalism of this presenter's review is exemplary; I swear he could sell me just about anything ;-)
I don’t know.... listen closely and you can hear a bias against ev’s.
@@johnabbas6805 Haha, ikr; I did buy another make on the basis of watching their reviews over and over for the best part of 3 years lol
I'm going to buy one precisely based on this review.
listen closelly and you can hear "v8 powered m4 super ..." not sure he's on the same planet :/
Best small electric car on Earth 🌍😃 Our first 33kw all electric i3 2018 then our second i3S 42kw. I tryed other evs Id3 good car bit big for us and not as fun tryed few others we got our second i3. Brilliant 👏 BMW i3
I own a i3 REX from 2014. One of the best cars I have ever had, and happy about the extender that helps to reach family at the other end of the country (Denmark), but it is only used rarely. Range is almost as when it was new, suppose less than 5% degraded. Maintainance cost is almost zero. Awesome cars.
Absolutely great review and probably the most comprehensive and fair review of the i3 I have ever watched. I do however have to declare an interest as I too have a 94ah i3s which despite being a confirmed petrolhead I think is the best car I have ever owned. Previously I ran BMW 3 Series company cars, Porsche 911 (997) as a fun weekend car and a series of Golf GTi and MINI Cooper S ‘s when I opted out of company car scheme. Only test drove an i3 out of curiosity whilst waiting for a quick service on my last MINI. Loved intelligent design, instant acceleration and build quality. Missed the go kart handling on my first 60ah i3 but current i3s is so much better albeit the ride is fairly firm - but certainly no worse than on the MINI run flats. Such as easy car to drive (wonderful steering and terrific turning circle) and so so refined. Rapid charging infrastructure still not great - and under pressure with the popularity of EVs and the introduction of new large battery EVs such as the I-Pace which can hog chargers so on balance am happier with the 94ah REx than the current 120 ah (160 mile range) BEV. Yes, the car is expensive but it is a real premium built car - better IMHO than the latest 3 Series - but residuals are rising and now comparable to most BMW ICE vehicles. Sales and of the i3 have risen continually through the i3’s 6 year life - and production now at maximum 3 shift capacity - which speaks for its timeless (albeit slightly controversial) design and endearing and still very relevant appeal. Although BMW have said they will not be producing a direct replacement the i3 has been given a stay of execution, beyond the planned 7 year life cycle, until 2024 and will get a further battery upgrade and system refresh which should extend the pure electric range to a WLTP figure of 200 miles.
John Edwards. I agree that the i3 is dead in the US and it is a bit surprising that it has not been pulled. However there is still strong demand in Europe where sales have consistently risen year on year through to the end of 2019. The new BMW CEO has publicly stated the i3 will continue in production until at least 2024 and will get another battery upgrade. I suspect this has been partly driven by the fact that BMW are now likely to face heavy EU fines because the average CO2 of the their cars is above the limit that has been set. It appears that BMW underestimated the switch to SUV’s - where they have a strong model range - so keeping the i3 in production (and dropping the Range Extender variant) helps offset this problem until new pure EV BMW’s come on stream.
Richard Piper yeah man me to,
I have owned Bmw 135i xdrive a M140i xdrive and a F80 M3.
I now drive a fully jet black 120Ah i3s and never looked back in tears at the M3.
I render sportscars on public roads for years and years, still i render them useless on it.
I also took a look at Tesla model 3 but looking at its typical American build quality and moved on.....
I absolutely love it.
John Edwards offcourse the i3 is dead in the water in the Us, because it is the Us!
Look at the American woman that cut a hole in her mouth mask just she could breathe better.
Is Elon Musk up to something with the launch of the sky polluting Starlink series or is it just all for the sake of bringing in the mighty dollar bills?
Tesla's does still drive here in Europe though.....
Time will tell......
John Edwards Typical American reaction like most off them.....
Isn't technology great when its new, until it is outdated or something new comes up.
Tesla is no different or do you think it is?
John Edwards never did i say you are a fanboy.
What has technology to do with going to other Countries when it comes to Ev's?
Also your point that Tesla invented Ev's is false.
Ev's are already founded since the 1800's.
Just to name a brand also to imply im not a fanboy,
Bmw was founded in 1913 and the I division (Ev's) was founded in 2011 build there first Ev, the I3 drove out off the factory 2 years later in September 2013.
Tesla was founded in 2003 and their first car the Tesla roadster came on the streets 5 years later in 2008.
Not that i care about the three year difference, but i agree to disagree.
The BMW i3 is the most technological innovative and sustainable car available. I know tesla and many other electric cars are out there and great- but they’re similar to the main stream Internal combustion engines cars. Extra range is great, but with the majority of drivers driving 80-90% of their commutes in cities the i3 is the car to have. Excellent review, very in-depth and I didn’t think I was going to see through the 59 minutes of i3 video.
You really think the i3 had more tech than Tesla's? We have a model 3 and are looking to get an i3 I love them, but this doesn't have anything the Tesla doesn't from all the reviews so far
You’re missing the point that I made in the first sentence. . . Technological and sustainable car. The car was developed to be environmentally conscious. You’re talking about high tech trinkets like what tesla has and many other car makers are attempting or caught up with ADAS (Advanced Driver Assisted Systems). The i3 is also the only car at this point that is made with carbon fiber and aluminum as it’s primary material. Yes the tesla is advanced and I like them too, but the most innovative and sustainable car is the bmw i3. By-the-ways, there is an active study on ADAS in cars and how they affect drivers (if there is a driver).
@@rudigerratzinger4420 cars have been made from cf for a long time, ev also. I'm not buying that it's anywhere near the most innovative. Tesla driver assist / autopilot received OTA updates, not perfect but it's as new as you can get. I3 still has to be taken to dealers for firmware upgrades and driver assist features are no where close to ap
I looked up the average daily driving range in the US and it comes out to 29 miles a day. The BMW and all other electric vehicle can easily accomplish that and much more. It is funny how range seems to be the biggest question when it comes to EVs. I have my second i3 which I purchased from a Mercedes Benz dealership (it was a trade in), it was 158 miles from my house. I have the range extender option and made the trip easily with 70 miles remaining. But honestly, I probably only drive the average at best and have never felt the range anxiety people on line often are concerned with. There are many videos on UA-cam with people taking long trips. The i3 is the most enjoyable car to drive and has so many features, both obvious and hidden.
i worked in MMJ delivery in CALI from 2019-22....through the COVID stay at home GREENRUSH. And into 2022 as the price of gas skyrocketed in so cal. My HIGH avg was anywhere from 200-300mi in a day. If i worked a double shift/weekend which i usually jumped at the chance to cover...bc the TIPS especialy during 2020 march till they lifted many of the covid restrictions....became really GOOD among affluent communities or college students with money to spare(demographic). Given that you can DC charge these things(when proprely planned not full empty) and still get a quick fill or quick charge to 80% then switch to an L2 charger or etc.. Is pretty sweet. This EV couldnt sustain that type of a JOB but im going to give ride share a SERIOUS go with the i3 Rex. As i attempt to utilize any L2 "free charging" i potentially can. On a would be "down time/lunch break" etc...i can switch to something like uber eats...near a college/free chargers. If i find a good uber eats gig...i can just end the "free" L2 session and make a quick buck, then go back to "lunch/free L2 charge" and watching tv on my phone. The way its so efficient with the regen breaking, and auto shut off when you open the door. Doing my previous Delivery job if there was down time...id jump into a 2-3 hour driving session out of no where with no time to warm up my car etc....constantly starting/turning off the car/gas/starter etc...transmission(that died). I dont have to worry about those issues anymore and CPO coverage is unlimited miles. So now i can drive it to my hearts content bc i honestly Love driving/covering ground. Its going to be like a second home/office...down the road as the warranty expires and i potentially consider a new career path in a few years. Ill be able to mod the system to enable the rex at my own discretion as the batteries degrade etc, which helps the usability of this car for me. As well as any potential re-sale value i can upgrade the screen to an apple play system myself etc...as well as add the REX/enable the rex at your own settings or manually etc. Stuff like that is really appealing to me too.
No battery under the boot flor as he sed , there is the Electric motor and the Rex extender. The battery is under floor in the cabin
I've been driving an i3s, it's our company pool car. I've worked in the EV charging industry since 2012 as a professional electrical engineer and Project Manager. It has massively exceeded my expectations apart from it's looks. My wife think's it looks classy, but I think it looks weird. My current car is an Audi E-tron and my previous one was a BMW 330E. The i3s goes like stink when you want it too, I'm a big bloke and love the seats and the handling is good also. I also like the one pedal driving which means you hardly ever need to use the brakes. The range is dependant on how you drive it of course. It always seems to start with 177 mile range from a full charge but 120 miles is probably more realistic. £35k, would I buy one, no way. I might rent one or lease one though.
why on earth did you buy an Audi e-tron then? it's the least efficient, most over-priced EV ever made...
@@GamezGuru1 I didn't, its a rental company car.
Signed a 4yr lease on a 94Ah 2018 i3 Lodge last week. Picking it up from the dealer as soon as they wrap the ugliest paint on the planet (sth grey) up👍 so happy to be getting this marvel of engineering and the hyggest🇩🇰 interior ever. Everybody who ever compares an i3 to a Kona has clearly never been to Dennark. Pls b excellent 2 each other and party on🌈
It's quantum, baby...
Wyld Stallions😂
Excellent review, thorough, engaging and entertaining. I’ve loved the i3 since it came out and thought at the time that I’d get one years later. This has helped rationalise the decision making. Rex does appear to fly in the face of the environmental credentials, but for a couple like using it for commuting 6 miles five days a week and around the area at weekends, the REX will only be considered on journeys to Cornwall. The crucial bit is charging time between 20% and 80% and by my reckoning, that mean a 200 mile trip to Padstow will require two 40 minute stops, which we would have done anyway. Thanks for the professional presentation. G
Thank you Geoff, we're glad you liked the review 👍🚗
I f there were some way to convert existing ICE cars to hybrids without paying $25,000 to get it inspected and certified road worthy then we'd probably have 30% EVs and 60% hybrids by 2030 instead of 30% EVs.
I have an 2018 94Ah I3S Rex and I love it. However they do not sell the REX variant in the newer models in the UK any more. the 120AH version is BEV only not rex in the UK.
Same case in Belgium, i have a fully jet black 2020 I3s 120 Ah and my former car was a F80 M3, never looked back in tears.
Just more fun to drive on public roads.
Therefore i render sportscars totally useless on public roads.
34:00: 'the standard automatic transmission' - no, EVs do not have gears, the i3 has a fixed speed drive train, the motor drives a reduction gear and differential. EVs do not have gears!
No, many EV's have gears. The Porsche Taycan, for example, has a two speed 'box.
Some low volume EV's have 2-6 speed automatic and manual transmissions.
There's no reason an EV shouldn't be able to have a transmission, it just isn't necessary on most, i3, Tesla 3,S,Y etc.
Robert Saca - Thanks for the extra info - I didn't know that. I own an i3, so know that it has a fixed 'speed' reduction gear, with no selectable ratios. My grip was with the statement made 34:00 in this video, which is an incorrect statement.
Great and very informative video, excellent work as usual.
the 30k range of used i3 a few bucks more and its 1 owner/leased returned cars...with
Probably my favourite car reviewer. Deserving of far more views!
75% of people choose the REX yet BMW stopped selling it, madness.
A future collective car, because an extraordinary design and unique characteristics. Carbon fiber, aluminium and plastic body panels , no rust so far 🥰
My '17 94Ah Rex is an absolute perfect commuter. Interior beats all but the expensive Jaguar, it's all relative. I have done a 2000 kilometer drive in it as well so it can be done 🙂
i have the same and i am doing 50 t.km/år, no problem.
Well produced review but I sense this is an old review somewhat updated. It refers to the REX option but in the UK at least the REX was no longer available as the 2019 model now has a bigger battery. Again, the review refers to the 33kWh battery (e.g. at 46:20) but the 2019 model now only has a 42.2 kWh battery with a WLTP figures of 192-mile range.
Whether the i3 can complete with the VW ID.3 is to be seen. I think many will go for range over premium status. Maybe BMW will have a final battery boost before they discontinue the i3 in 2024. I suspect the successor will not have the carbon fibre / aluminium construction.
Still, I'm tempted to get a 1 year old 2019 42.2kWh/120Ah model as I feel the i3 is a like-minded successor to my Audi A2 (aluminium and ahead of it's time and sold in low numbers due to cost, but at 16 years old my A2 looks like new. I suspect the i3 will also look good in 16 years but the batteries maybe another matter. Maybe there will be a after market battery replacement by then).
lets be honest I would rather a bmw than a Renault any day of the week
The BMW i3 hasn't exactly been a sales leader in North America. Depreciation on these is extremely high. Used i3's are a bargain here. You can buy a used 2017 i3 w/range extender with less than 20K miles for $17K USD.
For real it’s crazy how cheap they are here in America there like only 10k-20k
That’s why I already have 2 EV’s. Less than 5 years ago I was planning to convert a pickup. It would cost about $15,000 for parts, and months of DIY learning. Forget that!
Now I’m looking at a 3rd EV for my daughter.
Why hasn't it sold well in America? I'm scared to buy one thinking something is wrong with the vehicle.
@@diva777 They are inexpensive here because gasoline is cheap. And we have to face the fact the i3 is rather odd looking.
@@mowcowbell thank you for the response.
I thought BMW were in the forefront of EV motoring when they released the i3 (and i8) but since then they have lost the plot, the new iX3 seems to revert to all the old design elements of the petrol cars. Was there a boardroom coup?
spot on video
When was this review done? This suggests 94Amp hour is the largest battery available. The 2020 i3 has a 42kWh 120A-hr not 94.
Probably for the 2018 model year
You don't "need" a wallbox to drive this car like the dude said.
It just comes to how much miles you daily or weekly make.
We own 2 of these and we are NOT! the only ones the own 2 in the same household even BMW at a BMW owners meet said it was unheard of with any other car. Saves some arguing over who's driving what car.
But although this is a brilliant video there are so many mistakes in it. Especially when talking about the rex.
Dear to buy but at least you can still afford to go places when the ice cream costs more than getting there.
I reviewed this exact BMW i3s
Correction: The M4 has a turbocharged straight six motor, not a V8. The previous generation M3 had a V8.
The future for a car that cost 10'000 USD to replace the battery?
This is in some countries a full year paycheck!
How much service from home from can you do on such car?, seems like the workshops are the real winner if everyone in the future must bring the car a shop.
Maybe I will get an I3 in a year or two but owning a car in future seems to be costing more and more for sure.
But it was great review :-)
Most if not all have a battery warranty of 100,000 miles/8 years. That’s a substantial amount of time and miles for any car. If anything goes wrong within that time they replace it, just like a Prius. Even the older models (2013-14) have not shown issue yet, the batteries are showing to be well made with low degradation and problems.
"The various drive modes allow you to alter the gear change timings" ?? Really, on a single gear electric car. My i3 doesn't seem to have this feature.
bmw i3 with a petrol generator a great idea that bmw has discontinued .... WHY
But now BMW totally abandons the i3 type cars and goes with traditional frame for ICE instead of a new design for EV. It is a regression and is exactly what one is not supposed to do. So now they are just going to put a battery and motor(s) into old steel frame. The EV would be too heavy and not aerodynamic enough
This is a very good review but I don’t understand why he didn’t get a 120 ah version besides the latest version is not sold with a Rex anymore in Europe
it must be an old review, he is also wrong about the top speed with rex, that was changed with the 94Ah.
What is the point of having a range extender. Charging stations are everywhere and more are installed daily. If you have the range extender you have to pay road tax and the car is slower .
Didnot thinkUkgot the rex anymore from 2020? Def no rex on 120ah
Where does he get 44 mph limit of battery runs down and Rex kicks in?? I’ve never found any different when Mines kicked in
If your battery is below 10% I think he said because for the engine to put any charge whatsoever into the battery it has to limit the output 👍
Its now the fastest depreciating ev in history .
yes i have seen used ones for 12k
Is the drive of the I3 Rex different to the pure electric version given the additional weight of the Rex
its the same
I3 is a great ev the 1st n best however unfortunately it's going nowhere bmw are ceasing production which is a real shame they should have lowerd price n developed it that won't be happening mores the pity
I'm sure tey must have made more than ten thousand ??
Still way too expensive for ordinary working people
Not used!
@@karissakline6765 They are well any decent vehicles not some crappie milk float hahaha
Where did BMW go so wrong! i3 was/is great. Everything since has been mediocre at best🤔
v8 powered m4 super coup ?????????????? are you mad bro ?
Does your hair touch the roof-liner? And are you not bald? Then this is not a small car, it is at best a mini SUV, slightly too big to be nippy in town. Technically, the Aluminium chassis and composite top together with their high tech battery, Makes BMW highly interesting from an engineering perspective, but this is not their intended small car. Are you not tall?
I didn't realize that a vehicle receives the moniker of mini suv if your hair doesn't touch the roof. One of the most popular mini suvs in the US is the Honda CRV which is length 15'2" by width 6"1" and height 5'7". The BMW i3 is length 13'2" by width 5'11" and height 5'3" which is considerably smaller, and you definitely can feel it when zipping around and parking in spots that a mini suv would not fit into. My husband is over 6'1" tall and depending on the seat height that's been set has at least a couple inches clearance in both the front and the back seats, and there's plenty of leg room because of where the batteries are placed. This vehicle is definitely not a mini suv. If you happen to see one in a parking lot I think you'll be surprised at it's smaller stature.
@@scanzon I'm not that tall and have an affinity for small cars. I grew up in 80' cars and they were tight. Gentlemen don't wear hats anymore and every inch above your head uses fuel.
@@Tore_Lund In this case it literally doesn't use fuel (at least if you're in the BEV).
@@scanzon Everything uses fuel, that's how the universe works, however not everything uses fossil fuel.