I've Owned My Cheap BMW i3 for One Year: Here's Everything Good, Bad, & Broken! 

The suicide door is one of the things, that give this car character. Don't knock it.

I owned i3 2017. Bought May 2021. Put 30,000 miles on it in 18 months. So far so good - no problem. TIRES - bought from Firestone. If you pay $200 for alignment - car is covered for LIFE TIME - best deal. Tires are good + alighment is good - this will give max of Tires. 1 problem : I changed engine oil 1 time. Engine light came on. I had to go to dealer to do "COMPUTER READINESS". They have a special way to do this. Drive on gas to burn old fill up. FUEL GETS HEAVIER if it is not burn - not good for the engine. Hope this will help.

Best town car ever. Surprising amount of storage, zippy, easy to park, insane turn radius, and the list goes on. I just passed 50k miles on mine after 2 years of owner shop. Bought it for 19k and 15k miles right before the pandemic car insanity began. Wish BMW had kept the i3 and i8 team around and not abandon their ev program so early.

I like having these reviews of cars you actually owned. Great content!

I absolutely love my wife's i3. It is such a blast to drive, especially when you aren't trying to get the best range. Steering and accelerating inputs are instant, almost precognitive. The flowing, open pore eucalyptus dash is best looking interior decision I've seen in a long time. I would love to own the last year i3s version.

Just sold my i3 last summer and miss it. One of the nicest minimalist interiors of any car I've driven, new or old.

It was a good car to buy when the market wasn’t too hot. All cars appear to have gone up a lot. The 2018s that you could get for 20k are now 30-35k. Great review as well. I will keep my eyes for the later models. Hope the market comes back soon.

I miss my i3. Great little around-town car.

I added a cheap rear view backup camera to mine and now it's a perfect 2nd commuter car for any family.

I bought my 2014 i3 partially based on yours when TFL bought it. Mine does have the dc charging capability, and a few more bells and whistles. I also drive a round trip of 50 miles and I still adore it. My only change would be more range, but the REx does away with any range anxiety. André, I’m so glad that you and your wife bought the car and that she likes it so much. My only issue was a rodent chewing through a REx wiring harness. Yes, I’d buy it again!

Was an owner of all 5 series since the 90s. Since COVID / work from home and no need to drive, I bought this car . Hands down Best car…EVER! it’s the best car for in town get around and short trips. Love this car. Quick, plenty of head and leg room, compartment storage, easy to park and maneuver around all the DAs holding up traffic while texting on their phones. Bought the 21 year. Maintenance: weekly car wash. 0.37 cents to charge daily. I drive about 7 miles daily.

I have had my i3 now from new for 3 years and 2 months, it has done 66K miles and still operates perfectly as new. All I have replaced is tyres, last one was a puncture but apart from that, cheap running costs. I can charge at work for free and then at home when needed and my commute is 108 miles round trip. Sad tp hear that BMW have now stopped producing these, but I will keep mine so I can recoup the cost through cheap motoring. 🙂

I've got 2014 i3 REX and have put 3370 miles on it so far this year and only used 2.4 gallons of gas. I reliably get 50+ miles in fall/winter in MN and 70+ in spring/summer. It's a great 2nd car for short trips and it holds a lot with the back seats down. With high gas prices you really can't beat this car and there is no range anxiety because you have the Rex engine just in case you can't find a charger. You can pay more for a newer model with a bigger battery, but how often will you drive more than 50 miles in a day. If you don't save the money and get a 2014 to 2016 model and save a lot of cash. It's a great car.

I got my 2017 i3 rex before the market went haywire and without a doubt it's jumped to the top of my favorite car list. I've had zero issues with mine and despite some road trips I've used almost no gas. I think in the last three months I've put .5 gallons in and that's mostly due to periodically putting the rex into maintenance mode so make sure the gas didn't go bad. I'm sad to hear BMW is ending production of this little gem but maybe they'll produce something similarly innovative in the future.

Nice review! If you're planning to keep the car for a while, I strongly recommend trying the MICHELIN E PRIMACY tires for the summer and the Goodyear Ultragrip Performance Plus for the winter. The handling is so much better, and the wear as well. I was so happy with my i3's improvement in handling, especially at higher speeds. I spent so much money on the Bridgestone tires the past years, thinking that it was the best option because BMW had them installed from the factory, and basically because for a long time there were no other options. However, it turned out the i3 is a much nicer car to drive when fitted with newer Michelin or Goodyear tires. 🙂

Straight forward and upfront review. I hadn't considered the aggressive regen on winter slippery roads, something good to know and be wary of.

Andrey, get the software (i-level) updated at the dealer. The Regen in the winter has been greatly improved. You would have to re-code your Rex "jail break" afterward though

2019 i3s BEV here and my long term average is only 4.1 mi/kW. Tire wear has been perfect so far. No repair issues so far but only at 10k miles. Little bit of wind noise on driver side windows.

Great video, enjoyed the family touch put into it.

Great video! Thank you

I own a 2019 i3 S in which I bought 2 years ago! I still get same joyful experience driving it today as I did 2 years ago! It’s a lovely drive and shifts too!

You needed to hit it with some armor all on the dash/interior. Great video!

you got really luck with the 12V battery! usually when those start to go, the car goes haywire and will oftentimes leave you stranded as the car will not really accept a charge when the 12v is fully dead. i have a 2014 rex and i absolutely love it, it's my favorite car to drive out of the 3 BMWs i own because it's so quirky and different looking and it's a blast to drive! and small to fit into tight spaces but big enough for a trip to HomeGoods. cheers!

Nice review Andre. As to Andre's wife's winter driving woes, I think I saw this on out of spec, that BMW changed software mapping for winter driving. I don't know if anyone can confirm that fact. I I thought the the Rex was on the rear passenger side. Also, and it doesn't really matter, but it was my impression that the maximum tank volume is 2.9 gallons. I really like my i3. Again, great video Andre. 👍👊✌🖖

Thanks Andre. Sort of the antithesis of the F150 lightning! Great car that BMW could of improved with a slightly longer wheelbase, newer electric motor and batteries. That said it is a ground breaking vehicle and we love our 2017 Rex with the mid life battery giving about 200km (120m) range. With the Rex we can, in theory drive from Melbourne to Sydney with a couple of fuel fill ups. In reality we rarely use the Rex and like you nearly always charge at home with a 240v 32amp 7 kw single phase charger. With solar we minimise our costs as well.

In a pinch, you can flip it to neutral and it will coast without regen. This has saved me a few times in the winter going downhill on snow covered roads.

Best city car yet designed. On my third BEV. Leased 2014 and 2017. Bought a 2021 last Fall before prices went insane. Since no equivalent city car is offered in the US anymore, I expect to drive this one until one of us expires.

mine had that breather problem too. they tried to say it was because i don't put the cap on correctly. eye roll

Glad to see you still have it. You guys did very little content with this car. And it really is awesome. They will never make another car like it.

Thanks for the review. Since giving up my Bolt to buyback, I’ve been drooling for electric drives. As the used market softens, an i3 might be a great bridge back to EV. If I do an older tech EV, one with personality like the i3/Rex could be fun. And the range extender (with all 3.5gal) is a game maker! Thanks again!!

i would recommend a 2017 & up. 2018 was the slight refresh I think. Bigger screen, camera, etc. Fun to drive comfortable for 2. But tight for 4. BMW should give it a few more inches and much more people will drive them/buy. It still gets looks out on the road.

We also have a 2014 i3 Rex. We have passed 114k miles on it, and its range is still 70-80 miles on the battery alone. We commute 40 miles 6 days a week with it. My issue is it burning up the rear tires much faster than normal since they do the vast majority of braking along with acceleration.

Unless you are driving the vehicle in "rollers mode" then it absolutely will not "lock" wheels. Once the DSC spots the under-rotation of the rear wheels the regen is simply removed automatically. This does have the effect of feeling like the vehicle accelerates but of course you are actually feeling a reduction in deceleration not an increase in acceleration. The i3 does feel quite "flighty" in terms of driving dynamics, which drivers of low confidence and drivers who are not smooth on the controls find probamatic, but the car actually has incredible balance (although the REX models do feel more rear biased than the pure BEV ones) My suggestion to anyone who regularily drives in low friction conditions is not to do anything about the car, but improve the driver! ie get some specific driving tuition on low friction surfaces. Not only will this make anyone a smoother more confident driver, but it might just save their life should they have to make an emergency maneouver or hit black ice un-expectedly. I've owned an i3 for 7 years no (i3 for 5, i3s for 2) and there is no other car i'd rather drive in winter because of the way it drives in low friction conditions :-)

Good video Roman!

She says, “Hands off my i3!” Lol and I can’t blame her. I’m not married but have the exact same rule. An excellent and superb review! Impressed by the all inclusive use 4.5mi/kWh, but makes me wonder if the REX inflates that over my 2017 BEV showing 3.9 over I assume what the current odometer is reading at 27,500K because I clear my Trip Meter with every charge. Something to find out. And I have no clue about the seemingly duplicate screen with the next button push that only displays o’s. I can respect her fear of regen braking on ice even though some drivers dismiss that possibility as remote. Remote is still plenty enough to worry about. How does she counter it? You have inadvertently however reinforced my decision to not buy a REX model for my city driving needs. I was so proud to totally break away from any ICE maintenance and feel even more justified now thanks to your video. If you need extended range, by all means get it, but if not, then wise choice. I hope for your sake your wife missed you saying that you usually drive it in Eco Pro mode. Moving right on I thought about adding the cup holder, but haven’t been overcome with the need for one. Mine came to me with both a reverse camera and unique split moon roof that I truly enjoy. One because my neck is stiff although I am still trying to acclimate to using it after driving for over half a century by turning my head to see behind me, and the other as my lifelong (now muted) lust for convertibles especially after retiring in Florida. “Like today I was heading to the office” and totally forgot in my zest to brag on the REX jailbreak options that my wife might read this. Oh brother, you are busted for sure now! You may have a way out of trouble however if you tell her that you are fortunate to have a Shirley Muldowney, kindred spirit for a wife and that the cost of these proprietary tires is totally meaningless if she is having fun spinning them on dry pavement. But saying things like that may be why I am no longer married after several futile attempts… At 12:46 you must have gotten word that she was on her way home by the way you started rushing your wrap up. I hope you remembered to remove the Fob from your pocket before walking out to greet her. But it did not stop you from producing the best overall You Tube video for an owner with direct driving experience as “shared by his wife” of course that can be shared with the public. Might I add just a couple of new tips from watching many i3 videos this month, and then finish up by adding my own canned response to those I felt to be in harmony with our findings? 1. There is a cap holder on the inside of the charging door at its top left. 2. The rear trunk floor can be easily removed for an interesting view of the drive train. 3. The two panels on each side of the Frunk can also be easily removed for more viewing. And the one thing I’d like to have, if not for the cost, is a Wokeby “Frunk” sealing kit. I sincerely hope you two have as much enjoyment with your i3 as I do just as expressed in my “canned” comment to worthy BMW i3 posts: I have had my “Litl’ Blue” 2017 BMW i3 BEV 33Kw 94Ah since 01/25/2021. I bought it in showroom condition from an original Florida owner with 24k on the odometer. I’m 75, and drive it about 30-100 miles a month mostly to pick up online ordered groceries and to visit the VA clinic. I use a 240V, 16A (3.84Kw) Level 2 charger in my carport routed inside as an alternate device to my dryer outlet. I gain 13.5 miles per hour of charging up to 124 to 137 miles, and from home my electric cost is $0.031 per Mile which at an average gas price of $4.00 per gallon equates to 129 MPG. If there is a more perfect EV out there, I simply don’t want it. I don’t need more range, acceleration, styling, features, reliability, comfort, handling, or value. Litl’ Blue is obviously my Forever Car. Paid $16,500 but was offered $22,400 by Edmunds/CarMax 4 months ago which tickled my worn out ego. You may name yours too. First car I EVER bought that actually appreciated 36% in just over a year!! 🚙

Isn't there a plug in adapter to make it hybrid 100% of the time? It reprograms it to hybrid mode and you can fill up to 2.4 gal right?

Andre, have your alignment checked by a good shop. Manufacturers typically allow a range of alignment settings in their specs. There is probably a better setting to suit your driving conditions that will improve your tire wear.

I've owned 13 BMWs, and every now and then I drop by a dealership to see if anything interesting is in the showroom. In 2015 this resulted in me buying one of these brand new, knowing nothing about EVs, but the test drive sold me in an instant. Mine was the top spec with the large screen, nice 20" wheels and the very cool wood dash. Loved it for a city car and never had a single issue with the i3 in 3 years. Cool to watch this video and get another owner's take on this great little EV.

Careful when you need to replace the motor mount, they changed the design which means now you have to replace the bracket that holds the mounts because the new mounts do not fit in the old bracket. It is a $6000 repair to have both sides replaced or $5000 for one side.

Just bought my 2018 i3S. Amazing car.

If you get the 94Ah rex it has a little more power from the generator, it can hold around 110 km/h. Its easier to get in to the back seats if you use the handle in the front seat (placed in neck rest) to fold it forward.

we're happy for you Andrey 😎

How much was the battery replacement?

Consider studded tires although perhaps not available in those sizes?

How much was it to replace the battery? Small battery still, but what was to total cost?

If you stop the i3 while the Rex is running and the battery is depleted, will the Rex continue to run until you run out of gas or the battery is more fully charged?

I’ve read that the regenerative braking ads wear to the tires…. ? Sounds possible

I love my 2014 Rex i3 too... zipping around town is fantastic... mine required a replacement gear selector... I just replaced the original 12 volt battery too... lasted 8 years which was pretty good ! My higher spec car has a large info screen, high res backup camera and dc fast-charge

That BMW i3 Looks Popular.

Would you get the 2017 i3 or a 2020 bolt

Low resistance tires + spirited driving = worn out rear tires. It's basic car math. The uneven wear on the rear tires may be the result of misalignment and/or sagging springs.

Seems the i3 gets some popularity lately. I have a 42kWh one, but I test-drove the 20kWh REX for 400 miles and it was excellent. The 20kWh REX is good enough for so many uses...

You guys are probably wondering if it’s fast. Dude this car is the BEST. I beat a dodge demon from 15-60mph!!! So intense but DAMN!!! And today I tried racing a brand new duel motor model s and I clinged to his booty to 60 PERFECTLY. Not an inch given till i let off at 60!!! TRULY MAGICAL. And I’ve had mine for a while, very very reliable. I had NO idea it would be this quick from 15-60 though, Holly crap it’s giggle inducing!! 🥜

I picked up a 2016 i3 Rex I call iR3x lol, but yea it’s a great little people mover for daily running around. I got it because of gas prices now I like driving it more than my truck now.

That winter driving situation sounds terrifying

I love my i3, but I'm super thankful I got the Carmax extended warranty. It's been in the shop for a month trying to fix multiple problems. My seat heaters went out and the airbag fault light came on, but the worst was artifacting on the main display. Parts issues coming from Germany have slowed down the process as well as some of the parts received were faulty. All in, the repairs are costing around $8k and I'm so thankful Carmax is footing the bill because that's about half the value of the car.

how did you do the jail brake?

It Looks like this car does not have a CCS portion of the charger. That was common in REX models in the USA. However in Europe even with REX most cars are equipped with CSS making the car much more versatile on longer journeys.

Those rear tires are ready to replace - they are almost bald. When you loose all patterns it’s too late, Andrey

thank you my friend for helpfull video , i have wird proplems with my i3 , wen i release the accelerator pedal the car tack longs time to stop than normal ..... ..... and it keep moving slowly and does not full stop , what the problem ?

I thought about buying one of these for my daughter, as she’s about to go to college. I bought a used Volvo instead. I think she naught have been better with this. Thanks for the video and update, Andrei.

you mentioned replacing the battery... was that covered under the warranty? or did you have to pay out of pocket?

Hi Andre! Great video. Im pretty sure you are running the wrong size of tires. My i3 had 155wide tires in the front and 175 wide in the back., so a staggered setup from factory. I noticed you had 155s in the back, that might be contributing to your uneven wear of tires if not your alignment as you said or tired bushings? Best regards from Norway 🇳🇴

Given uts primarily electric, does it not have the "bmw" quality of stuff bteaking down?

I too have an older (2015) i3, non rex. I only get 130km of range but its enough for city driving. We only charge it like once a week , from our solar panels. Its a small and light weight car so acceleration is really good. I would love to see a sequel to this car with wider tires, 4 wheel drive and more range and power of course!

I'm pretty sure fuel tank with the German settings allows 2.2 gallons instead of like 1.9 from the factory.

mine has a weird smell right now too, and I JUST changed the 12v! can't figure it out. thought maybe it was because my seats got wet or something.

I know I’m a bit late here but I have a question for anyone who is knowledgeable on this type of car. I currently have a 2012 Nissan Leaf that gets about 40-45 miles on a charge. This is enough for my daily commute but I am an active person who could use a longer range car to transport my dogs, bikes, hunting gear, etc. does anyone have any recommendations for $12,000.00 or less? Thanks! This review is great by the way, the i3 has definitely piqued my interest

Recall on older models electrical type causing tires to lock up too fast making car skid or slide in rain or bad weather.Exactly what u said about wifes car sliding

I have a simple question. How does the car switch from battery to gas? Is it done automatically or is there a switch to flip?

The fuel tank is only 2.5gal including the reserve, and coding it expands it from 1.9 usable to 2.1 usable. The last .4 gal cannot be accessed.

I wish they offered the petrol extended version here in my country. Such a brilliant idea, no charging station required.

Tires are the Achilles Heel of the BMW i3. Only one manufacturer, wear quickly, you cannot rotate them, and worst of all -- no spare. If you get a flat in most cars, it's a couple hours of inconvenience. If you get a flat in an i3, it's a 2-3 day process (tires are not carried by most tire shops so you need to order it, then have your car towed to the shop). It's been a source of real frustration for me. But other than that, they are excellent cars for urban/suburban use.

I feel your pain. We have an i3 120ah which has about a 42kWh battery, 38kWh usable- we get 190 miles in warm weather dropping to 150 miles in Scottish winter (not as cold as you guys). My wife is very protective of it and I rarely get to drive it 😂 It feels much nippier and lighter than my Q4 E-Tron and makes a great city car. It’l copes really well with 70-80mph driving too, but the range drops a bit😬

No CCS in the first models?

I wish the Michelin tires were available in the USA

can someone please tell me how to get a "level 2" charger? thanks! i have the home charger that takes like 12 hours for full charge (2015 MODEL)

I guess I’m not driving from Colorado Springs where I live to Georgia

One appeared for me to buy for half the price, the owner says it's been there for 3 weeks and it belonged to a friend and the car is ok so far, but I'm scared, he wants 4 thousand dollars, could it be a mistake?

The mellowest I've ever seen him.

I think tire manufacturers will need to consider ev specific tires with consideration to wear from added torque

i just lost my Rx-8. i’m finna recoup with one of these

REX motor is in back on the right side of the car

Am I looking at this correctly? You have to do undo the seatbelts to allow someone in the back seat?

Harsh regen and rear wheel drive coupled with a very light body is a recipe for not a good combination

I have a 2016 I3. I live in Norway and NEVER had the regen lock up the wheels in winter. I have driven 65000 ++ miles in mine. In your wheels lock up like you say: BUY NEW TIRES man.

Used 2015 REX, purchased a dealer warranty, came in handy, had charge port fixed and a dash panel, they replaced with a panel with no seat warmer buttons had to have it re replaced. Had to replace seat belt tensioner $900 out of warranty, eucalyptus looks dry. Wish it had a two-pedal mode, I think it's a myth that you get more regen with one pedal 2 pedal modes include blended regen on braking. Wish we had 19 inch wheels, 20s are harsh and we bent a rim. I own a Fiat 500e (California era) and a 23 Chevy bolt, each has its strong points. I'd like a drop-in 12-volt life-po that works with the car's charging system.

What one do you have of the I3? I know the have the 60h and 94h and another one

I'm a Prius Prime owner and my jaw just dropped when you said it gets 150 miles! I have an 11 gallon tank and get 550. It's like 1/4 of a car. I'd give this to a teen, they won't go far.

since its not produced anymore BMW or some 3rd party ought to have a final update to allow a bigger fuel tank to be detected/work in software and it would be a PHEV that would be an absolute hit in the used market if it isn't already haha

4.5 mi/kWh is awesome. My average is 4.0. What does everyone else get in the i3 or other EVs?

So you only get 74 miles with a full charge?

I just sold my 2014 I3 REX after 5 years and 48k miles. Absolutely loved that car, so sad to see it go. Once I unlocked several of the bmw limited features it worked so well for our needs.

My wife leased a 2014 i3 without REX. She couldn't wait to get rid of it. It was great except for winter time. Rear wheel drive and regenerative braking on the ice is not a great combo. Her commute is less than 60 miles round trip and she would be low on range during winter. We have enough icy hills that I bought her a cheap used vehicle to get her through winter safely. Also needed 4 new tires in 2 years and my wife isn't an aggressive driver.

Thts the bosses car at work!!! Exact same one.. it's a 14'..it's very toy like interior inside. I see this car 7 days a wk. Boss says she loves it

How much to replace the battery?

I really wanted to love the i3 but the mandatory regeneration braking is a deal breaker for me here in Canada. I have a '13 Leaf which I like but my wife has an '18 Ford Focus Electric and it is just as fun to drive as the BMW, it is just as quick, it handles better, and has regular tires so it is easy to buy replacements. It also has a mechanical shifter! Think about that. An EV with an old school proper console shifter and a hand brake! It may be the most under appreciated EV on the planet.

I love my i3

I3 should be called i1. Make the i3 resemble the 3 series like the i4, i5 and i7 does.

"My wife's been driving it to work and back every week. Um, she's put about 20,000 miles on it in about 18 months, so I know a lot about it." Uh, your WIFE knows a lot about it! 😂