2017 vs 2019

[kungfutea]

Hi there,

I'm trying to decide whether to purchase a 2017 or 2019 i3 as a second electric vehicle for my family. Currently, we own a Mach-E, and I plan to use the i3 for my daily 70-mile bumper to bumper commute in the Los Angeles area. Since I want to minimize maintenance, I prefer to stick with BEV.

The 2017 BEV costs around $20k OTD, while the 2019 BEV is priced at approximately $25k OTD. Given the $5,000 price difference, I'm unsure whether the newer model is worth it. Considering the mild year-round weather in Los Angeles, I believe the 2017 model will perform well for my daily commute. However, I'm concerned about the limited range of the 2017 model affecting its resale value when I sell it after 3-5 years.

Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[eNate]

There are clear delineations in value that step with the battery size, but there's also the added value of much improved headlights with the refresh, and updated iDrive with much more responsive voice recognition.

Otherwise, pretty much the same car.

I drove my 2017 BEV beyond its 4th birthday and about 50,000 miles, and the battery remained at its rated capacity. I could drive 135 real world miles if I was willing to take it to the margins.

Paying 25% more for 33% more battery seems like an honest ask (not knowing the mileage differences or options/packages), and the greater range makes the car more useful in edge cases.

When you go to sell it in 5 years, the battery will be the prime differentiator, but I suspect the value will be so low that it won't make a huge difference. However the larger battery will always be the most popular.

 

[agzand]

Definitely 2019. If you want to save go halfway and get a 2018 which is the first year of facelift.

 

[kungfutea]

There are clear delineations in value that step with the battery size, but there's also the added value of much improved headlights with the refresh, and updated iDrive with much more responsive voice recognition.

Otherwise, pretty much the same car.

I drove my 2017 BEV beyond its 4th birthday and about 50,000 miles, and the battery remained at its rated capacity. I could drive 135 real world miles if I was willing to take it to the margins.

Paying 25% more for 33% more battery seems like an honest ask (not knowing the mileage differences or options/packages), and the greater range makes the car more useful in edge cases.

When you go to sell it in 5 years, the battery will be the prime differentiator, but I suspect the value will be so low that it won't make a huge difference. However the larger battery will always be the most popular.

Thank you for your input. I hadn't considered using math to evaluate the options, so paying 25% more for 33% more battery capacity does seem like a better value.

I guess I have to look at it case by case, in order to compare the values.

 

[cpallenjr]

Another consideration would be keeping the purchase price below $25,000 so I could take the $4000 used EV tax credit (assuming purchase from a dealer).