Are REX problems worth it?

[Map40]

I have 2 i3s, both REXs. We turn on the REXs at least 2 times per month for 10-15 minutes. So far no problems. Oil change once a year. The reason why I got the REX is just in case I got an emergency while on the road I don't have to worry to charge the car, and so far 3 times it saved my a**.

 

[Azure Blue]

There is an advantage to the REX if you register it in California. Not sure where you are located and whether this applies to you.
BMW reached an agreement with California on the REX to qualify with smog requirements.
The REX and gas/smog components (maybe the battery too) for it are warrantied for 15 years in California.
It may be difficult to get the BWM dealer to honor this. Some posted information about this on the web.
With the BEV, it only has an eight year warranty on the battery in California.

On the other hand, dealers are usually looking for $1000 to $2000 more for the REX.
Personally, I think you want the REX on the 2015-2016, and the 2017-2018 versions.
Not so much on the 2019-2021 versions.

This is great to know! My 2014 REx is registered in California. It’s been to Concord BMW and they said it still has two warranties on it. I took Bailey I3 in for the CEL. They replaced a lot of stuff only to find out the electrical harness was the issue. So they replaced that. All of the parts and labor (1 month and 4 days at the dealership) cost me only $275. Hated not having Bailey I3 that long but to have it fixed and no more CEL worries, it was all worth it.

 

[kweiske]

Lest anybody think it not possible, long trips are available to BEV owners, too, such as the 1,700 mile San Antonio to Oakland trip I drove in 48 hours, written up elsewhere on this forum.

Do you have a link to that story? I've wanted to start taking longer trips with my 2018 REX, starting with some day trips that are just past my EV range one-way.

 

[eNate]

Here ya go:

https://www.mybmwi3.com/threads/1700-miles-in-48-hours-120-ah-bev.17445/

 

[ksnax]

Buy a full EV and if you want peace of mind stick a Honda generator in the boot.

That introduces new problems though like fuel that can potentially stale faster and clog up the carburetor, and of course securing it is a significant safety concern. (I feel safer carrying a fuel container in the frunk with the REx than I would with a 65lb lump of metal ready to smash brains out the windscreen in a head-on collision.)

 

[JohnnyCakes]

One additional advantage of the REX. If you are on a trip and arrive at a public charger and find them all out of service or all occupied (a fairly common occurrence in the USA, unfortunately) the REX gives you the option of moving on to the next charger.

 

[wjsi327]

People complain. It's what they do. You are not going to have someone start a thread with the topic, "Nothing has gone wrong with my REX."

I have had zero problems with my 2015 REX. Mostly I don't need it, but am comforted that it is there. On occasion, I visit a friend who lives 400 miles away. I can do that easily, with or without charging along the way. If the gas station is at the top of the exit ramp on your side of the highway, I have learned that a gas stop takes three to four minutes from exit ramp to entrance ramp.

I felt the same with my 2018 i3 Rex lease. I really only used the REX once. When the lease was up I traded the REX for a 2021 BEV lease, and paid that off this January when the lease expired, so now it’s mine. One thing that convinced me to drop the REX was learning that the BEV had heat pump where the gas tank was in the REX, and the heat pump was more efficient than resistance heating under certain conditions. Anyway, I don’t normally drive long distances so the BEV is fine for me.

 

[evanstuff]

My wife and I love our 2017 i3Rex. (Our other car is a LEAF.) Sure, it’s had some quirky repairs, but infrequent. Probably the most annoying is having to change the oil. I also run it 90% as BEV. The engine provides two things: 1) confidence to use 100% of the battery, and 2) ability to take long trips without fast chargers every 100 miles, and then run BEV at our destination. We charge both the i3 and the LEAF on one shared level 1 charger at home.
My next car will be an Aptera.