Buying Advice: 2014 i3 REX

[howdesign]

Hi All,

I have sincere appreciation for having these communities to be a part of, so thank you in advance for existing and contributing!

We need a car quickly and I feel like we are making a compromise that requires some risk assessment. Similar to the previous post I just joined a few minutes ago and am currently leaving a 2004 VW wagon with 218K and looking to buy a 2014 REX with 61K and the standard options for about $12,800. This is perfect for our budget and we haven't been able to find anything else close with the REX, which we will need once or twice a month. There are some options for 15-16K that are also 2014 and have 71K + but that seems outrageous. Either way, we are really excited to own this car.

Back to the car...It is in very good condition and has been maintained well but the REX has not been used frequently. The owner opted to keep the HOLD function deactivated so I doubt they ran it regularly. This model also lacks the level 3 charging capabilities. We have level 2 charging at home outdoors via a 220/240v & 16amp plug that is protected, although our car will be in a exposed driveway. Our plan is to buy a cable like a PRIMECOM or other brand available on Amazon instead of a charging station.

I know that a 2014 model is risky, and reports range from fine to not. A VIN check shows that this particular vehicle was constructed in March 2014. This car started as a leased vehicle and was then bought as CPO with 33K and is now being sold to us with 61K. This particular vehicle has had a fuel pump sensor and fuel pump replaced. The rest seems to be in good working condition. I have not tested the battery capacity, but on the test drive it read 72 miles at full. I have read about the AC woes, and random things about the Range Extender.

So all of this said, I have questions about what specifically I should be concerned with and how to protect this investment if we move forward.

1. Is there any specific maintenance that I can do when I get the car besides an oil/filter/spark plug change? I will also be sure to run the range extender once a week to keep it regular.

2. For the owners have 65K or more on their i3's, what should I look out for in terms of high mileage i3's?

3. For those interested, I have received a certified offer for $12,100 on the car as a trade-in. I received this offer to help determine the value of the car because many of the sites like KBB seem to be much lower than what the market demands.

4. Where are all my long road trip adventurers at? Would this vehicle make a 400 mile drive, a 200 mile drive? How long have people here driven on the REX alone? Without fast charging, we are currently thinking that we would rent for road trips. But I am curious to see the stories people share.

What I worry about most, is loving this car so much that I want to trade it for something newer with a higher trim level option, level 3 charge, and some additional features in the next two months. But we do need a car now and this seems like a good introductory option. Any thoughts are appreciated, thanks!

 

[jfran2]

You're about to step into a brave new world! I have a 2014 Rex and love it! I wouldn't worry too much about the Rex not being run much; it will start on it own every so often to go through a maintenance cycle if it's not used. (This has taken many people on this forum by surprise). One thing to watch out for with a 2014 is going to be the small, 12 volt battery. If it hasn't yet been replaced, it will be time soon, and it's around $500 at the dealer. As far as extended trips go, I take mine on round trips of 250 miles or so every few months. I live 110 miles from a large city, so I usually end up running the Rex while I'm on the highway, saving my battery power for city driving. You'll probably want to do the coding to hold state of charge if you take trips like this. On the lack of DC fast charging - I try to use mine at an Electrify America station at the halfway point in my city trip, but it's so unreliable I often end up running on Rex for the trip home. You may or may not miss it. I have a level 2 32 amp charger at home that does a full charge in about 3 hours. Overall, they are great cars, and I'm loving mine! I will admit, though, that for long trips I still depend on my ICE vehicle. Good luck with your decision!

 

[Stylngle2003]

PS, he bought it! It came with BavSound front speakers and an empty state of charge
But he's happy and that’s what matters. Now, we’re trying to figure out a home charging situation.

 

[PBNB]

I picked up a 2015 Rex and have been driving it for 18 months. One of the biggest issues for me was pent up concern about modules just stopping. This was perpetuated by reading about other owners and their issues.

I went to BMW and worked out a warranty that would extend it to 7 years. There was some cost involved but I do feel much better. We use this car for our small business and the business can afford to pay for a warranty. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have gotten it.

To this day, when I get into the car, I am amazed by the design and technology.

I have used the Rex a few times but really have only gone through 2 tanks since owning the car. It is more of a safety net if I push the range.

We have replaced the summer tires (20" option) and also picked up a set of mounted 19" snows (Blizzaks). Otherwise, we are due for a brake fluid change and connected drive subscription update. I also changed the horns to Hellas which give it a cool Euro sound. I found the stock horns made the car sound like a Ford Pinto.

Enjoy your new ride!

 

[JohnKelly]

You should find out if the motor mounts have been replaced with the updated version. There was an issue with the early i3s breaking motor mounts. It can be an expensive failure to repair especially if it causes extra damage to other components.

 

[Anonymous]

You should find out if the motor mounts have been replaced with the updated version. There was an issue with the early i3s breaking motor mounts. It can be an expensive failure to repair especially if it causes extra damage to other components.

The issue was, if the rear end of the car went 'airborne' hitting a speed-bump or pot hole, with no load on them, the electric motor would still be applying traction to the wheels, and they would spin at high speed, , and the sudden torque on the plastic motor mounts when the wheels hit pavement again and were forced to stopped spinning could shear off the motor mount bolts, and in some cases cracking or breaking the motor mount. The solution BMW applied was to replace the motor mount bolts in all the cars (with the plastic motor mounts) with stronger bolts, and update the motor control software to prevent uncontrolled wheel spin, if/when the rear wheels went airborne and lost contact with the road. The motor mounts were changed to cast aluminum very late in 2015. The plastic motor mounts themselves were never replaced unless they showed cracking/damage. Your Dealer can check the car's service records, to see if the 'fix' was applied. Since it was a recall and fix being applied to all the cars at the time whenever it was in for service, it most likely was done.

 

[howdesign]

Thank you everyone for your feedback and advice!

Adding an update. As mentioned, we bought the car! I was very hesitant to purchase the car at the price it was offered (12800 2014 REX with 61K) because I've seen better deals for newer cars elsewhere. But we needed a car and this one was well cared for and driven regularly. The west coast has so many more options, but not much in the VA/DC/MD area. I guess that is due to the additional CA credit... So now this is the only car that me and my fiance have and we love it! :mrgreen:

Driving/Charging:
The car runs very well and so far, is perfect for our needs. Most of its use is for a 16 mile round trip work commute and running around town. We charge on a 120V plug and haven't needed more. We have a supportive infrastructure of level 2 chargers around us. We don't have to charge on nights with trips to the grocery store or out to certain restauraunts. We were going to install a level two where we park, but decided to see how long we could hold off on level 1 charging. We have a IP55 waterproof "SockitBox" from Amazon that we put our charger in because we have to charge the car outdoors. The "hold state of charge" function works great and we have added it to a shortcut button on the control panel to make it easier to activate. We use it mainly on highways per the advice, and that makes sense because when we travel more than the battery can handle, highways are probably involved. The car does recognize all 2.4 gallons in the REX. Overall, the car handles well, and maneuvers around city traffic with an agile haste. The ride isn't rough but I'm always on the lookout for bumps and potholes because you do feel them more than other cars.

Interior:
In general, the user interface seems a bit convoluted but is actually pretty straightforward. Overall, the interior is very comfortable and the uncommonly high seating position is interesting and welcomed for such a small car. This adds a unique factor to the driving experience, I don't drive in many cars that are quick and agile with this high of a seating position. The spaciousness and visibility that you have is truly amazing. Many have commented that the car looks small on the outside but feels much bigger on the inside. We were able to fit a queen size bed kit from IKEA into the car by putting the seats down. :!:

Other tech:
The BMW app works well for climatizing the car and preconditioning the battery. We also have the key programmed to fold the mirrors in and lower/raise the windows. We used Bimmercode. We also have the upgraded BavSound speakers which sound good enough, I can see why they were upgraded. What are some other good recommendations?

Problems/Issues:
Slight squeaking from the steering wheel that comes and goes. Any tips on this?
People mention issues with the suicide doors and rear passengers in parking lots, it doesn't bother us or friends.
Having to resist driving around like go-kart, full-throttle off the line whenever you have a reasonable chance. No wonder people melt their tires!

A game of car soccer with these would be incredibly fun.

We've already talked about looking for a 2017-2019 in a year or so depending on what our needs are. Great car, would recommend, just make sure you know your driving needs. I think if we had a 40 mile round trip commute we would need a level 2 home charger.

Chris