Going i3 REx Shopping this week!

[Adam78]

I currently have a Fiat 500C Abarth and love the car, however it is pretty miserable on the highway, isnt as economical as a car of its size should be, and...I kind of want to live in the future. I have read plenty of articles on the i3 and have watched even more youtube reviews.The abarth was great in my mid 20's, but I have since gotten a respectable job and need something a little bigger, but do not want to give up the quirky fun small car lifestyle.

Overall I have heard mixed reviews on highway performance. From what I gather, in hilly areas, of which there arent many in NJ. It would be best to code and then activate the 'hold' function to preserve battery around these areas. Aside from that, I imagine it's better than buzzing at 3500 rpm getting 25mpg at 70mph haha.

I will be making nearly a 550 mile trek to Maine in a month, so I'll really be putting that REx to the test, but overall 85% of my driving is within 20 miles. Although I am waiting on hearing back from a job that may require me to drive up and down the whole state. Sure NJ isnt a big state, but I wonder if a car designed for city commutes will be up to the task? Does anyone else use their i3 as a commuter car for trips around 1 hour? I am looking at 2017 CPO i3s and the value seems to be amazing for what you get, the final say will be the actual test drive but I am looking forward to it. Anything to look for during the test drive? I imagine a car this late into the design cycle has all the kinks worked out and it will still have a warranty so I am not too frightened.

 

[RonRPH]

- Hi!. I have no problems with the i3 on the highway- but you need to remember that speed and altitude gain are two of your worst range killers. For that reason I tend to avoid highways when I have the opportunity. I try to keep the car at 65 mph or lower. Retired- so I'm not usually in a rush. The hold function to me is almost a required option if you plan on driving any sort of distance- to me it makes the car stress less on long drives; not having it enabled the car to me is crippled.
- Get a level 2 charger. Even though theoretically you might not need it- it is so much nicer to have the car charge that much quicker
- Since most of the hills in NJ are in the northern part of the state, be aware that the heater is also a major range killer. I live in central NJ, and often it is much colder in just that relatively tiny bit of distance. I NEVER use it. Since I mostly drive alone I just wear a heated coat ( plugged into the car), turn on the heated seats, and dress warmly in the winter. For me it works. Being able to pre-warm the car in the winter is a nice option to using the heater. The lack of a heated steering wheel though is a major disappointment.
- Value of a used i3 to me is great. New not so much. I purchased mine new (2015 Rex) and consider that a mistake ( very happy with the car though; you just need to UNDERSTAND it). The technology is changing so rapidly that these early cars lose a lot of value (from new) - even though to me the range would meet most people's needs especially in a "dense" state like NJ. I think one of the best things you can do is to read through this forum for the cars weak points- tires, 12 volt battery, small gas tank, limited range compared to newer electric vehicles.

 

[sipabit]

Last year, the best deals were 2015's. This year, the best deals are the 2016's. Generally, you'll find that used cars have the best deals when they're about 3 years old. This holds true for the i3. Still under warranty (albeit not that much). Anything older and you're not getting that much of a deal relative to the miles and age of the car (unless you're looking at the 2014 $11,500 i3 BEV for sale right now). You'll want to look at something between $20k-22k depending on the options.

Yes, 2017's have come down significantly in price in the past year. They used to be in the low to mid 30k. The extra range would be nice if you don't mind spending mid to higher 20k.

I drive a 1 hour commute to work daily and another 1 hour back. I have the 2016 which has the smaller sized battery, but I charge at both ends. I can barely make it back w/o charging if I drive conservatively and don't take the care out for lunch. Total commute is about 35-37mi each way. Majority of the length is freeway.