Guidance on the i3

[alishafai]

I am looking for guidance because I am in the market for a car and I am considering the i3.

First, a bit about me…

My name is Ali and for the past 6 years I have been leasing a Fiat 500e [2 3-year lease terms] and I’ve enjoyed the EV experience so much that whenever I am driving our family car [Volvo XC60] I feel like it’s a step back! When I first started down the path of trying an EV, I was looking at the i3 but the cost kept me away.

One of the main reasons that I have always liked leasing is because it generally allows you to get into a much nicer car as compared to buying with little out of pocket in acquiring the car combined with an affordable monthly payment. Finally, you get to walk away when the car starts aging and more expensive service schedules come into view.

Now that the i3 has been around for some time and a used one can be had at a more approachable price, and because our family dynamics are such that it will be our backup car seeing less than 10 miles a day, I am now once again seriously considering it. Also, I have to turn in my 500e in February 2020, so I am getting a head start.

But, I have questions and things that I am ignorant of which make me nervous. So, I am coming to forums to get educated.

I am going to list questions here and if there are posts that it has already been covered, please point me to it and I will go read about it.

Thank you, in advance!

Is there a model year sweet spot in terms of options vs. price trade-off that I should keep in mind?

What do you recommend as the [must have] options for the car?

Which options, colors, and model years should be avoided?

How long is the battery expected to be in good working order?

When I buy a used i3, does the warranty on the battery and/or the car itself transfer over to me as the new owner?

My 500e has basically been maintenance-free, with only a tire rotation in 3 years of use. Is the I3 similar or are there more regular maintenance needed.

What type of maintenance is needed for an i3?

Does BMW cover maintenance for a certain number of years or mileage for the owner of the car. If so, is it only for the original owner?

I am nervous about [buying] an EV, because I see that their value drops dramatically with each passing year. How big of a concern is this in case I want to sell the car in the future?

In looking for the car, is the dealer the best way to go or should I also entertain services like Carvana and private parties?

Is there a service that you know of where they can evaluate the car holistically and let you know whether you are getting a car in good operating condition?

Finally, what tips/tricks, gotchas or anything hidden or not commonly known things should I watch out for as I look around for the car.

 

[robthebold]

Where are you located? Incentives, tax breaks and other factors will have a big potential impact on your decision in some places. You'll want to get advice from others familiar with your local situation.

E.g., I'm in the US. There's a federal EV tax credit when you buy one new, but only so many credits per manufacturer. Local governments and utilities may also have programs to reward EV buyers. But because of this, used vehicles depreciate more quickly -- regular depreciation plus the "used up" tax credit. There's no local programs here for me, so I bought one used (off lease) from another region that had depreciated over $20,000 in just two years.

So with some more info, you'll probably get more specific (and therefore more useful) advice.

 

[jadnashuanh]

Since introduction, the battery capacity has been upgraded a couple of times. But, with a typical 10-miles of use per day, any of them would be more than enough. The battery has an 8-year warranty that it will maintain at least 70% of the original capacity. There's a warranty on rust, and defects, but there's not much of anything to rust. The the free services does not transfer, but depending on the age, you might be able to buy that upfront - usually isn't cost effective, though. By now, most issues would have been resolved by either MY changes or by a service campaign. The original year and about 1/2 used a different motor mount, and some people had issues. They redesigned it. The original ones got retrofitted with different bolts, but the mount itself was not changed to the newer design. So, you might want to see which motor mount the car has. The DC fast charging capability was not standard on the first couple of years, so if that's important to you, you'd want to verify that option. Probably not necessary at 10-miles/year. I'm assuming you have an EVSE, but even the supplied 120vac one (if you're in the USA) would recharge the thing fine in a few hours, and probably less.

If you buy the BEV versus the REx, there's less maintenance and complexity. Both versions call for a brake fluid flush every 24-calendar months. It's recommended to replace the cabin air filter, but that somewhat depends on your environment. If you lived in the desert or a dusty area, the service intervals on that filter are probably adequate, but it may not be very dirty if you live in a more hospitable location. Most other things are just checking stuff that you might be able to do yourself. Well, you can flush the brakes yourself if you wish, too.

Most of the i3s have staggered wheel/tire sizes, so you can't do much of a rotation, and BMW generally doesn't recommend it (I have two sets of tires - winter and summer - the winter are square, so I rotate on the same sides front to back each season change).

The stock audio system is pretty basic, but that may not be important to you. I think the professional nav that comes with a larger display is worth the difference. Personally, I won't buy a car these days without the rearview camera. There were a couple of special editions that had a more basic interior (Dekka). My preference is the Giga interior, but it does come with lighter carpets that get dirty. If you must have all leather, it only comes in one color.

 

[alishafai]

Thank you, everyone!