Our two i3’s in the soggy NW of England

[Fordychap]

2019 i3 in Stormtrooper White and Black
2022 i3S in Mineral Grey

I guess we like the i3 a LOT!

Both are 120Ah BEV only (no rex)

They are keepers.… hope to keep them going for many years to come…

 

[Paul4A]

Very nice looking. I’m considering an i3 myself. Aren’t the 20” wheels and tyres too hard for the UK’s appalling potholed roads?

How much is a set of tyres for the 20” ( non S) wheels compared to the standard 19’s.

 

[Fordychap]

We only have the 20” wheels on both now, and the i3S’s firmer suspension does make it a less relaxing ride on a rough road, but correct tyre pressures are everything, and a change to Michelin tyres makes a big difference to ride quality too.
The i3 and the i3S are a joy to drive - and actually I would not swap either now. If your use case fits, like ours does - home charging and usual round trips <130 miles - or just locally, then it's a no brainer.
Cheapest car to run (not to buy) I ever had.
Service at main dealer recently (every 2 years) and I got a loan car and a full valet - price? £120.
I do have a set of 19” rims with winter tyres too - but I didn't use them this year.
Tyre prices too variable to comment - but on average, yes 20” tyres are about 5% to 10% more.

 

[Paul4A]

In saying that they’re the cheapest cars to run, perhaps you’ve been one of the lucky owners as there seems to be a fair number of i3 reliability issues which can prove to be very expensive indeed so repair. That’s what is putting me off buying one, as I simply couldn’t afford the cost of repairs if they weren’t covered under warranty, and extended warranties aren’t cheap.

 

[Fordychap]

In saying that they’re the cheapest cars to run, perhaps you’ve been one of the lucky owners as there seems to be a fair number of i3 reliability issues which can prove to be very expensive indeed so repair. That’s what is putting me off buying one, as I simply couldn’t afford the cost of repairs if they weren’t covered under warranty, and extended warranties aren’t cheap.

Well, I can only go on my experience and the comments I have from others. A good friend has also just moved working for Jaguar Land Rover up here to a partnership in a BMW/Mini dealership - sadly at the other end of the country!
All of those with experience of the i3 say that the failures are rare - particularly in those vehicles after the 2016 upgrade - the 94Ah models, although even the failures in earlier ones are far less than in the ICE equivalents.
Crash damage is a different matter, where damage to the carbon shell can easily cause an economically unviable repair.

Our own experience bears this relative reliability out. Our cars have not been wholly fault free, but this is the list:

Car one: 2015 i3 60Ah Rex
We got it in 2016 with 18,000 miles on it and sold it in late 2019 with 54,200 miles on it.
It had a full BMW service history and we continued that. We had these issues:
- Rex sensor failure (replaced by BMW)
- Washer bottle failure (cracked - replaced by me - with parts from breaker £10)
- iDrive knob broken (replaced by me with part from breaker £65)

Car two: 2019 i3 120Ah BEV
We got it in late 2019 after selling the Rex.
It was a low mileage used from BMW’s used car website. It had 9,500 miles on arrival.
It’s now done 41,870.
Only problems or issues:
- In 2023, the cabin heating failed. It was the HV cabin heater (a known issue from this build period). Out of warranty repair by BMW £420.
One tyre pressure sensor stopped working.
Replaced at tyre change (£55).
Split gaiter on front suspension - both replaced by me in 2021.
No other issues. Some major component warranty applies to this car still, but it expires soon. No plans to extend it. We will be keeping the car though.

Car three: 2022 i3S 120Ah BEV
Bought brand new from BMW in March 2022.
Has every available option specified on it.
Has only just completed 5,600 miles.
Only “issue” was the supply chain problems at build - post pandemic which removed the Touch function of the iDrive (smaller dial controller). All else was OK.
Have since found a used Touch controller (£90) and installed the Touch function that was ordered originally - since I was used to using the large dial and touch function in the 2019 i3, and missed using it when in the i3S.
Only this car is still under warranty.

So I think this is a reasonable result for our i3 ownership, and I am certainly happy with this vehicle.

 

[alohart]

In saying that they’re the cheapest cars to run, perhaps you’ve been one of the lucky owners as there seems to be a fair number of i3 reliability issues which can prove to be very expensive indeed so repair. That’s what is putting me off buying one, as I simply couldn’t afford the cost of repairs if they weren’t covered under warranty, and extended warranties aren’t cheap.

Just like with all auto forums, most posts in this forum aren't about how wonderful and trouble free their i3's are but are about problems with their i3's. This makes it seem like i3's are typically troublesome and expensive to own. Yes, some out-of-warranty repairs can be expensive, but independent organizations have rated the i3 as above average in reliability.

We bought a 2014 i3 BEV new and replaced it after more than 7 years with a used 2019 i3 BEV. We never experienced an unexpected repair either in or out of warranty. I sleep well each night with no worry about an expensive repair looming ahead.

Rather than buying an expensive extended warranty, fund and then pay monthly into an i3 repair fund that earns interest. If an expensive repair occurs, you'd have money to pay toward that repair. If no repair occurs, you'd have some savings to enjoy.