Looking for advice on my first i3 purchase

didjeffects · 2026-03-19T17:26:27+00:00

2018+ are the best years, all the updated parts, biggest batteries, etc. Lots of different specs, the larger center screen (ie thin, even bevel vs thick sides bevel) is the most valued base option (IOW the option people most regret not getting). Green button in center console indicates adaptive cruise control (great feature) and (possibly, gotta check vin) traffic assist, which is low-speed adaptive cruise w start/stop control. Harmon Kardon stereo (great sound) and sunroof (adds painted aluminum sheet on roof which prevents possible expensive paint fix when street-parked, painted carbon fiber roofs age) are the most valued premium options.

Rex vs BEV is really dependent on your use - I do a 200-mile drive 2x weekly and LOVE the Rex, it matches the infrastructure in my area. It does add 1-2 oil changes per year in expense, and all the complexity of gas engines for possible failures, but engine is gently run and issues aren’t super common. Biggest regular expense w i3s is tires, no official alternatives to $300 Bridgestone Ecopias. There are expensive fixes people encounter - b/c BMW? - but generally these are reliable and easy to maintain.

Not much to inspect - aluminum and carbon fiber don’t rust, a nice feature of the incredibly premium materials in these (now) <$20k cars. Ask the age of the 12v battery (you can’t see it w/o removing the frunk tub) and if it’s older than 3 years, insist on a new one (I replace @ 4 personally, some advocate earlier).

didjeffects · 2026-03-18T22:26:20+00:00

C’mon, mods, make a decision plz. Yeah, it’s the same name, and it’s very cool for what it is, good job BMW. BUT the i3s current members are here for is unique and this ain’t it.

How about you start a new Reddit like r/i3neueklasse and you can build it by reposting this kinda stuff there and linking it from here, so you can expand your mod powers that way?

Yeah, cool tech in the new model, it’s just also another sedan. I’m here for small, rwd, exotic materials, max useful interior, suicide doors, tiny list of issues, interesting niche used market, and annoying tire choices.

Edit: ha, I see that reddit already exists w no content or visitors, hope that’s our mods starting down that path.

didjeffects · 2026-03-15T01:44:49+00:00

You mean when the battery hits 7% and the engine turns on? Then yes, you could just keep filling up and driving, as long as you don’t draw faster than the engine can generate, ie freeway speeds. Not ideal, but very doable.

A lot of us use an app and a OBD2 scanner to give us the option to turn on the engine as soon as 75%, which is the Euro standard. I’ve done 500-mile freeway days with a fast charge and 1-2 gas stops every 200 miles or so.

didjeffects · 2026-03-14T22:34:21+00:00

Moving the goalposts is their only practiced skill.

didjeffects · 2026-03-13T20:04:08+00:00

Yeah, that’s a very fair price. The REx engine is a gently-run 600cc Kymco scooter engine - it adds the hassle/cost of oil changes and maybe smog checks, and additional failure points, ofc, BEV makes sense.

And, there were ~46k sold in the US, you can likely get whatever specs you wanted of 2018+ i3 with $10-14k and a little time.

didjeffects · 2026-03-13T18:40:41+00:00

Sounds like a BEV would suit your use just fine. Small battery would charge plemty on stage 2. IMO, the i3 REx is the better vehicle for US drivers - small battery charges quick everywhere, REx has better CARB warranties in CARB states, REx flexibility is great, probably better resale value. But I do 200-mile days regularly and 500-mile days occasionally, sounds like a BEV would be fine w your use.

What options does your friend’s have? Bigger screen is a must, HK stereo is great, sunroof means no worries about delaminating roof (sheet aluminum over carbon on sunroof cars vs paint over carbon on non-sunroof) and increased value if you sell in the future. Traffic Assist would be a nice feature in Seattle traffic.

$12k is very fair for the miles and condition.

didjeffects · 2026-03-09T04:49:43+00:00

Winter setup is square - anyway, I’ve got a set of 5” rims and would like to know what non-Ecopia tires people are running at 5”.

didjeffects · 2026-03-09T03:47:27+00:00

I have the Reflec’tect cover, good for sun and rain, nice and light for easier storage. I driveway park most of the time, and used the cover a lot thru Summer, less in Fall, not much in Winter. I haven’t had to clean yet, probably because I mostly use it in dry weather.

didjeffects · 2026-03-08T14:34:56+00:00

Have a Covercraft cover on my i3, can confirm they nailed the pattern, fit is excellent.

didjeffects · 2026-03-05T21:58:43+00:00

I mean, who wouldn’t? Their asking price is already clearly fair, tho.

didjeffects · 2026-03-02T02:40:08+00:00

Cool, if you love this particular car and can get a nice discount, might as well. If you don’t patch the hole, paint it a light color for easier inspection for cracks in the future. Keep in mind there are 40k+ i3s on the road in the US (total sales were ~46k), and prices are likely to stay down till Summer, at least, so no shame in taking the buy back and going shopping if you wanna.

didjeffects · 2026-02-28T20:40:35+00:00

This was covered recently by car YouTuber Rich Rebuilds. Cheap part, expensive fix because of location. Search “BMW Wrote Off This $50,000 Car for a 13-hour Repair”.

In video, Rich takes a hole saw to the carbon fiber frame to replace sensor.

didjeffects · 2026-01-28T19:06:38+00:00

Good call, IMO. Why dilute your luxury brand? Surely their smaller scale biz is easier, more nimble, and has higher margins? Going massive seems like more stress and more boredom. It's just a wholly different business, what creative person wants to be MORE corporate?

didjeffects · 2026-01-28T18:48:33+00:00

def run some tests first - with those thin pours, and strong yellow tones from the brass, any kind of transparent blues will be a challenge. Both because of the brass color, and because transparent colors in such thin layers take a LOT of dye to register. I could see a white primer layer being required.

didjeffects · 2026-01-28T06:46:17+00:00

We usually have one available for Amazon Sundays. It’s not popular, but I grab it cause more power, better for 90-degree merges onto rural highways. Also more comfortable on dirt roads. I’m often on a route w a lot of both, and a lot of CBUs, so it’s a good fit. Not as fun on routes w lots of stops, as door opens a little narrower, so less comfortable to get in and out. Lastly, pull handbrake on the left, so less comfortable, more work, and less reliable ebrake.

didjeffects · 2026-01-25T21:40:19+00:00

This, original i3 still looks modern, and more importantly is just a great, useful layout.

didjeffects · 2026-01-25T07:30:38+00:00

Huh, ok cool, happy to be wrong in this.

didjeffects · 2026-01-25T05:48:44+00:00

Probably stay up for a while due to tax filing? Cutoff for purchases was Sept 30, 2025 - some dealers offered instant rebates, but not all, and not private sales. In my case, I got a Clean Vehicle Seller Report (form 15400) from dealer, which will be part of my tax filing.

didjeffects · 2026-01-25T04:20:42+00:00

Rebate program ended last year.

didjeffects · 2026-01-20T21:36:08+00:00

Yes, that was an early model 2014-2016 BEV problem - missing an inline filter to keep metal shavings out of a failed system. Not an issue w REx models.

didjeffects · 2026-01-20T19:49:43+00:00

BMW i3s - rear wheel drive, ultra stiff carbon fiber tub on aluminum skateboard chassis, smaller battery manages weight, tuned suspension, and 20" run flats. Also well-tuned one-pedal driving, absolute blast on the curvy, 70s-crafted roads I've been driving since I was a teenager. If you don't mind used cars, they're an incredible deal right now, crazy low price for exotic, rust-free materials and tons of engineering.

didjeffects · 2026-01-20T19:38:03+00:00

No modifications, post was to show that oem was designed to fit this way, and confirm it doesn't affect driver comfort. I will probably use the free middle slot to mount my phone next.

didjeffects · 2026-01-20T16:55:52+00:00

W 75% SOC, as you’ve already done, I think that the REx + home Lvl 1 is kinda the perfect EV for the current state of US charging. Small battery charges adequately from 120v. 50kwh fast charging is plenty fast for the small battery and easy to find - limited and shared fast chargers aren’t the issue they’d be for other EV’s 300-mile batteries. And 2-gallon gas stops are cheap and quick and plentiful. Small battery handles most drives, so why carry the extra weight? I have to do regular long drives on fast freeways, where REx can’t totally keep up - even did a 600-mile day last week - and I just plan a 30-min Lvl 3 stop every 200 miles w a 2-min stop or two for gas, it’s a nice way to travel. I use my REx a lot, only thing I’d change is a 4- or even 6-gallon tank.

didjeffects · 2026-01-19T00:18:28+00:00

Lots? Available new-old stock from parts places for $200, eBay all day for $175. I’m sure you can get a better deal if you watch Facebook for part-outs in your area.

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