2017 BMW i3 - Best EV for the price?

Here is a quick video on my 2017 BMW i3 Rex

[@pmac6584]

I replaced my old Leaf 24 with a 2017 i3 rex. I have burned 2 gallons of fuel in 2 years. The generator is like having insurance, you wonder why you pay for it until you need it. In the UK we have to pay £170 per year tax for the rex so the 120ah full electric is cheaper to run. It costs me 2p per mile to run mine and absolutely love it.

[@RolohaunGarage]

awesome, glad to hear it!

[@cossierspower5858]

You only have to £170 if its a year 2017 or newer I own a 2016 94ah rex that's free road tax

[@pigknickers2975]

Hi, I've got a 2017 LEAF which I love but am thinking of getting a late i3. Do you find the ride good, and the road noise too? Are the tyres are problem, I hear they are special for the car.

[@pmac6584]

The i3 is better handling than the leaf but it is stiffer ride . Noise is not a problem. The tyres are a bit more expensive than the leaf but last about the same. I would say the i3 is a better EV than the leaf but is a town car not a road trip car.

[@pigknickers2975]

@@pmac6584 Yes, the leaf on the front seems to manage about 20k miles but my rears are still original at 60k miles now. I'm more a town car type of person but the CCS would come in handy. Great deals on Leafs now, but I can't commit to Chademo and the lack of thermal mgmt. I've had 4 BMs in the past and always loved them. Will look to find one under 10k miles and hope it lasts. Thanks for getting back to me.

[@sonnycruz7032]

I bought a used 2018 i3 BEV with 46k miles on it 2 years ago. I just changed the left motor mount last weekend, otherwise it's been a troublefree car. Looking at picking up another i3 once my youngest starts driving...they get this i3 and I'm hoping to pickup an i3S for myself. 😊 Former E30 owner myself, 1987 325e. Lovely car to drive. Also owned a 1972 2002 which is one my favorite cars of all time.

[@RolohaunGarage]

awesome! Surprised you had to replace a motor mount,

[@liv2ska8]

We love the BMW i3 sooooooo much that we ended up getting second one for the wifey. Hands down best car we have ever owned, and having a level 2 home charging makes the ev experience absolutely fantastic. Great video, thank you for sharing 👍

[@sfkeepay]

Thanks for making this video. The more i learn about the i3, the more comfortable I’m becoming with actually getting one. Many owner comments sections from i3 videos on youtube are so unreservedly enthusiastic about the car. I’ve been particularly impressed by the comments from long-term owners. Their experiences with the i3’s reliability is very encouraging, and I hope you have, and report on, similar good fortune with it. Congrats on finding this i3; I have to say the blue body color is a great fit for the design and size of the car…it’s just appearance, of course, but it nevertheless really adds to the overall appeal.

[@RolohaunGarage]

I will be making more videos on it for sure. I plan on keeping it for 3 more years at least. There is a hidden menu in the i3 that will give you a idea on the battery health. Mine still has over 95 percent left after 76,000km. Make sure you look at the 2017+ models

[@tomladdus9264]

I have the BEV. 2014. Still going strong fun to drive. It had the metal motor mount recall done.

[@tomladdus9264]

@gerhardgoedhart2107 that must have been quite a surprise!

[@hwangysj]

Great video. We have a 2020 BEV and luv it. The only negative opinion is that the tires wear out very quickly , maybe get 20-25k miles and are expensive, about $250 each with install.

[@RolohaunGarage]

I have heard that, I wonder if it was the initial tire choices from the factory, I am at 47,000 KM on the original all season and I think I could get another year out of them

[@cedarcanoe]

6 weeks ago I bought a 2017 BMW i3 94Ah and was (like you) blown away by it. I just had to own it. Such a fun car. The current trend is to make +2.000 kg heavy large EVs with loads of batteries. Efficient? Ps. Small correction: the i3 has 170 bhp, not 180. (The i3S has 184 bhp). Regards from Sweden

[@RolohaunGarage]

awesome glad your liking your awesome i3. I wish more manufactures would make simple lightweight EV's maybe one day. thanks for the correction on the HP

[@michaeldawson6309]

Another lovely treat is because they are so energy efficient they do not need a large battery for decent range. I have the 120Ah BEV and I get a solid 160 miles sometimes more in summer. Anyway in the UK we have EV electric tariffs where 5 hours at night electricity is 8p/Kw so you can charge this up from empty for £3 ! this is one smart design. Plus there's not much out there that can beat this to 0-40mph they are instant from a stop and so much fun.

[@RolohaunGarage]

Yes I totally agree, thats awesome you get such cheap electricity. It's a great car, I love mine every time I use mine. I hope to upgrade the screen and infotainment.

[@jiglesiasIII]

I’m looking at the same model. Your video is very helpful. 👍🏼

[@RolohaunGarage]

thank you, appreciate it

[@34OLD]

This car always has good reviews. My luck with cars have been so bad that im scared to buy this

[@RolohaunGarage]

get a prepurchase inspection and you should have no troubles!

[@dave20thmay]

Shame that it has not been looked after. They are great cars in fact my first 4 wheeler. The sunroof actually gives you more head room even before opening. Best Dave

[@RolohaunGarage]

yep very underrated, I love mine

[@rockitlabs7284]

Awesome video!! Congrats from Brazil!!

[@RolohaunGarage]

Thank you very much!

[@YTcolinT]

Just to be clear the “scooter motor” doesn’t charge the battery it supplies the electric drive motor directly from its 3 phase AC generator/starter when required, the revs are fixed in a number of steps so noise of increased road speed masks engine running faster; the battery state of charge is maintained when running only topped-up to holding level by regenerative braking if necessary. I bought it because of the body materials, the roof is recycled carbon fibre production off cuts combed into a felt weave.

[@LWHDurham]

Sorry, but your comment doesn't clarify anything. In fact, it couldn't be more confusing, since it appears to disagree with every REX review and technical description I've seen. This is not a Chevy Volt. The 2-cylinder engine only generates 34 hp, compared to the electric motor's 170 hp -- enough power to maintain the battery's state of charge, but not nearly enough to drive the I3 at highway speeds (above 70 kph) for a prolonged period. That's one of several reasons for coding the I3 as the video suggests. After changing the programming to European spec, you can turn on the range extender at approx. 70% SOC and continue driving with little noticeable loss of performance, although a small drop in SOC still happens at higher speeds. If you were to drain the battery completely--something I admittedly haven't tried--it's hard to believe the car would remain functional, no matter how full the gas tank. I've also seen suggestions that power from the AC generator is converted to DC allowing storage in the battery. Not a criticism of your comment. It's just that after six months, I'm really enjoying this car and would like a better understanding of how it works.

[@YTcolinT]

@@LWHDurham It looks like I over thought the efficiency when using the RXe which generates 3-phase AC because it needs to be converted to DC via the REME (So can maintain %SOC of battery) or supplemented by the battery for extra power when needed before passing to the EME for conversion back to 3-phase AC to control and drive the traction motor. If the engine only charged the battery introducing another efficiency loss to chemical it would run at its most efficient constant speed. You need only about 20kW to maintain 70mph on flat it's acceleration/gradient/wind that requires power. From David Bricknell book: Electric Vehicles and the BMW i3 - 60, 94 and 120Ah: The output from the ReX electrical machine is AC and is conditioned to 330VDC by the ReX Electrical Machine Electronics (REME); the REME has an efficiency of about 96%. The DC output, via the KLE (convenience charging electronics) and EME (Electrical Machine Electronics) to the main propulsion motor or to maintain the %SOC of the battery. The ReX is a variable rpm electrical machine although, for Noise and Vibration (N&V) reasons, it spends most time at one of the following bands: ▪ 2200 rpm - 4kWe / 5.5hp ▪ 2400 rpm - 6kWe / 8.0hp ▪ 3600 rpm - 18kWe / 24.0hp ▪ 4400 rpm - 22kWe / 29.5hp ▪ 4800 rpm - 24kWe / 32.0hp ▪ 5000 rpm - 25kWe / 33.5hp

[@michaeldawson6309]

I originally was looking at the REX due to range anxiety but quickly learned the 120aH was perfect. Range is not a problem and they charge up really fast when out in public due to the efficient smaller package. 50% charge in less than 30mins is common. With 160 miles real range no problem I travel 160 miles only a few times a year. 90 miles travel here in the UK is typically 2 hours ! So take a little break have a coffee and a comfort break and top up if needed but so far I have never needed to charge anywhere other than home. But here's the kicker.. 160 miles for £3 ! thats what it costs to charge up in the UK at home in 2023 empty to full.

[@starriderstudios]

Love my i3, turning radius is amazing. It's a mix of plastic and carbon fiber, not 100 pct.

[@RolohaunGarage]

yes I agree, the life cabin is all carbon fiber and the otter shell is plastic with a aluminum and magnesium frame.

[@michaeldawson6309]

Peace of mind car parking. No dents :-) or door rash. Plus not iron so no rust ever. Maybe a coat of ACF50 for the alloys to help protect. Just remember to change the 12v battery at 4-5 years irrespective of how you think its doing. There cheap too. From BMW in the UK mine was £98 last month.

[@starriderstudios]

@@michaeldawson6309 I found out the hard way on that 12v battery, luckily in my driveway. No indicator of battery health. It was an 9 year old 12v battery 😱

[@dave20thmay]

@@michaeldawson6309 My 12v battery is original for a 2016 i3 and still show good health. I have an Odyssey battery of the same dimensions, which I can remove from my Motorcycle if it starts to look ill. Also the LifeCabin is made from carbon fibre reinforced plastic. But still hard, but so light the whole thing can be lifted by two easily. Best Dave

[@tonymcflattie2450]

You had me at fun to drive. I am scared of stuff breaking though

[@RolohaunGarage]

for the price, it should be ok, I think a 2020 model would still have decent warranty left.

[@abc123abc99]

I'd love to see a video of you adding Apple CarPlay.

[@RolohaunGarage]

I would really like to add the 10 inch screen and the Carplay / Android auto module, stay tuned!

[@stevenbarrett7648]

I keep eyeing these REX versions up, like you we own a model Y but this would make a useful 2nd car. Problem in the UK is the insurance companies have literally more than doubled the cost of insurance for electric cars, our Y cost £800 last year, this year its £1800 so more than doubled and its not just me saying this the whole country is up in arms about the cost of vehicle insurance. Government don’t wish to get involved, ever since they added an ‘insurance’ tax government now makes even more money from car drivers essentially working hand in glove with these huge companies who operate a virtual insurance cartel but nothing is said. I can’t wait for Tesla to start offering insurance over here disrupting yet another market, they already have our driving stats so its a good bet for Elon to offer the complete package…….meanwhile no 2nd car !

[@RolohaunGarage]

That's s a real shame, this makes a great inexpensive second EV. Hopefully Tesla insurance starts making waves in other countries soon!

[@stevenbarrett7648]

@@RolohaunGarage its amazing how big business can disrupt car sales, like having an unelected government making policy all in their own favour of course, shocking really. I was speaking to someone just this morning who was half way through buying a used Range Rover Sport until he checked the cost of insurance, it was over £4k ! He’s no endorsements and 4 years no claims in his early 30’s so no RRS and no sale for that particular garage all down to the greed of these big businesses. Maximise profits and s*d the rest of us

[@LWHDurham]

In Canada, insurance rates can vary enormously from one company to another and depend heavily on location, driving record, vehicle age, manufacturer, etc. It's not uncommon to change carriers annually. There's also some suspicion that EVs are more expensive to insure than ICE vehicles, but it's not necessarily a general rule, and there's real data to suggest it might be so much anti-EV misinformation. Road & Track Magazine, (Aug 2023) points out that EVs as a class--and Teslas in particular--are not written off significantly more often than other automobiles. FWIW, insuring our I3 costs $60 more than a similar policy on our Honda CR-V, and it's also three years newer.

[@stevenbarrett7648]

@@LWHDurham ​​⁠here in the UK insurance companies operate a virtually closed cartel so they can now set whatever price they wish irrespective of how good or bad a driver you are. Government get a cut of the profits so nothing is said as it would effect the amount of insurance tax revenue government receives

[@michaeldawson6309]

Insurance is no different to any other car in fact mine went down this year ! Tesla maybe higher but these are very cheap. It costs me £300 a year and I'm 62. So cheap as chips.

[@Alphabet7]

Id love to see you add amdroid auto

[@michaeldawson6309]

Android auto is a retrofit under the back seats. I was considering it but decided its not worth it. I can play anything via BT from my phone but the HiFi unit and HDD are sufficient. Maps are great too and very easy to zoom in unlike Android. I'm sticking with the iDrive its good.

[@Alphabet7]

If you can. Could you code the i3s speed and make a video on how to and difference

[@RolohaunGarage]

I can code it, what would you like to see?

[@Alphabet7]

@@RolohaunGarage I would love to see like a how to, would you recommend it, before and after. That type of video. Like talking about the benefits and potential downsides. Just your overall experience with it going from 7.2 to 6.8 seconds. Battery affected? Etc. How to put it in sports mode, does eco pro still work, that type of stuff. Thank you.

[@michaeldawson6309]

Yep you can code to put this into sports mode however BMW coded this out to save the motor. Also the BEV is a little lighter and faster than a REX. 120aH is the best IMO range is awesome 160miles real in winter.@@Alphabet7

[@jhccb123]

I'm thinking about purchasing, what's the best year and how much is maintenance

[@RolohaunGarage]

you want a 2017 or newer model, maintenance is basic, oil change once a year if you have range extender and that is it

[@bobble1476]

in the uk u pay more than some eco cars in take

[@chingyrath8358]

Which BMW i3 option is good?

[@RolohaunGarage]

any 2017+ it is good, I do recommend one with the Range Extender

[@David-by3im]

Hi, if you don't mind me asking, What size battery do you have? 94ah? I'm looking at buying one and i'm in canada as well. My biggest driving day on Vancouver Island is 200ish klms.. You think this is a good fit?

[@RolohaunGarage]

yes 2017 and up have the 94ah size. If you have the range extender that's very easy.

[@Alphabet7]

Hopefully the prices keep dropping

[@michaeldawson6309]

I think they will stabilise as these will become collectors and they are so efficient and don't wear much. battery I guess is good for 20 years. Plus I can see a support network in the future offering repairs and battery upgrades as battery tech improves. Nothing not to like.

[@wilkoone9155]

If it has a chimney its not electric. I think the Renault Zoe has far better range & unlike the rex its not a hybrid.

[@RolohaunGarage]

you can choose if you want to use the range extender or not and it is a option addon to the i3. I would still consider this a EV for that reason and you can just leave the gas tank empty if you want.

[@wilkoone9155]

@@RolohaunGarage Its still a hybrid!

[@michaeldawson6309]

I would always advise getting the 120aH BEVS they are a little lighter faster and have excellent range 160 miles real. I have had 220 in summer on some trips.

[@bobble1476]

wot a waste of a button

[@RolohaunGarage]

which button