BMW i3 Buyers Guide (from a petrolhead)

Specs, trims, options, what it's like to drive & own, weird stuff and things to look for if you're thinking of buying an i3.
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[@MatthewBonacci3881]

Actually I found out that you can switch it to regular cruise control to help mitigate those certain conditions with rain and sun. All you have to do is select the minimum following distance, then hold it down until it says distance control is disabled. Helps a lot. Thanks for the video.

[@Jazda]

Yeah, I discovered that after. Handy option when needed.

[@entropy5431]

I thought a very good review, especially your knowledge of the options and their usefulness. Thank you.

[@deeksdotum9334]

Picking up my 2019s up this week! Ty for the walk around.

[@Jazda]

Enjoy the i3!

[@hoffmeisterwoodworks]

Thank you for such an informative video! Just got a 2018 i3s and so far love it. Only option we did not get was the Harmon Kardon stereo… hoping to be able to update that.

[@bitmanev4331]

Thanks for your video. A couple notes; My 2019 UK spec 120AH i3 has 4 speakers (none HK) two in the front doors and two bass speakers on either side of the footwells. When the Adaptive Cruise control stopps working you can switch it to normal Cruise Control. This is indeed mostly driving into the sun; having mist on the caamera / windscreen or down to dirty windows.Regen; It might be the 120AH or software updates but still having regen even when at 100% and still does it when over dribbles in the road. Back in 2016 I drove a 60AH Rex what indeed had the same as you described. I used BimmerCode to program standard in Eco + and have the Apadtive Cruise Control on 2 bars as for me 3 bars is to far away

[@timwilliams113]

Excellent video. Very helpful. Thank you. Couple of comments I have the standard stereo and I think it's pretty good. Probably worth a listen before deciding. I also have the heat pump AND a range extender with the small battery. I don't know if the options were different in Ireland.

[@johnirwin7155]

There is a way to revert the adaptive cruise control to fixed cruise control. Just hold the following interval button down until it chimes. I have to do this daily. Only thing I caught wrong in his talk.

[@Jazda]

Did not know that. Thanks for the info.

[@whocares264]

The standard audio has 4 speakers in the front one midi in each door and one woofer in each footwell,, it is poor,

[@ericfriend]

Thanks for the excellent guide. i am just about to buy a February 2017 I3 REx from a friend and which has covered 31,000 miles. It has full black/brown leather seats, reversing camera and the self park option, but I'm not sure if it has the upgraded radio, which I would like to have. My friend is out of the country at present and the car is in an airport car park, so I can't check up on the items that you mentioned. Any ideas what the trim level is called and what other goodies I can expect there to be included along with the extras I have mentioned. Many thanks.

[@Jazda]

As far as I know it varies depending on where you are buying. Trim levels and packages are not the same in US and UK for example. For the UK/Ireland, the Harmon Kardon stereo was an upgrade for all trim levels for 2017. I believe it became standard later on (maybe when the 120 battery was launched?)

[@alanwong8162]

I have a 94AH Protonic Blue BEV from 2017, but with 19" 429. Did you put spacers on your 430 20" wheels? They look fantastic.

[@Jazda]

Yes. I have another video about the spacers - kzbin.info/www/bejne/eoisZoqwa56Ig7s

[@DaveMcCordOsbieFeelgood]

I was also going to mention the speakers in the foot well. They are also ported to deliver sound up at the sides above the air vents. Honestly it's not That bad. The only problem is for those who like to mod the system. Being an electric car with a carbon fiber chassis.. It's a bitch.

[@Jazda]

Interesting. Didn't know that.

[@MrClassy1991]

Does the i3 come with 42kwh battery plus range extender? Or there is no such combination.

[@Jazda]

No such combo. Only available on the 2 smaller size batteries.

[@beforebefore]

There are some very serious warnings for prospective i3 buyers, especially for the pre-2018 years. One - if the aircon compressor fails, the repair bill could easily exceed the value of the car... of any year i3. The aircon is also used inside the battery pack to cool it, and a failed compressor often severely contaminated every bit of the refrigerant plumbing... including the battery pack. Second is a failed drive motor, due to improper design choice of bearings. The only path of repair is replacement, at about $7500 usd. If the bearing fails in the worst way, it also destroys the transmission input shaft bearing, so a new transmission is also required... another $3k usd. This happened to my 2015 BEV Tera World model. It began at 70k miles, but BMW told me "it's fine, all i3 motors make that noise". Lie... because at 94k it suddenly got much worse, and has been stuck in my garage since Jan 2023. I posted a video here on KZbin about it. In 2018 BMW switched to an improved drive motor with tapered roller bearings, and will hopefully resolve the issue... but it's still a permanent sealed bearing, so if any wear occurs, the metal debris is trapped in the bearing, and it will soon fail... bad design... as every reliable EV uses live bearing lubrication with filtering for the drive motor bearings. 2019 and later i3s have the latest of 5 revisions of the aircon compressor, so hopefully they also finally figured out how to make it reliable.

[@Jazda]

Thanks for the valuable info

[@savedfaves]

Why don't you like keyless-entry?

[@Jazda]

It's fine, but I've owned a few cars where it broke, so I'm wary of it's reliability.

[@bitmanev4331]

Keyless car theft, also known as relay theft, is a method used by criminals to steal vehicles without using the physical keyfob. This technique targets vehicles with keyless entry and start systems, exploiting the technology to gain unauthorized access and drive away with the car1. Thieves can use a pair of devices to carry out this theft. Firstly, they capture or amplify the signal from your car key and send it to another transmitter1. This transmitter acts as an additional key, allowing the car to be opened, started, and driven away1. Keyless car theft is simpler and quicker than you might imagine; it can take less than two minutes for a car to be stolen1. While keyless cars are generally more vulnerable to theft, it also depends on the particular model and situation1. Some models have keyless entry that unlocks the doors when the key is close-by but still require a conventional key to start the car1. Manufacturers have been working on ways to combat relay theft, so some advanced models have systems designed to thwart keyless car theft1.

[@carbon7000]

Can you fit golf clubs in the boot?

[@Jazda]

Not my thing. Sorry. It would be a tight fit I'd say.

[@evoikon]

You should learn to code it to start in ECO PRO+ mode.

[@Jazda]

I've coded myself instead. I get in and press the eco button without even thinking about it 😂

[@evoikon]

@@Jazda This is a brain hack because you will get used to the slower acceleration. Then out of the blue switch to Comfort mode and it will feel so much quicker! 😁

[@SirPablo2Pablo]

I put my i3s into sport as soon as I get in… life is too short

[@martinknowles6041]

He doesn't understand the difference between kW and kwh, power and capacity. Ignore the advise

[@Jazda]

Yes. All of the other information is therefore irrelevant. Also, he doesn't exist and lives on a marshmallow planet in my dreams. Thank you for your valued contribution. What would we do without you?

[@simonreeves2017]

Almost everything in this video is incorrect. I lost my patience when the reviewer fails to comprehend the difference between Ah, kW and kWh. It goes down hill from there.

[@Jazda]

Out of curiosity, what else did I get wrong? And can you correct me on how I should have stated the capacity?

[@steve97384]

Hi Jazda, you said kilowatts instead of kilowatt-hours but I read the text that was simultaneously on screen and knew that you really meant kilowatt-hours. It wasn't a big deal for me but some like to pick at minor mistakes. Kilowatts is power, kilowatt-hours is battery capacity, Ah (ampere-hours) is battery capacity. Great video by the way, thanks.