2015 BMW i3 consumer reviews

This is a surprisingly fun car. We bought it mainly to not feel guilty running the AC in car line - but got to appreciate it in various situation. The range isn't great, the flimsy tires need getting used to - but for what a used (ideally certified pre-owned) one goes for - I really don't think you can go wrong. Unless you live in a city and have good places to charge - it probably is not a suitable car as your only car - but it's a great addition if you don't depend on it for a 300 mile drive. Accelerations is fun, the car is a lot bigger inside than it looks. It has a little bit of a theme park ride feel to it at times.

Overall, this car is meeting our needs. My wife likes to drive it, and the acceleration is amazing. The range is very limited, so even a short trip to a nearby city requires a stop at a recharge station. (10-12 minutes) Main complaint is that it get very very hot in the sun. The windshield radiates heat down onto the passengers, and the roof also gets very hot. This makes the car uncomfortable in summer. I am not impressed with the reliability. The electrical system in our vehicle has been quirky...sometimes the windows move by themselves. The AC light would not turn on, even if the AC was obviously running. (Dealer replaced it but it took some wrestling.) I still can't figure out how to set a few favorite stations on the radio buttons. Finally, and very annoyingly, the car quit working without warning recently while I was out on a short errand. Due to COVID I have not been driving it much, and apparently it can't keep it's 12V auxiliary battery fully charged in this case. This then quickly led to complete failure of the 12V battery and the car disabled itself. No warning. And apparently I am not alone, because the dealer told me there is a 3 week wait for a replacement battery! To me the engineering that went into this car is below BMW standards.

Best first electric car I've owned! Love it. Fast and fun to drive. I love out-running the traffic. Quiet. It's so quick! Very safe! I love the range extender. I go everywhere and anywhere. Comfortable. Charges in 4 hours with my 220V charger. High performance.

While the exterior and interior styling are really modern, once you get used to the i3's quirks I became a wonderful car. Probably the most reliable and dependable car I've driven. While the range is limited, Range Extender make it very road-trip able. But I wouldn't recommend the interior space for more than 2 adults. Handles great in snow with snow tires. The lack of maintenance requirements make it dream for someone who simply wants to get from point A to B, without having to remember anything in between.

Well ive only had it a year after a few months i had to replace the whole engine then on to the battery not cheap on an electric car constantly having to put it in the shop and cant drive it again because the dealership is ignoring me as its saying the engine i replaced is out again i suffered heat exhaustion twice last summer because they dont tell you if its not charged you have no ac or heat I have been treated horribly by the company they should be ashamed

BMW i3 with extended range ... the most high tech design built ... amazing driving and tech support... vehicle is reliable, fast ... almost zero expense.

I love my i3. I was looking for an inexpensive electric vehicle that didn't look like a spaceship, and found that in my 2015 i3. I purchased this vehicle with only 38,000 miles and have since only put 5,000 miles on it. It's great for those who have a shorter commute to work/school. I have not had any problems with the vehicle at all. It runs great, the backup gas option is great when you run out of time to charge. The only draw back I would say is that it doesn't go a longer distance on electric.

Car is pretty spacious for how small it looks and will almost never need to be taken into to the shop. One of the most reliable cars I’ve owned

There are so many good things about this car! The overall driving experience is unique and enjoyable. One pedal driving really is superior. Around town handling and acceleration are fantastic. The acceleration is addictive and can be too good at the expense of the rear tires. The interior is quirky but good overall. I would not recommend an i3 with the base Business Navigation or without the upgraded HK sound system - these are two must have features to me. The interior is comfortable for driver and passenger. Back seat passengers don't have it so good. The seats in the back are comfortable enough but there are no climate vents in the back nor do the rear windows roll down. If there were climate vents in the back I'd add 1 star for interior design. The interior overall is very roomy. The headroom is great and legroom is good front and back. The one "problem" is with the large volume in the interior and large windshield. In the summer the interior gets extremely hot! Not a deal breaker and for front seat occupants it's not too bad - for those in the back seat (with no AC vents) it's not good. Having the ability to precondition the cabin does go a long way to helping this though. I mostly like the coach (suicide) doors to the back. There are times when it's not convenient - like if I'm driving one of my kids and a friend around. They are generally both in the back and must get in/out from the drivers side as they have no access from the passenger side since the coach doors won't open without a front door open. If the coach doors were independent I'd add 1 more star for design. So, add rear climate vents and independent rear doors and this gets 5 stars across the board from me. The other interior aspects I like. The dash is very appealing to me (I have the wood). I really enjoy the lines and overall effect. I like the infotainment screen and I like that the instrument cluster is 100% digital. I like the way the seats look and I like the interior storage and charging options. The movable cup holders are cool and I like that you can add more of them. I really like the bits of exposed carbon fiber as well. The iDrive is still clunky. I have owned ICE BMW's in the past and I feel their iDrive has always been poor. There should definitely be a touch screen (there should have been a touch screen 10 years ago). The exterior is the exterior. It's definitely unique and you'll probably really like it or hate it. I wanted a pure EV car and I didn't want some generic, bland eGolf, Leaf or whatever. I also like BMW's story and effort that went into producing the i3. Charging is a breeze and I really like leaving on a full charge each morning. I'm getting ~75 miles of range in the city as I write this review (I have the BEV). Service has been excellent. I just had my 2-year brake fluid change and it was $99 at the dealership. Not bad. Tires are on the expensive side at ~$180 each. If you use the torque and acceleration a lot you'll go through a set of rears pretty quickly. No oil changes, no brakes to replace (you rarely use the brakes), no belts, no hoses, no antifreeze, etc. A lot less that can go wrong and a lot less to maintain. Throw in no gas and the cost of ownership is very low. Yes, you will use electricity but the cost of electricity versus gas - really there's no comparison as gas is so much more expensive. I like plugging in at night and never going to the gas station. My advice. If you're looking for a new car for yourself, at least go drive one of these. While it won't make a good car if it's the only car in your household, it might be a perfect 2nd (or 3rd or 4th) car. It's really a blast to drive and from a cost of ownership perspective versus and ICE car it wins easily. I swore off BMW after my 5 series nightmare but this one is so different. None of the things that normally break on a BMW are going to break on the i3.

This car has every thing I need for driving around town, plenty of power, nimble and with awesome stability. Love that one pedal driving. Only had it for a month, so I can't comment about reliability, but the car had exceed my expectation. Also like the BMW Connected app which allows many remote functions. Now I can use the power from my solar panels and drive by the gas stations. With the Range Extender, I have no issues with the range.