2017 BMW i3 consumer reviews

Have put about 12,000 miles on a used 94ah Rex over the past year. It's a unique little car to be sure, with some substantial upsides and downsides. First the good stuff: It's a fantastic city / mall / school drop off / tight quarters car. Very quick under 50 mph, turning radius of a bike, only a bit larger footprint than a Mini. Just a fun little car to zip around in. The interior fits 4 pretty comfortably, and it's a pretty open, airy feeling despite being so small. Not cramped at all. I really like the styling as well, and it's on the cheap end of cars we've owned over the past 15 years. It's been pretty reliable for the most part, but the Rex does not seem to like to sit for long periods without use. It threw codes several times during the first couple months, all of which cleared and did not immediately recur. I believe it sat at the dealer for many months prior to me purchasing it. After that initial spat of codes, it's worked flawlessly. Range is fine for around town, I would not attempt long distance travel, though you COULD do it. I have always charged it at home, with a level-2 charger I installed myself. Electricity is about 1/4-1/3 the cost of gas under this setup, so it's very efficient. Now the not so good: The rear tires burn up fast, are unique to the car (no other car uses the same tire size), are kind of expensive, and honestly, the traction isn't great. Plan on replacing tires every 12-15k miles, if you make it that far. It's particularly bad in the snow. There's no way to reduce the lift off regen, so it will drag its rear end. You end up left foot braking when it's really slick to make sure you engage the ABS. Do not plan on this being your snow car. The range also goes down significantly in the winter. It'll do >100 miles of around town driving in the summer months, but that's more like 60-70 when it gets cold. Has to run the heat pump, heat the battery, etc. It's only got 4 seats (2 in back). A tiny middle seat probably makes more sense, though it would only be for small children. The BMW connected app subscription is basically a requirement to connect to your utility and get credit for charging off peak (if it's available in your region). It's $120 a year, which is typical German luxury xx. The Odd: The exterior is...different. It sure does attract attention. I guess to each his or her own. Rear suicide doors work pretty well, but they come with a bit of a learning curve. At least people can get in back without front passengers having to get out or bend over. It has a scooter engine, and it sounds like it too! My take: It's a great 3rd car for a family that does a lot of pick up / drop off, grocery-getting, commuting, etc. in a relatively small radius (say 20 miles max, each way). Under that setup, it's very cheap to run, it's fun to drive, it fits everywhere, and it's a nice place to spend time. As the only household car, forget it. As the 2nd car in a 2-car household? Only if you don't spend a ton of time in freezing weather / snow. But in a household where it competes with an M2, an Odyssey and a Cayenne, I put more miles on the i3 than any of the other cars over the past year. So I clearly like the darn thing! Other Recommendation: Get bimmercode app and code on a function that allows you to manually start the Rex at any time the battery is under 75%. Waiting til it hits 6% to turn on automatically isn't going to run it often enough to keep it happy. You don't want to run the battery that empty very often either.

I've been a BMW fan since the 1980s and wanted to go electric at an affordable price. I recently purchased a 2017 ReX with 25k miles in excellent condition. So far, it's proving a great solution for my needs. I've been able to charge using only the 110 outlet supplied and have only had to use the gasoline motor a few times. My only issue is limited rear storage, but since I seldom have back seat passengers that roomy area provides plenty of extra carrying space. Warning: tires (especially on the rear) wear out quickly, with the only option expensive. I replaced all four when I bought the car, although I could have just gotten by with the rears (no front to back rotation is possible. At first glance, the exterior appearance seems weird, but I've gotten used to it. And I love the roomy, simple interior.

I love this cute and zippy car! I feel so responsible and earth-friendly when I drive this electric car. It’s the way of the future!

Quick, quiet, and fun to drive. Just picked up a 2017 ReX Deka with 30K miles and a new set of tires for $16900 and have driven it over 350 miles thus far and it's a blast. I'm 6' 6" tall and have three Golden Retrievers and we all fit comfortably. This may be the most fun, practical choice, that I've ever made.

Cons: Doors could be an issue for some the way they open, but I think they are cool Small tires take a lot of suspension out of the car, so a decently firm ride that is actually nice in spirited driving Small trunk with smaller frunk Somewhat clunky infotainment menu at first, but it grows on you with use and familiarity Hack the REX to be able to turn it on whenever you want, as long as you are under 75% battery. 100 bucks tops. Get bimmercode app. Get a obd 2 reader from the list recommended in app. Upgrade bimmercode subscription. Its not meant for heavy use, bit man does it solve issues. I used to own a Leaf, so I know about trying to get a charge. All the time waiting or maybe not around one.....REX. This hack allows more control versus only on at 6%. Pros: Everything else. Seriously. I have owned over 30 cars. This one is right up there. It will be a classic with some of the architecture such as a carbon fiber cage.

When driving and the car run out of battery and start switching to gas, the power drops dramatically from 75 miles to 20 miles ( not fun when you are on the freeway!!!!!) Do yourself a fever... don't buy this car!!

This car has a lot of good qualities, but has been infuriating to own because of a few fatal flaws. Pros: Fun to drive. Even though it’s modestly powered, the electric torque is a blast. Also, steering is nimble and it almost feels like you’re driving a big golf cart. The styling is distinct and turns heads. The carbon construction is super cool. It’s been fairly reliable with only a few minor issues, but only at 45k miles. Cons: This is clearly a car that was designed with an ancient EV design. We have the longer range battery for this year and are lucky to get 90 miles in the winter. On top of that, the worst part of this car, by far, are the tire design. They’re too thin to have any serious grip, so while it’s fun to toss around in low speed corners, don’t for a second think it’s any level of serious sportiness. The alignment is very aggressive, I suppose extra negative camber to make up for the bicycle thin tires. What this means is tires wear FAST. We’ve been through 3 sets in less than 45k miles. One set only lasted 12k miles before they corded. In addition, since the car is stiffly sprung and the tires have very low profiles, ride is a bit rough. But worse, any contact with even a minor pothole and you risk destroying a tire or rim. We haven’t bent a rim thankfully, but did have 2 tires develop bubbles from potholes. A friend’s i3 lost a wheel and tire to a pothole. Another infuriating “feature” is you can’t get AC while charging. So you get to bake while waiting. Idiotic. You can get heat, sort of, but need to do a workaround. Use the app to get the car up to temp. A minor con, but the car has developed some rattles in the interior Overall, because of those fatal flaws, it’s been a frustrating ownership experience and I wouldn’t recommend this car.

It’s perfect for us! I use it to tool around town all day with my son in the car seat! It’s more spacious and fast than you’d think! It’s awesome!

The only big knock on this vehicle is the range. 200 miles is more like 150 realistically. The short wheel base of the car takes some getting use to as well but besides those two things the car is a STEAL.

Purchased used, as a lease return. What an eye opener! Amazing performance, and guilt-free errand running (most of our power is hydro and wind). My other car will be the last ICE vehicle: EVs are a true game changer. If you find one of these at an affordable price, buy it!