Used i3 for sale
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2016 i3, so we've included reviews for other years of the i3 since its last redesign.
BMW i3 Rex First Month Impressions
Oz, 06/30/2016
2015 BMW i3 4dr Hatchback w/Range Extender (0.6L 2cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid DD)
23 of 23 people found this review helpful
After driving the car for a full month I have to say it is a great car. I drive it around 90 miles a few times a week. The range extender has kicked in a couple of times and has taken away the range anxiety. Not having to go to the gas station once a week (sometimes more) is a great feeling. At first I was charging the car using the 110v charger and that was a frustrating experience. It would take anywhere from 17-19 hours. The BMW wall charging station is now installed and this has dramatically improved charging time to 3-3.5 hrs. I went from a X5 3.5i to this car and the car drives and brakes like a BMW with very slim tires. If the tire pressure is too low or too high the driving dynamics change quite a bit. Best to keep an eye on your tire pressure. It leans a bit more when making sharp turns, but nothing like a 80s Cadillac. I enjoy driving twisty back roads and love the instant power. It is addictive... Getting to speed is not a problem, cruising at 75 miles or higher you need to correct the steering a bit more than normal. It took a couple of days to adjust to driving with just the gas pedal. Regenerative brakes are quite aggressive and do assist with slowing the car down quite a bit and only rarely do I need to use the brake pedal. This is something I adjusted to with no issues. The front seats are very comfortable and have good support. Driving position is upright more like an SUV. The back seats are comfortable for passengers under 6 ft. Cargo space with backseats in their position is kind of small, but significantly improves when the rear seats are flattened. Overall I am very satisfied with the experience.
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Outstanding Car
Brad N, 11/24/2015
updated 05/25/2016
2015 BMW i3 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
25 of 26 people found this review helpful
Seamless performance and comfort. Serenely quiet. The ultimate commuter. Still digesting that there is really no maintenance - just plug it in at home or the office every few days. I drive 20-30 miles/day and it is exceptionally well-suited to my use. I could not be happier the i3 - hard to imagine going back to an ICE after this. Update: no maintenance issues to date. Did better in snow with all-season tires than I expected - handled 6" and some ice on a couple of separate occassions. Back seat is just for occasional use. My wife complains that the suicide doors make it particularly challenging to access the back seat when parked in a parking lot. I never did buy the charger. Just plug into wall outlet and let charge overnight.
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2016 BMW i3 for sale near you
Showing 3 of 10 listings
- Base Plug-In Hybrid 4dr Hatchback w/Range ExtenderMSRP: $7,699137 mi away
- Base Plug-In Hybrid 4dr Hatchback w/Range ExtenderMSRP: $7,299137 mi away
- Base 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $12,990In-stock online
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So far a great choice!
i3Driver, 09/14/2016
2016 BMW i3 4dr Hatchback w/Range Extender (0.6L 2cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid DD)
15 of 15 people found this review helpful
I was first hesitant to make the jump to electric before the next year or so, there are a few great car coming out. But since I have a VW TDI Passat being bought back, I needed a new car as a replacement. Unfortunately, there is not any other car I could find that would compare to the Passat for MPG and interior room. I test drove a BMW 5 series and was disappointed, I felt claustrophobic and just didn't seem right. So I decided to try the i3, boy was I surprised! It doesn't have the back seat room like my VW, but it's fun to drive, gets amazing fuel(kW) mileage, and seems to fit my life style just fine. I opted for the REx version and glad I did. I have made a few trips with my family(wife and two kids) no problem. Even a Costco run!
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After 1 yr living electric
mtv, 06/10/2017
2016 BMW i3 4dr Hatchback w/Range Extender (0.6L 2cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid DD)
39 of 42 people found this review helpful
I've had my i3REX for about 1 yr and have driven about 10K miles in a combination of 400 mile weekend trips to 80 mile airport runs to endless soccer shuttles in the greater NYC area from PA, NJ, NY and CT. The car was delivered factory perfect and has only had one recall and one software upgrade. It delivers the same range as when it was new. What the car is: An incredibly fun, nimble, exhilarating, holy cow, I can't believe a car can be this fun to drive, I feel like I am 16, where can I go next car. The drive train and ride are un-naturally smooth and quiet. It's remarkable. It's fun in a vintage English sports car way complete with very predicable 4 wheel drifts, blazing acceleration, wicked torque and grand prix "one pedal" driving. The car effortlessly dives into turns with the regen breaking acting like a hand break to unlock the back wheels, only to instantly re-engage as you hit the accelerator (yes, that is what it is) to power out of the turns. Anyone that drives this car as a hyper miler is missing one the best driving experiences imaginable. The fun comes from a combination of super-car ratio of torque-to-weight and grossly inadequate tires. The latter is so poor that you can have all this fun below 40mph instead of 80 in an M5 or Vette. That's not a bad thing. What it is not - a highway car. At speeds above 80 this car is a white knuckle death ride and will take every bit of your driving skills to keep control. It's top speed is governed at 98 but it has a practical limit of about 75. If you are a pre-dawn commuter accustomed to hitting triple digits with your fellow commuters, step away and find another car. As example of how slow you need to drive this car, I historically have an avg driving speed of 44mph while in this car it's 33!. I guess it could use some air dams to keep the air from floating the car - maybe they could also help keep the car from getting airborne on mountain roads too. Living electric - you have to want to. This is an 90% car meaning it fills 90% of your car needs and am able to use it with some planning for almost everything except weekend trips with the family. I use a level 1, 110v charger at home and it comfortably charges the car overnight (10K is about 25mile/day) on most days. I only need to use public charges 2-3 times/month for the longer trips. Using some "extreme couponing" type planning, I can string together 150 mile jaunts and have done 400miles in a weekend using only 1qt of gas. It's possible because the range extending engine does its job to allow you to use the full batter capacity (I get about 80mile range in the summer and 60 mile in winter). The REX however is in sharp contrast to the ultra refined electric drive in that it's roughness, loudness and vibration is on par with your father's vintage tractor. It works fine in city/suburban driving but the algorithms that control the battery reserves are not set for highway driving especially in the mountains. A short hill quickly depletes the battery's reserve and you will find yourself seeking refuge from speeding cars behind a tandem trailer as you slow to 50mph to prevent an emergency shut-down. Living with the car - The phone interface is incredibly disappointing and archaic. The car rarely recognizes the phone when plugged in but still locks out most phone features (for obvious safety reasons) so you either have to do without or reinitiate the apps. BMW's newest addition to the iDrive system is "graffiti" style input circa 1992 Palm Pilot. The voice recognition is very poor and frustrating. It could be due to a poor microphone or its placement. There are however two redeeming features - you can bypass the car's labyrinth of commands and access Siri via a button on the steering wheel or use one of 8 programable buttons on the dash to get instant access to any car/phone function. The sound system is a disappointment and certainly not on level with the car's price tag (I have the standard system). Fortunately you don't spend a lot of time in this car but if you rely on your phone for music, navigation and calls, you will be disappointed. I use it as an excuse to unplug connect to the kids and enjoy the drive. The car's navigation system is equally poor. I used it only 3-4 times and stopped after it directed me the wrong way on a 1-way street. On a separate occasion it dropped us in the middle of a cemetary instead of a soccer field. The traffic feature side by side against Waze was inadequate and slow to offer alternate routes around traffic. In summary, this is an incredibly great car that brings you back to a gone-by era of fun, quiet and solitude in a great modern design.
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Best used car value on the market!
Phil M., 04/09/2019
2015 BMW i3 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
13 of 13 people found this review helpful
I would consider myself to be a car enthusiast. My last car was an E90 BMW 328i. Last year I test drove two EVs - the Tesla Model 3 and the BMW i3. I came away so disoriented by the immediate torque/acceleration and the sheer quietness as it was doing so. I was sold on EVs being fun. Then came the cost question. Tesla model 3 doesn’t have much of a used car market yet as it is so new, but the i3 does. As I dug in I realized a 3-4 year old i3 was being sold for about 30% of its sticker price with lowish mileage (20k-50k miles) - I started digging some more. On average, I was spending about $250/month on gas and after doing some calculations on my commute and monthly car use, I realized I would be spending about $20/month if I charged the car at home. Done - Started the search for an i3 and found one about 70 miles from my house. I traded my 3series for the i3. I’m so glad I did. You can find all the specs on the car so I won’t bore you with that, but this is such an amazing value of a car. The practical hatchback design makes it easy for loading things in and out. The range is enough for my commute and we just use my wife’s car if we need to road trip somewhere. The term range anxiety does exist but I would rather call it range awareness. Driving an EV is a lifestyle change and makes you approach your use of a car differently. Some see that as a bad thing - I just see it as an opportunity to use your brain :-). I know when most people think of a used BMW, they think it’s unreliable. Mechanically, these cars are SO simple and the things that typically go wrong in BMWs (gaskets, coil packs, spark plugs, turbos, water pumps, etc.), aren’t present in this car. Sure the EV infrastructure is lagging in the US, but with a little planning and the use of the PlugShare app, you can find somewhere around you to charge in a pinch. If you’re reading this, you are probably a bit like me - a car junky that likes to understand the good and the bad about a car before you take the leap. I would encourage you - DO IT!
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