Used i3 for sale
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2018 i3, so we've included reviews for other years of the i3 since its last redesign.
I really want to like this car, but...
CN, 04/11/2019
2018 BMW i3 4dr Hatchback w/Range Extender (0.6L 2cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid DD)
25 of 43 people found this review helpful
So, where to start? The pros: I don't have to stop for gas...ever. It isn't parking challenged like my Ram 1500 truck. That's all. The neutral: it isn't the most attractive think on the road, but it's a darn sight better than any Prius. Fit and finish is good; about what one would expect from the likes of BMW. The interior is space efficient; it feels larger than it is. And the interior materials are generally of good quality. Now, the cons: and here's the problem. None of the car's distractors really reveal themselves until one has driven the car for a while. The interior ergonomics are awful. The window and mirror switches don't fall naturally under one's hand. One must reach back to find them. They are also on a downward sloping armrest, so they are invisible when sitting in the seat without leaning forward. Similarly, the door lock switches are hidden in the door panel. One must hunt for them to use them. The sun visor is tiny, doesn't extend (a failure of many cars), and only covers the front third of the door window, which makes it useless. The visor mirror cover is impossibly difficult to open; one must dig into the visor to open it. The seats are good for about 30 minutes before the squirming begins and their isn't much lumbar support. The pedals and foot rest are too close to the seat, which only exacerbates the comfort issues with the seat. There just isn't a way to adjust the seat and steering wheel to gain a really good driving position. Fortunately, the range of the car relegates it to commuter status, so that somewhat mitigates the problem. The rearview mirror is positioned too low such that it blocks a significant part of the view out the windshield. The right windshield wiper only clears half of its side of the windshield. The windshield washers only spray at the bottom of the windshield, which causes the wipers to streak in the driver's field of vision. The adaptive cruise control is borderline dangerous. It doesn't know what to do in any traffic situation other than open road. That causes its operation to be unpredictable, and thus, unusable (this system works very well in my wife's Volvo). BMW was nice enough, though to allow one to disable the adaptive functions and revert it to 'dumb' cruise control. That works well, so it is how I now operate it. The ride quality is very poor. What the car lacks in wind noise is more than made up in road and surrounding traffic noise. The suspension picks up every little imperfection in the road and amplifies it into the cabin. It tracks ruts in the roads like nothing I've ever driven. Add crosswinds into the mix and it makes for an unstable driving experience. Overall, it is reminiscent of a Japanese car from the 1970's (i.e. VERY unrefined). My truck is quieter and smoother riding that this thing. The infotainment system is lacking as well. Settings are frequently placed in illogical locations. On the map page, for example, one cannot pan the car's position. The only way to 'look ahead' is to zoom out, but that results in lost details. One must zoom in too far to see secondary street details. I have an iphone and the only way I can use it is through CarPlay, which is a separate little subtile accessible only be scrolling the tile screens to the extreme left. It is obviously a last-minute afterthought. That happens to be no where near the 'Communication' tile, where it should be. Oh, and that Communication tile has almost nothing to do with communications. It displays weather instead. Huh? The instrument display (I won't call it a panel), shows far too much information concurrently. There are a myriad of tiny enigmatic icons that seemingly come and go at will. It makes for a very busy and cluttered screen. The owner's manual is a joke. It was clearly written in German originally, as one might expect. The problem is it was translated into English by someone who neither spoke German nor English. The result is descriptions that frequently make no sense, confuse the issue more, and leave one better off to just play with the function to (hopefully) eventually figure it out. I've come to the conclusion this car was likely a high school or junior college graduation project; BMW built the powertrain, which is outstanding, then decided, "hey, let's let the kids design a car around this!" The result is a poorly conceived, poorly executed, box on wheels. I could go on, but it would be pointless. If this is the direction they are going they are in serious trouble. I had a 1985 BMW 535i, which I owned over ten years. While it certainly had its foibles, I put 200k miles on it and even though this car is 33 years newer, that 535 was overall a much better car than this one. I'm just thankful now that the salesman talked me into leasing this car vs. buying it. In two years I can walk away with relief. I've only had the car for about three weeks. Maybe this thing will grow on me over time, but it doubt it.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Yes!
Matt, 11/02/2020
updated 11/10/2021
2017 BMW i3 4dr Hatchback w/Range Extender (0.6L 2cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid DD)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
UPDATE: Sold it. I bought a golf tdi instead. 50 to 60 mpg is enough for me. This way I don't worry about owning two BMW engines in one car. TBH the main reason I sold was because the skinny small tires and the wheelbase make for a jitterbug ride quality on highways. Loved the concept, but already lagging. Updated dash with bigger display, unlocked the ability to charge at steady state less than 75%, and added CarPlay. I’ve owned or leased over 40 cars, and this is one of my favs. Only knock is the stiff ride, but I can appreciate the functionality over form. Well thought out. Will be a classic someday when they speak of early electric.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
2018 BMW i3 for sale near you
Showing 3 of 13 listings
- Base 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $12,995286 mi away
- Base Plug-In Hybrid 4dr Hatchback w/Range ExtenderMSRP: $20,000179 mi away
- Base 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $16,990404 mi away
See all 13 listings
Bmw i3
Mr. Brewer, 08/09/2017
2017 BMW i3 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
It's Not for everybody. I feel I got more than a car I have technology
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Pretty good car
Jen, 07/15/2023
2018 BMW i3 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
I have had my i3 for a little over a year now. For the most part, I do like it. However, I will be on the lookout for a different car soon. PROS Fun to drive, nice stereo, comfortable seats, no stopping at gas stations, and storage is great! CONS Limits how far I can travel due to limited range. Back seat is challenging to get in and out of and it gets HOT due to no air vents back there. Any maintenance is EXPENSIVE! (4 new tires cost me $1400) In one year, I have had to take my car into the shop three times for repairs. If you are looking for a fun electric 2nd car, this is a nice choice. If you are looking for a new single car, you may want to look somewhere else. You may be disappointed once you have it a while.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Most fun car I have ever owned....
Goetzylla, 10/11/2021
2018 BMW i3 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Not much more to say than the title. The care feels spacious on the inside. Drives so snappy and with a little practice the break pedal is hardly touched. My advice to BMW: Come out with an i4 by just stretching the i3 a bit wider and longer....
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value