Video Summary
Here is the summary:The BMW i3 is the ultimate commuter car and a runaround town car. It's relatively efficient, lightweight, and utility-focused.
It has a tight turning radius and is easy to park. While it appears impractical, it can fit everything from Costco. The hatchback and suicide doors add to the utility. Its “frunk” is only suitable for takeout or a gallon of milk and is not weatherproof.
The car can achieve over 4 miles per kilowatt-hour, or about 250 watts per mile in Tesla-speak. Lightweight construction and carbon-fiber reinforced plastic help with efficiency. The aerodynamic drag is a factor, reducing efficiency above 70 mph.
Reliability is excellent, but it has high tire wear, especially the rear tires. Expect to get around 20,000 miles out of a set of rear tires. There were three flats (two fixable) in 78,000 miles. On both i3s there has been a problem with the door hardware where you eventually need to adjust the door handles.
Charging fully from dead at home takes around 5 hours. A 240-mile trip requires two DC charger stops.
The car fogs up easily on the inside in cold weather. Active Cruise Control can be disabled by sun glare. There is no heated steering wheel and no heated seats in the rear. Also, one has to manually set the following distance every time the vehicle is restarted.
The longest single-day trip was 240 miles and coldest temperatures have been 9F/ -23C.
The 2018 i3 has a less aggressive brake energy regeneration than the earlier models, and for 2021 and later vehicles, the heat pump is an optional feature. DC charging runs at about 50 kilowatts per hour.
