2016 BMW i3

Jim's 16-day bmw i3 review

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5 Safety Rating: 5 Technology Rating: 5 Value Rating: 3

Great car. Very sporty handling and acceleration. Comfortable. Hard to find one in stock. Fun to drive. Edgy styling. Very quiet. Very solid. Auto speed control (semi self-driving) very nice. Fast. Nice features. My second electric vehicle; first was a Nissan Leaf. 4 miles per kWh. 100 MPGe

Zippy car

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 4 Safety Rating: 5 Technology Rating: 5 Value Rating: 3

Before buying this, be clear on the actual miles you drive in any given week and when/where you can charge. I really like my i3 but I drive very few miles in any given week (< 50). So I don't need to charge the car very often. There are chargers at my work but not in my apartment complex. If I have to charge at home, I need to use some chargers down the street (which is fine because they're free!) I've had it over a month now and have yet to use the range extender. However, I still find myself with slight anxiety about making sure the car is charged enough - I'm hoping this will dissipate with time. I'm not a fan of the coach doors in the back. If you are parked side to side with other vehicles and open the front door and coach door at the same time, you're sort of trapped in the triangle while trying to get things out of the back seat. The trunk is much smaller than my Honda Fit. It barely fit my large suitcase. But I knew all of these things before I purchased so I can't complain. The car has amazing acceleration - really impressive. It's also super quiet. Wish the AC was a bit stronger - it just doesn't blow very hard even at the highest setting (likely because AC drains the battery a lot).

So far a great choice!

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5 Safety Rating: 5 Technology Rating: 4 Value Rating: 4

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!

No Anxiety- Range Curiosity

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: Reliability Rating: Safety Rating: Technology Rating: Value Rating:

Our i3 has taken us over 21,000 miles- 98+% of it on battery- EV mode. The Range Extender eliminates the anxiety of those last miles before the charger. And, since we charge in our own garage, it is no problem to plug it in 5 or 6 times per week. This is not a road trip car. Buy it for around town comfort, fun and ease of driving. Nice to save CO2 every mile and get that EV smile while cruising in quiet BMW style. Most people think they need more range than they really do.

Worth every penny.

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5 Safety Rating: 5 Technology Rating: 5 Value Rating: 5

I was hesitant on going full electric -- there is a lot of opinions and propaganda out there. I don't regret it at all. This car is top notch quality and performance.