BMW i3 (2013 - 2022) Range Extender - Suite Interior World 5d Auto Owner Review

First things first. Electric cars are definitely the future. Drive an i3 (or I am sure a Tesla) and going back to a petrol or diesel feels like a retrograde step. The i3 is a really brave move for BMW. The styling is controversial. I love it, but then I also loved (and owned for 10 years) the styling on the equally divisive Audi A2. The construction methods on the i3 are in a league of their own. BMW spent 400 million Euro on a factory to make this car, there I a fabulous geek video on YouTube of the production line. Impressive stuff. The car is great to drive, acceleration is unbeatable. Driving on motorways is perfectly OK (though range takes a hit...more on this later). My car is pretty fully loaded and the Suite leather seats are fabulous, LED headlights are fantastic and the iDrive with HK sound and pro-nav make the car a lovely place to be. The cars come with connected drive. This means you can control the car from a laptop login or from a smart phone. You can preheat the car (fantastic on frosty mornings and after work) and also check charge anytime. Without doubt this is the best car I have ever driven or owned, but there are a few caveats and things to be aware of. RANGE: My car was one of the first in the UK so has the earlier 60Ah battery. It is currently 3 years old and has done 35000 miles. The batteries seem to be ageing pretty well, with not too much loss in capacity, but two things they don't like are cold temps and speed! Currently I am writing this in the depths of winter (4C). If I do a 50mile run from Leeds to York and back at fast dual carriageway and motorway speeds then that pretty much drains the entire battery. My daily 55mile commute on the M1 also empties the battery in winter weather. This is a combination of temp and driving speed. I expected this, and in warmer weather and lower speeds your range will be better. RELIABILITY: There are three things here for the prospective buyer of 2013 to 2015 cars to be aware of. First the front rubber suspension gaiters on early models are prone to perishing. If buying check that the concertina rubber bellows gaiters are not cracked and damaged. I think this only effected 2013 and very early 2014 models. the part is cheap, but the labour not as it requires front suspension to be dismantled to replace. Secondly, early REX models have a problem with the generator. This only comes to light on extended use of REX. BMW will replace this without hesitation on cars under warranty. They also replace the wiring loom with an upgraded version as a precaution. Thirdly: Engine bolts and engine mounts. Early cars (especially REX versions) were prone to bending engine mounts and bolts. BMW upgraded the bolts as a repair, and all late 2015 and onward cars have V2 mounts, which can be fitted to earlier cars under warranty. That sounds like a lot of potential problems, and in some ways it is. But the above three problems seem to be the sum total of significant reliability issues experienced by owners, and so long as you buy an older car that has BMW warranty then you will be fine. So in summary, this is a truly brilliant ground breaking car and a joy to drive and own. If you are looking at buying second hand, then I suggest you ask about the three things above, buy one with some residual BMW warranty and then for REX models take it on a 150mile motorway thrashing to see if the generator fault effects your car. Great car. Love it. Hope to own it for the next decade.