In this new comparison test from Car Magazine, we get to see which used electric car is the best buy in the UK and the BMW i3 is one of the contenders.

The BMW i3 faces some tough competition in this comparison; the Nissan Leaf, Renault Twizy, Renault Zoe, and even the Tesla Model S. Admittedly, most car enthusiasts wouldn’t even blink and take the Tesla. Objectively speaking, the Model S is a better electric car than the i3 in every possible way.

However, the Model S is expensive on the used market and its main selling points are its charge network and supercar straight-line performance. . If you’re someone who can charge at home often, it might not be worth the extra cost, especially because its ride isn’t great for UK roads, its steering is lifeless and slow, and it can suffer quality issues that no other car in the test will.

While the BMW i3’s battery range is laughable compared to the Model S’, as is its charge speed, the little electric Bimmer can be had for much cheaper than the Model S and it’s more interesting to drive. It still feels futuristic today, thanks to its carbon chassis and funky interior, its visibility outward is SUV like despite sitting relatively low to the ground, and its steering and driving dynamics are far more fun than anything else in the group.

The other cars in the test have their merits as well but, in reality, it’s a two-horse race between the Tesla and the Bimmer. Which one is best? Read the story to find out.

[Source: Car Magazine]

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Sales and supply didn’t help its case either. According to InsideEVs, BMW of North America sold only 511 units of the i3 electric hatchback in Q2 2021. The total number of i3 models delivered to U.S. customers in 2021 reached 851 units. Cumulatively, BMW sold in the U.S. 44,473 i3 since its market introduction in 2014. Over the last 12 months, the i3 inventory for the U.S. was at its lowest point and customers often had difficulties securing a production slot. Current dealer bulletins suggest that there are only around 180 production slots remaining.

BMW’s first production series electric car was off to a rocky start in 2013, but over time, it gained a cult and became a good seller for the Bavarian automaker. The i3 hatchback with its quirky looks but fun driving dynamics is a popular choice in Europe, especially in the Northern hemisphere.

When BMW launched the i3 and i8 in 2013, the two projects were not only considered the most advanced within BMW, but also in the automotive world. The first electric BMW and also the first hybrid sportscar from Munich made use of BMW’s knowledge in carbon fiber construction, but at a much larger scale. The cars were innovative when it came to sustainability, production processes and manufacturing of series cars, and have won several awards over the years.

Overall, the i3 was and still is a successful BMW product. It might not have the sales numbers to back it up, but the entire company has certainly profited from its birth.

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BMW is now heavily invested in the launch of the BMW i4 and iX next-generation electric cars and there is very little incentive to promote or market the heavily discounted and incentivized i3. BMW’s first production series electric car was off to a rocky start in 2013, but over time, it gained a cult and became a good seller for the Bavarian automaker. The i3 hatchback with its quirky looks but fun driving dynamics is a popular choice in Europe, especially in the Nordic countries.

The technology and drivetrain from the BMW i3 will continue to live in the MINI Cooper SE. The small electric car from MINI basically uses the same technology components as the i3, but combines them with a conventional mass-produced body without carbon lightweight construction. In addition, the electric MINI is powered by the front wheels, while the i3 with its balanced weight distribution and rear-wheel drive always stayed close to the typical BMW layout.

In the end, the BMW i3 proved that a dedicated EV platform is the right approach by giving designers and engineers a lot of freedom in design and packaging. Even though it came with a hefty investment – in the billions of euros – the BMW i division took the Munich-based automaker into an early electric future. It also gave them a lot of manufacturing knowledge which was later used in many different BMW models.

The project manager and person responsible for the original BMW i3, Ulrich Kranz, will now also bring his ideas elsewhere: He was recently confirmed as the new head of the Apple iCar project. We reached out to BMW for a comment on the i3 production.

[Source: BimmerToday]

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The news come as no surprise. BMW is now heavily invested in the launch of the BMW i4 and iX next-generation electric cars and there is very little incentive to promote or market the heavily discounted and incentivized i3. BMW’s first production series electric car was off to a rocky start in 2013, but over time, it gained a cult and became a good seller for the Bavarian automaker. The i3 hatchback with its quirky looks but fun driving dynamics is a popular choice in Europe, especially in the Northern hemisphere.

When it goes out of production – likely in 2022 for the rest of the markets – the i3 will go down as the first and maybe last BMW built on a full carbon fiber frame. When BMW launched the i3 and i8 in 2013, the two projects were not only considered the most advanced within BMW, but also in the automotive world. The first electric BMW and also the first hybrid sportscar from Munich made use of BMW’s knowledge in carbon fiber construction, but at a much larger scale. The cars were innovative when it came to sustainability, production processes and manufacturing of series cars, and have won several awards over the years.

Furthermore, the i3 proved that a dedicated EV platform is the right approach by giving designers and engineers a lot of freedom in design and packaging. Even though it came with a hefty investment – in the billions of euros – the BMW i division took the Munich-based automaker into an early electric future. It also gave them a lot of manufacturing knowledge which was later used in many different BMW models.

Overall, the i3 was and still is a successful BMW product. It might not have the sales numbers to back it up, but the entire company has certainly profited from its birth. So if you’re looking for a piece of history, and likely a future classic, time is ticking.

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The PiCG offers consumers up to £2,500 off the retail price of vehicles that have CO2 emissions of less than 50g/km and can travel at least 70 miles without any tailpipe emissions and a retail price of £35,000 or less. The all-electric BMW i3 has a range of 182-190 miles (WLTP) (173-150 miles WLTP for the BMW i3s).

BMW is one of the many automakers who sell cars in the UK to slash prices or to offer basic models under the £35,000 threshold. According to BMW, there are over 22,000 of i3 vehicles on the road in the UK. Globally, BMW sold over 200,000 i3 models.

The i3 hatchback will soon be joined in the UK by the BMW iX and i4 electric vehicles which will arrive before the end of 2021. Furthermore, BMW Group will have 13 all-electric models on the road from 2023 when at least one all-electric model will be offered in approximately 90 percent of the company’s current market segments.

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But before we jump in, allow us to refresh your memory of the i3’s specs. Whereas the original i3 came with a 60Ah battery, the i3 models post 2019 now have a battery capacity of 120Ah. Thus seriously upgrading its range, while keeping intact the size of the battery pack. Albeit, as the figures show, the new package is now heavier, as the i3 tips the scale at 2,965 lbs (1,345 kg), some 143 lbs (65 kg) more than the original version. That also means the sprint of the car is affected, the i3 claiming a 0-62 mph sprint time of 7.3 seconds, 0.1 seconds slower than the original.

The high-voltage battery is produced at the BMW plant in Dingolfing and consists of eight modules, each with twelve storage cells: the latest advancements have resulted in a capacity of 120Ah along with a gross energy content of 42.2 kWh – while the size remains unchanged. To get a better idea of far this tech has gone, at the market launch of the BMW i3 in 2013, the equivalent figures were 60 Ah and 22.6 kWh, while the second-generation battery introduced in 2016 reached 94 Ah and 33 kWh.

You won’t get to use all of the 42 kWh though, as the battery can’t be fully depleted, thanks to some protective software. However, you do get to use about 38 kWh of it, which should allow you to travel up to 260 km (roughly 160 miles), according to BMW.

November 2020, the i3 and i3s models got a slight refresh with the help of bicolor paint jobs for boosting up the exterior looks of the electric models. Inspired by the new iX3 full-electric SAV, the compact-sized, zero-emission hatchbacks are now available with a selection of three eye-catching color combos as follows:

• Cashmere Silver with accents in BMW i Blue
• Galvanic Gold with accents in Frozen Grey metallic
• Fluid Black with accents in Frozen Grey metallic

Other than these minor revisions, the i3 and i3s march on virtually unchanged for the 2021 model year, after 7 years of production and an LCI procedure in 2017.

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The BMW i3 was never a perfect car. When it first launched, its battery was lacking on arrival, producing a lower total range than even some older competitors. It also lacked the performance punch of newer EVs at the time, such as the Tesla Model S. So, on paper, the i3 seemed a bit lackluster. Now, though, looking back at the i3 and how it’s evolved since its 2014 debut, it not only seems like a much better car but it also seems like it could be one of the best BMWs of all time.

The i3 was the first BMW to ever use a carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) chassis and it was by far the cheapest car to use a full carbon tub. In fact, it still is. If you want a car with a carbon fiber chassis, you’re going to have to look at McLarens because there’s nothing else on the road with such construction.

In October 2020, the BMW i3 reached 200,000 units produced in Leipzig. That anniversary unit was an i3S model, dressed in Fluid Black Metallic, with BMW i Blue accents all around.

All versions of the i3 use a 120 Ah battery with a battery capacity of 42.2 kWh. According to the NEDC, the energy that can be stored in the lithium-ion battery is sufficient for a range of 330 to 359 kilometers; in the more practical WLTP cycle, the i3 and i3s have ranges between 278 and 307 kilometers.

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There are a few reasons as to why the BMW i3 hasn’t really been a sales success here in the US. Its lack of range compared to its rivals, its lack of meaningful horsepower and its high price are all some of the reasons why the i3 has been a bit of a sales dud. However, the main reason has always been its styling. While some enthusiasts love it for its quirky, strangeness (I’m one of them), most customers just don’t seem to like it at all. In fact, Motor Trend recently named it one of the ugliest cars of the 2010s.

Motor Trend wasn’t kind to the i3, saying it’s “so ugly that no one with properly-functioning retinas will want one.” Ouch. It might not be that ugly but it’s certainly no beauty. One thing I will contest is the comment against its interior. The BMW i3 might be odd on the outside but it’s superb inside. The cabin is a wonderfully unique take on a modern car interior and it was done back in 2014. The fact that so many new concept cars for the future have interiors so similar to the i3 proves its worth.

Obviously, style is subjective, so there will be differences of opinion about whether or not the i3 is one of the ugliest cars of the last decade. However, it’s certainly among the most controversial and that’s enough to warrant consideration for this list.

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Setting off in the i3 for the first time was an incredibly odd experience. For starters, I felt that at any moment, someone was going to come running out from the dealership to demand the car back, as they realized I was just an idiot who couldn’t afford their car but just wanted to play around with it. So there were some nerves there. But then I started to actually feel the car, its odd electric drivetrain and hilarious interior.

Never before had I ever driven a purely electric car, so its throttle response was foreign to me. There was no creep like you’d get in a standard car with an automatic transmission and then there was this instant rush of torque from the electric motor. All while being completely silent. Then I had to learn how to use the i3’s one-pedal driving, as there’s so much regenerative braking that you almost never have to use the actual brake pedal. It was a remarkable experience and one I’ll never forget.

The reason I’m telling you this story is because from the first time I set off in an i3, I’ve loved it. It’s such an oddball of a car; from its looks to its strange interior to the way it drives. And it’s fantastic fun. I know that’s not a popular opinion among car enthusiasts but it really is a blast to drive. Its punchy little electric motor, coupled with rear-wheel drive, a short wheelbase and sharp steering all combine to make the i3 a surprisingly fun little car.

So when I recently had the opportunity to drive the brand-new BMW i3s, the new sporty version of the i3, on an autocross course at BMW’s Performance Driving Center West, I was very excited.

What is the BMW i3s?

If you already know what the i3s is, you can skip this part an shoot right down to the autocross bit. If you don’t pull up a chair.

One the outside, it’s a touch different looking from the standard, newly-facelifted BMW i3. It gets some new black trim pieces, to make it look sportier, as well as a wider wheeltrack. That not only makes it look more squat and ready to rumble, but actually makes it handle better as well. Its suspension has also been lowered 10mm, so it’s actually significantly more agile and more fun to drive than the standard car.

The BMW i3s also sits on 20″ wheels, rather than the standard car’s 19″ wheels. On a normal car, that wouldn’t be a big deal. However, considering how skinny the i3s’ tires are, the extra inch in height actually adds a decent amount of useful contact patch to the road. So there’s more grip now.

It wouldn’t be a sporty BMW variant without some extra power, right? Well get ready for a whopping 14 extra horsepowers, for a total of 184 hp. It also gets a bit more torque, so it now makes 199 lb-ft. These aren’t monster numbers but in a car that only weighs 3,005 lbs and is made mostly from carbon fiber, it’s enough power.

BMW claims a 0-60 mph time of 6.8 seconds and that seems entirely believable. Again, these aren’t numbers that will light your hair on fire but, in such a small, hilarious car, it’s more than fast enough. Plus, thanks to its instant electric torque, it’s one of the fastest 0-30 mph cars on the road. It can shoot gaps in traffic as if it teleports.

So now that you know what the BMW i3s is, it’s time to take it for a spin. Or, at least tell you about how I took it for a spin…

Autocrossing a BMW i3s

At BMW’s recent Test Fest, the BMW i3s was on hand to drive, among some other cars like the BMW M5 and X2. Though, the i3s was a bit unique in that we were allowed to sample it on a timed autocross course and journalists were competing against each other. I had driven that very autocross course before, only it was in a BMW M235i. I remember it being fun but, because it’s such a small course, it’s tricky. One small mistake can cost you a significant amount of time.

We’re talking laps of around 30 seconds, give or take one or two, so if you mess up by one tenth, it’s likely over. And all automotive journalists like to think they’re awesome on a track, so there was a lot of chest pounding going on, which is the more appropriate term for it.

The course is small, features a ton of tight, twisty turns, one long sweeping turn, a quick little chicane at the end and then a stop box, where you have to try and stop the car in. BMW also had training wheels on for us, as there were cones marking our turn-in and apex points. Typical press-day stuff. While most of us don’t need those markers, they’re nice to have.

Before we started, we were all talking with BMW employees about what the i3s is like to drive on the little track. They were all raving about it, saying its tiny wheelbase and instant torque make it a blast for the little course. “Yea, yea.” I thought. “The i3 is good but it can’t be as good as they’re saying”. I was wrong. On a tight, twisty little autocross course, the BMW i3s is an absolute blast.

Off the line, it takes off surprisingly quick and the first corner of the course is a left hander about one second after the start line, so it was a bit unnerving how quickly it approached in the i3. I turn in for the first corner and the front end bites surprisingly well. That was followed by an almost immediate right hander and then another super quick left. I don’t know if there’s a BMW on the market that could handle that quick left, right, left better than the i3s. It’s so small, so light and so punchy that it makes such easy work of it.

Through my first lap, I’m loving it but still trying to get the hang of the car and remember the track. So I stop in the box with a 30.4-second time. Not great. Wasn’t the slowest of the bunch but it’s not great. I knew I could do better.

So I line up for my second lap, visualizing in my head where I’m going to improve. I knew there were a couple of corners where I could be a little bit quicker and I had some understeer on one turn. Off I go again, though, and I’m hitting the corners mostly as I want. However, I still get understeer toward the end and I stop in the box with a 29.7-second time. Improvement, but not where I wanted to be. Us journos are a competitive bunch, so there’s much ribbing as we line up again.

Again, I knew where I wanted to improve as I waited my turn to go for my third and final lap. This time, I’m feeling the car well, I know the course well and I’m ready to go. So I take off and halfway through the course I can feel that this is my fastest lap. I understand the car more and I know I can lean on it harder than I previously was. It’s really quite surprising how well the i3s moves on a track. Then, I get to where I normally understeer and it happens again. “Aghhhhh” I yell. I messed up again, after such a good lap. I stop in the box with a 29.5-second time.

Afterward, I knew that if I had taken that turn better, I could have had a 28-second time. Considering that the fastest time of the day was in the 27-second range, I would have been happy with myself. Still, it was all in good fun and we all had a blast.

That was the most interesting part about this little autocross test, we all had fun. Ten years ago, if you had told any car enthusiast that there would be a little electric BMW hatchback with 184 hp that would be one of the most fun cars you could throw around a small track, they’d have laughed at you. Now, a bunch of car enthusiasts just had an absolute blast doing just that. It’s an odd world we now live in.

Sensible Urban Fun

Sensible Urban Fun isn’t exactly the most exciting sounding thing in the world, is it? However, that’s what the BMW i3s is. If you live in a dense urban area, or even the suburbs and don’t have a commute, the BMW i3s is a great little car to own. It’s fully electric (there’s a Range Extender model but it’s still solely electrically powered), sensible on both your wallet and the planet, is incredibly easy to park and has almost no maintenance.

That’s the sensible part. What’s great is that it’s also fun. Its punchy little electric motor, rear-wheel drive, fantastic weight distribution, balance and chassis dynamics all combine to make a very entertaining car to drive. Plus it’s funky looking, has the most unique interior on the market and is surprisingly luxurious.

I always knew the BMW i3 was a lot of fun. But taking it to an autocross track really made me realize just how much fun it could be.

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The i3s is BMW’s Sport Edition of the i3 which debuted as a 2018 with the mid-cycle update of the electric car. The i3s enhancements include the trifecta of increased power, improved handling, and a more athletic appearance.

The BMW i3s models have a lowered and wider stance as well as unique wider 20-inch wheels with performance summer tires. Visually the i3s is most easily identified by its gloss black wheel arch molding, unique front, rear clips and i3s badging.

For the interior, really the only changes for an i3s are a new Sport button on the center console driving style switch and i3s on the floor mats. Unlike other BMW Sport editions, there is no M sport steering wheel, no sport seats, no special instrument cluster, no different gear lever or different headliner.

Think about that, a button and floor mats. Not your typical BMW sports package, but then again BMW i is its own division of BMW.

The biggest change compared from the base BMW i3, however, is best experienced from the driver’s seat. The handling of the i3s is just miles better than the original BMW i3 which could sometimes have handling that was described as tipsy.

BMW improved the handling of the i3s by increasing the track by 40mm, lowering the ride height by 10mm, by using a bespoke suspension and 20mm wider 20” tires.

BMW tuned the i3s with dedicated springs, dampers and anti-roll bars. The base i3 could easily get blown around on the highway in crosswinds. The new i3s suffers none of this. The ride is firm but not harsh in normal daily driving.

To gain more horsepower, BMW changed the programming of the regular i3 motor and was able to have it make 11 more horsepower and 15 lb-ft more of torque. The BMW i3s also has a higher top speed of 99 mph compared to 93 mph.

The rated range surprisingly doesn’t take a hit though as both have an EPA rated range of 153 miles. This is a reflection of the fact they both use the same battery pack, same motor and weigh nearly the same. The equal range rating assumes you can keep yourself out of sport mode and foot out of the throttle.

This though is a big assumption because the i3s is a literal blast to drive.

Here is a recap of the differences between the BMW i3 and i3s

• Increased horsepower – 181 hp and 199 lb-ft of torque versus 170 hp/ 184 lb-ft of torque
• 0-60 time of 6.8 versus 7.2 seconds
• Top speed increased to 99 mph versus 93 mph
• Sports suspension – wider track, lowered ride height, different springs/dampeners
• Special 20 inch wheels, and wider tires
• Sport Mode which sharpens throttle response and increases steering effort.
• Improved ASC traction control 50 times faster routine
• Gloss Black wheel arch molding
• 20 inch double-spoke wheels with 20 mm wider tires
• More aggressive front and rear clips
• i3s badging

BMW does offer a Range Extender for both the i3 and the i3s where an onboard 700cc gasoline-powered generator can stretch the range up of the new i3s to 200 miles.

Given the pure electric versions now go 153 miles versus the original i3 with 80 miles on a charge, I really don’t find the i3 Range Extender as necessary. To me, the i3 REx made much more sense with the 22 kWh battery pack of the 2014-2016 i3.

In fact, BMW no longer offers the REx version in Europe.

An interesting option that is missing from the i3s is BMW Parking Assistant. This option allows the i3 to locate a suitable parallel parking spot, informs you and then will parallel park the i3 on its own. I demonstrate this in the video here at the 2:30 mark.

We had a 2014 BMW i3 for three years and had this option. I actually loved it. Granted the i3 is one easiest cars to park given its small size and great turning radius.

The reason the i3s does not have Parking Assist is that the wheel arch flares cover over where the ultrasonic sensors are on the regular i3.

The base price of the BMW i3s is $47,650, a modest $3,200 more than the base i3. Consider that 20 inch wheels are a $1,300 option on the base i3 and that 20” wheels are included on the i3s, then the real difference shrinks to $1,900.

Less than $2,000 for improved performance and handling in addition to unique looks make it one of BMW’s best bargains. It is such a great bargain, that I got one in 2018 when the i3s first came out and we still love.

23,000 miles later.

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