[pookguy]

I have a 2011 e92 M3 and considering selling this and leasing an i3.
I currently also have a 07 FJ Cruiser. Having two cars that get under 13mpg is starting to suck. Although my commute is only 10 miles roundtrip, I still rack up almost $100-200 in gas a month.
I know it's a personal thing but just wanted to get experiences from anyone who might of went from say a performance car to an i3 and what you miss, regret?

[-c-]

Originally Posted by pookguy

I have a 2011 e92 M3 and considering selling this and leasing an i3.
I currently also have a 07 FJ Cruiser. Having two cars that get under 13mpg is starting to suck. Although my commute is only 10 miles roundtrip, I still rack up almost $100-200 in gas a month.
I know it's a personal thing but just wanted to get experiences from anyone who might of went from say a performance car to an i3 and what you miss, regret?

Not an m3 but a 135is and was also consuming 230 a month in gas.

I do miss the exhaust note with the dual clutch sometimes but have no regrets.

The i3 does have quick acceleration as well but its deceptively fast to 40 as you don't have a loud engine screaming all over the place.

It really is a new dynamic in driving and rewarding in a different way.

I do miss the 1, as it was a fantastic car but really like the i3 and find it refreshing and also now every car I sit in seems Stone Age. Even the 1 as much as I loved it seems old now.

My bank account also likes the extra 200 a month that I can invest vs burn.

I'm a gear head and not in to the whole green thing, and really love tech and the i3 gave me that. I have a 600hp classic charger in the garage as well as a couple race mini coopers so I still have some cars that burn the dyno juice and don't find myself "needing to dive" them vs my i3. So yes completely satisfied.

[admranger]

Funny, I was about to start this exact thread! I have an E90M3 and wonders the same thing. The i3 leases are attractive and I too put $200 per month in gas costs (and have 8.5kW of solar on the house).

My only issue is will the Rex do a 120 mile freeway round trip with 1k feet of elevation change? I'd definitely get the hack to change when the Rex starts. I do this trip about twice to three times a month but the frequency may increase.

Fwiw, I have a 2002 M3 and a 2005 X5 so the i3 would just be a commuter/grocery getter, not my only vehicle.

[Kiwi]

$200 a month for gas that's play money or a night out. If you think buying an i3 will save you money you are kidding your self. Just try the poor steering and bad front seats and you'll soon want your M cars back.
I can never make the sums work for installing and running a home on solar. Just the maintenance when cells need replacing or the roof needs repairs and the cells have to be removed so repairs can be made to the roof blows all the so called savings.

[-c-]

Originally Posted by Kiwi

$200 a month for gas that's play money or a night out. If you think buying an i3 will save you money you are kidding your self. Just try the poor steering and bad front seats and you'll soon want your M cars back.
I can never make the sums work for installing and running a home on solar. Just the maintenance when cells need replacing or the roof needs repairs and the cells have to be removed so repairs can be made to the roof blows all the so called savings.

Here in the U.S. Their are companies that lease out the panels and basically rent them to you and charge you a portion. Still comes out cheaper than using the grid. Plus when they need replacing they take care of it.

Also the gov gives up to half the money invested back to the consumer. So it's actually very attractive if you want to reduce your footprint.

On the other hand about the 200 dollars a month savings !
Add that up with compounding interest and investing. when I retire that 200 a month turns into hundreds of thousands. This may be the last car I buy in a loooooooooong time.

It will never rust and corrode which is a big plus being I drive here in Chicago.


Plus with all the rebates its price is that of a well optioned Mini Cooper. Can't go wrong !

Here in Illinois we have a customer choice which lets you basically lease the car but you get to turn it in at the end of the term or keep it and pay the balloon. Doing so let's you take advantage of all the rebates as well.

Add the rebates up and it's over 11000 dollars and the cost of a base i3 is 41k. After negotiating the price and getting around 5k off your payment would be around 400 a month at a 3 year owners choice your looking at maybe a couple grand out of pocket, Almost driving for free at that point.

Not to mention to register the car is only around 30 bucks for 2 years vs 110 dollars every year and no annoying emissions check

[jadnashuanh]

The advantage of an ICE is there are filling stations open almost everywhere. With the REx's small tank, you're forced to stop frequently on a long trip whether you want to or not and, at least in most of the USA, finding a CCS unit is wishful thinking. Relying on level 2 recharges takes you back to the days of the horse on long trips. I prefer my ICE for longer trips - much longer wheelbase, and to me, more comfortable seats. I know not everyone can justify owning two or more cars, but at least for now, the penalty isn't big enough for me to forgo the flexibility of choice.

[elm3]

I did, but I still have my M3 and my 335i. Just wanted something different. Still love my e92 M3 though. Will never part with it.

[PandaM3]

I too have an e90 M3 and FJ Cruiser.

I was looking at leasing an i3 to commute however if I'm keeping my other cars as recreational weekend cars I don't want to pay that much to lease an i3.

Currently my bike/ train commute of 25 miles each way totaling 50 miles a day 6 days a week is costing me $215 a month.

However the current deal on the Chevy Spark EV is $139 a month, nothing down, $500 credit to a level 2 charger, plus (depending on the state) a $2500 rebate. (Ends up being roughly $74 a month)

In the end that's roughly $3,000 to lease a spark EV vs $8,000 to commute by bike/ train for 39 months.

It's cheaper to commute by electric car than bike/ train!!!

Then change my electricity plan to a time of use plan so charging doesn't affect monthly costs.

Additionally my insurance rate actually drops by adding the electric car to my stable.

I say don't get rid of the M3 or FJ and just get a Chevy Spark EV as your commuter. Tint the windows really dark so no one sees you either since it looks like a toy car... But it has 400lb/ft of torque and the only other EV on the market that is faster is the Tesla.

Unless I find a dealer that wants to offload their excess i3's, leafs, or Egolfs... I might be getting a chevy Spark EV this weekend

[MFNATIK]

How about an E60 M5 to an i3 REx? I am a bit tired of the 13mpgs after 6 years and the linear power delivery and silent drive is actually pretty nice. Also ordering an F80 M3 for fall ED so can't really say I'm leaving BMW M. But the i3 leases are really hard to turn down. Its like driving for free.

[Rapcat]

I went from E70 X5 diesels (and a 335i sedan in the middle) to an E36 M3 and an i3. The M3 sat almost the entire time after I bought the i3, so I sold it. So now I just have the i3.
I love the i3, and at first it is a very different feel from the other BMWs, but after a while it just feels right. I remember driving home my first E70 X5 and thinking the steering felt weird. I kept that in my head when I got into the i3. It feels different, but when you get a loaner car that isn't as nimble (turning radius) and doesn't accelerate with zero effort, then it does make you realize the i3 is a good choice.
The i3 was my 14th BMW (13th if you exclude the MINI) that I have owned. I got a new job that requires out of town travel, so now I am buying a 320i for work out of town trips, but driving the i3 has been awesome. Over 12k miles and almost 10 months.

And the gas savings pays for my flights when I go out of town for vacations. When I can't find someone to drive with.

[Powerbeast]

Originally Posted by Kiwi

$200 a month for gas that's play money or a night out. If you think buying an i3 will save you money you are kidding your self. Just try the poor steering and bad front seats and you'll soon want your M cars back.
I can never make the sums work for installing and running a home on solar. Just the maintenance when cells need replacing or the roof needs repairs and the cells have to be removed so repairs can be made to the roof blows all the so called savings.

Really? I actually think the front seats and steering are both awesome.

[JasH]

Originally Posted by Kiwi

Just try the poor steering and bad front seats and you'll soon want your M cars back. .

Very good steering IMHO. Seats are subjective, but I think are fine for a City car.

[jadnashuanh]

The i3 is designed as a city car with limited range. The REx was added for those people that would endure using it and maybe extend it's usefulness to being an only car (with compromises). WHen used as intended, it is great. Trying to extend that use to that of an ICE, it is less stellar. With a real, normal usage of 30-50 miles/day, I find the seats just fine.

You want longer range...wait, a vehicle designed for that will be coming and, I think, with fewer compromises, if any.

[GeorgeJ.]

Originally Posted by pookguy

I have a 2011 e92 M3 and considering selling this and leasing an i3.
I currently also have a 07 FJ Cruiser. Having two cars that get under 13mpg is starting to suck. Although my commute is only 10 miles roundtrip, I still rack up almost $100-200 in gas a month.
I know it's a personal thing but just wanted to get experiences from anyone who might of went from say a performance car to an i3 and what you miss, regret?

Interesting range of responses. I had a 2012 135i 6M Dinan Stg II which was my favorite in a long line of BMW's. Living in San Francisco though I was fed up with driving it over our third world streets, snarled traffic, and to a degree dealing with a clutch on 30% slope hills.

Driving the i3 in SF is a (relatively zen like experience). The carbon passenger cell seems to have nice sound attenuation, the suspension is adequately compliant, and it is fun to largely drive with one pedal. The steering is nice and quick and I can dart through traffic in ways I couldn't have conceived of before. While the 135i had 355 hp and over 400 lb ft of torque the i3 can zip ahead far more quickly around town. I can't imagine a car better suited for the task of city driving.

I did the DVDinmotion hack the day after I took delivery and it works will. I have had three 120+ mile days that have been worry free. That being said I'd call it a hassle for a regular commute. The beauty if the i3 is virtually never having to deal with the pump and for >95% of my driving gas will not enter the picture.

I did not get the i3 to save on gas and payments though it is a nice benefit. I like the tall(ish) driving position, compact dimensions for parking, and tranquility in otherwise chaotic driving environment. My car had a MSRP of over $55k and with a $2500 drive off I pay $432 + tax each month (2 yrs / 10K miles/yr).

Never looked back.

[Gillie]

I owned a E90 M3 for 6 years, and swapped to an i3 last Oct.

Acceleration: i3 is surprisingly good, can be comparable to an M3 before reaching 50-60km/h.
Cornering: the CG of i3 is low, yet the tires are narrow, hence, M3 is far better.
Steering: i3 is agile, direct and very responsive.

The engine sound is what I missed most.

IMO, i3 is a very nice city car, but it cannot give what a sports car can offer you.

[dt34]

I went from an E92 M3 to an Audi RS5 to an i3 for my daily. I liked the M3, was bored to tears by the RS5. Don't think I would have an i3 as my only car unless it was a REX.

[MFNATIK]

There is something that is quite pleasing when driving an EV like the i3. Its a light, nimble, and taut car. Feels really connected and to be honest, I do find the acceleration to be more than acceptable and almost M like in feeling. It feels like you are driving the future, but now.

[InsanePineapple]

Why not both? See sig.

[InsanePineapple]

Originally Posted by PandaM3

But it has 400lb/ft of torque and the only other EV on the market that is faster is the Tesla.

The i3 is actually faster. Spark EV 0-60 is 7.9 sec. i3 BEV is 7 secs flat.

Originally Posted by Powerbeast

Really? I actually think the front seats and steering are both awesome.

I like the seats. But I feel like the steering is twitchy at high speeds. Also feels like the suspension is a bit bouncy.

[afadeev]

Originally Posted by morfinx

Why not both? See sig.

I'm thinking of doing just that - adding i3-REX as my daily/commuter car to replace the MINI Cooper S.

The only thing holding me back are the idiotic rear doors that require additional steps for kids to get in and out of the back seat. For all practical purposes it's a 2-door coupe with extra wide hinged B-pillars.

a

[3toM]

I had a 2008 M3, went to a 2013 335 Msport to save some gas $ on my commute as it was my daily driver. Just leased an i3 BEV since my commute got even longer, but kept the 335i. Its a different driving experience than a M, no doubt. I do enjoy it though. And off the line, for the first 30 mph or so, you'll be accelerating faster than your M if you want to floor the pedal!

[MFNATIK]

I read somewhere that its actually the first 45mph that the i3 holds its own against an M3. Everything after that is all HP and the M3 will smoke it hahaha