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      12-17-2019, 11:48 PM   #1
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Time to move on

After a back to back lease of total 5 years(36M + 24M) of i3 ownership, today I say goodbye to the little box. Proud to say during the entire ownership the i3 never failed me in any mechanical way. Except my first one was rear-ended & took the shop about 2 months to repair. I thank BMW for making this little fun urban car. The last drive to the dealership was still a fun ride!

It’s going to be weird without an EV car for awhile but I decided to take a break from it. With the fast moving technology I can’t wait to see the future may hold. I’ll be back!

P.S. the original tires (19”) last 20k miles when I turned it in. Barely passed. I drove pretty hard. Happy camper I didn’t need to pay for new rubber!
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      12-21-2019, 09:13 AM   #2
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Good to hear you had 5 years of worry free ownership! I'm in the midst of a similar situation, having just turned in a 3-year lease and started a new 2-year lease on an i3s REx. I really enjoy driving the little car around. Odds are the next one won't be an i3 - may not even be possible at that point, but I'm all in on EVs.

Really hoping to see more long range options from BMW, as long as they aren't prohibitively expensive.
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      12-21-2019, 02:02 PM   #3
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It’s quite hard to be EV free after a long period of time. Was really close to jump to Tesla but couldn’t justify the lease number on the loaded Model 3. I like the car though & will eventually make the jump. I do love the flexibility of the i3 range extender. It’s a more secures feeling knowing you have ability to put gas if needed. Will be back to EV in the near future I’m sure!
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      01-03-2020, 10:43 PM   #4
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And what will you replace it with? There's nothing on the market quite like the i3. And nothing comes close to the price considering everything you get with it. Model 3 is nice sure, but 2x the lease price.

The Mustang seems like a competitor but its nowhere near ready. The Mini EV might be a competitor but its expensive. I just went through this exercise two months back, there's nothing immediately available that checks all of the boxes the i3 does. So I'm on i3 #3 myself. Waiting for the Rivian R1T.
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      01-04-2020, 08:35 AM   #5
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20k on OEM tires? That’s nuts. I gotta replace mine after 6.5 - 7k miles. And that’s not driving spirited. Car’s alignment is spot on too.
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      01-06-2020, 05:49 AM   #6
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Model 3 is nice sure, but 2x the lease price.
We just leased both an i3s REx and a Model 3 SR+. The i3 had an MSRP of around $55k and had $10,500 in incentives plus another $2k off from the dealer. The Model 3 had an MSRP of around $41k and had zero incentives. Both cars have lease payments of mid $500s. So I would say Model 3s can be had pretty similarly to well-equipped i3s.
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      01-06-2020, 09:08 AM   #7
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We're in same boat as OP. At the end of 3 yr lease and it really is an unbeatable little urban car. Is anyone getting a compelling purchase offer at lease end (including extended warranty to avoid getting stuck with battery replacement cost)?
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      01-07-2020, 06:46 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RVExotics View Post
We just leased both an i3s REx and a Model 3 SR+. The i3 had an MSRP of around $55k and had $10,500 in incentives plus another $2k off from the dealer. The Model 3 had an MSRP of around $41k and had zero incentives. Both cars have lease payments of mid $500s. So I would say Model 3s can be had pretty similarly to well-equipped i3s.
Not sure why your i3 lease is so high. I just leased one two months ago:

2019 i3S REx
MSRP: $60,049
30mo 10k/yr
$0 down
7 MSD

$354 Including 10% tax

41k for a Model 3 is pretty stripped. They start at 39,990 now right? So thats just destination. Not saying even a stripped model 3 is a bad car, but the average i3 vs the average model 3 should have lease rates pretty different from each other. Most i3's are leased under $300

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      01-08-2020, 01:53 AM   #9
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20k on OEM tires? That’s nuts. I gotta replace mine after 6.5 - 7k miles. And that’s not driving spirited. Car’s alignment is spot on too.
Right?! I was quite surprise I made it. the 20" tire on my first i3 didn't make 13k. The 19" had no issue although it was close. I drove this little box pretty hard.
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      01-08-2020, 01:57 AM   #10
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And what will you replace it with? There's nothing on the market quite like the i3. And nothing comes close to the price considering everything you get with it. Model 3 is nice sure, but 2x the lease price.

The Mustang seems like a competitor but its nowhere near ready. The Mini EV might be a competitor but its expensive. I just went through this exercise two months back, there's nothing immediately available that checks all of the boxes the i3 does. So I'm on i3 #3 myself. Waiting for the Rivian R1T.
X4M. dramatically different I know but decided to take a break on EV. Was thinking about the Model 3 Performance but couldn't do it. I'll be back to EV in the near future.
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      01-08-2020, 02:03 AM   #11
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We're in same boat as OP. At the end of 3 yr lease and it really is an unbeatable little urban car. Is anyone getting a compelling purchase offer at lease end (including extended warranty to avoid getting stuck with battery replacement cost)?
i3 is a truly awesome city car but I would never buy an electric car. Lease is the only option to get the latest & greatest. The battery technology advances so fast that makes no sense to own one.
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      01-08-2020, 07:13 AM   #12
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i3 is a truly awesome city car but I would never buy an electric car. Lease is the only option to get the latest & greatest. The battery technology advances so fast that makes no sense to own one.
If the battery tech is sufficient to meet your needs, why does it matter if the tech has advanced beyond that point?
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      01-08-2020, 11:59 AM   #13
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If the battery tech is sufficient to meet your needs, why does it matter if the tech has advanced beyond that point?
Still has a long way to go. I had the very first gen of REX that had a total range of 140 miles. the 2nd REX the total range got to 180 miles. They were 2 years apart. The total cost of ownership of the first i3 for me was about 10k for 3 years. the total cost of ownership for the 2nd i3 was about 6k for 2 years. The question really becomes why would I want to own one for that kind of money. It's a no brainer just lease it & get the newest & better version every 2 to 3 years.
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      01-09-2020, 03:49 AM   #14
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Still has a long way to go. I had the very first gen of REX that had a total range of 140 miles. the 2nd REX the total range got to 180 miles. They were 2 years apart. The total cost of ownership of the first i3 for me was about 10k for 3 years. the total cost of ownership for the 2nd i3 was about 6k for 2 years. The question really becomes why would I want to own one for that kind of money. It's a no brainer just lease it & get the newest & better version every 2 to 3 years.
I’m in the opposite camp. Range is enough for me, got free charging at work, and a combination of decent amount of non-negotiable commute miles and silly Bay Area gas prices. Leases for 15k miles a year were pretty bad so I bit the bullet and bought it during a $10,000 utility discount promotion. Haggled a bit, got a good deal and full tax breaks. So far it has been great
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      01-10-2020, 12:10 AM   #15
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I’m ditching my 2015 REX soon too after 4.5 years. The gas engine has been a constant headache and has left me stranded several times, so I can no longer trust it. Battery also seems to be degrading at an accelerated rate. I don’t get more than 38 miles on a charge in the winter. It has been an interesting ownership experience. I’ll be replacing it with an M340i.
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      01-10-2020, 08:39 AM   #16
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Still has a long way to go. I had the very first gen of REX that had a total range of 140 miles. the 2nd REX the total range got to 180 miles. They were 2 years apart. The total cost of ownership of the first i3 for me was about 10k for 3 years. the total cost of ownership for the 2nd i3 was about 6k for 2 years. The question really becomes why would I want to own one for that kind of money. It's a no brainer just lease it & get the newest & better version every 2 to 3 years.
I'm in the opposite camp. I drive 100-120 miles per day. I'm Coming up on 40,000 miles of owning this car. The range is sufficient (2017 BEV). I would not benefit from more range, as the current range does not limit my behavior. The only cost I have incurred are tires and electricity.

The only thing I'd use more range for would be road trips, and I would never choose to take an EV on a road trip (as even Tesla style range/charing is a PITA compared to a gas car)... so why do I care about more range?

I bought the car for $19,100. I could probably sell it for not a ton less. Changing out cars every 2-3 years would be a huge amount of additional expense with no benefit in exchange. Assuming a $300 monthly lease payment and $3000 down, you're spending ~$14,000 every 3 years. Again and again and again, with no car that you own at the end of it. If the extra range isn't something you need, which most people don't, just sounds like lighting money on fire to me--with no benefit in exchange.

Not to mention, cars with bigger batteries weight more, causing them to use more electricity, causing them to cost more to run.
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      01-10-2020, 10:30 AM   #17
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That’s why we have options, to suit each & everyone’s need. So all good here.

The biggest difference is leasing gives you option to get you into something new every so often depending on the terms. With that said, it’s a disposable car I care less than the weekend cars I own & plan to hold onto (keepers). Different perspective. With combustion engine car the difference is obviously less but with EV, with technology in mind, just doesn’t make me feel comfortable owning. A side story too on my 1st REX, got rear ended about 18 months into the ownership. 12k in damage the insurance company didn’t want to total. Car in the shop for 2.5 months for repair. Some carbon structural parts need to be replaced. Bummer but I didn’t really care since I didn’t “own” it. I’m sure the Carfax would show. The car would take a big hit in resale. Regardless I really have no desire to own anything that has any bodywork done to it. The feeling of not being stuck with it is literally priceless for me. Perfect for a daily commute car that I’m not stressed about.
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      01-10-2020, 10:36 AM   #18
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I’m ditching my 2015 REX soon too after 4.5 years. The gas engine has been a constant headache and has left me stranded several times, so I can no longer trust it. Battery also seems to be degrading at an accelerated rate. I don’t get more than 38 miles on a charge in the winter. It has been an interesting ownership experience. I’ll be replacing it with an M340i.
Sorry to hear about yours. I’m glad mine were fine & I used the gas engine quite often! Joke but no joke, I seriously have no desire to own any BMW that’s out of warranty. Just me though.
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      01-11-2020, 04:28 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by The J-Man View Post
I’m ditching my 2015 REX soon too after 4.5 years. The gas engine has been a constant headache and has left me stranded several times, so I can no longer trust it. Battery also seems to be degrading at an accelerated rate. I don’t get more than 38 miles on a charge in the winter. It has been an interesting ownership experience. I’ll be replacing it with an M340i.
Sorry to hear about yours. I’m glad mine were fine & I used the gas engine quite often! Joke but no joke, I seriously have no desire to own any BMW that’s out of warranty. Just me though.
You're spot on. Not sure why there is push back to what you're doing.

A lease always makes more sense financially unless you drive 17K+ miles a year.

Leases should always be with no money down, so there is no risk of loss. This is why businesses lease. Plus keeps your loan to debt ratio low.

EVs also depreciate more rapidly then any other vehicle and new tech is better and safer.

Hate others made you feel like you needed to justify yourself, but you don't.

It's just smarter money.

Good luck with your X4M. BMW is dragging their feet with other EV options and don't want their cadre of engineers to become obsolete and leave too soon, but the ICE is a dead topic this decade, so one last great one to enjoy should be fun for you. Think I may get one last ICE also since the i4 seems years away and I'll never get a Tesla.
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