[CharleyLandanlv]

I am looking for a 2016 BMW i8 (CPO), and I am trying to see how much issues you've experienced using this car as a daily?

I want to make sure I make the investment into something I really want.

[2sak2furious]

I daily it, my biggest concern is getting a good parking spot. I over worry that someone is going to park to close and I can’t get into my car. Luckily happened once to my passenger side so I just had to back out a little so they could get in.

Back seats are mainly for storage but my 10 year old can fit when I have pick up duties. Adults is going to be pretty tight if not impossible unless you’re smaller.

It’s not the fastest but fast enough, feels really light in handling. Hybrid tech is cool but I feel you need to charge it regularly to get the full benefits - I have a level 2 at home, no charger at work.

My biggest complaint would be the slight lag you get in eco or comfort when starting to get moving - don’t get in sport or e mode.

A little thing that I really like is the auto park brake set when switching to park.

[CharleyLandanlv]

I live in Las Vegas so all the casino's have free electric charging so its a benefit for me since I work on the strip!

I currently have an S1000RR BMW and I wanted something to match, but I am really looking for mechanical issues or maintenance problems you may have encountered where initially the car ends up more time at the dealership then in your possession.

That type of details.

[patsgarageonline]

I daily drive my i8. I previously owned Corvettes and after losing my job 10 years ago, sold my Corvette and had no sports car. I was daily driving a 2015 Dodge Dart. After getting the i8, and realizing I get better gas mileage, I decided to use the i8 all the time. I switched tires to performance all-season wider tires and feel more confident on the road. The original tires are designed for low-rolling-resistance for better mileage. And, as others have said, parking is the main concern. I find parking spaces with a curb next to me so I can open the door. If you get parked in, you can press and hold the unlock button to lower the windows and climb in Dukes of Hazzard style, if you have to.

I didn't have any major issues. I had a GPS that constantly rebooted so the dealer replaced that under warranty. I have CPO on my 2015 i8 until 11/2020. After that I am considering replacing it with a newer CPO i8. I really enjoy it.

[patsgarageonline]

I want to add that this car is mechanically simple, but electronically complicated. I've done oil changes and plan to replace the spark plugs myself, as the inline 3 cylinder engine is not that complicated to work on. I'm posting How To information on my YouTube i8_pat channel when I perform it, to help other i8 owners do some of their own work.

The only issue I've seen happen repeatedly on forums as well as the BMW i8 FaceBook group is that when they pressed the button to allow the fuel door to open, it won't let it. You have to open the trunk and pull a mechanical bypass release. Apparently, this is a fuel pressure sensor issue. The purpose is to prevent fuel vapors from exiting the pressurized system quickly. I typically drive my car on sport mode so the combustion engine is running right before fill up, and that way I have low pressure in my fuel system.

[363ny]

Originally Posted by CharleyLandanlv

.... but I am really looking for mechanical issues or maintenance problems you may have encountered where initially the car ends up more time at the dealership then in your possession.

That type of details.

I have had my '16 i8 for 34 months now and clocked about 23K miles on it.

I had two mechanical issues with it.

They very common fuel door wont open. However I had never had to pull the bypass release - after hitting the refuel button the car would eventually display that refuelling is possible but this could take multiple tries and a minute or two of time. After the dealer fixed this - it has never happened again.

The other issue was the gear shift lever would not always light up. This was also fixed by my the dealer under warranty.

The other item that shows up on the forums alot are chipped windshields.

Good luck with your decision.

[emmfive]

I had a 2015 for 24 months. Only two issues during that period - fuel door issue, and squeaky door struts. Door struts were replaced under warranty. I didn't bother having the fuel door issue fixed, since I only fill up about once every 4-6 weeks and just used the redundant release in the trunk.

I'm 4 months into a 2019 coupe. Squeaky door struts, no other issues. I'll get the struts replaced when I'm in for the next service.

I picked up the 2015, thinking I would drive it for a few months just for kicks, and get back into a M5. I loved the car so much I kept it for the full 24 month lease term. After that I picked up a F90 M5, and after 6 months swapped out of that to get back into the i8. Anyone looking at the specs on the two cars would say I'm crazy, but apparently spec figures don't give the whole story.

[MGRMLN]

I daily mine as well. 2015 Protonic Blue Pure Impulse Edition.
Mine had to go to the dealer to get a faulty air temp sensor replaced but that's it, thankfully.
Otherwise, it's a brilliant daily. Fast enough to be interesting, especially once on the move, yet suprisingly frugal. I get about 42 mpg overall.

One thing that I did have an issue with was the rear hatch showing as open even when latched shut. If this happens, there is literally no way to open it. I had diagnosed this to the emergency release handle in the rear compartment. Mine was just hanging there, not clipped into place like it should be. The only way to get in there is to jostle the car and "jiggle" that handle. Then the hatch will open. I clipped it into place and it never happened again. But this is probably the most annoying thing about the car. How would you create an electronic switch with no manual override?

[F5506m]

I daily drive mine everyday; But i have a very short commute to work. Car has close to 10K miles and goes back next week. I have had no issues with the car.

[F5506m]

There is a manual over-ride it is just located in the trunk that you cannot open.

Originally Posted by MGRMLN

I daily mine as well. 2015 Protonic Blue Pure Impulse Edition.
Mine had to go to the dealer to get a faulty air temp sensor replaced but that's it, thankfully.
Otherwise, it's a brilliant daily. Fast enough to be interesting, especially once on the move, yet suprisingly frugal. I get about 42 mpg overall.

One thing that I did have an issue with was the rear hatch showing as open even when latched shut. If this happens, there is literally no way to open it. I had diagnosed this to the emergency release handle in the rear compartment. Mine was just hanging there, not clipped into place like it should be. The only way to get in there is to jostle the car and "jiggle" that handle. Then the hatch will open. I clipped it into place and it never happened again. But this is probably the most annoying thing about the car. How would you create an electronic switch with no manual override?

[Marc45]

The only issue I've had is the fuel door sensor. I'm about to get that replaced, it's more of an annoyance than real problem since you can manually open the gas door.
If you have access to a charger at work you'll probably get better mileage than your bike.

[i8alot]

Originally Posted by 2sak2furious

I daily it, my biggest concern is getting a good parking spot. I over worry that someone is going to park to close and I can’t get into my car. Luckily happened once to my passenger side so I just had to back out a little so they could get in.

This is constantly an issue - especially in places like grocery stores or malls. Luckily, I park at the mall across the street when I go to classes since they have EV charging spots that tend to be a little bit wider. Also, you're parking mostly next to Teslas (that I find to be more aware/considerate about not blocking you in) as well as the occasional pickup or non-EV idiot who takes the spot.

Originally Posted by 2sak2furious

Back seats are mainly for storage but my 10 year old can fit when I have pick up duties. Adults is going to be pretty tight if not impossible unless you’re smaller.

I beg to differ. On two different accounts (in the two months that I've had it), I've had 3 girls comfortable fit. in the car... albeit it was just a quick drive around the block after the club.. and maybe a bit more. But no complaints haha

The extra seats does give extra storage space. This is why I chose this over an Audi R8. I can drive to the airport and fit all my 3-piece luggage set and laptop bag.

[Aye-eight]

Daily driver here, mostly short distances. A little over 30k miles on it now, and I have probably driven more than half of that in all-electric. I still get a kick out of people looking at the car and then being utterly surprised when in takes of in silence. Silence is the new loud, IMHO.

Performance-wise, I’m also more than happy with the car. Drove Zurich to Munich the other day and nobody was faster. Yes, yes - a McLaren or an Abt-tuned RS 6 will outrun you. But how often do you actually encounter them on your trip? If you do, how often do they go all-out? And if they do, does it really matter? The i8 in sports mode is very quick and it feels solid and composed - even on stock tires doing 175 mph around an Autobahn bend. No complaints.

I do drive my kids to school. The 10-year old sits in front now. I do drive with luggage to the airport for my business trips. I do carry skis on a suction cup rack.

The car is awesome.

[KashMoney47]

Hey does anybody have any experience with driving this car in the snow? Is it not practical for that type of terrain? Live in the North East USA

[Louv]

Originally Posted by KashMoney47

Hey does anybody have any experience with driving this car in the snow? Is it not practical for that type of terrain? Live in the North East USA

My i8 and I live in Maine. Full Snow tires. Sport Mode for AWD. It does great. Yeah, deep snow isn't great, but I never really had a problem.

[Louv]

Daily Drive? Yeah, I have over 33,000 miles on it.

Today I had to pick up a cat that had emergency surgery from a clinic 40 miles away. So, yeah, I took the i8. Yesterday I went grocery shopping in the i8. Six bags, no problem at all.

[RDDC]

So I had a funny thing happen yesterday. 2016 CPO i8 35,000 miles. I went to pop the trunk and the trunk made a clicking noise but would not pop open. I tried the key and door button and the same thing. I did notice I had the charging port in (Shouldn't make a difference) but the same thing, would not open. Then I decided to unplug the charger and turn the car on. Still the same thing, clicking sound but not popping open. I went inside and complained to my wife. She put her shoes on to see the problem at hand. I hit the button on the key fob and it popped open. But, get this....the car was a previous lease. I noticed a slight scratch mark where it looks like someone was trying to get into the trunk. Clearly this has happened before. If it happens again I'll bring into the dealer. I did check for any obstructions when it finally opened and nothing was in the way.

[Nachbar]

Originally Posted by RDDC

So I had a funny thing happen yesterday. 2016 CPO i8 35,000 miles. I went to pop the trunk and the trunk made a clicking noise but would not pop open. I tried the key and door button and the same thing. I did notice I had the charging port in (Shouldn't make a difference) but the same thing, would not open. Then I decided to unplug the charger and turn the car on. Still the same thing, clicking sound but not popping open. I went inside and complained to my wife. She put her shoes on to see the problem at hand. I hit the button on the key fob and it popped open. But, get this....the car was a previous lease. I noticed a slight scratch mark where it looks like someone was trying to get into the trunk. Clearly this has happened before. If it happens again I'll bring into the dealer. I did check for any obstructions when it finally opened and nothing was in the way.

There's another thread in here about that! Some say, it's the emergency handle inside the trunk, when it's not fixed. I can't confirm, because we don't have those over here in Switzerland.

To OP: yes I daily drive my i8. I guess you know, we got plenty of snow over here. I love driving it in the snow. Doing 120kph on snowy highway, people throw weird looks at me.

[KashMoney47]

Thanks for clearing that up guys

Snow season coming up in the NorthEast USA! Stay Safe