[norcalcommuter]

I liked the 2018 i3 after 2 test drives but it feels way overpriced relative to the competition (Bolt EV, Kona EV, Tesla Model 3) so figure the 2019 would be better - still overpriced in terms of range but the car is nice.

A few questions for i3 drivers:
1. Did anyone buy during the $10k rebates from BMW/Costco/PG&E/other and are you happy owning?

I am hoping these rebates come back. The lease rates seems to be coming in around $15k over two years. Stated residual is about 59% but these things seems to sell for 50% of MSRP after two years. The dealer near me told me that 99% of people are leasing these which worries me a bit about owning.

Without the $10k rebate, the i3 is priced at the same price as a Tesla Model 3 mid range with autopilot and much more expensive than the Bolt EV or upcoming Kona EV yet the BMW dealers don't seem to want to negotiate much. It does not make sense to me.

2. Has anyone driven the Bolt EV and i3 extensively and have an opinion on which one drives better? (I have read a bunch of reviews online and they mostly point to the Bolt)

3. Has anyone spent time in both an i3 and i3s that could comment on the difference and whether the i3s is a good car for commuting? (It looks better IMO but most reviews say it is harsh in terms of ride quality).

Thanks for your help.

[afadeev]

Originally Posted by norcalcommuter

The lease rates seems to be coming in around $15k over two years.

You need to research harder.
My 24 month / 20K mile lease is a tad under $6K over two years.

You should be able to lease 2+ i3 for $15K/2 years!

Originally Posted by norcalcommuter

Stated residual is about 59% but these things seems to sell for 50% of MSRP after two years. The dealer near me told me that 99% of people are leasing these which worries me a bit about owning.

2 year / 20K mile residuals are 64%.
Yes, that is artificially high, due to how BMW NA chooses to subsidize i3 leases.
Thus the overwhelmingly high lease take rates.

Yes, there is a huge $10+K gap in value between lease residual and market value of used i3's, and BMW NA eats the difference (more than offset by regulatory credits).

Originally Posted by norcalcommuter

Without the $10k rebate, the i3 is priced at the same price as a Tesla Model 3 mid range with autopilot and much more expensive than the Bolt EV or upcoming Kona EV yet the BMW dealers don't seem to want to negotiate much. It does not make sense to me.

Rebate or no rebate (BTW, they should apply to all EVs), i3 selling price point is not competitive in today's EV market.
Subsidized i3 lease rates, on the other hand, are very competitive and attractive.

Dealers will, and absolutely do, negotiate.
Cali and FL are the worst car markets for buyers, so you might have to call around to get a good deal outside of your immediate home turf.

Originally Posted by norcalcommuter

2. Has anyone driven the Bolt EV and i3 extensively and have an opinion on which one drives better? (I have read a bunch of reviews online and they mostly point to the Bolt)

I've driven Bolt, new Leaf, eGolf, and Model 3 as alternatives to my soon to end-lease i3 BEV.
Only Model 3 provided a desirable driving experience. Then again, my handling and performance expectations may be different than yours (see my sig).

Long story short - i3's are great to lease, ruinous to buy.
Model 3 is hard to beat as a value proposition, but is not available for lease (at this time). And Elon is di%king around with price all the time.

Good luck with your search,
a

[wvegas]

I would not buy a new i3, as you noted the prices for them new are ridiculous and lease returns with less than 20k miles on the clock are 50% off. Since the battery tech is changing so fast I think they will quickly depreciate more - there are multiple 250+ mile cars coming out in 2019 that will drive used i3 prices down.

As others have noted the i3 is really only good to lease (or buy used for cheap) - a dealer I visited said he moved over 50 of them but hasn't sold one in 3 years.

I'm also up in the Bay Area and was seeing leases in the high $300's to low $400 for a i3 BEV or I3s BEV with minimal options (tech and HK) with $3k down. I don't know where people are seeing leases for $6k anymore - there WERE cheap leases back when the BMW had the $10k discount last year but the lowest rates I've seen in the past 6 months was for a base i3 BEV at $220/m with $5000 down - and that still comes out to $11k over 24 months!

If you're looking to purchase - look no further and get the Tesla Model 3 mid range. It a far better car for the money and the range and infrastructure can't be beat at this time. I would have grabbed one if they were currently available to lease as I'm not in the market for a sedan.

The Bolt is a solid commuter cat - the range is great but the car feels cheap and plastic inside; the seats are horribly uncomfortable. It doesn't drive like the Tesla or BMW, more like a base Toyota or Honda. Having driven all 3 cars on multiple drives its more of a commuter vs fun RWD car.

IMO the i3s was slightly better and more planted on turns and on the highway - it didn't feel so top heavy like the regular i3. It was slightly firmer on rough roads but not bad at all - just depends on what you're looking for.

Here is some more lease information that was shared with me - shows rates across EV's http://ev-vin.blogspot.com

[bayarea328xit]

My recommendation is to take over someone's lease via swapalease. I am in the process of taking over my 3rd i3 lease - each time, we price out a new lease and compare it to lease takeover options. In every case, we saved around $200/mo by taking over someone's lease. This time around, we were looking at ~ $500/mo lease in bay area vs taking over someone's lease with 20 months left at $325/mo. No brainer … BMW FS makes it very easy.

[Paul Swanson]

I bought a new 2018 I-3s BEV with all the extras through Costco, $10k factory rebate, $7500 federal rebate, $2500 Calif rebate, $500 So Cal Edison rebate with a bottom line of just under $30,000. You can't get a Tesla for that. You could just barely buy a Prius. (We owned three)

I love the car. Its an almost perfect around town car where we do 95% of our driving. I plug it in to a level 2 charger every day or two (powered by solar panels on my roof) and really have no range issues. The car is very quick, handles well, and is a snap to park. It is a little cramped in the trunk but you can fold the seats down easily. The one-pedal driving and the smooth, instant, noisless acceleration must be experienced to appreciate. I really think this is the future although there are still naysayers who love their three ton pickups and say there is no global warming.

Paul

[MickeytheT]

I think there's pretty good lease deals now on the 2018 models with the 2019s on the way. I just leased my second i3 and although it wasn't quite the steal I got on my first one, it's super reasonable once you take into account all the rebates. SCE rebate just went up to $1K for 2019 and I think the PGE rebate is $800.

[norcalcommuter]

Thanks everyone for the replies. Very helpful!

As an FYI, it appears the $10k rebates are back - for now, USAA member receive $10k off.

I am aiming for the i3s and now need to figure out how to get the best deal. If anyone has any suggestions or advice, please let me know.

[afadeev]

Originally Posted by norcalcommuter

As an FYI, it appears the $10k rebates are back - for now, USAA member receive $10k off.

Don't stop looking - there are more rebates to be collected!
BMW CCA rebate, fleet rebate, seasonal campaigns, etc, etc.

USAA or Costco rebates, by themselves, are never the lowest.

a

[norcalcommuter]

Interestingly the BMW i3 is now absent from the BMW CCA rebate page:
https://www.bmwcca.org/vehicle_rebate

[afadeev]

Originally Posted by norcalcommuter

Interestingly the BMW i3 is now absent from the BMW CCA rebate page:
https://www.bmwcca.org/vehicle_rebate

Yep, that happened some time last year.
However, BMW NA had expanded its "fleet discount" program, and that one covers i3 to the tune of $1.5K.

Many employers and non-profits are covered under "fleet discount". If yours isn't, consider joining some none profit (USA swimming comes to mind, I'm sure there are others).

a

[capt_slow]

Definitely lease, as some i3 leases can be had for cheap (mine is about $180/month).

[jmg]

Lease is the way to go imho. Residuals beat real world depreciation, there are even more rebates than when I got my i3 REx in November, and dealers are going to be wanting to unload 2018 inventory. If you don't mind the smaller battery, leasing a 2018 is going to start looking better and better.