Should I buy this BMW i3?

Domenick

Domenick

Well-Known Member
I need a car, and soon. The sooner, the better, in fact.

This 2014 BMW i3 just popped up on my radar and I'll probably go look at it tonight or tomorrow. The owner is asking $13,000 and it has 24,100 miles on it.

According to the seller, it has the "Mega World" trim level, hasn't been in an accident and has no damage. It doesn't have a range extender (ReX).
(side note: I was advised to avoid the 2014 model year with ReX)

Now, I understand these could have suffered some battery degradation if left for long periods on a hot lot with a low state of charge (SoC), so I will try to check the battery health. There's a neat video that shows the trick of finding that info, which I'll post below here, in case it's useful for others.

I'm told, though, that in order to get a more accurate reading with this method, it's recommended to deplete the pack down to 10%, then fully charged it twice before checking the reading.

So, what do you think? Is it worth $13K? What if it doesn't have a DC fast charging option?


BMW i3 for sale.webp

 
Domenick said:
What if it doesn't have a DC fast charging option?
Click to expand...
Not good because it won't charger faster than 31A on an L2 charger taking hours. In effect, you could drive to a hotel/motel with J1772, stay over night, and return the next day or hop to the next hotel/motel with J1772. You could use RV parks with 50A service and 'camp out' in the car. Be wary of public L2 chargers as they often are derated to 24A or worse.

Get the VIN and use a VIN decoder to see what it has. Also, join: https://www.mybmwi3.com/forum/

Bob Wilson
 
With fast DC chargers, it will take about 30 min to achieve ~85-90% SOC, ~65-70 mi range.

A REx is a much more practical car with long legs for cross country travel.

Bob Wilson
 
bwilson4web said:
With fast DC chargers, it will take about 30 min to achieve ~85-90% SOC, ~65-70 mi range.

A REx is a much more practical car with long legs for cross country travel.

Bob Wilson
Click to expand...
Thanks, Bob.
This will be meant to be a car for commuting within the city. Even if it has CCS, I don't think there's a place I would travel to where there are DCFC facilities along the way. (I prefer to rent if I'm driving long distances)
Still, it's recommended to me for resale value and flexibility purposes. If it doesn't have it, maybe I can negotiate a lower price.
 
A little update: I test drove the car. It drove fine, at least on at lower speeds on the local streets. One-pedal dynamic was interesting. It does have a fast-charge DC port.
The car has been kept outside, so isn't quite pristine, but seller said they would have it detailed. There is a small paint blemish on top of rear bumper by loading area. Also a couple stickers (which I don"t personally like and would try to remove).
Inside, interior was pretty good, though some light liquid staining on passenger seat.

I'm supposed to give an answer tomorrow and am leaning "no." Although $13k isn't a bad deal, it's not a super-great one, and it really pushes against the top end of my budget.

Also, just noticed a bunch of off-lease California cars are starting to appear on the East coast...
 
GOOD; FAST; CHEAP ... pick two.

FYI, Murphy requires learning of a better deal as soon as you've paid for yours.

GOOD LUCK!

Bob Wilson
 
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