Used BMW i3 review and buying guide
Everything you need to know about buying a used BMW i3, from model history and price to reliability and the best model to choose
With a line-up of EVs ranging from the best-selling i4 and increasingly popular i5, to the ix1 crossover and intriguing XM performance SUV, BMW has established itself as a firm fixture on the EV landscape in recent years.
Yet none of these cars would have happened without the i3 – the one car that kicked off Munich’s current foray into the EV world.
The BMW i3 cost around €3 billion to develop, which makes it one of the most expensive cars ever developed alongside the Mercedes W124 S-Class and the third-gen Range Rover.
No surprise, given that BMW developed a bespoke aluminium chassis for the i3’s frame to keep weight down, then masterminded a similarly clever carbon fibre-reinforced plastic body to drape over the top… which was produced at a dedicated factory in the United States, then sent to BMW in Germany for construction.
This whole process proved costly. Very costly. BMW lost money on each of the 250,000 i3s it made between 2013 and 2022, when manufacturing eventually stopped. Nonetheless, the i3 is considered to be one of the first proper ‘classic EVs’ thanks to its position in the BMW story as a landmark car, along with the cutting-edge engineering that underpinned it.
Early BMW i3 models with the 22.6kWh battery can cost as little as £5,000, while later cars can reach up to the £30,000 mark. Similarly priced brand new EVs may have more tech – after all, the i3 is bereft of luxuries such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as a standard – but there are few all-electric cars that can still match the lightweight, rear-wheel drive i3 for character and driving enjoyment.
Model history
Upon launch for the 2014 model year, the BMW i3 was initially available with a 22.6kWh battery returning just 80 miles of range. In 2017, the battery was updated to a larger, 33kWh unit with a 114-mile range. A final, bigger battery arrived two years later in the guise of a 42.2kWh unit good for 190 miles. This would prove to be the final update for the i3, before BMW killed it off at the end of 2022.
From 2014 to 2017, BMW offered the i3 with Range Extender (REX) drivetrain. This was powered by a 647cc petrol engine that would serve as a backup motor for if and when the batteries ran out while driving.
BMW offered the i3 in the UK with four interior packages: the entry-level Standard, mid-range Loft with blue accents, and the higher-end Lodge and Suite. To underline the i3’s eco-friendly credentials, the Lodge’s cabin was decked out with sustainably-sourced leather and wool. The Suite, meanwhile, came with open-pore eucalyptus wood and a full-leather trim.
The BMW i3 came with 19-inch wheels as standard, with 20-inch wheels as an optional extra.
Used BMW i3 price range
The BMW i3 has been around for almost 12 years now, and being over a decade old is reflected in the price of early models hovering around the £5,000 mark. Cars manufactured from 2020 – 2022 (the end of the i3’s life) can reach as high as £30,000. This price will be affected by the usual factors such as battery size, range, options, mileage, and model year.
Running costs
In terms of efficiency, the BMW i3 still holds up against more modern cars, despite being significantly older. Official figures put the energy consumption of later models at between 3.8 and 4.1m/kWh. Real-world estimates provided by the EV Database suggest figures of between 3.68 and 3.72m/kWh, depending on the model.
Naturally, however, the BMW i3’s consumption rate will change depending on the weather conditions, how heavy you are with your right foot, and whether you choose to drive in Sport, Comfort, ECO Pro, or Eco Pro + mode.
Given the three battery levels available, the BMW i3’s charging cost will differ depending on your electricity tariff at home. Using an overnight EV tariff at 7p per kWh, the 22.6kWh battery will cost £1.58 to charge from empty, the 33kWh battery £2.31, and the 42.2kWh battery £2.95.
Using a standard domestic rate charge of 25p/kWh, the 22.6kWh battery will cost £5.65 to fill from 0% – 100%, the 33kWh battery £8.25, and the 42.2kWh battery £10.55.
BMW’s UK-wide Synter dealer network quotes £470 to service an i3 up to five years old. Prices to service older vehicles will be workshop dependent.
Insurance
The BMW i3 sits under insurance groups 21, 27, and 28 depending on year and range. This positions it firmly in the middle of the UK car insurance grouping, with insurance groups 41 – 50 being the highest. Vehicles in this middle band have an average annual premium of around £575.38.
At the time of writing, the BMW i3 is road tax exempt as it’s an EV. This will change on April 1st, 2025 when the new car tax legislation comes into effect.
Thereafter, EVs will be in a similar way to ICE cars. In the case of the BMW i3, cars registered after April 1 2017 will cost £195 per year in car tax. Meanwhile, those registered between March 1 2001 and March 30 2017 will be charged £20 annually.
For further information on the incoming car tax changes, click here.
Used BMW i3 reliability
Despite being out of production for almost three years at the time of writing, the BMW i3 is still a reliable piece of kit. According to the annual What Car? reliability survey, the i3 notched up a reliability score of 94.5% and placed sixth out of 18 EVs.
While it finished behind the Mini Electric, the second-gen Nissan Leaf and the Volkswagen ID.3, it ranked ahead of the Renault Zoe and the Hyundai Ioniq Electric – not to be confused with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Hyundai Ioniq 6.
Faults to look for
While mostly reliable, the BMW i3 isn’t without fault. Owners have reported recurring faults with the car’s charging systems, such as connectivity issues related to charging ports and cables leading to inconsistent charging rates and battery performance.
High repair bills are not uncommon given the i3’s bespoke architecture and electric underpinnings. Moreover, complaints about poor levels of customer service were leveled at BMW’s dealer network in the United Kingdom and the United States.
Both were regular issues flagged in online BMW i3 owners’ forums and social media groups. On Facebook, one of the latter has even earned itself the unfortunate name of ‘The Unhappy BMW i3 Owner’s Group’.
While it isn’t so much of a fault, don’t forget that the BMW i3 comes from a time before Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were around. This means that even the later S models do not come with either as standard. To add either system, this involves paying BMW £265.00 to install them or going down the third-party, aftermarket route… although, we wouldn’t recommend the latter.
Official recalls
Since the BMW i3’s 2013 launch, there have been seven official recalls in the United Kingdom. The first was in 2015 with a steering fault, while the last in 2022 was related to a manufacturing defect during battery cell production. Each of the issues were dealt with swiftly.
Other recalls were made based on the quality of the screws used for the rear seatbelts, and a flimsy control ring of the second-row seats’ backrest recliner. A comprehensive rundown of the recall issues is available here.
‘The one to have’
While it may be tempting to spend around £5,000 for an early BMW i3 from 2014, we’d advise otherwise. The battery range will have dropped further from its already-low 84-mile range. Age-related stress to the electronic systems and the overall car will also need to be taken into account.
At EV Powered, we’re believers in the age old saying of ‘buy cheap, buy twice’ and that extends to the BMW i3. According to AutoTrader, there are 582 of them for sale across the UK starting at approximately £5k for an early car, with prices maxing out at £29,995 for a late 2022 i3 S with a 42.2kWh battery.
Given that newer stuff tends to be better – and it is! – ‘the one to have’ is a 2021/2022 i3 S in white with blue detailing. It returns a 190-mile range and has the ‘Sport’ driving mode for that enhanced BMW driving ‘feel’ we all know and love.
Meanwhile the 20-inch wheels, plus the gloss black trim paired with the front bumper ensure that the i3 S still looks thoroughly modern and in some cases, even newer than some similarly-sized and priced EVs. The platform’s overall age, however, will be reflected in its range of less than 200 miles.
Using the i3’s median value of around £17.5k, a 2021 i3 S with 5,515 miles on the clock and a full service history can be purchased for £17,699. The market, however, will fluctuate. We strongly recommend that you shop around to find the BMW i3 best suited to your needs and budget.
