Happy to be part of the i3 family! That’s great that you got one of the last ones made, with all the updates and improvements BMW added over the years. Hope it lasts you for a long time to come! 👍

The i3 was so far ahead of its time for something that came out 10 years ago - agree that it’s a shame BMW killed it off and just now are refocusing on EVs. Fortunately it has only been out of production less than 2 years at this point and there were 250,000 made, so hopefully parts and service will be available for the foreseeable future for all of us holding on to these cars. Thanks for watching and commenting, truly appreciate it! 👍

@@thefleetdo you know how many of the i3S variant were made out of the 250k? I have one of the last to be made in the UK and will be hanging on to it.

@@SLJ2776 You should definitely hang on to it, already somewhat rare and getting rarer! 😄 So in terms of i3s models released, BMW hasn't released an i3s-specific breakdown, but... - Public sales data shows a higher volume of i3 sales earlier in the lifespan of the car. - The i3s was introduced around 2017-18, midway through the product cycle. - After speaking with many dealers, the i3s was never the volume seller, feedback from customers cited its higher price point and stiffer suspension as factors. - Based on the above factors and some additional data, an educated guess would be around 40-50,000 units out of 250,000, only about 15-20% of overall production. - On the secondary used market, i3s models make up about 15% of the available vehicles, with the majority being "regular" i3 cars. If you had a specific special trim of the i3s, you would definitely know the number produced. Here's some of the production numbers for those: i3s RoadStyle: 900 units i3s HomeRun: 20 units

@@thefleetthanks good info. I have the Interior World - Suite with i3s propack, fluid black

You chose wisely - It’s a great car! 👍

Looks are so subjective at the end of the day, I just hope that people can appreciate that BMW really went all out from an engineering perspective to make the best car they could. A lot of styling and material choices were made in service of that goal. In the past, I’ve been guilty of buying overpriced unreliable cars because they looked nice, but have come to appreciate things other than just the looks. That’s probably why I bought an E90 3 Series with the N54 engine that was 💩 while ignoring the i3 across the showroom. Now, I love the i3 and it gets the most use out of all the cars. Long story short, great points and I appreciate your comment! 👍

It’s a great car, your wife chose well. Hopefully you get to drive it sometimes too! 😅

ok, say hello to your wife and congratulations

Well said! I’d love an i3s in the future and definitely have my eyes open. 100% not for everyone, but those who can appreciate it for what it is and have their needs met by it will really enjoy owning one! 👍

Thanks! Olive is the best, and loves riding in the i3! 🐶

Glad you’re part of the i3 family! 😄

Agreed - the updates were so good over the i3’s lifetime - double battery capacity like you have, Apple CarPlay, refreshed design, i3s model, etc. Was a super strong first generation product, would have really been interesting to see what they could do with 2023 technologies! Thank you for watching!

Thanks for watching! 🙏

Appreciate you stopping by and checking it out, thank you! 😄

@@thefleet Being a proud owner of a 2016 94Ah BEV model myself, I truly love your i3 content.

I think you have the right perspective and a good use case for the car. A late model would give you a ton of benefits from the car’s development, it got much better over the years and I would love to upgrade eventually as well. The i3 is definitely underappreciated and I’m always happen when owners and potential owners see it for what it is and can appreciate its many fine points while being realistic about its faults. Thanks for stopping by and appreciate your thoughtful commentary. Hope you get a nice i3s and enjoy it! 👍

Wow, you are lucky to have 3 BMWs to choose from! Agreed - our dream car is a Z4 convertible, but the i3 is so special and fun to drive in different ways. It’s the one that gets used daily, 100%.

@@thefleet it was actually the 528 who got me into BMW's...I was an audi guy and still have a 2005 A6.....my 528 has now over 175k miles on it and i had never a big repair so far.....

Hey, really appreciate the feedback, and thanks for watching! A car that’s so unique deserves to have its story told. Could have made it much much longer, but not sure if there’s an appetite for that. 😅

@@thefleet I have owned three of them and looking to buy a fourth soon. Have read the book written about the car. I would watch a hour long documentary about the vehicle if it was made. So you have my vote and a new subscriber.

Agree completely and in the same boat - would love to trade in a 60Ah with range extender for a BEV 120Ah when the prices come down a bit! Test drove an ID.4 and remember it being competent and okay, but lacking character. Ended up going with a Volvo XC40 Recharge because it seemed more fun and quirky, like the i3. 😄

@@thefleet Yeah the ID.3 is more of a match size wise. Great turning circle, rubbish software ... but getting better. We have a Model 3 for the longer stuff so a good compliment for one another. New Mini might be a good replacement next year when that arrives, or the Renault 5 ... doubt you'll get that in the US but you might get the mini

Keeping a close eye on the new Mini EV, I think it’s a close spiritual successor to the i3 due to the size and BMW connection. Then again, used 120 Ah i3s models are dropping in price now… 🤔

Thanks for watching, and wow on the mileage! BEV or REx?

Enjoy your new i3! 👍

That’s terrible! Heard stories about dealerships (including BMW) steering people away from electric cars because their service departments make a lot of money and EVs have less maintenance needs. “Parts and service work generates 60 to 80 percent of the gross profit that covers dealership expenses.” www.autonews.com/dealers/dealers-concerned-margins-will-shrink

I didn’t like the i3 when it first came out, but gained a deeper appreciation after learning more about it and buying a pre-owned one. One of my favorite cars, and so unique and ahead of its time! Thank you for watching and leaving a comment! 👍

You know, I've been looking into this exact thing lately! Some places in Europe are figuring this out, and some i3 drivers have had their cars upgraded: - www.i3upgrade.cz/en/jaktofunguje.html - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/e65gZdaU3tinkXk.html It would be so appealing to go from 60Ah to 94 or 120!

+1 for the cornering, the low CG helps this a great deal and a higher capacity battery would be a great idea. Limited range was the main reason I retired my i3 from daily driving and got a Tesla (still keeping the i3 as it has future classic potential and it's still a fun drive)

Was concerned with this as well since they’re unique to the i3. Hopefully with 250,000 cars built, Bridgestone keeps making the tire into the future. Just paid $1,000 for a set of the 20 inch tires with tax and installation, spendy considering the short lifespan. Great points you raised! 👍

Thanks! Olive is in the back seat behind a barrier in a car seat when we go places, but gets to hang out in the front and be cute for the videos. 😅

@@thefleet Great! My dog hade her space in the back, behind a barrier and a cosy pillow. Safe. She loved the car ride. But my rear seatbelt mysteriously disappeared twice….

Hi, thanks for watching! It's the 50 inch Bushwhacker USA barrier, Made In Vietnam, LOL. Got it on Amazon and it fits the i3 perfectly to keep Olive and cargo in the back. Clearances are spot on and it works great.

@@thefleet wonderful! thanks for the reply

Agreed 100%! Some owners have been using Momo tires, they are way cheaper with acceptable results. Bridgestone Potenza S001 tires can also be found on special at Tire Rack, I picked up a set of rears for ~$90 a tire.

Another consideration would be the fueling infrastructure, and wondering if EVs are too far ahead at this point. In the US at least, almost all the hydrogen stations are in California. Drove a Toyota Mirai and it was awesome - combining an EV with the quick fueling and long range of ICE. It certainly has its merits!

You need to watch a video on Engineering Explained KZfaq channel about the huge downsides to hydrogen cars. It is called: "Toyota Developed a Liquid Hydrogen Combustion Engine". Very informative....

I think partly for aerodynamic reasons, and it’s so tall because the batteries are underneath the floor. I wasn’t a fan when it first came out either, but it’s grown on me. I think the newer generation of electric cars has gotten even better looking. Heck, even the new Toyota Prius even looks okay compared to all the uggo previous models. Thank you for watching, it means a lot. 👍

You should try sitting in it…it is basically a mini SUV. I am 6 5ft and have absolutely no problems getting in and out or finding a comfortable sitting position…because the seats are relative upright and very adjustable. I don’t think it is ugly…just different,

2:14 One vote for "hate it" then. 😆 To be fair, I felt the same way when I first saw it 10 years ago, but now own one, LOL