Considering buying second hand i3 as first car - any recommendations?

[Milkplus]

Hello. First time poster, medium-length lurker.

I'm on schedule to complete my Norwegian driving license by the end of March and am on the hunt for my first electric car - or first car at all, for that matter (I've always lived in cities with great public transport/cabs but Stavanger has finally broken me!).

After doing enough hours of internet research to make one's head spin, I think that I have finally settled on a 2018 i3. I like the fact that it's built from the ground up as an EV, has a decent range and a good amount of tech, is actually a lot roomier than it appears, and has (importantly) received a nod of discerning approval from the missus.

What I'd like to ask the fine people of elbil is if you have any recommendations about buying one used? It will be primarily used for a daily commute from Hundvag to Forus (approx 35km round trip) with maybe an occasional road trip to Bergen to visit the mother-in-law (range permitting).

As far as options go, I'm interested in the adaptive cruise control, rear camera and HK sound system. But is there anything else that is a must-have? Like collision detection, for instance.

Are the tires on these things as expensive/wear out as fast as all the whinging on the internet would suggest? And how much would a replacement set cost? I can't seem to figure out if the 2018 model is the one that has different front and back wheels or not.

I have a budget of 250k kr in mind, which seems to be a little bit under the current asking price on Finn, but do you think there's room to bargain down with either private sellers or showrooms?

Apologies for all the questions (and the English!) and I appreciate any help you guys are willing to offer

[Ferry]

Look for the Fully Charged version. Then You'll have all the options, including rear camera, ACC, HK sound etc. With the camera for ACC You also get collision detection etc. A random example from Finn.no @ 247.000,- https://www.finn.no/car/used/ad.html?finnkode=171266592
Rear wheels are wider than the fronts, 175 vs. 155. Only the standard el cheapo rims use 155 front and back, regardless of the model year. Tires cost approx. 8000,- NOK/4 pcs. Not the cheapest, but not to bad either. Wear is maybe a little bit higher than normal cars? I need new summer tires now, at 87.000 km. On my second set of winter tires, they are still fine.

[Milkplus]

Thanks for the response and info. Prices seem pretty reasonable for tires, especially if you're getting 80,000+ km out of the summer ones.

Good to see that a Fully Charged version is coming in around my budget, although there aren't any in Stavanger around that price. Might be decent leverage to haggle a bit, however.

Do you mind me asking how the range is working for you? Have you taken any longer trips, for instance? Or best just to stick to city driving?

[Orbit]

i3 is a fairly decent car also for longer trips. It quick-charges consistently due to a proper battery temperature management system, thus trips with multiple charging stops is no issue at all. In winter, if you preheat the battery (while still connected to regular charging), you start with +10C battery temperature even on the coldest days. While this is a little too low to achieve the maximum DC quick charge rate for the first charging stop, it's far better than starting with a cold battery (as is the situation for most other cars in this class). Note that the battery heating is an option, coming along with front seat heating. If you have seat heating, you also have the battery heating. Most i3's originally sold in Norway have this, but be aware that used imports can lack the option.

[Milkplus]

Takk for tips re the seat warming/battery preheating. I wasn't aware of that, but will definitely be on the lookout now. Glad also to hear that the occasional road trip wouldn't be out of the picture thanks to quick charging.

You mentioned there are differnces between Norwegian models and EU imports - what would be the downside to buying a used EU car? Is it just more confusing pinning down the equipment?

[Ferry]

A tip: Go to https://www.vegvesen.no/en/vehicles/buy-and-sell/vehicle-information?registreringsnummer=ek67452
Put in the reg.no. and get the seven last digits of the VIN. Then go to https://www.mdecoder.com/decode/vd73947

[Sandpusher]

Mike, as a daily commute and the occasional trip to Bergen you are fine, especially if you can charge at home or work. I don't drive much, 12000 km/year, but my i3 60 has been my only car since 2014, and has performed flawlessly. I have had 3-4 "long" trips per year (Oslo, Bergen, Nordfjord), and the last couple of years, there are plenty of chargers around. Got a new set of winter tyres last year, Nokian R3, believe I paid ~8000 (Bavaria/Forus), still on my first set of the regulars. Lop and Chop.

[Milkplus]

Thanks for the links, @ferry. Those will definitely be helpful!

@Sandpusher, appreciate your insight as it seems our driving habits match up. Does the 2018 model offer much more than the 2014 aside from range? They are considerably cheaper on the used market and the range worried me but you have given me a bit more confidence that it might not matter as much.

Anyone out there able to speak to about how good the i3 is as a family car? I see it has ISOfix but how about fitting a stroller in the boot?

[Ferry]

LCI (2018 -...) has way better headlights! And the motor control is much faster. Better traction and regen. The old one is still way better than any ICE, though.

[Sandpusher]

@Sandpusher, appreciate your insight as it seems our driving habits match up. Does the 2018 model offer much more than the 2014 aside from range? They are considerably cheaper on the used market and the range worried me but you have given me a bit more confidence that it might not matter as much.

Anyone out there able to speak to about how good the i3 is as a family car? I see it has ISOfix but how about fitting a stroller in the boot?

Weirdly, the range seems to have kept up well on mine, lost much less than 10% from my calculations.The main concern buying an older one would be the expired warranty, I'll keep mine for as long as it runs and with reasonable repair costs, but wouldn't buy a "new" old one. With your driving pattern I would have gone for a 94 Ah, 3 years or younger. For your Forus commute ACC would be nice, don't have that myself, but had a loaner with it during a service, and absolutely loved it. Can't tell how it works with toddlers and strollers though. Good luck!

[Milkplus]

Ahh, good to know. So it seems like a 2018 model is the right way to go for my budget then. Interested in the Regen braking, have been learning in a petrol car so haven't had the opportunity to try it yet but I like the idea of it in principle.

[Milkplus]

Thanks! All very valid points and, yeah, warranty is definitely something I'm thinking about as I suspect any BMW is pricey to get serviced outside of warranty, and probably doubly so for an electric one.

Nice to hear that you haven't had much of a range drop off. Just need to pass the test, now. And keep an eye on Finn for a 2018 that's sub 250k. Cheers for the help

@Sandpusher, appreciate your insight as it seems our driving habits match up. Does the 2018 model offer much more than the 2014 aside from range? They are considerably cheaper on the used market and the range worried me but you have given me a bit more confidence that it might not matter as much.

Anyone out there able to speak to about how good the i3 is as a family car? I see it has ISOfix but how about fitting a stroller in the boot?

Weirdly, the range seems to have kept up well on mine, lost much less than 10% from my calculations.The main concern buying an older one would be the expired warranty, I'll keep mine for as long as it runs and with reasonable repair costs, but wouldn't buy a "new" old one. With your driving pattern I would have gone for a 94 Ah, 3 years or younger. For your Forus commute ACC would be nice, don't have that myself, but had a loaner with it during a service, and absolutely loved it. Can't tell how it works with toddlers and strollers though. Good luck!

[Klykken]

It's not a car for families. The boot is small, and with a stroller you won't be able to fit anything else in my experience.

For longer trips it holds up fairly OK, but keep in mind it is a city-car so the handling and comfort isn't "all that" at higher speeds. In windy conditions it can act strange and wobbly too, as it is a tall car with narrow and soft wheels..

All in all its a GREAT commuter car tho, with great economy. Little to no major flaws in the design (so far) and it has been a sturdy companion in my ownership of six years. Also, no range loss yet on mine. 95000km and counting.

[Sandpusher]

Ahh, good to know. So it seems like a 2018 model is the right way to go for my budget then. Interested in the Regen braking, have been learning in a petrol car so haven't had the opportunity to try it yet but I like the idea of it in principle.

If you've never driven one, why don't you go by Bavaria and ask for one to try out, regen takes 5 mins to get used to and after that you'll never go back!
Or if you want to avoid car salesmen, send me a pm and I'll let you test mine, no worries.


Edit: Ah, didn't realize you don't have a license, I guess that limits you until that's in place. Good luck with the test!
Cheers,

[Milkplus]

Ha, yup, still waiting to get the license so no test drive for now. Appreciate the offer though, that's very kind! I have a colleague at work with a 2016 model that said I can have a dart about in his once I get myself roadworthy. Have ridden shotgun a few times already and will say that as a passenger, it's a pleasure.

Ahh, good to know. So it seems like a 2018 model is the right way to go for my budget then. Interested in the Regen braking, have been learning in a petrol car so haven't had the opportunity to try it yet but I like the idea of it in principle.

If you've never driven one, why don't you go by Bavaria and ask for one to try out, regen takes 5 mins to get used to and after that you'll never go back!
Or if you want to avoid car salesmen, send me a pm and I'll let you test mine, no worries.


Edit: Ah, didn't realize you don't have a license, I guess that limits you until that's in place. Good luck with the test!
Cheers,