New purchase - hello and thank you!

Hello!

Thanks in part to this forum (and other research resources), I am the happy owner of a pristine, low mileage, CPO'd, 2015 i3 w/REX as of today!

While it may take a bit of adjusting to get used to the stiff, runflat ride on the pockmarked Maryland highways (I am new to runflats), I am thrilled with this brilliant piece of automotive engineering. I can't get over the acceleration/torque availability on this car - it is amazing. So is the handling! And even at the Mega trim level...the interior is so sharp!

I read through many threads on this forum before making my decision to buy. Thanks to all for sharing your experiences, good and not so good. On balance, it seems to me that this car has the potential to be both green and reliable (and on that last point, I have a LONG CPO warranty to fall back on)!

Thanks again for this forum and group of people....

Congrats on the car! We have a 2015 Rex as well and it has been great.

Keep in mind that you wont have run flats on the car as Bridgestone didn't make them in our tire size.

There is a tire inflation kit which has some liquid sealant and a small pump that you should have tucked away in the car. If you do get a puncture, best thing to do is stop right away and insert the sealant into the tire and then pump it up. If you can see the object stuck in the tire, don't pull it out as it will be acting like a plug.

Make sure that the pressure is per the label by the door. Some people run their tires up at the tire's sidewall indicated maximum...if you do that, you might gain a mile or so of range, but the ride is going to suffer.

FWIW, if you have the 20" wheels, the only tires available for that rim are summer, performance tires, and the ride IS stiffer than the 19" ones.

While it may take a bit of adjusting to get used to the stiff, runflat ride on the pockmarked Maryland highways (I am new to runflats),

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As PBNB posted - you don't have 'run-flat' tires, not available for the i3. You do have a car with fairly stiff suspension, and narrow, low-profile tires, which can be a change from some of the 'marshmallow' suspension/tire driving experience of other cars. You will get used to it.
If that gem was from your sales guy, you can maybe give him a break - as most of the BMW lineup does come with run-flats, but not the i3.

The car is equipped with a 'mobility kit' instead of a spare (pretty much the norm for any European designed car with reg tires now) - which is a tire inflation pump with a slime-type tire sealant, in the frunk (front-trunk). A lot of us also carry a tire patch kit, which can be used to fix most tire punctures (picking up a screw or nail) with the tire still on the car. This is the one I carry.

https://www.amazon.com/Secure-Guard-Designed-Motorcycle-Equipment/dp/B07BDHQPL1/ref=sr_1_243_sspa?crid=1HTDXTLIDU5CA&keywords=tire+plug+kit&qid=1551615345&rnid=15690151&s=automotive&sprefix=tire%2Cautomotive%2C162&sr=1-243-spons&psc=1

Note: if you carry stuff in your frunk, put it in big ziplock bags, or get the BMW frunk bag, as the area is not waterproof,
https://www.google.com/search?q=i3+frunk+bag&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=XxFodGGNJGBziM%253A%252CCaZmghalykOywM%252C_&usg=AI4_-kQADW5_MV62JxybhEZgruXw1lNzbw&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi94biRi-bgAhVPJKwKHeUcBfoQ9QEwAXoECAUQBA#imgrc=HZ0eST2MC_Y0rM:

The tires for the i3 were specifically designed for the i3 by BMW, and manufactured for BMW by Bridgestone. They can sometimes be hard to find locally, since these tires are only for one car, but they are usually in stock on-line at Tirerack, with free next-day delivery to most areas.

jadnashuanh said:

FWIW, if you have the 20" wheels, the only tires available for that rim are summer, performance tires, and the ride IS stiffer than the 19" ones.

Click to expand...

I have winter 19" that I am using right now and the 20" summer set in storage. The ride from the 20" summers is much better in a number of ways. The little extra width makes them more responsive especially at highway speed where as the winters are erratic. The ride with the winters is much harsher than the summers. The summers are like driving on pillows compared to the hard winter tires. I have not tried the 19" all season version so I can't comment on those. I keep the tire pressure where it needs so can rule out inflation variances between the summers and winters.

I am looking forward to putting the winters away soon and getting the smoother ride back!

Thanks for the tire clarifications everyone - I assumed they were runflats for some reason.

In any case, thanks for the tips. The dealer had to put new tires on the rear to certify the car...I am going to check the tire pressure to see if it is correct.

I am loving the car and looking forward to learning more!