which one should I choose

I just bought a 2017 Volvo xc90 t8 (plug-in hybrid) and love it. The range is less than 20 miles but I was aware of that before I bought it.
Now I have an Audi a4 convertible that I want to change and buy an i3 (or something else, you tell me!!).
But which one I should buy? It has to be a used one, year?? REX??, technology package?? etc.
The closest BMW dealer is at a small hour of my door. I live about an hour from the big cities. I have the Volvo to do some long distance if needed.
any suggestion is appreciated

thanks

I am editing your posting to extract requirements:

Canadag said:

. . .

• Now I have an Audi a4 convertible that I want to change and buy an i3 (or something else, you tell me!!).
• But which one I should buy?
• It has to be a used one, year??
• REX??,
• technology package?? etc.
• The closest BMW dealer is at a small hour of my door.
• I live about an hour from the big cities.
• I have the Volvo to do some long distance if needed.

Click to expand...

Open disclosure about potential confirmation bias, we own two plug-in hybrids:

1. 2014 BMW i3-REx (loaded) - bought used a year ago as the first ones were coming off lease. Today, replacement cost in the USA is between $21-$24k.
2. 2017 Toyota Prius Prime, Plus trim - bought new in December 2016, nine months later I've just passed 7,000 miles.

My first suggestion is to use www.plugshare.com and your location to see what sort of public charging stations are in your area. If the density is high enough and/or includes a fast DC charger, a used, battery only BMW i3 could be a nice answer for $17-20k. Mechanically simple with a lot of power, an affordable solution.

In our case, both plug-ins have a gas engine which means we can handle long distances. The BMW i3-REx has already done 700 mi (1120 km) with wife and her dogs and the Prius Prime 1200 mi (1920 km) solo in a 20 hour period. The BMW i3-REx required ten, 1.9 gallon (7 L) fill-ups and the Prius Prime took two, 11.4 gallon (8.2 L) fill-ups. Driving the BMW i3-REx home, 463 mi (740 km) solo took 11 hours and 5 fill-ups. The block-to-block speeds:

• 35 mph for 700 miles, BMW i3-REx - with wife and dogs, the 10 fuel stops were appreciated by the passengers.
• 42 mph for 463 miles, BMW i3-REx - solo, drive home, there were 5 fuel stops but I wasn't trying to push it.
• 60 mph for 1200 miles, Prius Prime - solo, one fill-up at 600 miles, two, 11 gallon tanks.

I live in a city (Huntsville, AL) with plenty of charging stations, many are free. But charging our 60Ahr battery takes ~5 hours on a typical L2 charger at the BMW i3-REx maximum 31A rate. About half of the L2 stations operate only during business hours. In contrast, refueling takes ~10 minutes, about 30 times faster at gas stations that are open 24x7 and over 10 times more common than charging stations.

I fully appreciate those who prefer a battery-only car. Certainly the number of +150 mile range battery cars is increasing. But the nearest city, Nashville TN, where our medical specialist works is 120 miles away. We would have to find some place to spend five hours to recharge before returning home.

Bob Wilson

Which car you get depends on how you will drive it, and as Bob says, how you will charge it.
If you're doing around town driving (short trips) you probably can get the BEV
If you want to take it on longer trips, then REx might be the best choice.
New cars came with an L1 charger you can use on 120V at home. Make sure the charger is included with any used car you consider. Sometimes people remove them and sell on ebay.

Regarding model year, 2014 was the introductory year and like most new models, there seems to be more problems with them. Since they have a 4 yr/50k mile warrant (in the US, not sure about Canada, eh) then repairs are done under warranty. But sometimes it's a hassle. 2015 and greater had fewer problems. Also, DC fast charging was an option on 2014 models but standard on 2015 and greater.
2017 and greater models have a larger battery which extends the range by about 33%,(someone correct me if that number isn't correct) but I don't know if you can find a used 2017 that is reasonably priced, yet.

Regarding options, I wanted the backup camera which I think comes with the tech package. All the other do-dads didn't really matter to me.

so 2014 till 2016 have all the same battery. what is real time BEV range? and in winter?
BEV would be good but REX is always good in case you need it. if both cars are needed at the same time for long distance traveling then we can still use them and don't have to rent an other car.

First model years are always tricky. so 2015 would be better. REX or BEV must be decided.
now what's the thing between the several packages MEGA, GIGA, LOUNG (the terms used here in Canada) and what other options were available in 2015?

thanks

AFAIK options are the same for all model years except for D.C. Fast charge being an option on 2014 and std on 2015 forward.
Hopefully BEV owners will chime in regarding range.

I have a BEV...I don't stress it as most of my driving is around town (I'm retired). The highest number I've seen on my car's display for range has been 94-miles in comfort mode. BMW has said that each of the echo modes should bump the range up about 10%. A more normal max range is between the low 70's to 80's in the summer, and high 50's to low 70's in the winter. If it gets cold where you live, the BEV is more efficient since it has a heat pump...the REx version does not. If you can set a departure time and precondition the cabin while plugged in (requires it to be connected to a level 2 EVSE), then you can maximize your winter range. Lots of short trips where it must then reheat the cabin will drain the battery more than a single longer trip. In extreme cold, the BEV also has to resort to resistance heating (the only heating the REx has), as the heat pump becomes less efficient, the colder it gets. Using the seat heaters and one of the echo modes, your winter range could be the same as summer in comfort mode. Just like on an ICE, how you drive it makes a difference. A big difference between an ICE and an EV...there's no 'free' waste heat from the engine to warm the cabin...every watt comes from the battery.

When I was shopping around last year, these are the 2 videos that I found most informative. Both are about living with the i3 during winter.

Living with the i3 in Canada - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqUWV_0o9GI

BMW i3 winter test drive - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEv9Mjc4FvI

Had the 2017 model not been in the horizon at the time (I started shopping July 2016), I would have gone for a 2015 REx based on those 2 videos (I eventually went for a 2017 REx)

My advice to the OP is, manage your expectations. If you set your sights on accepting how the i3 - BEV or REx - performs in the winter, every extra km/mi of range you get at the other times of the year would be pleasant surprises.

BEV vs REx. My thinking there is if there is a 0.001% chance of me needing the REx, I'd rather have it there ready to use. I have a REx and I've only used it twice since I've had my i3. 1st was to test how far the batteries would go before the REx kicks in. 2nd was to test my coding changes. Other than that, and the maintenance test cycles that happen every 6 weeks or so, I've never had the need to use the REx. But I'm glad that it's there for when I'll really need it.

While I'm sure there are places in Canada that get lots colder than where I live in NH, I've always run mine in comfort mode, often with the seat heaters on in the cold, and never seen the low range the guy in the videos implied. One thing that is quite disconcerting to new users is that the 'guessometer' is based on the last 18-miles or so of your driving...so, if you've just been playing around, then park it, and it gets cold, the compounding of the cold and those last high performance miles will have the range estimate show some really small numbers. I've driven the car in a more normal manner as much as 10-miles after one of those situations, and the estimated range didn't go down because I was driving more sanely. The previous driving and the temperature play a big part in the range estimation. Yes, a one mile hop to the grocery store from cold, let it sit, then come back home again, and your miles/Kw will be low, especially in the cold. But, unless that's typical of your driving, not very realistic in a more 'normal' commute. When BMW ran trials for years with the mini-E prior to the i3, they found the average commute was in the order of 37-miles. The car can easily do that with a healthy reserve in any weather. If you plan or need to go lots further, the 2017 battery capacity will be better, but if you do set a departure time and precondition the cabin, you really don't lose huge amounts until it gets really cold (more if you have a REx, though). IF you can recharge at your destination, things get even better. Going through three winters, overall, I'm still averaging about 4-miles/kw and I've seen as high as nearly 6 on occasion, but rarely 2. Your results may differ. FWIW, the fleet average is about 4-miles/Kw - that's all cars, everywhere, in the fleet.