To buy i3 or not to buy

BMW i3 Forum

Help Support BMW i3 Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

dymsza

Member
Joined
May 22, 2018
Messages
16
Hey!

To buy i3 or not to buy i3 :)

I was one of people in line for model 3. But after more then 2 years of waiting and probably another 6 - 9 that and likely expiration of tax credit for Tesla I started thinking about just buying 2016 rex CPO for around 22k and enjoying the car.

Thoughts?
Would you go for used I3. I like to own car long time 5 - 7 years is going to hold this long?
 
My situation is similar to yours. I have not made up my mind, as yet.

Does your state offer any incentives? For me in CA, total government incentives could amount to $10,000, including federal. That said, a brand new 2018 i3 would make more sense than a used 2016 one. One can probably negotiate for a 8% - 10% discount from the dealer. BMW USA offers a $10,000 discount (in name of PG&E or some other fronts). Taking the government incentives into play, the NET cost of a brand new 2018 i3 REX is just a couple thousands more than a 2016 REX. 2018 with longer warranty, free maintenance and longer range is worth the two thousand dollars to me.

Still thinking hard about i3 versus Model 3 but if I go for the i3, I would go for a new one.
 
I flew out to CA to buy a used i3 REx as the price and selection was better than the midwest. The low price on new models forces the resale lower. I bought a basically new car for less than half MSRP. However, if I could get $20k off a new one, that would tempt me too for the larger battery and s model. Those deals weren't available to me so the only reasonable choice was buying a used one.
 
NEWTOEV2018

Pg&n give only 500 at this moment. (from what I could find)

https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/solar-and-vehicles/options/clean-vehicles/electric/clean-fuel-rebate-for-electric-vehicles.page

the ca rebate has Income Eligibility so check with tax people before.
 
The PG&E $10,000 BMW i3 Purchase Incentive Program runs through May 31, 2018. I have printed out the details to read. Actually, the discount comes from BMW USA, not PG&E. In other words, it is basically a BMW discount. The $500 that you referred to, I believe that's a real PG&E incentive that is in addition to the $10,000.

https://www.pge.com/en/about/newsroom/newsdetails/index.page?title=20180301_pge_customers_eligible_to_save_10000_on_a_new_bmw_i3_electric_vehicle
 
That is pretty crazy.

So my negotiated price - 10k is the price of the car ?

Dose that apply to rex too ?
 
Yes, the $10,000 discount (courtesy of BMW USA) can be applied to REX, either in inventory or custom order.

Obviously, from a human nature perspective, when you negotiate with the dealer, you should not mention about the $10,000 incentive. The dealer knows about it but still, wait until you knock 10% off the MSRP first.

If you own a BMW, people say you could get another $2,000 loyalty discount.

Is it crazy? Well, I will leave it up to your imagination!
 
Yeah it is. it takes it down to around 36k looking at the coupon from truecar.


This last weekend with this sell are you planing to do it?
 
I am still debating between i3 and Model 3.

Despite the PG&E title, the $10,000 incentive is a BMW USA discount. Therefore, my bet is that this discount will still be available after May 31. It could even be bigger in couple months.

But, if you need a car now, it is a pretty good deal.
 
dymsza said:
Hey!

To buy i3 or not to buy i3 :)

I was one of people in line for model 3. But after more then 2 years of waiting and probably another 6 - 9 that and likely expiration of tax credit for Tesla I started thinking about just buying 2016 rex CPO for around 22k and enjoying the car.

Thoughts?
Would you go for used I3. I like to own car long time 5 - 7 years is going to hold this long?

I suspected this would be happening. One of the many reasons the used 2015 i3's are priced so low is b/c of the exact situation you're in. There's high demand for the EV's, but no one was acting on it b/c they're all sitting on their hands waiting for the Model 3 that they'll never get. There are more people on the list for the $35k Model 3 than any other one and many people are only getting that b/c it fits their budget WITH the credits which wouldn't last long enough to actual realize. Whether they were fantasizing or really thinking they'd get a $35k Model 3 and still get the credit doesn't matter. What matter is that these people didn't buy a car which essentially dropped actual demand. More people wanted to buy EV's than who actually did.

At some point and it looks like it's now, Model 3 people would look for alternatives and here you are. The good news is that you're still one of the early ones that realized this and you're not too late to take advantage of the used i3 deals.

If you're asking whether the 2016 REX CPO for $22k is a good deal, it really depends on the packages that it has. There's little reason to buy a 2016 over a 2015 unless you want the limited edition Value Package model (of which there's even fewer reasons to buy being that you lose the LED headlights that everyone else has on every single other model). I opted for that b/c I loved the Deka world interior which was manufactured in limited quantities from April-June of that year using an interior that would only later be released formally in 2017 and newer models. Though special to me, it's not special to anyone else as the Deka World is actually an entry level interior. It's not a high end one. Bottom line is that the deals on 2015 models are too good to ignore and you should have a very good reason (for yourself) to get a 2016 model over a 2015 and that reason should be one of the various limited edition models.

You're right to consider a CPO. The prices are so good on used i3's that the dealer prices on CPO's are competitive with private market sales (for California at least). And you get a lot of benefits from the dealer that you'd lose out by getting a private sale or private dealer one.
 
I did end up getting the car, an really love it. Best car I have ever have.

I end up paying 21k for fully loaded tera with 16k miles CPO and only 0.9 financing.
 
The i3 is a unique vehicle and uncommon in that it was a blank sheet of paper design from a company that has been making cars for a lot of years (and thus has a tendency to get it right the first time). But, it's either one of those things that you love it or hate it. For running around town, I think it's great. If I regularly needed to use it for longer trips, I would have to think twice, especially right now where I live with the dearth of CCS units. I really wouldn't want to have to stop for fuel every hour or so, but, it's nice that you can. As a result, I have two vehicles, not the most efficient situation, but suits my needs. My ICE doesn't get used often, but it's paid for.
 
dymsza said:
I did end up getting the car, an really love it. Best car I have ever have.

I end up paying 21k for fully loaded tera with 16k miles CPO and only 0.9 financing.
You got the deal you should be looking for. 2015 for a REX for $21 fully loaded or $20k with 2 of the 3 packages and under 20k miles. Sweet. Congrats.
 
dymsza said:
Hey! Don't buy. My 2014 i3 REX is a constant problem machine. The REX won't start, the app won't connect the car, the charging stops several times a week ( I have Clipper Creek charger, the best there is). I have driven BMWs since 2004, but this car unsold me away from the brand for life. I was the first I3 owner in Canada and BMW hasn't changed any feature on the car since. During this time, Tesla has constantly upgraded it Model S and X over the air with new features and improvements. BMW thinks nothing of its (especially Canadian which I am) customers. I have ordered my Model 3 and I have been given a delivery date between September and November. Can't wait for Tesla to teach BMW what customer care is about, which will be well deserved.

To buy i3 or not to buy i3 :)

I was one of people in line for model 3. But after more then 2 years of waiting and probably another 6 - 9 that and likely expiration of tax credit for Tesla I started thinking about just buying 2016 rex CPO for around 22k and enjoying the car.

Thoughts?
Would you go for used I3. I like to own car long time 5 - 7 years is going to hold this long?
 
dymsza said:
I did end up getting the car, an really love it. Best car I have ever have.

I end up paying 21k for fully loaded tera with 16k miles CPO and only 0.9 financing.

Is that out the door price?
 
Back
Top