Picked up 2018 i3S REx today

Some initial observations coming from a 2014 i3 REx:
1) Motor sounds “beefier”
2) Bigger battery is nice - once again dealer didn’t deliver car fully charged still made it home with plenty of spare power
3) Apple CarPlay doesn’t feel worth it
4) 20” black rims look evil on this car
5) Imperial Blue looks better than I had hoped
6) Is the new iDrive display touchscreen? BMW USA site says it is (w/Tech package) but I forgot to check.
7) Sport mode significantly changes driving characteristics.

New ride looks great and we will look forward to your future reviews of your i3s

Looking good. Love that color.

Beautiful color, congrats. This is by far my favorite since they discontinued Solar Orange.

I think I read they tuned the REx to be able to provide about 4 more Hp (38?), so that probably requires it to rev higher to achieve that. That might get you a few more miles on cruising speed before you notice the battery discharging at the cost of more gasoline use and noise.

I have a 2017 REX leased, with the large battery.

The dealers is going to call me, when they have a S version available for Demo.

So far, all of the S versions were pre sold.

I traded my 2014 i3 for a 2017 330e because my wife continually complained about the bumpy ride on potholed Houston streets. What is your opinion about any ride difference with the different tires and suspension, compared to your 2014? I'd really like to go back to an i3, before BMW stops making them. I think it'll be a good "keeper" car that will never wear out.

New tires make a huge difference as does the updated suspension and traction control. I had the 19” all season rubber on my 2014 so it’s difficult to make a direct comparison. I drive 99% of the time in NYC and the roads are terrible. I can definitely say that the car drives and rides like a luxury car.

There’s more weight to the handling and the car feels planted over bumps that caused the 19” tires on the 2014 to jump around. Tom M could probably give a better answer regarding whether the tires make as big a difference as suspension and traction control improvements since I believe he installed 19” winter tires after driving with the updated 20” tire package.

The S is a huge upgrade when adding up the difference all the tweaks make to the overall vehicle’s composure.

Thanks very much. None of the Houston dealers have received an "s", yet; so I've been unable to do a drive myself. I'm surprised there are none here. I see at least one i3 a day on the road, here. Don't know if that's a lot but it seems to me that either the Houston dealers aren't ordering or are low on the totem pole for deliveries. In checking four local BMW dealer's i3 inventory on line, seem like they have none, one, or two Rex in stock. One Dealer says a BEV is customer order, only.

Congrats on your new ride and thanks for the pics. Looks great!

Mine is a imperial blue 2018 Rex but with the 428 wheels, non S model. The dealer had a fluid black and a red S on hand when I leased mine. I would have taken the fluid black if it wasn't an S pkg car.

I couldn't see myself spending $3k more for the S, though I think the S looks better; wider fenders and your black wheels look fantastic. It would have made a $100 difference in the lease payment and I couldn't justify that. I'm curious if one notices the 14hp difference and if the 20" v 19" wheels are noticeably more uncomfortable.

The imperial blue I have was the only unit at the dealer with the specs I was looking for, Tech pkg was a must, and I'm so glad I didn't compromise on that. It was not at the dealership but at storage lot nearby. I had never seen an imperial blue and would not commit until I saw the car in person. My first impression was that it reminded me of a 750Li, or 550i wrt to the color. It is not the traditional white/blue/black "techy" color that I think personifies a lot of i3's.

I've never owned another i3 but had a 2014 i3 Rex for 2 weeks straight back then as a loaner while a part was crossing the ocean for another BMW. I really enjoyed the 2014 i3 while I had it.

About the only thing I didn't like was that it was rather busy at hwy speeds. It seemed to need constant corrections in a lane and felt quite twitchy on the hwy. At the time, that alone convinced me that I couldn't own one. I wasn't sure if it was the narrow tires, or that it was the suspension geo on that particular car being out of spec. I've had several M cars, 3's, 5's, and I could not imagine dealing with the constant tramlining.

Cue up the 2018 and it drives like a completely different beast. It's currently one of the favorite cars I've ever had. Not feeling like I must have a car with a 170mph top speed or one that can generate 1g in every turn has freed up my ability to appreciate a car like the i3 enough to own one. I love the interior, the simple dash and interface, and the minimalistic nature of the i3. The current idrive 6 is a nice improvement on the older gen idrive's. It reminds me of an ex's apartment in Copenhagen.

I do miss nappa leather, comfort seats, and the ability to set the cruise at 85mph w/o watching the range drop off a cliff, but I've evolved a bit when it comes to other must have's in a car.

BTW, mine is going in for 35% huper ceramic in the AM. I'll post pics in the accessories forum when done.

Enjoy yours! It's sharp.

I just picked up the 2019s in imperial blue with the same wheels. I friggin love this thing. I drive on pretty smooth highway/freeway/regular roads 90% of the time but the 5 blocks from my home is an unmanaged road that is a nightmare and i was worried about how it would feel. It actually isn't bad. It feels like a really solid ride. I'm sold. Also, driving in S mode is a kick! I do it everyday at some point.

Congrats. I found in using a loaner late model i3 that the larger battery has a huge difference in performance. It's much less quick off the line which was a bit bothersome. I found that the 94ah battery would be a good fit for me personally with the way I use it for balance of performance vs range. I was expecting more out of the S model when I took it for a quick test drive at my dealer a few months back.