BMW i3 review (2013-2022)

Driving position

The BMW i3's cabin has a premium, airy feel.

Details like a leather-trimmed steering wheel, digital dashboard and heated front seats create a proper upmarket BMW ambience.

The driver sits quite high for a hatchback, so there’s a clear, commanding view of the road ahead. Passengers should find the ride is generally smooth and comfortable.

Tech and features

There’s a touchscreen infotainment system too, with DAB, Bluetooth and sat-nav, plus live traffic information.

The screen is bigger and more user-friendly on higher-spec versions. 

This is a five-door with a capacity of just four seats.

Versions with the bigger alloy wheels tend to be a little bumpier. 

Equipment isn’t bad across the range – this is a premium-badged car with a higher price tag to justify.

So you’ll get air-conditioning, automatic wipers and climate control.

Some versions were given a ‘Loft’ interior, with brighter materials and blue highlights to match the exterior highlights. It adds a youthful zest. 

Engines and power

Over its lifespan, the i3 has been available with several different battery packs offering longer ranges.

For a while, there was a version with a small petrol engine that added even more distance between recharging.  

None of the versions are sluggish to drive. The electric motor seems to spring into life at the first touch of the pedal. This means the cars have very responsive acceleration.   

The controls are light and accurate, making the i3 fun to drive. It has lively, agile handling. 

The i3 experience is all very easy: there’s just a single forward and single reverse gear.

Drivers can simply select different modes to either maximise performance or preserve battery power. The faster you go, the less range you’ll have. 

Owners in the electric vehicle market have different considerations than other car buyers.

Range and speed of charging become much more important - here the i3 scores well against many rivals.  

Boot space

BMW has made the i3 very user-friendly. Thanks to the space taken up by the batteries, there’s no awkward loading lip for the boot.

You can simply slide things in.

This means that the boot isn’t the biggest. The rear seats fold flat to give you cargo versatility. 

The i3 is a well-equipped car - and the equipment list is long, including handy practical details like automatic headlights, fog lights, heated and adjustable door mirrors, and a USB charging socket.

Standard-fit rear parking sensors are useful for protecting the awkward rear corners when parking. 

Rear seats

The rear doors are small. They’re hinged at the back to make access to the back seats a little easier.

Lift the tailgate to find a smallish boot.

Don’t forget that because the electric motors are so small, there’s luggage space in the front too. 

Passengers should find the ride is generally smooth and comfortable.

Versions with the bigger alloy wheels tend to be a little bumpier. 

Range and charging

Keep the battery topped up and the i3 should be incredibly cheap to run.

Real-world ranges are variable and depend on the battery pack version. Most types manage over 100 miles.  

The latest top-spec version is more likely to achieve a range of 160 miles. 

The charging is rapid, with a full charge possible in less than three hours with a special wall box. Using normal plugs, it’s an eight-hour job.  

The hybrid petrol model that was available for a while did offer a much longer range – at the cost of the fuel used. 

Reliability

Tax, insurance and servicing should be much lower too. Reliability reports are very promising, and all i3s come with an eight-year warranty on the battery pack.