The BMW i3 is now in its fourth year in 2017 and some improvements have made a compelling little car even more interesting. The i3 is most recognizable for its eye-catching looks, carbon fiber design and useful versatility. True to the BMW nameplate, it's also fun to drive.
For 2017 BMW shuffled the packaging for trim levels in the i3 and added a larger battery pack option to extend the driving range over 100 miles. The base model is now known as the 60 Ah and the larger-battery option as the standard i3. The range-extended option is also still available, but only with the larger battery pack.
Buyers considering a 2017 BMW i3 should be aware that the car is designed primarily for in-city and around-town use, and it's optimized for that. It is highway-capable and able to do freeway speeds, but range and power usage change significantly when it's used that way.
For the urban or suburban commuter, the i3 is a nice mix of luxury, capability and ergonomics all wrapped in a good-looking package.
A new BMW i3's average price is $49,403
and the price range is $45,594 to
$54,251
A 3-year-old used BMW i3's average price is $34,329
with a price range of $32,998 to
$36,392
See below for the average BMW i3 price across model years.
BMW i3
2017-2022
BMW i3
2012-2017
BMW i3
2007-2012
The average price for a 3-year-old used electric car is $36,165, with the BMW i3's price typically
$1,836 below
average for this vehicle type.
How long do BMW i3s last?
BMW i3
The BMW i3 is the 5th most reliable vehicle in the electric car category, with a reliability score of 7.2.
Approximately 0% of all BMW i3s on the road have reached 150,000 miles or more, which compares to an average of 0.1% for the electric car category
The best-ranked electric car for reliability is the Tesla Model S
See below for the reliability scores of various cars in the electric car category:
Tesla Model S
9.4
Hyundai Ioniq Electric
7.9
Nissan LEAF
7.6
Tesla Model 3
7.2
BMW i3
7.2
Chevrolet Bolt EV
7.1
MINI Hardtop 2 Door
Smart EQ fortwo Convertible
Smart fortwo electric drive Convertible
Porsche Taycan Wagon
Honda Clarity Electric
Smart EQ fortwo Hatchback
Chevrolet Bolt EUV
Ford Focus
Smart fortwo electric drive Hatchback
Volkswagen e-Golf
Kia Soul EV
FIAT 500e
Polestar 2
Porsche Taycan Sedan
Lucid Air
Audi e-tron Sportback
Mercedes-Benz EQS
Audi e-tron GT
Audi RS e-tron GT
Is the BMW i3 a good car?
BMW i3
The BMW i3 earns an ISC quality score of based on its reliability, value retention and safety ratings.
The BMW i3 is ranked 12th in quality in the electric car category,
with the Ford Focus ranked just above it and the Chevrolet Spark EV ranked just below it
The best-ranked electric car for quality is the Tesla Model 3
