Car buying advice - BMW i3 or VW ID3
Discussion
Looking at buying a 4-5 year old electric hatchback, to be used as a second car in our household.
Budget is £11-13k which buys a 2021 or 2022 VW ID3, or a similar age BMW i3.
At this age, the ID3 will be relatively early in the production run, whereas the i3 will be one of the last ones that BMW made.
I have read quite a few horror stories about the early i3s, particularly regarding the carbon fibre body panels and the suicide doors. Are the later ones better? Anything else to watch out for? I know the tyres on the i3 are an unusual size and are expensive to replace.
What about the ID3? I am a VW fan and I quite like the looks. Anything to watch out with on these cars?
Budget is £11-13k which buys a 2021 or 2022 VW ID3, or a similar age BMW i3.
At this age, the ID3 will be relatively early in the production run, whereas the i3 will be one of the last ones that BMW made.
I have read quite a few horror stories about the early i3s, particularly regarding the carbon fibre body panels and the suicide doors. Are the later ones better? Anything else to watch out for? I know the tyres on the i3 are an unusual size and are expensive to replace.
What about the ID3? I am a VW fan and I quite like the looks. Anything to watch out with on these cars?
Don't own either car but for a 2nd car I would lean towards the ID3, drove one a while back and found it to be quick enough and huge inside I think the only thing to watch out for would be to make sure that the software is the latest version, initially they got slated for the GUI but as with any software early releases can be problematic and get better with each update released.
2019 i3 owner here, absolutely faultless for the 2 years we've had it.
Rear doors haven't been an issue for us (we have teenagers but I'd think young kids in cars seats would be a different story..).
The standard audio is poor. We have the bigger screen nav, some cars built during the COVID chip shortage era only have the small screen.
It costs peanuts to run and service and to be fair I have no idea what we'd replace it with, my wife adores it.
Tyres aren't cheap due to the odd size but we had a new set of Continentals fitted as part of the deal to buy and two years / 15,000 miles down the line they're still in great shape.
We didn't consider looking at other options after we tried the i3, they're great little cars.
Rear doors haven't been an issue for us (we have teenagers but I'd think young kids in cars seats would be a different story..).
The standard audio is poor. We have the bigger screen nav, some cars built during the COVID chip shortage era only have the small screen.
It costs peanuts to run and service and to be fair I have no idea what we'd replace it with, my wife adores it.
Tyres aren't cheap due to the odd size but we had a new set of Continentals fitted as part of the deal to buy and two years / 15,000 miles down the line they're still in great shape.
We didn't consider looking at other options after we tried the i3, they're great little cars.
Deerfoot said:
It costs peanuts to run and service and to be fair I have no idea what we'd replace it with, my wife adores it.
That's great to hear. Presume your teenagers fit OK in the back of the i3.Where do you get it serviced? I can't imagine anyone outside the BMW dealer network would want to touch it.
spreadsheet monkey said:
That's great to hear.
Where do you get it serviced? I can't imagine anyone outside the BMW dealer network would want to touch it.
We had it serviced at BMW due to wanting to have no dramas with warranty claims if we needed to use it. They only need to be looked at every two years, I think it cost us around £300 with a brake fluid change. Where do you get it serviced? I can't imagine anyone outside the BMW dealer network would want to touch it.
Now that the warranty period is over we'll use one of the specialists (Wisely will travel).
We've had both over the years. If you use case is mainly short trips then the BMW is a a much nicer place to spend time and has far more character. The tiny boot and suicide doors can become a pain in certain circumstances though.
The VW was utterly bland and felt a lot lower quality. Had it for a few months between cars and happy to see it go back. Not a bad car, just entirely meh..
The VW was utterly bland and felt a lot lower quality. Had it for a few months between cars and happy to see it go back. Not a bad car, just entirely meh..
I've had an ID3 for 2 years, bought at 3 years old from VW who at the time were offering 2 years warranty. I agree with others it's very meh from a driving experience and the i3 offers far more character but this isnt unusual for EV's of that period. However the ID3 is huge inside, the size is quite deceiving. It's roomy in front and has a flat floor which is nice. It's airy if you get the pan roof. It soaks up city driving and rough roads with ease and is very easy to live with. it's fairly rapid up to 40mph and quick enough up to beyond legal speeds, more than enough power for city driving and in family spec has all the kit you need.
The software issues are all sorted with previous updates. I don't use the VW interface aside from air con, otherwise just car play. I would try and source one from VW however. Mine has been back under warranty a few times for niggly bits such as a lower arm replacement, broken puddle lights, SOS battery and a ACC sensor. There is a fairly active FBcommunity.
As for what to look for, check SOS button above isnt red (SOS battery fault). listen out for a single click noise on initial acceleration or deceleration. This is a known drive shaft issue. Lower arm bushes give the normal clonking noise over rough road. that's about it. Oh, you can't fit a roof box!
Funnily enough I am looking at an i3 next as I mainly travel on my own.
The software issues are all sorted with previous updates. I don't use the VW interface aside from air con, otherwise just car play. I would try and source one from VW however. Mine has been back under warranty a few times for niggly bits such as a lower arm replacement, broken puddle lights, SOS battery and a ACC sensor. There is a fairly active FBcommunity.
As for what to look for, check SOS button above isnt red (SOS battery fault). listen out for a single click noise on initial acceleration or deceleration. This is a known drive shaft issue. Lower arm bushes give the normal clonking noise over rough road. that's about it. Oh, you can't fit a roof box!
Funnily enough I am looking at an i3 next as I mainly travel on my own.
There is a pseudo-cult behind the i3, which has meant prices have remained high. Ish, compared to most EVs. Yea carbon tub, yes light, but F me they're getting on a bit.
There's a great YouTube channel that talks all about them, and where you don't need £3k of prep for "niggly bits", plenty of them for sale have niggly bits. Wisely automotive.
The lovers will arrive and wax lyrical about them. The realists will point out you can get an ID3 for the same money, which is light years ahead in tech terms, but those chiseled beards will shake their soy frappés at you and will tell you to take the impractical, irritating with people in the front and back, suicide doors, every time.
There's a great YouTube channel that talks all about them, and where you don't need £3k of prep for "niggly bits", plenty of them for sale have niggly bits. Wisely automotive.
The lovers will arrive and wax lyrical about them. The realists will point out you can get an ID3 for the same money, which is light years ahead in tech terms, but those chiseled beards will shake their soy frappés at you and will tell you to take the impractical, irritating with people in the front and back, suicide doors, every time.
macron said:
The lovers will arrive and wax lyrical about them. The realists will point out you can get an ID3 for the same money, which is light years ahead in tech terms, but those chiseled beards will shake their soy frappés at you and will tell you to take the impractical, irritating with people in the front and back, suicide doors, every time.
Wow. The thing is, once you live with an i3 the doors really don't cause issues. They're absolutely more convenient than a conventional three door for example.Oh, the battery management on the i3 is very good as well.
I owned an MY22 I3s for a couple of years and really liked it.
It'll depend on what the car will be used for, whether it can be charged at home and whether you'll need frequent access to the rear seats.
The suicide doors are not great if you have to use them frequently, for picking up kids from school, etc. They're a PITA for sure.
Range: expect around 150 miles on a full charge.
The car is very good at handling, one-pedal driving, and the S's acceleration.
I've driven a lot of EVs; the I3, i4, and Renault 5 are the best for driver engagement.
It'll depend on what the car will be used for, whether it can be charged at home and whether you'll need frequent access to the rear seats.
The suicide doors are not great if you have to use them frequently, for picking up kids from school, etc. They're a PITA for sure.
Range: expect around 150 miles on a full charge.
The car is very good at handling, one-pedal driving, and the S's acceleration.
I've driven a lot of EVs; the I3, i4, and Renault 5 are the best for driver engagement.
Over over under steer said:
One is a built to a cost white good and the other is a loss leading part carbon car. I chose the latter.
I get that, and I understand why the i3 is unique and interesting. But as a used car buying proposition, I’m not sure if “loss leading part carbon car” is a feature or a bug.
DSMSMR said:
relatives bought an id3 earlier this year, they now regret the decision. They hate the switches and its blandness.
I remember all of the ID3 reviews at launch were full of “OMG TOO MANY TOUCHSCREENS” comments. I wonder if this was something that would be an annoyance on a short term review, but something that you’d quickly get used to once you’ve owned the car for a while. I also wonder if this is a Boomer thing (a lot of car journos are getting on a bit).
I’ll make sure I try both cars before buying!
Ive got a late model i3. Its been brilliant, so much so we extended the lease and will probably buy it outright at the next renewal. It feels exactly what it is, BMW pushing the boundaries. Well put together, fun to drive and a little bit interesting. I did test drive an ID3 when we bought it and there was no comparison, the ID3 was so bland and forgettable. Might aswell buy a Vauxhall.
Problems? Not many.
One of the seat heaters failed - £400 under warranty.
The only other annoyance is the wheels lose air and need a top up every month or two.
Problems? Not many.
One of the seat heaters failed - £400 under warranty.
The only other annoyance is the wheels lose air and need a top up every month or two.
Perhaps I can help a little... We've owned a 2019 i3S for ~3 years and 30k miles (it's now on 75k miles). Alongside that I've had three Cupra Born's as company cars. The latter ones (MY24 onwards) were much better - with a bigger screen, and the software was much improved. The first (a '23 plate) was rather irritating. I never managed to get to grips with the brakes properly - fine if you only use the regen but when you need the friction brakes there is a dead-spot on the pedal which means you end up slamming the brakes on.
The i3S is about to be moved on and we shall both miss its character and fun. We don't have kids and rarely carry passengers, but when we do the doors have never been an issue. There's plenty of room for four adults. Oh, and it still returns over 150 miles at this time of year (120 in the winter).
The i3S is about to be moved on and we shall both miss its character and fun. We don't have kids and rarely carry passengers, but when we do the doors have never been an issue. There's plenty of room for four adults. Oh, and it still returns over 150 miles at this time of year (120 in the winter).
I have an id.3 First Edition and I think it is great. My previous EV was an iPace. The iPace was a much better car, but the id.3 is a much better mode of transport. I find it very easy and relaxing to drive, and I have absolutely no problem with the haptic buttons which some people appear to hate.
BUT - I have owned it for a year (bought at about 75k miles) and it is about to go in for its second battery module replacement in my ownership. It’s annoying, but I bought it with 2 years approved-used warranty plus a third year added on, so it doesn’t cost money to get it fixed. The Jag dealers had a lovely building, but my local VW dealer has more competent staff.
I did come close to buying an i3, but the range would have been an issue on my daily 90-mile round-trip commute.
BUT - I have owned it for a year (bought at about 75k miles) and it is about to go in for its second battery module replacement in my ownership. It’s annoying, but I bought it with 2 years approved-used warranty plus a third year added on, so it doesn’t cost money to get it fixed. The Jag dealers had a lovely building, but my local VW dealer has more competent staff.
I did come close to buying an i3, but the range would have been an issue on my daily 90-mile round-trip commute.
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