A post for any current Leaf owners considering a BMW i3

[epirali]

I made the leap from 2013 Leaf SV to 2014 BMW i3 REX in January 2015.

Nothing wrong with the Leaf. I loved it, it was my first EV, I learned a lot about EV's and what my wants/needs are as a driver; I have fond memories of my Leaf. When I got into my 2013 Leaf I was hopeful that by 2015 the 'next gen Leaf' would be out (or close) come to find out...it wasn't.

I looked at the 2015 Leaf and it looked and felt just like my 2013... which looked like the 2012,2011,and 2010. This may seem vein but and I didnt want a 2015 that looked like the 2010 version of the same car with little or no additional range or performance changes. I guess I just got bored with it and Nissan didnt have any EV alternatives for me to get into so I started looking around. This is one reason why I leased - I figured my WANT's might change.

The i3 is more expensive. You are paying for the brand and some tech that is not in the Leaf. I enjoy driving a BMW - my friends and family 'notice' that MUCH more than they did with the Leaf. And that is part of it for MANY car buyers... the looks they get... the head turning factor.

Here are some things that are in my i3 Rex that were not my Leaf:

Liquid cooled batteries
Need I say more?

Carbon Fiber
New tech for a consumer level car - pretty neat, makes the car lighter, kind of futuristic.

Range Extender/REX
Michigan winters are brutal, 2 winters with the Leaf and ~45miles of range gets really old, so you need a second car, a Tesla, or REX/PHEV.

BMW Brand - The i3 is the 'Bimmer' in my immediate or extended family. They say 'Wow' when I say 'BMW i3' instead of a blank stare when I said 'Nissan Leaf'.

The BMW is smaller but still meets my needs. My wife, son, and I can all fit in it and get to granny's house on the weekend with all our stuff. A month or so ago we went to a Detroit Tigers game and were able to go 300+ miles combined EV+REX. I charged when I could (overnight L1 after game at families house) and used 1 gallon of gas total.

What I find most liberating about the i3 is that although I charged when I could it didn't RULE my day! It was 'like driving a normal car' where you can get in and go without a plan. Dont get me wrong, I still drive and plan like its a pure EV - Im still cheap and dont want to pay for gas at all (why I got into EV's) - but its there when you need it; like those frigid winter days in Michigan where I want to drive more than 45 miles with the heat on. For me its just a more usable car in terms of convenient transportation for the life I live.

Is it all worth the price? For me, yeah. But thats a question each consumer must ask themselves. I only leased the i3 Rex for two years like I did the Leaf... if next gen Leaf is there with a bigger battery or at least some new styling... I will consider it... I will also be considering the Chevy Bolt, the Tesla III, and BMW i3 again. I am not married to the Rex but at this point in EV development... it bridges the gap between EV efficiency and practical use in all 4 seasons. I often tell non-EV people the i3 is 'Volt like, with a bigger battery' and 'the i3 is an EV first with a gas generator backup; the engine is small and does not also drive the wheels like the Volt'.

No matter what happens I am excited to see what the market looks like in 2017.

I am with you on the Rex, it is great, so nice to go many many more places and not worry. Wife takes it around where she wouldn't take the Leaf.

But I am finding more and more details that are driving me slightly crazy. I am picky about cars, and as low key as the Leaf was it was a very nicely tuned car for what it is, a daily commuter. Nothing fancy. If I take the Rex out for my needs the BMW adds nothing, and the bouncy/jittery ride and drive can be tiring.

I also leased like you for 2 years, and will see what is there. But I am starting to consider giving up the i3 and maybe going back to the Leaf...maybe I can port over the Rex?

 

[CMYK4Life]

The only $37K i3 REx's I've seen include tax rebates in the price, which effectively makes them ~$41K. I would be all over a 2014 i3 REx if it was $37K before $7500, but from what I understand, only 2015+ leases pass on the full $7500 in the form of lease cash.

I've also been looking into a used REx, but the prices are way too high.

My payment wet up with the i3 w/ rex.

I put money down on the Leaf and paid $212/mo.

I put 0$ and pay $380/mo with my 2014 Rex (got it in 2015 so timing played a role)

The very same week I got the i3 I had 2 Nissan dealers (Lansing & Ann Arbor) quote me $0 on a 2015 Leaf and the best price I could get was $350/mo.

$30/mo more for a BMW i3? That made it really easy.

Sure, I could have waited for a better Leaf deal... or the 2015 i3 for a direct comparison... but when you are in the market for a car... its all about what the market is like at that moment in time and what your impulses are.