My 2020 i3 REx has about 6 months left till the lease ends. It’s the Panda-flavor with Giga interior, Tech package, moonroof, and the phone warmer wireless charging. Currently leasing it for $99/month and have about 20K miles so far. Residual is $32K and change. My original plan was to return it and buy/lease a Z4 or M240i, but now I’m seriously considering keeping the i3 because:
- REx warranty is crazy: 15yrs, 150K
- Battery warranty is pretty good: 10yrs, 150K
- Car has been pretty reliable and I have the tooling to DIY the non-HV parts of the car
- The $32K residual is currently below market value and new EV options are either the Bolt or Leaf (before dealer markup)
- Pandemic-driven supply chain issues imply lower quality of car components/chips, especially for newer cars post-2020 (my i3 rolled off assembly line in July 31, 2020)
- It fits well into my fleet portfolio: the F31d for longer drives while the i3 is used for shorter distances within my community
- HOV/Carpool stickers are valid till 2025
- I have a spare set of tires ready
I like the i3 in general as it’s a small, quirky car that fits my needs nicely, and something that doesnt stand out as much as my Estoril Blue wagon. Are there more fun and really impractical cars? Yes! I had a Z4 M40i for a weekend and it was a blast, but is it worth $70K spec’d out how I want it? Probably not. The same goes for the i4 M40i, which is why I was looking at the Supra or the M240i that hover in the $50-60K category. I’m now in a 2022 M340i loaner and it just doesnt compare to the Z4, despite having the same engine. The exhaust is more muted and ASS cannot be defeated because it now has the 48V system.
Any reason why I shouldn’t keep the car?
