Those of that have leased an i3. How do you feel after doing so? I’m considering it to drastically reduce car fees while my wife and I try to save as much money as possible for a home. I know it’s not the most practical vehicle, as we have an 18 month old. However, my wife would have a larger vehicle when we need to haul crap.
Can it be driven in the NJ winters (which can be hot mess). Is it worth the saving?
Any insight would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks.
I’ve not owned one but everyone here who has seems to think it’s a hoot to drive and absolutely loves it.
Snow tires, like with most cars, make all the difference. Too many people cheap out and don’t run snow tires. It’s a completely different feel from all seasons, even w an AWD drive.
It’s a great car, handles well, comfortable and roomy cabin, I had a 2019 that consistently able to get 150 + miles per charge although we live in perfect EV climate. Not sure what the range reduction will be in NJ summer/winter. If you can get that $120/month deal from a broker here in LH it’s a great deal. Check insurance and registration though because car does have a hefty MSRP.
Insurance can’t be much different from that of my 2019 5 Series.
Snow wheels and tires? I had a 2016 Focus RS that had summer and winter wheel and tire setup.
Well OP tried to keep expenses down, not sure comparing to 5 series is valid 
one of my buyers said costco has blizzaks at $500 for the i3 19" wheels
I recommend putting snow tires on most cars whether AWD or not.
It’s a much safer experience in most cars.
There a shop local to Boston, Direct Tire, that will swap winter and summer tires (not just wheels) for free each year if you buy from them.
That’s like $200/yr in savings and doesn’t require two sets of wheels.
Wouldn’t a 4-door EV like an Ioniq or Bolt make more sense for your family?
Technically the i3 has rear doors too albeit ones that cannot be open without opening the front doors first. @op rear doors opening the other way should make it hard to put your 18 month old in his/her rear facing car seat…
If OP can get this deal, a little inconvenience may be worth it.
It’s a good car for family of 2, opening the back door could be a hassle since it requires you to open the front door almost all the way. Parking lot around my area are kind of tight unless it’s Costco’s parking lot, so depends on where you live, and size of the parking lots around you. I had 2 i3 in the pass, my parents nagged me every time when they come visit us due to how inconvenient the rear doors are for them.
Put on some snow tires and snow won’t be a problem for I3, a lot of people report the result on Facebook group.
Like @sharksfan15 said, if you can get those i3 loaner deals… a little inconvenience might be worth it, bring the child seat to the dealer and try it yourself.
trunk’s a little small for my hockey bag, I have to fold down the seats, but that’s probably not a problem for most lol.
Cannot imagine how bad an i3 would smell w a hockey bag in it.
That’s not a lot of Cubic ft to work with
FYI the 2021 model is rumored to have an increased battery pack (and forgo the REx). So probably worth waiting to see how much of an improvement it’ll be.
Yes I’m pretty sure the REX is gone. I believed they last increased battery pack on MY2019.
I had a 2017 Rex for a while. I hated it, but where I live and work aren’t setup for charging so I relied on public chargers. Our whole city had two level 3 chargers and it was infuriating. It’s also hot here, so I used tons of juice cooling, increasing the need to charge. It was fun to drive, but that also killed the charge.
Bottom line, if I was better setup to charge when and where the car would ordinarily be parked I probably would have enjoyed it more.
I have a lead on ordering an i3, however it’s in a different state (I live in NJ).
If purchased in a different state, would I qualify for their local incentives?
Also, NJ has a large rebate for EV vehicles. Is that still applicable regardless of state it was received in, because it’s being registered in NJ?
***I did skim through another thread that was explaining NJ was denying those that purchased ev’s outside of NJ…
I don’t know of any states that would let you claim their EV incentives without being a resident.
To claim the NJ state rebate the car has to be purchased in NJ. You do qualify for the sales tax exemption regardless though.