It has come to my attention that there is a SMOKING HOT deal on a BMW i3 here in California, and I’m struggling to resist it. I should, because $15,000 isn’t cheap, but it’s for a 2019 BMW i3, which has twice as big a battery as my 2014, yielding twice the EV-only range. I could probably sell mine for $10,000ish, but would it be worth it? Help me decide!
Apple Carplay, twice the range, roughly half the odometer mileage, the new fascia, a less-worn steering wheel — these are a few of the benefits I would get if I bought the 2019 BMW i3 for sale near me. I’d have to plunk down $15 large, which will be a hard pill to swallow, but I’d get a $1000 rebate from my power company, so that’d be $14,000 plus tax, probably bringing me to about $15,500. I could sell my current i3 for probably $10,500, so all in I’d probably have to drop $4 or 5 grand to get those benefits. Is it worth it?
It might be? I mean, look at this beautiful golden-brown carbon fiber range-extended electric car:
Here’s the interior:
I love my dark gray 2014, too, and I prefer both its 19-inch wheels and its Giga World interior to the 2019’s above:
In fact, I love the car so much, I just made this effusive Instagram reel:
You’ll notice that my i3 has the bigger screen and Harmon Kardon audio system. Really, when it comes to the interior, this 2019 would be a downgrade. But the cabin still looks cool, plus it has Apple Carplay and I guess I could swap the seats and door panels…
But I don’t really need 150 miles of range. My i3’s 70-80 miles gets the job done 99 percent of the time, and that once percent isn’t using so much fuel that spending $5 grand on the 2019 would pay off anytime in the next decade.
That said, my i3’s original battery only lasted 135,000 miles and nine years; if I plan to keep this car for a while (and I do), buying a 2019 could allow me to put off replacing a battery for at least another nine years. In truth, I think the 2019’s battery pack will last even longer, as it’s an improved chemistry.
But now we’re talking almost a decade in the future. Who knows what the world’s battery situation will look like then; maybe I should just hold onto my $4-5 grand, keep enjoying a car whose problems I’m familiar with (it’s pretty much problem-free), and Love The One I’m With?
But that bigger battery and Apple Carplay are so tempting.
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Images of 2019 i3: Facebook Marketplace
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