The i3 was actually the front-runner for a while. The full-electric version (which gives + or – 100 miles, depending on the battery) did not have the range I wanted, but they made a range-extender version with a scooter engine in the back to recharge the battery for extra range. You could technically keep filling up the gas tank and have unlimited range, but that would be very tedious in practice, so it realistically gives you another 80-100 miles, which was enough for me. 

There’s no denying that it is a funky-looking car. I can’t say I quite liked the look of it, but I appreciate a unique car and I convinced myself that it was kind of cool. And it also seemed to be generally well received. Owners found it efficient, fun to drive, and pretty functional and reliable. Still, it would be hard to make a case for buying one new, as I think they retailed for over $60k. There was a lot of engineering that went into them to justify the price, but I think the resulting package was less than the sum of its parts and more of an R&D tool. That said, when the i3 first got on my radar, they had depreciated so rapidly that you could pretty easily find a 2-3 year old one with very low miles for under half its original MSRP. That is what initially landed it near the top of my list.

Unfortunately, by the time I was really in the market, the rise in used car prices had hit the i3 as well, and they were harder to find. I did find one at a BMW dealership and went for a test drive. That was one of my first dealership experiences and I was especially nervous about it being BMW, but they were less aloof than I expected. The car, however, was a bigger disappointment than I expected. Despite the design that subtracts the B-pillar and gives a generous front seating area I felt very claustrophobic in it, I think owing to the terrible visibility past 180 degrees. The rear window felt tiny and there were large blind spots. The instrument cluster and infotainment screen felt very dated to me. The final straw was the cargo space; that scooter engine just took up more room than I expected. I own a large standard poodle and it was important that I be able to put him in the back. With barely over two feet of height between the cargo floor and the roof there was no way he was going to be able to stand back there.

It was fun to drive. And I do think it would work well for some people if it was a good deal, but I was pretty certain after one drive that it was not for me.