Used 2015 BMW i3 Base for sale 

The 2015 BMW i3 Electric ranges across two trim lines, but the higher Range Extender trim is not an all-electric car but a hybrid. So there is only one proper electric trim for the i3. It starts at $42,400 and comes with a 125kW electric motor coupled with a 22 kWh battery pack. The i3 can be bought in three styles - Mega World, Giga World, and Tera World with differing interior and exterior features.

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The BMW i3 comes in a single trim line costing $42,400. The i3 comes with three versions of interior and exterior configurations to choose from. The Giga World package comes with features including 19-inch turbine-style light-alloy wheels, seats upholstered in Giga Cassia Natural Leather and Carum Spice Gray Wool Cloth, Universal garage door opener and Comfort Access, along with DC charging, and a 7.4 kW onboard charger, LED Headlights, BMW navigation system, and SiriusXM satellite radio. This mid-level package would be the best one to opt for.

The BMW i3 Electric comes with a 125 kW AC synchronous electric motor paired with a 22 kWh Li-Ion battery pack and is mated to a 1-speed direct-drive transmission.

The electric motor produces 170 hp of maximum power and 184 lb-ft of maximum torque. The BMW i3 takes 7 seconds to reach a speed of 60mph and 16.3 seconds to cross the quarter-mile mark. The ride is comfortable, and the i3 handles very impressively, considering that it's an electric vehicle.

The Mercedes B-Class Electric is the most powerful of the lot outputting 177 hp and 251 lb-ft, followed by the BMW that outputs 170 hp 184 lb-ft of torque, whereas the Volkswagen produces 115 hp and 199 lb-ft of power and torque, respectively. The BMW is the fastest to reach 60 mph in 7 seconds, followed by the Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric and the eGolf in 7.9 and 9.1 seconds, respectively.

The BMW i3 Electric is a competitive fuel-efficient car as it delivers fuel efficiency of 124 e-mpg in the city, 111 on the highway, and a combined efficiency of 117 e-mpg. The i3 has a 24 kWh battery outputting a combined range of 84 miles. The higher trims come with a bigger 30 kWh battery pack.

In comparison, the BMW i3 is the most fuel-efficient offering a combined efficiency of 117 e-mpg, followed by the Volkswagen eGolf offering 116 e-mpg, whereas the Mercedes comes in, at last, delivering a combined 84 e-mpg of efficiency. The i3 Electric comes with a 22 kWh battery pack while the eGolf comes with a bit bigger 24.2 kWh unit. The Mercedes has the biggest battery capacity of 27kWh. The Mercedes delivers the best-combined range of 87 miles, followed by the Volkswagen e-Golf and BMW delivering 83 and 81 miles, respectively.

The BMW i3 Electric has a stylish cabin. The seats are in a raised stance and provide great outward visibility. The rear seats are also comfortable and offer enough space.

The inside of the cabin features Mega Carum Spice Gray SensaTec and Cloth trimmed seats in the Mega World variant and Giga Cassia Natural Leather and Carum Spice Gray Wool Cloth trimmed ones in the next level Giga World package, whereas the high-end Tera World package features Tera Dalbergia Brown Full Natural Leather upholstery. There is ample headroom in the cabin even for taller people. The i3 has a very low cargo capacity measuring 11.8 cu-ft.

The eGolf is the most spacious on the interior, followed by the Mercedes and the i3. The Volkswagen has the most rear legroom, while the i3 and the Mercedes have lower, similar rear legroom. When it comes to cargo capacity, the eGolf offers the most that is 22.8 cu-ft, followed by the Mercedes offering 21.6 cu-ft, while the i3 offers a lower cargo space measuring just 11.8 cu-ft. Few key interior features include-

• Mega Carum Spice Gray SensaTec and Cloth Upholstery
• Automatic Climate Control
• Leather Wrapped Steering wheel
• Heated Front Seats
• 50/50-split folding rear seats

How intuitive is the 2015 BMW i3 Electric’s infotainment unit?

The BMW i3 Electric features a BMW Navigation System with a 6.5" multi-touch control color monitor. As for audio, there is a 12-speaker audio system from Harman Kardon.

The infotainment unit as usual features the BMW iDrive interface, which is fast and responsive. Other features include SiriusXM Travel Link, Aux input, and satellite radio. Other major infotainment features include-

• 6.5-inch infotainment unit
• Bluetooth Connectivity
• USB Connectivity
• Aux Input
• BMW Navigation System
• SiriusXM Satellite Radio
• 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system

The 2015 BMW i3 Electric looks futuristic but bizarre with an innovative design language. The front end looks beautiful with the kidney grille and LED headlamps, while the rear end looks a bit weird with a too-small rear glass and the lower area pushing out of the body. But the LED tail lamps do look beautiful and sleek.

The side profile features 19-inch star spoke light alloy wheels, whereas 19-inch Turbine wheels are optional. These wheels look beautifully huge on a car of its size. The BMW i3 Electric weighs 2860 lbs, which is on the lower side of the competition. 

The BMW i3 Electric weighs the least, weighing in at 2,860 lbs, followed by the Volkswagen e-Golf which weighs 3,391 lbs, followed by the Mercedes that weighs a significantly higher 3,957 lbs. The Mercedes is the longest with a length of 171.6 inches, followed by the eGolf with a length of 168.1 inches, while the BMW is the shortest at 157.4 inches long. The Mercedes also has the most ground clearance of 7.4 inches, followed by the BMW and Volkswagen with 5.5 and 5.0 inches of clearance, respectively. Major exterior features of the sedan are-

• 19-inch Star Spoke Alloy Wheels
• 19-inch Turbine alloy Wheels
• LED Headlights
• Automatic Headlights
• LED taillights
• Automatic Wipers
• Auto-dimming mirrors

The new BMW i3 Electric comes with a lot of standard safety features, which include ABS, stability and traction control, front-seat side airbags, and full-length side curtain airbags. The i3 Electric stops from 60 mph in 109 ft. The i3 has not been crash-tested or rated by NHTSA or IIHS. Major safety features available with the hatchback are-

• Lane Departure Warning System
• Forward Collision Warning With Pedestrian Detection
• Automatic Braking For Frontal Collision Mitigation
• Front Parking Sensors
• Real-Time Traffic

The BMW i3 Electric is a standout electric hatchback with a distinct design language and an impressive powertrain inside. The i3 also delivers the best of luxury available in an electric hatchback. Overall it is a beautifully designed versatile machine with one-of-a-kind looks and design language. However unless you want something very unique and customizable, the Mercedes B-Class Electric would be the better mainstream electric option to go for.