Compare the2022 Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In HybridVS 2021 BMW i3

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

© 1999 - 2024Advanta-STAR Automotive Research, all rights reserved. This vehicle comparison and all of the content in it are provided only by license from Advanta-STAR Automotive Research Corporation of America (“Advanta-STAR”). If you are not a legally licensed user of this vehicle comparison, it is against federal law to access it, copy it, forward it, or use it in any manner whatsoever. Any unauthorized use of this vehicle comparison is a violation of U.S. and international law and is punishable criminally and civilly. Removal of this watermark/notification without prior written license and approval received from Advanta-STAR is an agreement, understanding, and/or stipulation by the person(s), entities, agents, attorneys, and any other persons involved in the removal of this watermark/notification (including but not limited to Search Optics, LLC and any and all parent entities, sister entities, and subsidiary entities of Search Optics, LLC and/or any other entity, agent, attorney, and persons related in any manner to Search Optics, LLC) to: 1) an agreed upon amount of liquidated monetary damages of a minimum of $1,250,000.00 US Dollars in favor of Advanta-STAR; 2) the jurisdiction and enforcement of any legal claims associated with this matter asserted by Advanta-STAR in the United States Federal District Court in Portand, Oregon; and 3) service of process of any legal claims asserted by Advanta-STAR associated with this matter may be accomplished by First-Class Postage by the United States Postal Service or comparable service. XPYNN-M34HG 2a06:98c0:3600::103 2024/05/02

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW i3 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The i3 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests front crash prevention systems. With a score of 6 points, IIHS rates the Automatic Emergency Braking optional in the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid as “Superior.” The i3 scores only 3 points and is rated only “Advanced.”

The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid’s lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. The i3 doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid’s optional rear cross-path warning system uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The i3 doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The i3 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid and the i3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and rear parking sensors.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates the general design of front seat head restraints for their ability to protect front seat occupants from whiplash injuries. The IIHS also performs a dynamic test on those seats with “good” or “acceptable” geometry. In these ratings, the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid is safer than the i3:

	Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid	i3
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Restraint Design	GOOD	GOOD
Distance Below Top of Head	-16 mm	-4 mm
Dynamic Test Rating	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Seat Design	Pass	Fail
Torso Acceleration	11.8 g’s	13.3 g’s
Neck Force Rating	Low	Low
Max Neck Tension	436	561

(Lower numerical results are better in all tests.)

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and with its optional front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid the rating of “Top Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 214 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The i3 was not even a “Top Pick” for 2016.

Warranty

The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The i3’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than BMW covers the i3. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the i3 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 2 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai 8th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 17 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 20th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai 7th in reliability, above the industry average. With 7 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 10th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 6 places higher in reliability than BMW.

Engine

The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 11 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 184) than the i3 REx’s standard 0.6 2-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid running on electricity gets better mileage than the i3 running on electricity:

		MPGe
Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid
	Electric Motor	123 city/115 hwy
i3
	Electric Motor	124 city/102 hwy
	REx Electric Motor	107 city/93 hwy
	s Electric Motor	124 city/102 hwy
	REx Electric Motor	107 city/93 hwy

On the EPA test cycle the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the i3 running its gasoline engine:

		MPG
Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid
	1.6 4-cyl. Hybrid	52 city/51 hwy
i3
	REx Electric Motor	30 city/31 hwy
	REx Electric Motor	30 city/31 hwy

The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid has 9.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the i3 Range Extender (11.4 vs. 2.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid has larger tires than the i3 (205/55R16 vs. 155/70R19). The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the i3 (205/55R16 vs. 175/55R20).

The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the i3’s standard 70 series front and 60 series rear tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid has standard front gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The i3’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid flat and controlled during cornering. The i3’s suspension doesn’t offer stabilizer bars.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid’s wheelbase is 5.1 inches longer than on the i3 (106.3 inches vs. 101.2 inches).

Chassis

The design of the Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid amounts to more than styling. The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .24 Cd. That is significantly lower than the i3 (.29 to .33) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid a Mid-size car, while the i3 is rated a Subcompact.

The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid has standard seating for 5 passengers; the i3 can only carry 4.

The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid has 12.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the i3 (96.2 vs. 83.6).

The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid has 1.7 inches more front legroom, 2.5 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 3.8 inches more rear legroom and 5.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the i3.

Ergonomics

The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid’s standard power windows have a locking feature to keep children in the rear seat from operating them, but the driver can still raise and lower all of them with the lock engaged. BMW does not offer a locking feature on the i3’s standard power windows.

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors standard on the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The i3 doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid has standard extendable sun visors. The i3 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The i3 doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The i3 doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid will cost $1325 less than the i3 over a five-year period.

The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid will retain 42.35% to 42.47% of its original price after five years, while the i3 only retains 23.25% to 28.45%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid will be $23554 to $24529 less than for the BMW i3.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Hyundai Ioniq outsold the BMW i3 by over 10 to one during the 2021 model year.