BMW i8 Maintenance Cost [Quarterly & Annual]
When considering a car purchase, most people only consider the actual cost of the car. They look at the sticker price and base their judgments on that alone. While the price of the car is important to consider, you’ve also got to consider how much it can cost to maintain it.
From oil changes to wear and tear, car maintenance can really add up, and if you’re looking at purchasing a BMW i8, those things can add up pretty quickly.
The Average Maintenance cost for the BMW i8 is around $3,200 per year. Out of that, $2000 would be for routine maintenance and $1,200 on typical repairs. However, the actual maintenance cost is contingent on different variables including the age of the vehicle, mileage, and even your location. It’s important to note that this does not include repairs as well. That would take on another $1200 per year for the first five years.
With the average maintenance costs for cars being around $800 annually, this is a pretty steep bill. However, some may argue that if you can afford a BMW i8, you can also afford the upkeep.
What is a BMW i8?
For those unfamiliar, there is actually some speculation about what exactly it is. Some wonder if the BMW i8 is fully electric or can run on gas.
Others wonder if it is comparable to a Tesla. Of course, it’s a gorgeous-looking car, but there’s much more to that.
In its essence, a BMW i8 is a plug-in hybrid luxury vehicle that was first teased at the International Motor Show in 2009. It became available to the public in 2014 and has continued to improve and evolve since.
In 2018, the second generation was born after the previous generation had received many awards for its engine capabilities and eco-friendly features. In the world of fast sports cars, it was picking up steam for its green qualities.
Now that Tesla is on the eco-friendly scene, the BMW i8 has lost some of its charms.
The two biggest reasons for this are that its sticker price starts at a whopping $147,000 and that it just doesn’t have as many techy bells and whistles.
Despite this, there is still an incredibly loyal following for this beloved car, which is why we’re exploring it and its maintenance costs today. So, now that we understand the car a bit more, let’s dive into that…
BMW i8 Maintenance Needs
While every car is unique, there are many things that ring true for all. And one of those things is maintenance.
Every car needs to be maintained or it will greatly suffer, and because the BMW i8 is a hybrid, it will need many of the same maintenance needs as the cars it shares the road with.
Below, you will find a chart of the most common maintenance needs that a BMW i8 will need along with the suggested timeline for each one.
| Maintenance Need | Occurrence |
|---|---|
| TIre Rotation | 5,000-7,000 miles |
| Synthetic Oil and Filter Change | 10,000 miles or 12 months |
| Coolants | 10,000 miles |
| Air Filter | 15,000 miles |
| Fuel FIlters | 20,000-40,000 miles |
| Brake Fluid | 30,000 miles |
| Engine Air Filter | 60,000 miles |
| Spark Plugs | 60,000 miles |
This definitely isn’t an all-encompassing list, but it is a pretty thorough start to get you thinking about what all will need to be done to your BMW i8 on a regular basis.
If you think about it, most people put about 15,000 miles per year on their car. In that case, they would be getting a great deal of the list above done almost every year or every other year.
It’s only the engine air filter and the spark plugs that would be a pretty rare occurrence.
However, if you plan on using your car for a lot of travel or if your commute is much longer than average, you would be looking at doing all of these things significantly more often than others. And that, of course, would make it much more expensive to maintain.
Speaking of maintenance and money, let’s now take a look at the breakdown of the BMW i8 maintenance cost by year.
BMW i8 Maintenance Cost By Year
Now that you’ve gotten a good idea of what might need to be done to the BMW i8 for maintenance, let’s break down the costs.
As previously stated, the cost is going to vary. If you put more miles on your car than the average driver, it’ll be more expensive.
If you live in an area where parts for your car are less readily available, it’ll vary.
On top of all this, the price of BMW maintenance cost will also have some variance depending on the source you look at. With all of this being said, here’s a breakdown from Edmunds of the typical maintenance cost per year of ownership for a BMW i8.
| Year 1 | $544 |
|---|---|
| Year 2 | $749 |
| Year 3 | $3199 |
| Year 4 | $2138 |
| Year 5 | $3125 |
As you can see, the maintenance cost will increase each year that you have your car. This is completely normal with any car as wear and tear (and mileage) will require more maintenance and upkeep.
However, as stated above, these numbers are significantly higher than the average maintenance costs for cars in general.
BMW Maintenance Program
If you don’t want to budget for individual maintenance fees such as oil changes, tire rotations, and the like, BMW actually has a maintenance program.
There are different levels of maintenance programs depending on how long you want coverage and how much maintenance you want to be included. Below is a chart for the BMW Ultimate Care+, Ultimate Care+1, Ultimate Care +2, Ultimate Care +3, and Ultimate Care +4.
| BMW Maintenance Program | Price |
|---|---|
| Ultimate Care+ | $600 |
| Ultimate Care+1 | $949 |
| Ultimate Care +2 | $1849 |
| Ultimate Care +3 | $2749 |
| Ultimate Care +4 | $3599 |
As for what all this entails, it depends on the level of your program. Starting with the most basic, the Ultimate Care+ maintenance program includes…
- Engine Oil
- Engine Filter
- Brake Fluid
- Cabin Micro Filter(s)
- Engine Air Filter(s)
- Spark Plugs
- Remote Control/Key Battery
- Vehicle Check
- Fuel Filter (Diesel engines only)
- Brakes
- Wipers
- Clutch
As you can see, this price includes a great deal, but it doesn’t include the most basic and mundane maintenance needs like tire rotations and the like. Not to mention, this is the most basic program.
If you are considering going to an Ultimate Care +1 and beyond, the length of coverage goes up with each step.
For example, Ultimate Care + is covered for 36 months or 30,000 miles. The +1 coverage is for four years or 50,000 miles, and it goes all the way up to the +4 which is 7 years or 125,000 miles.
While this may sound really good on paper, some suggest that it doesn’t quite add up unless you know that you plan to go beyond the 15,000 miles per year average for travel.
Maintenance Costs: Tesla vs BMW i8
Many people who consider purchasing a BMW i8 also consider purchasing a Tesla.
They’re both sleek and stylish. They’re both eco-friendly and on the cutting edge of technology, but how do they compare when it comes to upkeep and maintenance?
From above, it has been stated that it’s going to cost an average of $2,000 per year for the first five years of owning your BMW i8. Because it is a hybrid, you’ve still got the upkeep of all things engine including oil changes and filters, spark plugs, and more.
With Tesla, however, it is fully electric. We’ve already discussed how the sticker price of the car is more affordable, but does the all-electric engine make the maintenance more affordable as well?
As expected, it is! When exploring the maintenance schedule of a Tesla 3, the biggest listed items are tire rotations every 12,000 miles, then cabin air filter and brake fluid test at 24,000 miles.
Shockingly, the maintenance cost was incredibly low. It is estimated that it would cost $3,587 to maintain the Tesla 3 in the first 10 years of service.
That comes out to a whopping $359 dollars per year on average! That is an incredible saving!
In Conclusion
The BMW i8 costs a lot of money. It costs a great deal in upkeep, and it costs a great deal to get it out of the dealership. If you are comparing it to a Tesla, it’s apples and oranges, though.
The hybrid nature of this car may cost more to maintain, but it has more of a practicality to it.
For long trips and car rides, it is simply comforting to know that you have a car that is fuel-efficient and more eco-friendly, but you won’t have to stop to recharge after a certain amount of time.
Not to mention, there’s just something special about the BMW i8. It’s sleek and stylish, and it gets attention everywhere it goes.
If you’ve got the money to afford this attention-grabbing one-of-a-kind car, then you’ve got the money to shell out a little more cash each year to keep it up, running, and happy.
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