Spied in the classifieds
£40k BMW i8, £13k Golf GTE
Going green and going fast is getting easier and cheaper for those hunting through the classifieds. With new electrified cars unveiled each month, the used market is swiftly becoming populated by them.
Today, perhaps the greatest green bargain of all is the BMW i8. Stunningly futuristic in design and execution, it unfortunately for BMW proved too flashy for eco-warriors, while petrolheads turned their noses up at a six-figure car with a threecylinder petrol engine from a Mini. But be in no doubt that this plug-in hybrid is a hugely exciting sports car, offering brawny performance and serious long-distance GT comfort.
Sinking-ship depreciation means you can buy nearly new examples with a staggering £35,000 off their list price, but our pick comes at the bottom end of the used i8 price range.
For £40,000, here’s a 2015-reg, one-previous-owner coupé with a full history. As it was registered before 1 April 2017, it won’t cost a penny in tax, and if you make use of its 16 or so miles of real-world electric range and keep it regularly charged, it will only cost as much as a hatchback to run.
The three-year manufacturer’s warranty may be long gone, but all i8 battery packs are covered for eight years or 100,000 miles from new, so there’s a reassuring amount of cover left on this one. There seem to be no obvious mechanical reliability issues with the i8, either. Parts such as the petrol engine and switchgear come from other tried-and-tested products, and the six-speed automatic gearbox appears to be robust. Just check the ostentatious butterfly doors (which require quite a bit of room to open) haven’t been whacked into anything.
It’s also worth assessing whether you can live with the i8’s poky boot, which makes a Porsche 911 look like a Skoda Superb Estate by comparison.