BMW X3 30e PHEV On Order
Discussion
We ordered one of these cars back in November, and have just had confirmation that we can expect delivery towards end April - supposedly there has been a massive hold-up at the factory but they should be starting to come through soon. I haven't seen any reviews of the finished car, and it's all a bit secretive on actual electric range, so a little nerve-wracking on what the car will actually be like.
I really expected BMW to have provided some press cars by now for review which makes me suspicious that they haven't quite finished with it - it's the same engine/battery combo as the 330e so I'm not sure what could be the holdup. There's a few YouTube videos appearing from US dealers, but they all say the same thing about the electric range not being official.
For us it was a toss-up between the Q5 55 TFSIe and this one, having sat in both models we preferred the X3 cabin and design despite the Q5 having had solid reviews and better performance. We would have just gone for the 20i model but as my wife does 15 miles a day of urban driving the electric option seemed a good idea.
I guess time will tell, anyone else have one on order?
I really expected BMW to have provided some press cars by now for review which makes me suspicious that they haven't quite finished with it - it's the same engine/battery combo as the 330e so I'm not sure what could be the holdup. There's a few YouTube videos appearing from US dealers, but they all say the same thing about the electric range not being official.
For us it was a toss-up between the Q5 55 TFSIe and this one, having sat in both models we preferred the X3 cabin and design despite the Q5 having had solid reviews and better performance. We would have just gone for the 20i model but as my wife does 15 miles a day of urban driving the electric option seemed a good idea.
I guess time will tell, anyone else have one on order?
My wife has the new X3 Hybrid. Such a different car to her diesel Evoque. I am sure basically it is the same as any other G01 although it has the latest BMW operating system which is very confusing compared to my 2019 G31. Fully charged the car says it will do 19 miles on a charge. It seems to be quite thirsty though as my wife's commute is 3.6 miles and it uses 6 miles of charge! The petrol engine is quite economic returning around 25 around town and 40+ on a decent run. The car was bought as a tax break car but we are keen to use electric drive as much as possible. Just trying to get our heads around the best EV charging point to install. Allegedly the max charging capacity is 3.7kW (and is difficult to find much info about the car online as it is so new) so presumably we want a mode 3 running at 3.6kW? Trouble is I need to speak to someone without a vested interest in selling me their point. Plugged into the garage 13a socket it takes around 6 hours to charge. Great car though, fast when you need it and SO SO quiet!
jaw911 said:
My wife has the new X3 Hybrid. Such a different car to her diesel Evoque. I am sure basically it is the same as any other G01 although it has the latest BMW operating system which is very confusing compared to my 2019 G31. Fully charged the car says it will do 19 miles on a charge. It seems to be quite thirsty though as my wife's commute is 3.6 miles and it uses 6 miles of charge! The petrol engine is quite economic returning around 25 around town and 40+ on a decent run. The car was bought as a tax break car but we are keen to use electric drive as much as possible. Just trying to get our heads around the best EV charging point to install. Allegedly the max charging capacity is 3.7kW (and is difficult to find much info about the car online as it is so new) so presumably we want a mode 3 running at 3.6kW? Trouble is I need to speak to someone without a vested interest in selling me their point. Plugged into the garage 13a socket it takes around 6 hours to charge. Great car though, fast when you need it and SO SO quiet!
Don't bother with a 3.6KW charger, the price is virtually the same as a 7KW and you'll regret it later if you move to a full EV.Pod Point are worth a look, but there's plenty of others to choose from.
Glad to find someone who has one. Still no reviews anywhere but I’m sure it will be well received by the press when it finally hits the press fleets. I guess there won’t be many reviews going on for a few weeks at least given the current issues.
Re: charging options. BMW are offering free Chargemaster wall boxes on new hybrid cars until end of the year so I’ll just have to take what’s on offer, I’ll try and get the 7kw version of course, but even with the option of standard 3-pin charging it’s fine for us as the car would always be parked up overnight for 8-10 hours.
We are looking forward to getting the car anyway. Even with the long lead times and relative rarity there are some great deals to be had and I ended up adding nearly every option possible. I almost went for the X5 45e but for almost 20k less the X3 seemed to be a better choice.
Re: charging options. BMW are offering free Chargemaster wall boxes on new hybrid cars until end of the year so I’ll just have to take what’s on offer, I’ll try and get the 7kw version of course, but even with the option of standard 3-pin charging it’s fine for us as the car would always be parked up overnight for 8-10 hours.
We are looking forward to getting the car anyway. Even with the long lead times and relative rarity there are some great deals to be had and I ended up adding nearly every option possible. I almost went for the X5 45e but for almost 20k less the X3 seemed to be a better choice.
I test drove one yesterday, having previously driven an XC60 and Peugeot 3008.
This morning, I ordered a Volvo. I was really disappointed by the BMW.
It felt cheap even in comparison to the Pug, and really surprisingly, it was the least enjoyable of the three to drive.
I might've gone for the Pug, except I didn't find the seats at all comfortable, and the reversing camera was dreadful - it almost felt as though they'd deliberately designed it to pick up as much rain and mud as possible, but it was actually fun to drive and the battery range was surprisingly good.
The Volvo just felt like a completely different level of car to the BMW, more fun to drive, quicker throttle response, and more sensation of speed without having to look at the speedo. The BMW did sound amazing under full throttle, but it just felt soulless and insipid to drive.
The battery layout also added a 3 inch lip to the boot, whereas Volvo have managed to fit them inner the rear seats so you hardly lose any space at all.
Sorry to be so negative, and of course everyone's personal experience will vary, but I was just really shocked by the whole thing, as going into it, my expectation was that I'd be ordering an X3, and really only looked at the others in the first place to reassure myself that the X3 was so much better than the other two (three including the Q5, but I didn't bother even driving that as the seats were so uncomfortable) to make my tolerate the incredibly boring paint colours available... I've ordered the Volvo in red!
This morning, I ordered a Volvo. I was really disappointed by the BMW.
It felt cheap even in comparison to the Pug, and really surprisingly, it was the least enjoyable of the three to drive.
I might've gone for the Pug, except I didn't find the seats at all comfortable, and the reversing camera was dreadful - it almost felt as though they'd deliberately designed it to pick up as much rain and mud as possible, but it was actually fun to drive and the battery range was surprisingly good.
The Volvo just felt like a completely different level of car to the BMW, more fun to drive, quicker throttle response, and more sensation of speed without having to look at the speedo. The BMW did sound amazing under full throttle, but it just felt soulless and insipid to drive.
The battery layout also added a 3 inch lip to the boot, whereas Volvo have managed to fit them inner the rear seats so you hardly lose any space at all.
Sorry to be so negative, and of course everyone's personal experience will vary, but I was just really shocked by the whole thing, as going into it, my expectation was that I'd be ordering an X3, and really only looked at the others in the first place to reassure myself that the X3 was so much better than the other two (three including the Q5, but I didn't bother even driving that as the seats were so uncomfortable) to make my tolerate the incredibly boring paint colours available... I've ordered the Volvo in red!
I currently have one of these on an extended test drive. I must say that I am extremely impressed by it. So quiet, serene, comfortable, but it still handles well. I am seriously thinking of ordering one. I wanted a new 3er touring but the salesman said try this as well and I actually prefer it to the 3er. Note I am not looking for a sporty car - I want something relaxing and comfortable to be used as a family car.
However, I have to agree with the above - it does sound awesome on full throttle!
However, I have to agree with the above - it does sound awesome on full throttle!
We still don’t have ours yet, delayed for obvious reasons but allegedly we are getting it mid-August. Still no press reviews anywhere in Europe, which despite lockdown I do find bizarre for such a vehicle when BMW seem to offer every other minor derivative out for press fleets.
Anyway, it was built last week so not long to go.
Anyway, it was built last week so not long to go.
325Ti said:
just ordered mine - a 30e Xline
being told not to expect delivery until December!
have others installed home chargers? if so what brand did you go with and why?
I got mine from chargedev.com purely because I couldn't see any significant difference between suppliers, and it was £20 cheaper at the time.being told not to expect delivery until December!
have others installed home chargers? if so what brand did you go with and why?
It certainly charges up massively faster! It's noticeable on a PHEV, so I imagine if you had a fully electric car, using a standard socket would be simply unbearable in comparison.
The only minor issue I've had is that on a couple of occasions (in 2+ years) it has decided not to charge the car, and the indicator light on the unit doesn't come on. Flipping the trip switch on the fuseboard off and back on again fixes the issue though. It doesn't trip the mains, just that's what works to restart it.
Kermit power said:
I test drove one yesterday, having previously driven an XC60 and Peugeot 3008.
This morning, I ordered a Volvo. I was really disappointed by the BMW.
It felt cheap even in comparison to the Pug, and really surprisingly, it was the least enjoyable of the three to drive.
I might've gone for the Pug, except I didn't find the seats at all comfortable, and the reversing camera was dreadful - it almost felt as though they'd deliberately designed it to pick up as much rain and mud as possible, but it was actually fun to drive and the battery range was surprisingly good.
The Volvo just felt like a completely different level of car to the BMW, more fun to drive, quicker throttle response, and more sensation of speed without having to look at the speedo. The BMW did sound amazing under full throttle, but it just felt soulless and insipid to drive.
The battery layout also added a 3 inch lip to the boot, whereas Volvo have managed to fit them inner the rear seats so you hardly lose any space at all.
Sorry to be so negative, and of course everyone's personal experience will vary, but I was just really shocked by the whole thing, as going into it, my expectation was that I'd be ordering an X3, and really only looked at the others in the first place to reassure myself that the X3 was so much better than the other two (three including the Q5, but I didn't bother even driving that as the seats were so uncomfortable) to make my tolerate the incredibly boring paint colours available... I've ordered the Volvo in red!
The battery is under the rear seats in the X3. Not sure how that raises the boot lip.This morning, I ordered a Volvo. I was really disappointed by the BMW.
It felt cheap even in comparison to the Pug, and really surprisingly, it was the least enjoyable of the three to drive.
I might've gone for the Pug, except I didn't find the seats at all comfortable, and the reversing camera was dreadful - it almost felt as though they'd deliberately designed it to pick up as much rain and mud as possible, but it was actually fun to drive and the battery range was surprisingly good.
The Volvo just felt like a completely different level of car to the BMW, more fun to drive, quicker throttle response, and more sensation of speed without having to look at the speedo. The BMW did sound amazing under full throttle, but it just felt soulless and insipid to drive.
The battery layout also added a 3 inch lip to the boot, whereas Volvo have managed to fit them inner the rear seats so you hardly lose any space at all.
Sorry to be so negative, and of course everyone's personal experience will vary, but I was just really shocked by the whole thing, as going into it, my expectation was that I'd be ordering an X3, and really only looked at the others in the first place to reassure myself that the X3 was so much better than the other two (three including the Q5, but I didn't bother even driving that as the seats were so uncomfortable) to make my tolerate the incredibly boring paint colours available... I've ordered the Volvo in red!
Zarco said:
The battery is under the rear seats in the X3. Not sure how that raises the boot lip.
A quick google reveals that the battery is indeed under the rear seat as you say, but that was achieved by moving the fuel tank under the boot floor, and it's that which raises the floor by 4 inches.Gassing Station | EV and Alternative Fuels | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff