RE: 2021 BMW 545e | PH Review

[Itsallicanafford]

James-R10 said:

Itsallicanafford said:

RicksAlfas said:

Itsallicanafford said:

then the Tesla supercharger network is their friend...

We live near Halifax and had a week on the east coast near Robin Hood's Bay. Not an unusual activity over the last couple of years! Round figures 100 miles there, 100 miles back, 100 miles pootling about whilst we were there. Filled up with petrol before I went and didn't give it a second thought. If we'd been in a Tesla we would have had to make a (considerable) special trip to find a charger, or fanny about with an extension lead through the cottage window and out on to the pavement to top it up.

This from the Tesla site:



Red blobs are Superchargers, black blobs are chargers for customers at hotels/restaurants etc.

Model 3 long range has a real world range of 220 - 250 miles ish - maybe a little more depending on time of year - only a small top up required to compete your full trip if you left with a full battery.

We did a trip of a smaller scale recently in an i3 - with a 42kw battery - 80 miles there, 40 miles use around town around and then 80 miles back - it just need a few hours on a charger one day. it really was no drama.

Wrong on the range for the model 3. I can get over 300 real world with our model 3 performance with a fairly heavy foot. The long range is more efficient.. I also have climate on a lot.. I’d struggle to get less then 250 with foot to the floor at every lights..

Apologies, my one turns up at the weekend, i have been working out potential trips on the worse case range until i start to use it.

[jerrytlr]

Jag_NE said:

It’s absolutely true that one size doesn’t fit at all but I think you would need to be in a minority of people doing pretty regular 250+ mile hikes for one of these to make sense. As the electric power is inefficient on these I’d save myself 10k and get a 530d if I really wanted a 5er.

I agree the obsession with range is a bit silly, there aren't many who need to do 250 miles non stop on a regular basis.

The real issue - which is why I am going PHEV rather than EV this time around - is what you do at your destination. I went to stay at a holiday apartment in a lovely coastal town in Cornwall earlier this year - I could have coped with an extra 30 mins or whatever charging on the long journey there, but the parking was nowhere near any power, so I would have had to hang around somewhere I didn't really want to be for at least a couple of hours waiting for an EV to charge in order to drive around exploring the coast and again on the way home.

More recently, hiking in Wales for a long weekend - journey there would be no issue, but where to charge at destination would be, and would have added quite a bit of time to he journey home.

Full EV will work for me when decent charging infrastructure at remote lodgings is the norm, and I am looking forward to that happening. Until then, PHEV is a great compromise.

[Six Potter]

I'm sure this car must work for some people, but don't think I really get it.

I've mostly been of the mind set that a two car solution is preferable, the cheap econobox for eating up the commuting mileage plus the interesting sports/performance car for recreational driving. This 545e is one of those cars that seemingly tries to do everything.

The 30-ish mile electric range doesn't seem like enough to me, but I guess you'd be unlikely to driving around on just the 100hp electric motor. You'd presumably need to be charging it at home after every journey to exact the best economy from it. It seems to make more sence to me to just have a fully electric car for the regular travelling and commuting, though I can see that the addition of a petrol engine would give you the capability to do long distance travelling where range on electric is an issue, if that's something that you need to be able to do with it.

[Casa1862]

I’ve got the Volvo S60 T8 which is similar performance, 405 bhp (With the optional polestar map) 0-60 in 4.2 seconds, Im also averaging about 60mpg and I only fill up once a month. Works for me as most of my daily journeys are about 30 miles which is perfect as i use mostly electric and a sip of petrol, not many ice cars can claim that performance and mpg or bev do 600 miles without stopping.

When the battery shows 0% it actually isn’t and you’ll still full power and 4 wheel drive, it’s keeps a healthy reserve.

I would consider this new 5 series but I found it too big for general use, hence went with the S60, I managed to find one with every option ticked, the B&W sound system is rather nice. Hardly any newer S60 available now (4 on auto trader) was about 20 when I got mine in June, seem to have gone in price as well as. must be selling so some demand for this type of car.

[mylesmcd]

Cool story bro, try ordering one.

I would imagine over a year waiting...

[BFleming]

annodomini2 said:

The 72k for this thing would get you into a base Porsche Taycan or a top spec Tesla model 3 with £12k change.

Or buy the base 545i, save £12k over the Taycan, and spend the same as the top spec Model 3? Or don't buy anything and save it all!
No one is buying one of these with cash, it's all about the company car monthlies.

[Court_S]

annodomini2 said:

You get the choice to do something else with the 5-10mins you would spend filling up.

What are you filling up that takes 10 minutes?

This is something that often gets trotted out on here as a benefit of EV’s. Are people’s lives that busy that chucking some fuel in is that much if an inconvenience? Mucking around at a charge point before you stop for a piss at the services sounds just as much faf.

I’m not anti EV, they’re here to stay but this really does feel like a realm has far as benefits go (totally get the ability to condition your car before you drive anywhere though).

Back on topic….

This seems a huge amount of money for not a huge benefit, unless choosing it as a company car and even then I imagine most would opt for the 530e.

[Court_S]

Itsallicanafford said:

cerb4.5lee said:

Itsallicanafford said:

Chap, can i ask, have you driven an i3?

I haven't to be fair, but I don't want to either. Looking around one in my local BMW dealer when it first came out was enough for me.

Plenty of people do love them, but it just isn't for me though.

Fair enough but if you ever get a chance to have a go, just mash the quiet pedal from a standstill, the speed at which they take off is hilarious!

Colleague at work as an i3 REX sport and it’s a hoot to drive. I like them anyway; I like the R’s t that they’re so different looking as well as the use of carbon fibre, recycled materials etc. He also has an M140i but he only have seems to raz around in the little i3.

jerrytlr said:

I agree the obsession with range is a bit silly, there aren't many who need to do 250 miles non stop on a regular basis.

The real issue - which is why I am going PHEV rather than EV this time around - is what you do at your destination. I went to stay at a holiday apartment in a lovely coastal town in Cornwall earlier this year - I could have coped with an extra 30 mins or whatever charging on the long journey there, but the parking was nowhere near any power, so I would have had to hang around somewhere I didn't really want to be for at least a couple of hours waiting for an EV to charge in order to drive around exploring the coast and again on the way home.

More recently, hiking in Wales for a long weekend - journey there would be no issue, but where to charge at destination would be, and would have added quite a bit of time to he journey home.

Full EV will work for me when decent charging infrastructure at remote lodgings is the norm, and I am looking forward to that happening. Until then, PHEV is a great compromise.

I think this is the issue for many people including myself. It works most of the time but those outlier journeys are a pain in the arse. I spend a fair bit of time mountain biking in Wales and at certain places, there’s very little there other alone EV charging. Also, when I’m tired, wet and muddy the last thing I want is the return journey to be any longer!

Edited by Court_S on Thursday 25th November 14:28

[E63eeeeee...]

Not hugely interested in this as a car, since Audi now seem to be talking about fast EV estates I can't imagine ever going through the PHEV phase, but I'm actually quite impressed by the weight - my F10 550i had very similar power and torque stats, this has managed to cram in a whole other drivetrain and 4wd and is only marginally heavier, but is something of the order of 4-5 times more efficient, and adjusting for inflation, pretty much the same price. Quite clever, really.

[oop north]

On the general subject of phev, I am j no it a huge fan if you don’t go more than 100 miles from home, as an EV will do it better. If you do (and I do quite a lot) then you may be able to charge without inconvenience, or you may lose hours of your life. I have been to Edinburgh (from Preston) mostly in my ipace around 20 times in the last 2.5 years (370 mile round trip to 390 depending on route) and to Aberystwyth half a dozen times in last 4 months, most of which have been return journeys in a day. Some of those return trips have required me to charge for an hour to two and a bit longer than I would have stopped if in an ice or phev. On other occasions it has been possible to combine charging with shopping or lunch etc. some journeys I have opted to take wife’s ice as charging would be a nightmare in the ipace (when temps hit minus 9 for example). And on Tuesday this week I went to Cheltenham for a meeting, after which I had 2.5 hours to get to Emsworth (a few miles east of Portsmouth) to collect something that if I was late I would have to return yesterday to get which would have added around three hours to yesterday. And in the ipace it would have been near impossible to do it on Tuesday - any charging time would have been lost when the M6 was closed due to cows on it…

So, it depends - EVs are ace but sometimes on my journeys it’s a right pain and really extends my day significantly (if there were loads of 100+ kW chargers that would help - my normal trips to Edinburgh and Aberystwyth don’t see any). And my wife wants us to have no more than one EV so that if she needs to do an emergency run a long way it’s easy

So replacing my ipace with an xc90 phev (40 theoretical miles range plenty for most of my local Running around), a huge boot and a Volvo c40 EV for my wife.

[Bispal]

1984 e24 M635 CSi 286 bhp
1984 e28 M5 286bhp
1988 e34 M5 286 bhp
1992 e36 M3 286 bhp
1994 e39 540 & 740 286 bhp
2006 e90 335d 286 bhp

And now this with a 286 bhp ICE engine.

What is it with BMW and 286 bhp in line sixes and why no progress in 37 years? Even their small V8 was 286 bhp.

[DCerebrate]

I wish reviewers would report on the real world mpg for these vehicles. Across a set route encompassing a variety of roads. Is it corporate pressure that prevents such reporting?

[TypeRTim]

oop north said:

On the general subject of phev, I am j no it a huge fan if you don’t go more than 100 miles from home, as an EV will do it better. If you do (and I do quite a lot) then you may be able to charge without inconvenience, or you may lose hours of your life. I have been to Edinburgh (from Preston) mostly in my ipace around 20 times in the last 2.5 years (370 mile round trip to 390 depending on route) and to Aberystwyth half a dozen times in last 4 months, most of which have been return journeys in a day. Some of those return trips have required me to charge for an hour to two and a bit longer than I would have stopped if in an ice or phev. On other occasions it has been possible to combine charging with shopping or lunch etc. some journeys I have opted to take wife’s ice as charging would be a nightmare in the ipace (when temps hit minus 9 for example). And on Tuesday this week I went to Cheltenham for a meeting, after which I had 2.5 hours to get to Emsworth (a few miles east of Portsmouth) to collect something that if I was late I would have to return yesterday to get which would have added around three hours to yesterday. And in the ipace it would have been near impossible to do it on Tuesday - any charging time would have been lost when the M6 was closed due to cows on it…

So, it depends - EVs are ace but sometimes on my journeys it’s a right pain and really extends my day significantly (if there were loads of 100+ kW chargers that would help - my normal trips to Edinburgh and Aberystwyth don’t see any). And my wife wants us to have no more than one EV so that if she needs to do an emergency run a long way it’s easy

So replacing my ipace with an xc90 phev (40 theoretical miles range plenty for most of my local Running around), a huge boot and a Volvo c40 EV for my wife.

I think that's somewhere where FF EVs fall down. In 90% of cases/journeys they are fine and actually, really rather good. But it's how often you do those 10% journeys and how much of an inconvenience they are on those journeys that lets them down at the minute.

If you could recoup 80% of a 200-250 mile range battery during a 10-15minute pit stop for a pee and stretch - reliably - then we'd really be on to something!

[E63eeeeee...]

Bispal said:

1984 e24 M635 CSi 286 bhp
1984 e28 M5 286bhp
1988 e34 M5 286 bhp
1992 e36 M3 286 bhp
1994 e39 540 & 740 286 bhp
2006 e90 335d 286 bhp

And now this with a 286 bhp ICE engine.

What is it with BMW and 286 bhp in line sixes and why no progress in 37 years? Even their small V8 was 286 bhp.

If you put the fuel economy stats against each of them you'll see where the progress has been. Plus of course if you show where 286bhp fits in the range at the time.

[SDK]

E63eeeeee... said:

If you put the fuel economy stats against each of them you'll see where the progress has been. Plus of course if you show where 286bhp fits in the range at the time.

Exactly - the start of the list is M5's then M3 and finally 335d

[BFleming]

Court_S said:

Itsallicanafford said:

cerb4.5lee said:

Itsallicanafford said:

Chap, can i ask, have you driven an i3?

I haven't to be fair, but I don't want to either. Looking around one in my local BMW dealer when it first came out was enough for me.

Plenty of people do love them, but it just isn't for me though.

Fair enough but if you ever get a chance to have a go, just mash the quiet pedal from a standstill, the speed at which they take off is hilarious!

Colleague at work as an i3 REX sport and it’s a hoot to drive. I like them anyway; I like the R’s t that they’re so different looking as well as the use of carbon fibre, recycled materials etc. He also has an M140i but he only have seems to raz around in the little i3.

I drove a friend's i3 shortly after they came out. They are indeed a hoot, but he ultimately didn't get on with it because of the very limited range, the noisy (and missing-the-point) range extender, and the inconvenient rear doors. He now has a Model 3 dual motor. I drove it a few months ago. Fastest accelerating car I've ever driven, featuring the most uncomfortable seats.

Back on the subject of PHEVs, we have the Golf GTE, which has been superb. It works for us as most days it goes less than 30 miles, so it does it more-or-less on a charge. Fuel refills have been rare, and we can charge it at home.

[SDK]

BFleming said:

Or buy the base 545i, save £12k over the Taycan, and spend the same as the top spec Model 3? Or don't buy anything and save it all!
No one is buying one of these with cash, it's all about the company car monthlies.

On our company scheme this is £550 per month - not too bad !

[Inverness]

42 Carat Plonker said:

I can see the appeal, in that it's possibly the only 6 cylinder engined new car you can buy today that comes in under 50gCO2. For that reason it makes a lot of sense as a company car.

Both the X5 45e and 7 Series 45e have the same 6 cylinder engine and under 50g CO2.

[Inverness]

Casa1862 said:

I’ve got the Volvo S60 T8 which is similar performance, 405 bhp (With the optional polestar map) 0-60 in 4.2 seconds, Im also averaging about 60mpg and I only fill up once a month. Works for me as most of my daily journeys are about 30 miles which is perfect as i use mostly electric and a sip of petrol, not many ice cars can claim that performance and mpg or bev do 600 miles without stopping.

When the battery shows 0% it actually isn’t and you’ll still full power and 4 wheel drive, it’s keeps a healthy reserve.

I would consider this new 5 series but I found it too big for general use, hence went with the S60, I managed to find one with every option ticked, the B&W sound system is rather nice. Hardly any newer S60 available now (4 on auto trader) was about 20 when I got mine in June, seem to have gone in price as well as. must be selling so some demand for this type of car.

There has been an upgrade to the Volvo PHEV's in the last month or 2 so they are even better now, so you have one of the last old ones. They like Jaguar Land Rover have stuck with 4 pot ICE, which in a big car (XC90 / Disco / X5 / F Pace) can sound a bit rough.

[Court_S]

BFleming said:

I drove a friend's i3 shortly after they came out. They are indeed a hoot, but he ultimately didn't get on with it because of the very limited range, the noisy (and missing-the-point) range extender, and the inconvenient rear doors. He now has a Model 3 dual motor. I drove it a few months ago. Fastest accelerating car I've ever driven, featuring the most uncomfortable seats.

Back on the subject of PHEVs, we have the Golf GTE, which has been superb. It works for us as most days it goes less than 30 miles, so it does it more-or-less on a charge. Fuel refills have been rare, and we can charge it at home.

He’s found the REX pretty good and has used the car for trips to Cambridge from Derbyshire. The electric range is limited at 100 and something miles but for nipping about its very good.

Another chap has a GTE which goes back next week. In the four years he’s had it, it’s been plugged in about three times, two of which were when someone borrowed it. It’s fundamentally been a really good car though, I liked it. He’s averaged 38mpg over four years and saved a load of BIK against an equivalent pure ICE car.