Buying a used PHEV

[8bit]

I guess this is maybe not the right section to ask this in but wasn't sure where else so here goes... We're looking to replace the current family car, two of the options currently on the table are the Volvo V60 and Mercedes C-Class Estate, both of which are available as plug-in hybrids. Beyond the basics of how they work I know very little about hybrids so looking to get an idea what we may potentially be in for if buying one of these as a two to five-year-old example with lowish to average mileage.

So I guess the questions are: What (if any) additional costs/considerations are there around servicing for PHEVs? Do these systems suffer from wear and tear/age and require replacement? What's the intended sort of usage for a PHEV, i.e. mostly urban milage vs. mostly motorway, somewhere in between or is that not a factor really? What sort of power connection would we want to get installed to plug it in? What happens if we don't plug it in and just let it charge while in use? Is it just inadvisable to consider a used PHEV at all?

I guess if anyone has any PHEV-related feedback specific to either of those models then I'd be grateful to hear that too.

Thanks in advance

[anonymous-user]

Most PHEVs will have been bought as BIK reduction schemes. Especially C-class estates etc. They are unlikely to have ever been regularly plugged in to charge.

I would treat them exactly the same as buying an ex fleet 3 year old rep-mobile.

ETA: I have a PHEV, I plug it in everyday using a BP Chargemaster unit. (450quid after grant). It works great, quite cheap too. If you don't plug it in you pay an mpg penalty from lugging the battery weight around.

[8bit]

01WE01 said:

Most PHEVs will have been bought as BIK reduction schemes. Especially C-class estates etc. They are unlikely to have ever been regularly plugged in to charge.

I would treat them exactly the same as buying an ex fleet 3 year old rep-mobile.

Thanks for that. Regards your view that they'll not have been plugged in regularly - is that potentially going to cause problems, greater battery wear, shorter battery life or something like that?

[anonymous-user]

I would read the online owners manual for the vehicles you are considering to see what the manufacturers say.

All PHEVs hold a bit of charge in reserve, i.em they are not normally empty when they say 0%, and top up slightly through driving. But I know JLR say, for instance, to keep it topped up circa 25% when in storage. If they have been sitting round a forecourt for a while maybe that could be a problem.

You could ask the dealer to do a battery validation test to check its available capacity etc.

[raspy]

Avoid.

Unless you have a very specific use case, i.e. you plan to drive every day only within the limited range of the tiny battery (with an occasional longer journey) or you want to take advantage of certain discounts (such as 100% discount on London's congestion charge) then best to go for a simpler and less complex petrol or diesel or even just a regular hybrid.

[8bit]

Thanks for the further input, noted.

Regards "regular" hybrids, I was under the impression that these were in general inferior to plug-in hybrids, is that not the case? What are the pros and cons to these vs. PHEVs?

[littleredrooster]

Depends on what you mean by 'inferior'.
For example, my Prius has returned ~72mpg over its 24,000 mile life; lots of that driving has been 'spirited' and it's not difficult to get into the 80s or 90s. It does this repeatedly without needing to be charged, of course.

If you use a Merc C-class without charging, you will get 32-35mpg - I've done tens of thousands of miles in them so this isn't a guess! With charging, and using it in an urban environment (and keeping it charged at both ends of the journey), 200+mpg is possible; I've seen both extremes. IMO, it was actually a good tax fiddle to get an 'executive express' with a small tax bill because the things really do go like a scalded cat in Sport-Hybrid mode when charged.

I'd be wary about buying used as I wonder about reliability of various things - air suspension for one. It may be worth poking around some owner's forums to see what they're complaining about.

I know zilch about the Volvo, sorry.

[BeeGT]

One of my colleagues 'bought' (contract purchased) a C350e in to our business for exactly the tax break reasons described above with the intention to then purchase the vehicle after 3 years. The charging cable never came out of the boot. After some suspension issues and a small fire in the engine bay it was an easy decision to return the car at the end of the contract.

[robemcdonald]

I had a 2016 C350E.

It was the best car i have ever had. except.

The sat nav / infotainment was a joke: you could be at your destination before it booted up
It went through 4 or 5 starter motors (something to do with start stop). I think they fixed the issue with a software upgrade, but economy went down to around 35 mpg.
Range was only just tolerable at 300-330 per tank of fuel. (i couldn't get to the office and back without refuelling)

it was fast, comfortable and supremely easy to drive though.

would i buy one with my own money second hand? No way!

[hantsxlg]

I have a 530e, one of the first in uk, and it had been fab. 4 year company car with 1 year left to go. I've averaged 102mpg in 31000 miles as my commute (pre lockdown) was 24 miles with charging each end. Like any car you need to buy the one that fits YOUR requirements.

Lots of short stop start town driving and no ability to charge get a hybrid

Commute within range of a phev and ability to charge but also do occasional long trips with limited charging available... get a phev

Commute long or regular long drives.. diesel or ev if you can charge.

You decided. Phev is perfect for us and I will look to move to an xc90 phev shortly...