Discussion
Yesterday was new car day for me and time to say hello the electric (hybrid) car world.
I've had a 2014 330d touring for 18 months and it's been great for the high mileage I was doing. But now that mileage has dropped off as both my personal and work life have changed.
We live less than a mile from a clean air zone too which has been a bit of a pain to have a euro 5 diesel!
Anyway, the new car. I was a after a plug in hybrid as most of my journeys now are less than 10 miles at 20/40/50 mph and as we were lucky to buy a house last year with a drive and solar panels. It just makes sense to me.
The options were: Octavia/superb hybrid, 508sw hybrid or stick with what we know and get a 330e...so I did.
I've been looking for a few months and saw a few bad examples. But then this came along.
It's a 2021 330e xdrive m-sport touring. Found it not too far away and was a private sale. Has 80,000 on it which is slightly higher than I wanted but the battery still seems in good health, it has a good service history and drive perfectly. The previous owner also gave of a good vibes having looked after it well.
The drive home was great and seemed to be very economical. Started with 18 miles battery range and over the 45 miles journey it averaged 77mpg with only 15miles of range used. Pretty impressive and exactly why I bought it.
More pictures and specs along soon!
I've had a 2014 330d touring for 18 months and it's been great for the high mileage I was doing. But now that mileage has dropped off as both my personal and work life have changed.
We live less than a mile from a clean air zone too which has been a bit of a pain to have a euro 5 diesel!
Anyway, the new car. I was a after a plug in hybrid as most of my journeys now are less than 10 miles at 20/40/50 mph and as we were lucky to buy a house last year with a drive and solar panels. It just makes sense to me.
The options were: Octavia/superb hybrid, 508sw hybrid or stick with what we know and get a 330e...so I did.
I've been looking for a few months and saw a few bad examples. But then this came along.
It's a 2021 330e xdrive m-sport touring. Found it not too far away and was a private sale. Has 80,000 on it which is slightly higher than I wanted but the battery still seems in good health, it has a good service history and drive perfectly. The previous owner also gave of a good vibes having looked after it well.
The drive home was great and seemed to be very economical. Started with 18 miles battery range and over the 45 miles journey it averaged 77mpg with only 15miles of range used. Pretty impressive and exactly why I bought it.
More pictures and specs along soon!
Looks good. Needs interior pics!
My X5 plug-in still has pre-ferry Spanish fuel in it from early June.
I’ve run the engine a few times to get some heat into it but the other 99% has been electric.
Add a home battery or cheap overnight tariff into the mix and it gets silly - I’ve been driving a 2.5 tonne car around for roughly 4p per mile.
My X5 plug-in still has pre-ferry Spanish fuel in it from early June.
I’ve run the engine a few times to get some heat into it but the other 99% has been electric.
Add a home battery or cheap overnight tariff into the mix and it gets silly - I’ve been driving a 2.5 tonne car around for roughly 4p per mile.
Nice one.
I did consider them when I got my Golf PHEV and whilst they're quicker (0-60 in 6 seconds?), they're a bit big for my usage (parking in tight on-street London roads).
The simplest way to check the battery health (assuming no easy access to a State of Health function) is to find out what the official range is then charge it up to max, then with everything switch off (aircon, heating, lights etc), see what the range settles to after a minute. It's a bit finger-in-wind but it will give you a broad idea. For instance, my Golf apparently could do 31 when it was new, and when I charge it up, I see either 28 or 29 mile as the range (once I saw 30!). So for a 10 year old car, it's pretty good.
I did consider them when I got my Golf PHEV and whilst they're quicker (0-60 in 6 seconds?), they're a bit big for my usage (parking in tight on-street London roads).
The simplest way to check the battery health (assuming no easy access to a State of Health function) is to find out what the official range is then charge it up to max, then with everything switch off (aircon, heating, lights etc), see what the range settles to after a minute. It's a bit finger-in-wind but it will give you a broad idea. For instance, my Golf apparently could do 31 when it was new, and when I charge it up, I see either 28 or 29 mile as the range (once I saw 30!). So for a 10 year old car, it's pretty good.
andy43 said:
Looks good. Needs interior pics!
My X5 plug-in still has pre-ferry Spanish fuel in it from early June.
I ve run the engine a few times to get some heat into it but the other 99% has been electric.
Add a home battery or cheap overnight tariff into the mix and it gets silly - I ve been driving a 2.5 tonne car around for roughly 4p per mile.
More pics as requested! My X5 plug-in still has pre-ferry Spanish fuel in it from early June.
I ve run the engine a few times to get some heat into it but the other 99% has been electric.
Add a home battery or cheap overnight tariff into the mix and it gets silly - I ve been driving a 2.5 tonne car around for roughly 4p per mile.
Hoofy said:
Nice one.
I did consider them when I got my Golf PHEV and whilst they're quicker (0-60 in 6 seconds?), they're a bit big for my usage (parking in tight on-street London roads).
The simplest way to check the battery health (assuming no easy access to a State of Health function) is to find out what the official range is then charge it up to max, then with everything switch off (aircon, heating, lights etc), see what the range settles to after a minute. It's a bit finger-in-wind but it will give you a broad idea. For instance, my Golf apparently could do 31 when it was new, and when I charge it up, I see either 28 or 29 mile as the range (once I saw 30!). So for a 10 year old car, it's pretty good.
Yeah I thought about the golf but having come from a 3 series and having a 3 month old child (and having to carry all that comes with them) this fits the bill!I did consider them when I got my Golf PHEV and whilst they're quicker (0-60 in 6 seconds?), they're a bit big for my usage (parking in tight on-street London roads).
The simplest way to check the battery health (assuming no easy access to a State of Health function) is to find out what the official range is then charge it up to max, then with everything switch off (aircon, heating, lights etc), see what the range settles to after a minute. It's a bit finger-in-wind but it will give you a broad idea. For instance, my Golf apparently could do 31 when it was new, and when I charge it up, I see either 28 or 29 mile as the range (once I saw 30!). So for a 10 year old car, it's pretty good.
Range is telling me that it'll do 27miles on a full charge currently which is pretty good as bmw said 34 from new.
And yes 0-60 is quoted 5.7 ish I think but journos have done it in 5.2
B'stard Child said:
What's the 2.0 4 pot Turbo engine like from a driving experience??
Yeah it's a nice engine! Smooth and sounds quite nice too, raspy exhaust note when in sport mode.I hear that when the battery dies it's basically an almost 2 tonne 320i though... so I'll be using the battery control to top up the battery when it gets low!
To charge up while driving, see if the standard hybrid mode maintains a certain charge. I know the Golf does that so it will never go down to zero unless you only use EV mode until the range is no more ie purposely drain it. I have these modes: Hybrid (maintains at ~3 miles range), GTE (EV version of GTI, maintains at 50% because it uses the EV for extra oomph), Charge (I think it takes it up to 100% but I've never needed it).
Range is telling me that it'll do 27miles on a full charge currently which is pretty good as bmw said 34 from new.
And yes 0-60 is quoted 5.7 ish I think but journos have done it in 5.2I knew it was quick! My Golf is a lot slower - I think 8 seconds to 60. It's nice around corners, though, because the battery is under the rear passenger seats so you get a 50:50 weight distribution despite it being a front-engined FWD car!
27/34 is still pretty good as you say. For town driving, I'd just leave it in EV mode.
willmagrath said:
Hoofy said:
Nice one.
I did consider them when I got my Golf PHEV and whilst they're quicker (0-60 in 6 seconds?), they're a bit big for my usage (parking in tight on-street London roads).
The simplest way to check the battery health (assuming no easy access to a State of Health function) is to find out what the official range is then charge it up to max, then with everything switch off (aircon, heating, lights etc), see what the range settles to after a minute. It's a bit finger-in-wind but it will give you a broad idea. For instance, my Golf apparently could do 31 when it was new, and when I charge it up, I see either 28 or 29 mile as the range (once I saw 30!). So for a 10 year old car, it's pretty good.
Yeah I thought about the golf but having come from a 3 series and having a 3 month old child (and having to carry all that comes with them) this fits the bill!I did consider them when I got my Golf PHEV and whilst they're quicker (0-60 in 6 seconds?), they're a bit big for my usage (parking in tight on-street London roads).
The simplest way to check the battery health (assuming no easy access to a State of Health function) is to find out what the official range is then charge it up to max, then with everything switch off (aircon, heating, lights etc), see what the range settles to after a minute. It's a bit finger-in-wind but it will give you a broad idea. For instance, my Golf apparently could do 31 when it was new, and when I charge it up, I see either 28 or 29 mile as the range (once I saw 30!). So for a 10 year old car, it's pretty good.
Range is telling me that it'll do 27miles on a full charge currently which is pretty good as bmw said 34 from new.
And yes 0-60 is quoted 5.7 ish I think but journos have done it in 5.2
27/34 is still pretty good as you say. For town driving, I'd just leave it in EV mode.
Hoofy said:
I knew it was quick! My Golf is a lot slower - I think 8 seconds to 60. It's nice around corners, though, because the battery is under the rear passenger seats so you get a 50:50 weight distribution despite it being a front-engined FWD car!
27/34 is still pretty good as you say. For town driving, I'd just leave it in EV mode.
Yeah I plan to do as much on electric as possible really! My commute is 9 miles round trip so should be easy27/34 is still pretty good as you say. For town driving, I'd just leave it in EV mode.
Spec wise it's pretty good!
Cream interior
Cruise with auto brake
LED cornering headlights
Parking camera
Carplay/android auto
Heated seats
Lane departure
Low speed auto brake
Etc
Feels more like my old m135i that had digital screen and xenon lights compared to the 330d which had halogens and standard dash.
Cream interior
Cruise with auto brake
LED cornering headlights
Parking camera
Carplay/android auto
Heated seats
Lane departure
Low speed auto brake
Etc
Feels more like my old m135i that had digital screen and xenon lights compared to the 330d which had halogens and standard dash.
willmagrath said:
Yeah I plan to do as much on electric as possible really! My commute is 9 miles round trip so should be easy
Perfect. It's probably barely warming up an ICE car while also not properly charging the 12V battery. I do 20 mile round trips 2-3 times a week and my Golf can handle that just fine in E mode. That said, if I come home after rush hour, I may or may not switch the proper engine on for some more entertaining driving on a 3 mile diversion onto 50mph roads, having fitted a cone intake to it. 
willmagrath said:
B'stard Child said:
What's the 2.0 4 pot Turbo engine like from a driving experience??
Yeah it's a nice engine! Smooth and sounds quite nice too, raspy exhaust note when in sport mode.I guess I need to try one as I really would like a wagon next
I want a 330e, easily one of the best cars I’ve driven (but that says more about the cars I’ve driven than the 3 series itself).
It’s quick enough without getting you into trouble. Only thing I found is if the battery isn’t charged, the MPG plummets. I had one as a loaner from BMW and got 24mpg. (Probably didn’t help that I was enjoying the brisk acceleration compared to my 136bhp in my 1 series)
It’s quick enough without getting you into trouble. Only thing I found is if the battery isn’t charged, the MPG plummets. I had one as a loaner from BMW and got 24mpg. (Probably didn’t help that I was enjoying the brisk acceleration compared to my 136bhp in my 1 series)
B'stard Child said:
In the last 30 odd years I've been running mainly straight sixes and V8's - the only 4 pots have been station cars (or the odd supercharged Mercedes 4 pot) - my biggest concerns are the less smooth feel of a 4 pot on a long run
I guess I need to try one as I really would like a wagon next
Yeah it's incredibly quiet and smooth to drive. Engine is just as smooth as the 6 pot I had in the old 1 series.I guess I need to try one as I really would like a wagon next
GolfDragon said:
I want a 330e, easily one of the best cars I ve driven (but that says more about the cars I ve driven than the 3 series itself).
It s quick enough without getting you into trouble. Only thing I found is if the battery isn t charged, the MPG plummets. I had one as a loaner from BMW and got 24mpg. (Probably didn t help that I was enjoying the brisk acceleration compared to my 136bhp in my 1 series)
Yeah when I put it in battery hold/control mode the MPG does plummet. But for my use case, it should really matter. It s quick enough without getting you into trouble. Only thing I found is if the battery isn t charged, the MPG plummets. I had one as a loaner from BMW and got 24mpg. (Probably didn t help that I was enjoying the brisk acceleration compared to my 136bhp in my 1 series)
We do do long journeys once a month or so to see family who are all a good few hours away. But that shouldn't upset the average mpg too much.
adriman said:
Interested to hear how you get on, currently in a similar situation with a 330d and a change in job which leaves a very short commute.
How do they compare dynamically? Is the boot noticeable smaller with the underfloor battery?
Yeah I'll let you know how I get on. So far it does seem worse dynamically but still very good. Rides well and takes corners well, but you can feel the weight.How do they compare dynamically? Is the boot noticeable smaller with the underfloor battery?
The boot is apparently 18% smaller. It's the same depth and actually seems wider to me. But the boot floor is noticeably higher though. We have a big pram and cot to go in which will still fit. But maybe when we eed to stuff the car full it may be an issue
willmagrath said:
GolfDragon said:
I want a 330e, easily one of the best cars I ve driven (but that says more about the cars I ve driven than the 3 series itself).
It s quick enough without getting you into trouble. Only thing I found is if the battery isn t charged, the MPG plummets. I had one as a loaner from BMW and got 24mpg. (Probably didn t help that I was enjoying the brisk acceleration compared to my 136bhp in my 1 series)
Yeah when I put it in battery hold/control mode the MPG does plummet. But for my use case, it should really matter. It s quick enough without getting you into trouble. Only thing I found is if the battery isn t charged, the MPG plummets. I had one as a loaner from BMW and got 24mpg. (Probably didn t help that I was enjoying the brisk acceleration compared to my 136bhp in my 1 series)
We do do long journeys once a month or so to see family who are all a good few hours away. But that shouldn't upset the average mpg too much.
Hoofy said:
willmagrath said:
GolfDragon said:
I want a 330e, easily one of the best cars I ve driven (but that says more about the cars I ve driven than the 3 series itself).
It s quick enough without getting you into trouble. Only thing I found is if the battery isn t charged, the MPG plummets. I had one as a loaner from BMW and got 24mpg. (Probably didn t help that I was enjoying the brisk acceleration compared to my 136bhp in my 1 series)
Yeah when I put it in battery hold/control mode the MPG does plummet. But for my use case, it should really matter. It s quick enough without getting you into trouble. Only thing I found is if the battery isn t charged, the MPG plummets. I had one as a loaner from BMW and got 24mpg. (Probably didn t help that I was enjoying the brisk acceleration compared to my 136bhp in my 1 series)
We do do long journeys once a month or so to see family who are all a good few hours away. But that shouldn't upset the average mpg too much.
One of these would probably work really well for me now I'm retired as most of my trips tend to be 20 miles or so, with the occasional 200 mile jaunt. But they aren't cheap enough yet to tempt me - and I do like the straight 6 in my Cat N E90 330i even if it only does about 32mpg.
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