BMW 330e plug-in hybrid - the definitive review & buyer's guide

BMW 330e plug-in hybrid - the definitive review & buyer's guide | Auto Expert John Cadogan

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3 жыл бұрын

If a full battery EV is too scary (or impractical) for you, and internal combustion is too philosophically filthy, then maybe the BMW 330 e plug-in hybrid can bridge the gap.
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This car is interesting, because it will function as a battery-only EV that you plug in overnight, and it’ll run you around town, mostly on battery, for short distance commutes. And then, if you want to drive from Sydney to Brisbane, or something, no logistic planning is required. Just run it all the way on petrol.
It’s a plug-in hybrid, as opposed to a Toyota-style regen-only hybrid. But what does that even mean, really?
I spent a week in the 330 e, and I mainly drove it around town - got out on the highway a couple of times. Plugged it in at home, a few times. So, dynamics, comfort, luxury - it’s very good.
Very driver focussed. Excellent rear-drive dynamics package, great steering and ride. Bit of a learning curve, if you’re new to the latest iteration of BMW user interface, but ultimately very configurable, and you can store your preferences in your key, which is great.
Ergonomics are stellar with this car - nice fat wheel, excellent shifter operation (again: learning curve). Impossibly comfortable and supportive seats. List goes on.
3 Series kinda bigger than a small car, and smaller than a big car. Family friendly - but the boot’s a bit small for two young kids.
New instrument cluster - take it or leave it. It’s dripping in information and changes colour with the drive modes, and it even has a ‘minimalist’ mode you can invoke in the menus if you just want the basics. And you can project the nav between the speedo and the tacho.
BMW is very serious about its ‘ultimate driving machine’ mantra, and they did not drop the ball with this one. One point of difference is that the 330e is made in Germany, versus in Mexico for the rest of the 3 Series range. (Except the M3 - it’s German-made, too.)

Пікірлер: 373

@ianteh20 3 жыл бұрын

One of those (rare) occasions where I didn't feel like I've just wasted more time on youtube... thanks for your work on this.

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it, Ian.

@anishshrestha6225 3 жыл бұрын

@@AutoExpertJC You Legend You!

@gunnardavid8427 2 жыл бұрын

instablaster...

@Brendan.Wheatley 3 жыл бұрын

This video was well worth the lengthy production time! Thanks John.

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

I really appreciate you letting me know, Brendan - it was a lot of work.

@paulsven7923 3 жыл бұрын

@@AutoExpertJC I bet your videos get less skipped and more watched till the end than other channels - yes this one was long but well worth it

@yengsabio5315 3 жыл бұрын

Truly worthy, indeed!

@guillaumeromain6694 3 жыл бұрын

Your hard work pays off. Thank you John. Informative and pleasant to watch

@sambuckingham3971 3 жыл бұрын

Absolutely loved this video. After ordering a 330e this week I’ve watched just about every bit of content on the car available on YT. Most videos were simple repeats of the same content. This was very different and awesome!

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks very much, Sam.

@cosmin10b 3 жыл бұрын

I really wished my science teacher was as good as you at explaining the magic of internal combustion engine. Love your channel and I wish you all the best from UK.

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

Suck, squeeze, bang and blow, baby - that's all you need to know about how internal combustion rolls.

@labourlawact7826 3 жыл бұрын

@@AutoExpertJC Sounds like huge fun!

@TechnologyRescue 2 жыл бұрын

Incredible dissertation, I just got a loaner while my 5 series gets bodywork and wanted a primer, but I ended up learning much more. Thank you, John.

@TheScottytr6 3 жыл бұрын

Great production, John. Especially the overdub at 45:14. As near to magic as I have ever seen.

@patricksheringham5965 3 жыл бұрын

Great comprehensive and helpful review. Definitely worth looking for dealer "preregistered" cars, here in the UK there are loads available in various colours / options and with significant savings.

@bjp107 3 жыл бұрын

Well aren’t you a surprise package! Great review, I thought I knew most of what you were talking about but I learnt a heap.

@HarvinderSingh-gg1fi 2 жыл бұрын

It was in my mind last night. Just a usual sleepless night, now I gotta buy one. Very comprehensive review and I love your sense of humour, brilliant!

@jamesrickwood7695 3 жыл бұрын

Absolutely superb content. So fricken interesting and so well explained. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

@utubedano 3 жыл бұрын

I really appreciate your effort on works like this. It really is very informational for us and because it's from an unbiased source it makes it all the more valuable..

@Unkkel_Sam 2 жыл бұрын

This is probably the best made explanation of the hybrid system of the youtubeverse up to this day (waiting on my new 320e xDrive and currently owning 225xe).

@sabamacx 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent transitional technology. I look forward to its commoditisation. Kudos to the control systems engineers.

@sylh8234 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for the great . I've been waiting so long for someone to explain it the way you did

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

No prob - glad you enjoyed it.

@quiettruckie7953 3 жыл бұрын

A great explanation John, thanks for breaking it all down.

@aussietaipan8700 3 жыл бұрын

Usually a 40 min or more presentation would put me to sleep. This was an excellent presentation JC and you enlightened me to the concept of PIH very well. I hope a 4x4 style will come out soon as this will suit my driving habits. During the week, 24km/day drive to and from the train station, some weekends tow my boat 250km to the Gippy lakes.

@sixstringedthing 3 жыл бұрын

Great stuff John. Straight down the line and hugely informative as always. Listened on a run into the city from upper north shore and it went in a flash.

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks very much for watching, 6ST.

@paid2getdirty1 3 жыл бұрын

Great video. Ran a 225xe loaner for a few weeks and it was ideal for a 30km round trip commute purely on electric. Charged at work for free and also did a 450 km round trip on petrol at around 5.2l/100 (45mpg). It was the M sport model and it was bloody quick when you gave it a bootful. Would have one tomorrow but for the price!

@timwadedah2292 3 жыл бұрын

Well done John. Great explanation of regen & an honest opinion of phev's in general. And the description of the 3 pronged thing put a smile on my face. Keep it up mate.

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

Will do, Tim. Thanks for watching mate.

@jamespn 3 жыл бұрын

Great review as always John, looking forward to more.

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks James - still here writing, shooting and cutting mate.

@brentonl1746 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent review on this BMW330 E, probably the best explanation on how this is the right car for those looking in this area. Nice pictures too, they always help!

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much, Brenton.

@youtubehobbyists 3 жыл бұрын

Well done dear John! A lot of useful information. A couple of points to add: 1. The performance won't be reduced even when the battery is shown zero as the software will reserve the the minimum for startup and acceleration. Once cruising, the car actually run on battery safe mode (not shown) to top up the battery to minimum. I believe the main battery is charged by the main motor in regenerative mode which is very fast. It makes a big difference than those cars using mild hybrid which use the big alternator to do regenerative braking. I have tried a few. 2. As there is a battery safe mode you can use for better economy even you can't find charging station. You can use the battery safe mode on the free way to save /charge the battery to the level you think you will use in the next town for pure electric mode as it's using less fuel to charge on the freeway. I've found this quite effective. 3. Negotiating the new car price is an interesting experience. If you know how to calculating the luxury car tax/LCT, stamp duty and GST, you can download all the itemised prices from the REDBOOK and avoid including items can be bought later in the group paying LCT and stamp duty, for example, functional software upgrades, services or extended services etc, and asking hard for a discount (up to 10%?) for the price group subject to LCT . Apparently, the 3 series is right at the zone of the LCT playing up.

@Mircose 7 ай бұрын

great video.. very informative and comprehensive.. I loved it!

@glenmcdonald6031 3 жыл бұрын

Just managed to get this on my TV. through my phone and fire tv stick, scary in full size, but so interesting and enjoyable.

@cpl8168 2 ай бұрын

Well done, sir. Probably the most entertaining but informative car video I have watched. And I've watched tons! If my college professors were this captivating, I might have gotten better grades! lol Subscribed!

@jbridge3830 2 жыл бұрын

Very good, John. Amusing and relevant.

@peterb66 3 жыл бұрын

Hi John I like your new house (shown around the 8 minute mark)! It looks much easier for manoeuvring a trailer - though I am sure you must have plebs to do that for you now as well. Keep up the awesome content.

@stevelloyd5785 3 жыл бұрын

Looks like a Promo clip. I wish I had plebs to do boring shit for me, but I'm pretty good with the trailer even if I do say so myself

@paulredfern2252 3 жыл бұрын

The latest few posts have been very good, more information and presented calmer... I like this new to the point format, with really good scamatics. Also your looking well, what's your health secret as to fitness and weight loss?

@Excalabur50 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent, Informative review Thanks John!

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks very much.

@CiscosDisco22 3 жыл бұрын

Great review and breakdown....as always. Thanks

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

My pleasure, BDSB. Thanks for watching.

@megasonic2.022 3 жыл бұрын

His explanation is so worth it!!

@rebeccaw9656 3 жыл бұрын

For those who want the jumpsuit and the lube... highly educational, and entertaining, as expected.

@walterroszko6841 3 жыл бұрын

You're a total bard John, love your work!

@adamjones9988 3 жыл бұрын

The only automotive content creator who uses decent background music. Thank God for the Man Down Under!

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

God says: you're welcome, in respect of the fat beats.

@cromulentparty 3 жыл бұрын

The X5 phev looks great as well, perfect for Australia

@HarvardBob Жыл бұрын

This was a fantastic video. I've owned my 2006 325I for 16 years. Thinking about an upgrade made had me looking at the 330e versus the 330i. The virtue signaling aspect of the 330e was enough to turn me off. The further information on BMW options was also gold, but one that was pretty well aware of. Thanks John I'm saving me from a big mistake.

@bapcorp8303 3 жыл бұрын

Great explanation how different EV's work

@aseem9 3 жыл бұрын

Fantastic video John. Great explanation of all the engine and fuel types. Love your style and delivery. I was wondering what is your take on MG HS Plug in hybrid? It is $8000 expensive than its ICE counterpart too, but with more power of course when you have the ice and electric motor combo

@justinfargas2367 3 жыл бұрын

A lot of info packed in. Nice one!

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

No worries Justin. Thanks for watching mate.

@panzerlamb9196 3 жыл бұрын

Great video once again John, way more than I expected. Would just like to mention combustion engines can get regenerative braking for the low low price of $12,000 USD using orbis wheels. Shame it's so expensive and the tech is so late.

@davidstuckey7463 3 жыл бұрын

Oh yay! You've changed the exit video clip! I was getting sick of the backwards drone reveal. Thank you!

@351tgv 3 жыл бұрын

corner of Druitt and George Street Sydney, on the QVB side from the looks of it. WTF has this stupid government done to George St, they have built a light -rail system that statistics show no one uses, idiots.

@garysheppard4028 3 жыл бұрын

Great video as usual John. Well explained and clears up the issue of what exactly is a PHEV. They look interesting but having just got reamed again on a service and repair on my car engine I'm thinking that having an electric motor plus an ICE means once the warrantee period is over you're going to have the worst of both worlds in maintenance and repairs. Everything breaks eventually and having more stuff to go wrong means more $$$ down the drain. Of course this only applies to people who keep their cars beyond the warrantee period. I'm one of those in that I drive a very fuel efficient car and I keep my cars for absolutely as long as possible by keeping them properly maintained. This is the "greenest" approach to motoring. More so than going out to buy an EV to "Save the planet".

@floosy 3 жыл бұрын

Ordered one in January for a May delivery. My motivation for this over 330i is to reduce air pollution. It has more than enough ev range to get me around daily. I splashed out on almost all of the options however, didn’t order the sensatec dashboard or m seatbelts. Also have enough lube...

@glennw4329 3 жыл бұрын

Great video,certainly will make you rethink your next vehicle,only problem I see with EVs in straya is the amount of houses that don't have garages or driveways especiallyin older suburbs,how they can charge up their cars

@chrislauf2643 3 жыл бұрын

Great review. I am 4 weeks into my ownership experience with my 330e. It has the adaptive dampers with M-sport package. Beautiful car. I am not sure if you realised when you drove your review car, the car continues to regenerate and electric assist in hybrid mode, even with a discharged battery. It essentially it behaves like a Toyota hybrid in this situation. When driving on the highway in steady state driving with a depleted battery, I average 4L/100km. We have a late model Corolla hybrid as well. The fuel consumption is pretty much line ball in this use case.

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

That bit up the front of the video where I described regenerative braking explicitly stated that all hybrids (PHEV and regular hybrid) do this, as well as EVs. So, yes - I do realise this. Glad you like the car.

@rinunculartoo3006 3 жыл бұрын

Very helpfull, thank you John.

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

My pleasure - thanks for watching.

@OldSonyMan 3 жыл бұрын

I help build hybrids and have had 2 of them in the past. The thing that no one tells you in the show room is that in electric mode there is no heating in the vehicle without the petrol engine working for at least a couple of minutes. OK in Australia, maybe not such a problem but in the UK it is. Thanks to a recent "technology connections" video there is a solution. The air conditioning compressor is electrically operated not via a belt and pulley. So why don't they use this compressor in reverse as a heater which would require a valve. I drive a diesel and will do so until it destroys itself (400000km and counting) but thought I'd mention it anyway.

@ryanhburke 3 жыл бұрын

Top marks Sir. Incredibly informative stuff, very in depth.

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much, Ryan.

@Conservator. 3 жыл бұрын

@@AutoExpertJC Since when do you appreciate compliments? 🤣. (Ok I agree with Ryan Burke but I won’t admit it of course)

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

I'm faking sincerity. It's harder than I thought.

@Conservator. 3 жыл бұрын

@@AutoExpertJC 🤣

@Mazeboxx 2 жыл бұрын

I don't know whether I just watched a car review or a physics lecture. Thank you Algorithm!!

@wilson2455 3 жыл бұрын

that CX-3 (Maxx Sport), Mazda3 'Touring', Kia Cerato Sports+, Hyundai I30N, etc.,etc. still look good to me !!

@fishndive1961 3 жыл бұрын

There is no induction issue coiling power cables. As both conductors are side by side any induction cancels itself out. The only issue of coiling cables can be if the cable does get hot, the heat is confined to a small space which can cause a problem.

@garyknight8616 3 жыл бұрын

Great video John - as always! I've a 3 pointed suppository C350e here in the UK. As you say in the real world the ICE will have to do some of the work in real driving conditions. The trouble is that the petrol ICE is off and on for lots of very short bursts of power. It never gets the engine up to temperature and so a lot of the emissions controls never really work as they would on an ICE only vehicle. I'm The told by the MB technicians that the crankcase breather won't open on short journeys and the engine oil becomes steady diluted with unburnt petrol. The oil looks like whipped cream after a short while. Obviously crap from a lubrication point of view. I have to do one commute a week in ICE only mode (sport mode) to cook out all the crap otherwise you're looking at changing the oil every month. Just thought I'd add that warning. Hopefully BMW have got it sorted. I wanted the BMW 530e but there were no estate models available at the time. I miss my old 530D estate.

@TheHsan22 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for that Gary...I too have a C350e, but wasn’t across the potential oil dilution issue. I have a 24km commute each weekday and in the cooler weather the battery is now giving me around 17km, so i may be getting enough ICE operation.... I will also query the dealer when next in for a service.

@garyknight8616 3 жыл бұрын

@@TheHsan22. My commute is 23km. In cold or hot weather it's not enough. Good luck. Hope your car behaves!

@stephenlane9168 3 жыл бұрын

Great video John as always 👌

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, Stephen.

@stephenlane9168 3 жыл бұрын

@@AutoExpertJC never miss them John. Informative and entertaining. 👌

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

I really appreciate your interest mate.

@Ricardo-gv1zq 3 жыл бұрын

Love the sound track

@Frank-1978 3 жыл бұрын

As a 330e owner. Thank you. 😊👍✌

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

No worries - thanks for watching.

@stuartnolan9313 3 жыл бұрын

Owned a (Holden) Volt for 3 years. Was absolutely amazing at the PHEV game. Long thought that a modified version of it should have gone in the Holden Acadia and other bigger vehicles.

@kelvinjones7425 3 жыл бұрын

Good video, highly interested in the technology description brilliant as usual. The BMW price tag not so interesting.

@abrahamelias95 2 жыл бұрын

I just got one of this. If you think infrastructure is not ready there in australia you can imagine it is even worse here in southern mexico, but I charge it on my home and have the fuel for those long trips with no chargers nearby.

@rw20000 3 жыл бұрын

Great review John, really enjoyed it. I couldn't help but think you inadvertently make a good case for the parallel hybrid system that Toyota uses though. 4.5 L to the 100 and no need to plug in makes the difference pretty minimal overall.

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Ross. Zero litres per hundred on the Bimmer in EV mode...

@GuitarsRockForever 3 жыл бұрын

Informative, indeed. Not as accurate enough for scientific standard, but good enough (better than most) for us average population.

@darthvader8433 3 жыл бұрын

The option laden Bimmer Lecky costs close to what my incoming LC200 is. Before I add the essentials to better bash the wilderness into submission, of course. I'll use a lot more fuel, but my Landbruiser will be still keeping on for a very long time. BM may have a 20-25 year horizon on its battery like the LC, but maybe not. Two final things - the depreciation on the Bimmer will boost its TCO, and you miss out on piloting a 2.7+ tonne middle finger past the eco virtue signallers. That's worth the price of the diesel alone... FWIW, I live in the country so no city lungs were damaged in the making of this smile. If I tire of my Stinger GT, a BMW petrol might be a goer. I like BMW, especially the ones with M in the genes.. Enjoyed the vijayo mate, and respect the effort you went to researching it.

@chippo5118 3 жыл бұрын

Ahh the good old plug hole of despair. Gotta love BMW

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

Harsh, Chippo. I actually liked it.

@hellothere4342 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent video. Can't wait for this tech to trickle down to their motorcycle.

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

But the extra mass...

@hellothere4342 3 жыл бұрын

@@AutoExpertJC probably not hybrid motorcycles but certainly rechargeable bikes. It's certainly fun to have 200hp between your legs but EV motorcycles as commuter make the most sense.

@largehadroncollider517 3 жыл бұрын

Great video thank you. Just few small points, at minutes 15 & 17 you refer to an alternator. I'm not familiar with the BMW PHEV system but I'm pretty sure the MB hybrid system simply uses the one and only motor/generator to recharge the battery when in sport mode. There is no additional alternator in the traditional ICE sense. Also, as a PHEV owner myself, my experience of charging stations in shopping centres is that they are in obscure locations including your example in Broadway. I prefer obscure locations as they are far less likely to have their charge bays occupied by ICE vehicles. Shopping centres where the parking spots are close to the entry points are often occupied by ICE vehicles deliberately or not. eg: Westfield Parramatta

@Perforator2000 3 жыл бұрын

Plug-in hybrids really are a good compromise between gas and electric. I bought a slightly used '17 Ford Fusion Energi Titanium (Mondeo) 4 years ago for basically half the new sticker price. My overall average fuel economy from blending the electric and hybrid modes over the last ~90,000 miles (144,000 km) hovers around 60 MPG or 25.5 KPL. It's nice to almost never breathe my own exhaust, and there's something special about cruising slowly and silently in a national park with the windows down in electric mode. Also, if I have the battery depleted at the top of a mountain, there's enough capacity to use only electromagnetic regenerative braking the whole way down the mountain. No friction braking required.

@andyburnett8012 3 жыл бұрын

Really informative video John, it should be part of the school curriculum and also played on a loop in all car dealerships (imagine that 🤔). Need to watch remainder of your video later though as I'm 'working from home' and shouldn't be watching Auto Expert instead 😆

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

Walking the line, mate. In schools - can you imagine?

@DirkMacky 3 жыл бұрын

Need them to make this available in STRAYA in Touring (Wagon) form. Cracking vehicle!

@jimi-w 3 жыл бұрын

The Touring seems to be universally praised overseas - would love to see it in the range for Australia.

@chefchaudard3580 3 жыл бұрын

I have one. Not a big boot, considering the size of the car, but definitely more practical than the sedan one.

@pdabin 3 жыл бұрын

Hey John. Thanks for the great vids, love them, information and entertainment, great combination. Wondering why the bmw got a pretty good review and the outlander phev doesn't. Seems like a similar beast except for the price tag. Thanks again keep up the good work. Cracked up when I saw a comment from you on Friendly Jordies channel maybe you guys can tour together . Have a good one !

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

Outlander PHEV is too dated now - use-by date expired. And that review must be ... six years old now?

@pdabin 3 жыл бұрын

@@AutoExpertJC yup for sure .. old review .. wondering if its your opinion on phevs changing or if the outlander was just a very flawed example. Looking forward to hearing what you think of the new one if they serve it up to australia . Since its more accessible Dollar wise for most of us . Have a good one, and thanks again

@raryan11 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks John. Great video. We're tossing up between this and a Tesla model 3 performance. Or maybe waiting for the new Kia EV6 which looks like a good deal and smarter move for the family (3 young ones)

@klaspeppar5619 3 жыл бұрын

Series hybrid vs Parallel hybrid. In a series hybrid the internal combustion engine basically works a generator (or range extender), the I.C.E is not (mechanically) connected to the wheels, all propulsion is done by the electric power train. In a parallel hybrid the both the I.C.E and electrical propulsion system are connected to the wheels and can work independently.

@graysono 3 жыл бұрын

Golly I'd have loved to have had you as a teacher! Loved watching your Whiteboard lessons dude. You'd be quite the popular teacher too in Tangerine Sensortech! Or the Ceramic Plates. Yessssss!

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

Mate, the world is really not ready for teachers like me to be inflicted upon the kiddies...

@graysono 3 жыл бұрын

@@AutoExpertJC I dunno bout that. Reckon you may be the answer! #MakeAustraliaLessShit!

@AK-ny5bz 3 жыл бұрын

I personally feel Hybrid with mode: Primarily EV with say 100 KM range, and an onboard ICE for SOS power generation like a generator is best solution.

@mikeselectricstuff 3 жыл бұрын

Coiling cables is solely about heat - inductance ("induction") is insignificant

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

Magnetic induction is a thing...

@fishndive1961 3 жыл бұрын

@@AutoExpertJC It would be if the active and neutral cables weren't side by side. You effectively have two coils opposing each other for a net effect of almost nothing.

@wernerfritsch6436 3 жыл бұрын

@@AutoExpertJC It is, but not in the charging cable. The leads in the cable are so close together that the magnetic fields their currents produce almost perfectly cancel out. The Maxwell's equations printed on your t-shirt do say that.

@rogerfleming3165 2 жыл бұрын

Great Video. Are you planning to do a white board diagram on mild hybrid technology?

@michaelmiguelsanchez 3 жыл бұрын

I get around 6L/100km from my Cerato on most drives it does. 50km electric range will get me about half way to the next town.

@xijingpooh5879 3 жыл бұрын

Electric Hesus would be happy with this John.

@carlmills15 3 жыл бұрын

Great vid

@dorstefan 3 жыл бұрын

Right now this car is the best of the two worlds.

@htmonaro1969 3 жыл бұрын

We looked at a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, which is one of the first of that type of vehicle. What turned me off is the cost, around $23,000 more than the Subaru XV 2.0i-S and the questionable claims about the fuel economy/distance in EV mode. I took the demo model from the dealership to a nearby highway and back. It used a fair bit more fuel than suggested. It turns out once you hit 80kph, it becomes a full-time ICE vehicle. It's probably similar with the BMW. I did a few calculations and if I drove it from my home to my mum's place, about 90km each way, I would do 10km of EV driving, followed by 78km of inefficient ICE drive, followed by 2km of EV driving at the other end and then the reverse coming home. Now I get I usually only do that once a month or so, but my wife takes the highway for about half the 30-35km round trip on the weekly shopping trip. We I let the salesperson down gentle on the deal, he really did "seem" like a nice bloke (and not a ming-mole in sight), he suggested I would regret it the first time I had to go to the petrol station. I really don't! 😁

@formulafish1536 3 жыл бұрын

It’s like you were reading my mates mind! He is thinking about buying a new car, and has been looking at a BMW or a Mercedes sedan. I convinced him towards BMW because Mercedes are, well, Mercedes. I didn’t know enough about the Plug-in Hybrid, and so looked at the M-Sport 3 Series. This style of a mixture of an EV and ICE is perfect for living in Australia with an EV presently, as it is the perfect mix of EV for general use, whilst keeping the ICE for the long-distance trips. Very good idea, and I think all Manufacturers should consider doing this.

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

It is a good compromise. And you are being a true friend. Friends don't let friends buy Mercedes.

@formulafish1536 3 жыл бұрын

@@AutoExpertJC Exactly! The only people that should but Mercs are those that don’t listen, and people after Sprinters. The end.

@dieselfueler Жыл бұрын

You're a riot, and you're smart at the same time. Subscribed. And yes I own a 330e, albeit for the purely selfish reason of not having to gas up very much when its -15F outside. I don't care too much about "Saving the environment" so to speak. Battery production and disposal kind of makes the green aspect of these cars a moot point.

@channel1_channel Жыл бұрын

Exactly. I'm looking at these cars knowing the "saving the environment" aspect is pure dog shit. The "cleaner city air" is about the only aspect worth a mention. I don't live in enough of a city environment to warrant even that.

@labourlawact7826 3 жыл бұрын

This BMW is such a nice car, so beautiful, and with so many features. Why isn't it a Toyota with its legendary reliability and fantastic resale value? If one could combine that, in one car, it would be one hell of a car.

@gregsullivan7408 3 жыл бұрын

It is my understanding that pressure monitoring is mandatory with run-flats, for safety reasons - otherwise, the driver may not be aware they have a puncture. I could be wrong though.

@kenwarburton2578 3 жыл бұрын

Great review John, but no chance of me getting the jumpsuit or the lube due to me being a peasant. Lol

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

A man can dream...

@farktard2740 3 жыл бұрын

John, This is it. You sir are a genuine national treasure. This Advice (with a capital A) is more valuable than cryptocurrency. I'm off to work now in my hybrid Rav4e4. Thanks for the video ;)

@jamesbarisitz4794 3 жыл бұрын

The paper instead of plastic crowd still drive Volksy mini buses don't they? Well rounded episode and polish. ✌

@eddie8742 3 жыл бұрын

If I may add just a small piece of information on something you touched upon but didn't fully address. I used to own this very same car and now I have the Touring version with xDrive (because...reasons). The thing that many people don't understand about this car, and BMW is not very good at explaining either, is that the numbers given for the range are neither right nor wrong. One way of using this car is by driving it in electric mode, which forces it to use only the battery until it runs out of energy. In this mode, you get anything from 55 to around 25 Km of range, depending greatly on the outside temperature and how you drive it --at city speeds during warm days you'd get the most. However, that's not the end of the story. Once the car has depleted the energy in the battery, it'll change to Hybrid mode and it'll continuously recharge it and switch to using the battery energy every time it has enough and gets the chance. A typical long distance trip in this car results in you driving about 1/3 of the distance on electricity, which for a 500Km trip means about 170Km, which is way more than the total range advertised by BMW. For this reason, the advertised range is neither right nor wrong. It is correct in the summer if you drive at around city speeds in Electric Only Mode, and it's wrong in the winter (for the worse) or during long distance trips (for the better), it all depends on how you look at it. Last summer I averaged 21.2 Km/l on a 900Km trip. Here you can see screenshots and more info about that trip: g20.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1745449

@yggdrasil9039 3 жыл бұрын

Plug-In Hybrids are a good option for Australia. EV mode for the weekdays, and run the ICE for weekends or long trips. I don't know why they're not more of them are brought here.

@adamz2697 10 ай бұрын

Tpms, I believe event without this option car uses wheel speed sensor (from abs system) to tell you tyre is flat(ie rotating Faster ).

@olivergunn2796 3 жыл бұрын

Another reason they will keep the battery just above empty is so you don't have to run the engine when doing a 3 point turn or moving a 2mph in stop and go traffic, the circumstances where petrol/diesel engines are least efficient and where electricity thrives

@Hitomaru-shiki.sensha 3 жыл бұрын

Johh, care to talk about the new Aptera electric car? seems amazingly efficient with solar panels too and drag coefficient of 0.15 lol i hope they send out some review cars soon

@clivebrooks8207 3 жыл бұрын

I bought a 330e last September. I chose this car because 95% of my journeys are less than 8Km (100% at the moment because of the lock-down). ICE cars do not like short journeys. The DPFs clog on Diesels and the exhausts rust on petrol, even stainless steel exhausts have normal steel inside, the cat ends up rattling around. I like a lot of tech in a car but with BMW virtually everything is an extra. You cannot buy a high spec model with all the tech pre installed. The car I had before this was a three pronged swastika C250 AMG Line Premium Plus. At the time, 5 years ago, it had, as standard, all the tech I wanted. That meant when I came to sell it I got a good price for it. I paid £31k for it new and sold it after 4.5 years for £20k to a dealer, probably could have got more selling it privately. I wanted a new 330e but the waiting list was 9 to 12 months for the spec I wanted so I ended up buying a demonstrator 6 months old with 4000Km on it. Not quite the spec I wanted but close enough. New my BMW would have cost £50k, but because you don't get your money back for the extras, that's just lost, I paid £35k for the car. I am very pleased with the 330e it came with half a tank of petrol I added a few litres and after driving 2500Km it is still over half full as I very rarely use the ICE. My only criticism is the electric range is nowhere near the advertised 58Km. Fully charged the best I have seen is 43Km.

@351tgv 3 жыл бұрын

not that I would ever purchase a Big Money Waster but the technology is good that said not right now as it's still needs time to mature in the market place, I am looking at my 2022/3 options from now and PHEV tech looks like it's going to where it's at in the next 2 to 3 years over conventional hybrid tech, I think "Atkinson cycle" ICE combined with PHEV tech will start to dominate that said in changing to this type of technology you would also have to invest some serious cash in terms of your properties "mains power" set up, hence why it will still need a few more years to mature and be accepted by the consumer market, Continue the great content, also when are you / or will you return to "live" broadcast shows?

@123hoffie 3 жыл бұрын

Hey John, off topic but tell us about left footed braking driving an automatic and the merits of doing so, would be interesting. Cheers.

@chiliphil64 2 жыл бұрын

I like to see the drive belt handle 15kw for the HVAC and can bus. May be only 2-3kw.

@AkhonaNgquba 3 жыл бұрын

I like what BMW is doing in Sport mode. I have never understood why plug in performance hybrids don't use the electric motor to supplement the torque shortfall of the ICE. If you need 400 nm to archive your desired performance (out of the corner acceleration) then the motor should be able to efficiently top up the torque the engine lacks. Less messing with gear ratios out of the corner and more go as maximum torque at low revs is achievable and max torque at maximum revs is achievable. So keeping the battery topped up for that out of corner moment makes sense (although I hope the battery is not drained and charged like a capacitor for this purpose). I am not an engineer so I might be wrong. This method obviously makes more sense in sport mode as no one cares about saving the car components from wear and tear or falling off due to abusive driving.

@AutoExpertJC 3 жыл бұрын

The reason more carmakers don't do it: It's inefficient and it hurts fuel economy and overall efficiency. 2nd law of thermodynamics.

@stevelloyd5785 3 жыл бұрын

MAX Torque at max RPM? Yeah right, you are not an engineer, confirmed!

@richiepaddick9261 3 жыл бұрын

Great story John. The elephant in the room though, as an F30 owner, what is the 0-100 time?

@brettski74 3 жыл бұрын

I'd like to see someone actually measure inductance on a coiled electrical cord. I'm sure if I spent a few minutes googling I could probably find that, but the electrical engineer in me notes that a typical electrical cord has a hot conductor carrying current in one direction and a neutral conductor carrying current in the opposite direction right next to it. The induced magnetic fields should mostly cancel each other out leading to relatively little inductive effect from coiling such a cord. It won't completely cancel out, because there will be some leakage inductance due to the opposing fields being separated by the thickness of the conductors and their insulation. I'd also guess that the leakage inductance would be larger in heavier gauge wires, but still, for the kind of cabling in that EVSE, still probably minimal and the more I think through it, the more skeptical I am that a coiled cord poses any problem due to any inductance that may add to the circuit. It's worth noting that the configuration of the conductors in a coiled cord are similar to a bifilar winding which is specifically intended to minimize inductance in a coil of wire.

@desert_jin6281 3 жыл бұрын

Of all the german carmakers, BMW is the only remaining one with a light and indicator combination that isn't bloody stupid. I.e., that doesn't turn off the DLR when you use the turn signals.