[Gebbly]

I'm curious if anyone has gone from an internal combustion BMW to hybrid and what sort of performance difference they felt?

I'm currently in an M135i which is a great nippy little thing with 320BHP. Looking into PHEVs but concerned that I might lose the grin factor if I switched.

I have seen some people talking about tuning and remaps for 330e cars but I've never gone down that road before and would have concerns about things like reliability and warranties.

Thanks for any feedback anyone can give.

[Jim_330e]

I came from a GTI Performance to my 330e. The biggest thing I noticed was the weight. The 330e is probably faster but very heavy and you feel the weight. The Golf was very light and nimble and whilst you can hustle the Beemer, it's not it's in it element as such. I noticed I don't just go for a blast in the 330e where the GTI was a car that loved to be used as intended especially round my local roads which is the peak district.

That said, I have been out for the odd drive in the 330e and it will keep it up much more powerful stuff. In gear acceleration is very quick.

[Gebbly]

Thats an interesting point about the weight. Looking at BMW's spec sheets the M135i xdrive has an unladen weight of 1600kg whilst the 330 is 1815kg so not shocking but definitely a difference.

I think I'm going to have to try and find a dealer with one I can take for a spin.

[bmnut]

Originally Posted by Gebbly

Thats an interesting point about the weight. Looking at BMW's spec sheets the M135i xdrive has an unladen weight of 1600kg whilst the 330 is 1815kg so not shocking but definitely a difference.

I think I'm going to have to try and find a dealer with one I can take for a spin.

It definitely is a difference you would notice, it's 215 bags of sugar or just under 34stones in weight in more relatable terms!!!

[willougs]

Originally Posted by bmnut

It definitely is a difference you would notice, it's 215 bags of sugar or just under 34stones in weight in more relatable terms!!!

Bear in mind though, some of that is the difference in size of car, not just the batteries.
The 3 series M340d is the same weight as the 330e xDrive. The 340i is 150kg lighter. (145kg heavier than the M135i)

I think it's fair to say the 3/530e isn't going to be as grin inducing as the M135i. But I don't think you'd buy a hybrid if that was the primary goal.
Not looked at the 545e, but maybe that would be a decent compromise.

Personally, Im of an age where driving around in effortless serene silence gives me my grin.

[Gebbly]

The 545 certainly does look interesting from a raw power point of view but reviews seem to suggest it isnt quite as nimble as the 330e and probably heavier again than the 330e, I'll have to check.

Now if they could just add the 545's 3litre engine to a 3 series or even better the hybrid electrics to my M135

[Jim_330e]

I genuinely would have a more performance-orientated hybrid as I think quietly pottering through a town is fantastic in pure ev mode and then being able to have some fun on the open roads. The 330e does go well and sounds ok when in Xtraboost. But if it was my own car, some suspension tweaks would definitely make it more fun.

[Gebbly]

Thats the same as my thoughts Jim_330e. It would be good to sit in pure electric mode for the boring supermarket run or to pop over to see some local friends. But also provide some grin factor when I want to go have some fun.

Its a shame so many of the hybrids are SUVs or little 1.4 litre engine run-arounds. There is definitely a gap in the market for a car that only has 2 mode buttons "electric" and "fun" and the power/handling to back those 2 modes up.

[gavinwong]

I went from F36 420i to a G20 330e. As you can imagine, quite a bit of difference performance wise especially in the reaction / response time of acceleration.
As others have commented, coming from a powerful ICE that you have to a 330e, you'll lose some of your experience, but then gain elsewhere too.

[johnboysafc]

Originally Posted by Gebbly

I'm curious if anyone has gone from an internal combustion BMW to hybrid and what sort of performance difference they felt?

I'm currently in an M135i which is a great nippy little thing with 320BHP. Looking into PHEVs but concerned that I might lose the grin factor if I switched.

I have seen some people talking about tuning and remaps for 330e cars but I've never gone down that road before and would have concerns about things like reliability and warranties.

Thanks for any feedback anyone can give.

I love my 330e. Its horses for courses. How you drive. Your own personal tastes in feel or setup. Ive done a lot of mods to mine, mainly aesthetically but I share the drive between electric and xtraboost. Ive also added a Racechip. I love the fact its two cars in one. Tootling along in electric through town etc. Never thought id enjoy the silence (as a petrol head) and maybe its an age thing now (now in my 50's) But i still like that sound and acceleration and driving spiritedly on the twisties. I actually like the feel of the weight, under heavy braking is really the only time I am aware of it. Its the best car I've ever had. Its a company car and made my mind up early on that i would spend quite a bot of my own cash on getting the car more to my taste (not everyones, so please dont burn me) with a strong chance that i may even buy this car once the 3 years is up before my next new car through the firm. Sorry, this wasnt meant to be as long as this and probably doesnt answer your specific question. I dont think you can directly compare these two cars. There must be differences/compromises. But i know which one i would take.

[Gebbly]

Thanks Gavingwong, "especially in the reaction / response time of acceleration" I take it you mean the 330e is faster to respond due to the instant electric power?

Thats another concern of mine. Last time I test drove an automatic car was a M135i and disappointingly the acceleration just wasnt as instantaneous as from the manual. However that was 7 years ago. Maybe auto gearboxes are better now and the electric motor makes up for any slack?

Handy info Johnboysafc, the more info I can get the better so thanks. One of the things in my list to consider is to save a little by buying a 2 or 3 year old 330e which would be out of warranty anyway and then look into some sort of tuning. The RaceChip is one of those piggyback boxes isnt it? What was the price/performance gain you got?

I think my ideal would be a 3 series hybrid which, when the battery was flat, could still produce around 320-400 BHP and be nimble enough for some spirited A road driving but I cant find anything like that. I discovered a Volvo s60 T8 but although it had more power the reviews suggest the driving experience just isnt as nice as a 330e.

[gavinwong]

Originally Posted by Gebbly

Thanks Gavingwong, "especially in the reaction / response time of acceleration" I take it you mean the 330e is faster to respond due to the instant electric power?

Thats another concern of mine. Last time I test drove an automatic car was a M135i and disappointingly the acceleration just wasnt as instantaneous as from the manual. However that was 7 years ago. Maybe auto gearboxes are better now and the electric motor makes up for any slack?

Handy info Johnboysafc, the more info I can get the better so thanks. One of the things in my list to consider is to save a little by buying a 2 or 3 year old 330e which would be out of warranty anyway and then look into some sort of tuning. The RaceChip is one of those piggyback boxes isnt it? What was the price/performance gain you got?

I think my ideal would be a 3 series hybrid which, when the battery was flat, could still produce around 320-400 BHP and be nimble enough for some spirited A road driving but I cant find anything like that. I discovered a Volvo s60 T8 but although it had more power the reviews suggest the driving experience just isnt as nice as a 330e.

Yeah it's much quicker to get the power to the wheels as it uses both ICE and Electric motor. The Xtra boost when you kick down that you get for 10 seconds works pretty seamlessly with the auto box. The kick is there, but really smooth at the same time through the gear range. Works well in hybrid mode and the adaptive driving mode. Of course in sport, it's ready when you are!
The nimbleness you're looking for is thwarted by the battery weight. So something has to give.

[andbrads]

Originally Posted by Gebbly

I'm curious if anyone has gone from an internal combustion BMW to hybrid and what sort of performance difference they felt?

I'm currently in an M135i which is a great nippy little thing with 320BHP. Looking into PHEVs but concerned that I might lose the grin factor if I switched.

I have seen some people talking about tuning and remaps for 330e cars but I've never gone down that road before and would have concerns about things like reliability and warranties.

Thanks for any feedback anyone can give.

Probably not much use but I have gone from a latest model M135iX to and M340iX. I didn’t find the 1 much fun to drive at all! Yes, it was pointy enough but, to me, the engine / gearbox calibration was all wrong, the ride was extremely grainy and the body control weirdly out of sorts given the hard ride. I also felt it was quite top heavy feeling.

The 3 series is way more fun to me. The engine and gearbox is so beautifully together, the flow and composure along a rough road on another level and of course there is that luscious engine. Yes it is less ‘point and squirt’ but I felt that was the only dimension of the 1 that appealed in any way, and the trade offs not worth it.

Not sure if all will apply to a 330e but some surely will, all depends on what aspects of the 1 are bringing you fun!

[bmnut]

Originally Posted by Gebbly

Thats an interesting point about the weight. Looking at BMW's spec sheets the M135i xdrive has an unladen weight of 1600kg whilst the 330 is 1815kg so not shocking but definitely a difference.

I think I'm going to have to try and find a dealer with one I can take for a spin.

For what it's worth that in my opinion is the most important thing to do in order to help you decide.
Your M135i was developed as a performance orientated 1 series whereas the 330e is an outstanding hybrid saloon car that can shame many so called sports cars on the road but was developed to a rather different 'brief' to the M135i.
Personally I reckon you'll be very impressed indeed at how it performs and handles since the 'game has moved on' so much since BMW launched the M135i.
I have the G22 as opposed to the many more G20 and G21 owners on the forum yet was hugely impressed with the improvements BMW have made over my previous F32 and even more so over the E92 and others before them.
The Gxx range of current models are superb by comparison and although I'm aware that my current G22 is a big, heavy lump of metal real estate it never feels unwieldy so even on back roads away from motorways or dual carriageways. I find the thing I have to concentrate more closely on is the physical size of it especially on the narrower roads I encounter.

[xenon]

The G series cars are miles ahead of the F3x series cars. I went from two F10 cars and ordered a new F31 without even bothering to test drive one, stupidly assuming it would be similar (needed a touring for the dog). How wrong I was - hateful, noisy thing.

[Gebbly]

Interesting point about the relationship between 1 and 3 series andbrads. It will be interesting to test drive one of these 330es.

I would agree bmnut, I wouldnt ever consider putting money down on a car without a few test drives to get the feel. Just trying to collect as many thoughts and opinions as possible before the first dealer visit. A lot of time has passed in car design terms since I got my M135 so hopefully the new yet smaller engine in the 330e is still fun.

xenon, the F3xs sound like a bad experience. I got 1 of the 1st generation of the M135i so its an F21 with the inline-6. I quite like the ride in it so maybe it was between the F2x and the F3x that design took a bad turn?

[xenon]

I think the F3x were the worst in terms of NVH. My wife had an F21 (only a 20d) but it was nicer than my F31

[johnboysafc]

Originally Posted by Gebbly

Thanks Gavingwong, "especially in the reaction / response time of acceleration" I take it you mean the 330e is faster to respond due to the instant electric power?

Thats another concern of mine. Last time I test drove an automatic car was a M135i and disappointingly the acceleration just wasnt as instantaneous as from the manual. However that was 7 years ago. Maybe auto gearboxes are better now and the electric motor makes up for any slack?

Handy info Johnboysafc, the more info I can get the better so thanks. One of the things in my list to consider is to save a little by buying a 2 or 3 year old 330e which would be out of warranty anyway and then look into some sort of tuning. The RaceChip is one of those piggyback boxes isnt it? What was the price/performance gain you got?

I think my ideal would be a 3 series hybrid which, when the battery was flat, could still produce around 320-400 BHP and be nimble enough for some spirited A road driving but I cant find anything like that. I discovered a Volvo s60 T8 but although it had more power the reviews suggest the driving experience just isnt as nice as a 330e.

Cant be sure but £250 - 49bhp and 60 nM reportedly
I have never Dyno,d or Dragy,d so cant be certain. All I can say you know it's working. Easy to fit and effortless in operation
Just need to remove before a visit to the garage ;-)

[JM13RS]

I was in a similar position to you, I came from an S3 to the 330e touring. I think the S3 is similiar ( ish to the m135i)...

I would go back in a heartbeat lol. BM is nice inside don't get me wrong, but the performance isn't great & my lord its heavy.

I didn't want the Xdrive as i fancied something different from the quattro system I had in the S3. The touring is good fun in the damp, it will put a grin on your face with the Traction in sport, but the power leaves a lot to be desired.

I did look into tuning, either AC Schnitz or a remap by DMS- I have just been too nervous to do it with all the hybrid/ electrical gubbins incase it goes wrong. The gains on a stage 1 remap alone are huge though, 410 brake I think from DMS.

I moved purely for BIK reasons, but if it wasn't for that I would change my 330e tomorrow for an S3, m135i, M2 or similar.

One major positive is the fuel bill! That's not existent these days, I can get to & from work on electric so I rarely fill up!

Jack

[djcowlin]

I’ve just come from an M140i to a 330e Touring, having had a 340i Touring previously. The B58 engine is great, but with the x40is (both with auto-boxes), I always noticed a lag on starting off, and when the transmission took up drive. This was worse in Comfort but was also noticeable in Sport and used to bug me a lot. With electric or hybrid drive in the 330e, take-up is immediate and makes the car much smoother to drive. Have to say I prefer it

[DRuw]

Went from a tuned F31 325d with loads of torque to a G21 330e Xdrive and loving every minute in it. This is really as indicated earlier 2 cars in one. Electric, quiet, and torqy enough for being first of the line in normal use. Sport mode xboost creates a quick and responsive car that stays ahead of other cars and can be thrown around as well.
I have lowered the car to get rid of the absurd wheel gap the Xdrive has and that also significantly reduced body roll. Also some exterior mods as seen on the pics
Yes there is more weight and you feel that in corners. And the balance is 54% to the rear due to the touring model and the batteries. For me, the pros outweighs the cons by far. No it's not a track car but it's ideal for my use
Love the look as well but that's for all G21s

[willougs]

Originally Posted by DRuw

I have lowered the car to get rid of the absurd wheel gap

Isnt the extra ride height there to allow extra ground clearance for the underside of the batteries? (which you can see just in front of the rear wheels). Not had any issues with the batteries grounding out on speed ramps etc?

It is the one thing that lets it down looks wise but not enough that I would risk damaging the battery pack, as assume that could be an expensive vanity mod.