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      05-07-2019, 02:09 PM   #1
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2020 BMW 330e PHEV First Drive Review by Roadshow

Roadshow shares its first drive review of the BMW 330e (see specs)

Full review: https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/2...-drive-review/

Some highlights:

A brief drive near Munich, Germany, revealed that the 2020 BMW 330e plug-in hybrid is still a 3 Series through and through.

Being that the badge says 3 Series, BMW did not skimp on sportiness for the 330e and added a special driving mode called XtraBoost. It's one step above the regular Sport mode and gives a 41-horsepower power boost from the electric motor. It'll get the car from rest to 62 miles per hour in just 6 seconds. BMW representatives say you can use XtraBoost for up to 10 seconds at a time; in real-world street driving, they say, it's unlikely you'd ever "run out" of the power boost unless the battery were depleted.

XtraBoost also dials up some sportier sound enhancement, more aggressive throttle response, quicker downshifts from the automatic transmission and some unique graphics on the full-digital instrument cluster. The transformation is dramatic, and not only because of the orange-tinged gauges and rortier sounds.

Throttle response in XtraBoost is so strong, even at not-legal-in-the-US autobahn speeds, that the 330e feels like it has a much larger-displacement engine. Swapping back and forth between XtraBoost and the standard Sport mode really makes the difference evident: The car feels like it punches way above its weight class thanks to the instant responses and always-on torque delivery of the electric motor. If it weren't for pesky things like "traffic" and "optimizing efficiency," I'd recommend driving the 330e in this mode all the time. Read the rest at Roadshow
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      05-07-2019, 02:29 PM   #2
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PHEVs are the best EV option for most Americans.

It gives them enough pure EV range to pretty much be an EV commuter and also allows them to go on long road trips or not worrying about charging the car when necessary.
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      05-07-2019, 05:11 PM   #3
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      05-07-2019, 05:42 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by upsidedownfunnel View Post
PHEVs are the best EV option for most Americans.

It gives them enough pure EV range to pretty much be an EV commuter and also allows them to go on long road trips or not worrying about charging the car when necessary.
This makes sense except for the fact that PHEVs are significantly more expensive than their gas-only counterparts. Just look at the Audi Q5, the plug-in is $8000 more than the standard car. BMW's PHEVs are also several grand more expensive.
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      05-07-2019, 07:46 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by upsidedownfunnel View Post
PHEVs are the best EV option for most Americans.

It gives them enough pure EV range to pretty much be an EV commuter and also allows them to go on long road trips or not worrying about charging the car when necessary.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Germanauto View Post
This makes sense except for the fact that PHEVs are significantly more expensive than their gas-only counterparts. Just look at the Audi Q5, the plug-in is $8000 more than the standard car. BMW's PHEVs are also several grand more expensive.
I agree with both statements for the most part. I would say it like this: PHEVs are the only option which is flexible for long road trips and longer commutes (which I believe many Americans prioritize). However, they are an expensive option when compared with the ICE equivalent car, so the dollar for dollar value proposition is not great. Many people that buy them though are at least partly in it for the green component, so that helps the cost-benefit-analysis.
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      05-07-2019, 08:32 PM   #6
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I think it would be better if they used the B58 like they do for the new 745e and upcoming X5 45e. It would also be nice if the electric motor were more powerful.
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      05-07-2019, 08:39 PM   #7
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I think it would be better if they used the B58 like they do for the new 745e and upcoming X5 45e. It would also be nice if the electric motor were more powerful.
They tried that. The first hybrid 3 Series was the F30 ActiveHybrid 3, which used the N55. It was heavier and barely more efficient than a non-hybrid. They quickly discontinued it and switched to the PHEV 330e which used the N20 instead.
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      05-07-2019, 09:02 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Germanauto View Post
This makes sense except for the fact that PHEVs are significantly more expensive than their gas-only counterparts. Just look at the Audi Q5, the plug-in is $8000 more than the standard car. BMW's PHEVs are also several grand more expensive.
The 530e costs the same as the 530i.
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      05-08-2019, 07:56 AM   #9
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      05-08-2019, 10:11 AM   #10
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XtraBoost?

It will get you faster to your 6 second 0-60.

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      05-08-2019, 10:31 AM   #11
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I bought an F30 330e two years ago. It was the same price as a 330i or a 320d (very popular in Europe). I was skeptical but I'm VERY happy with it. The electric range is perfect for my daily commute. And the ICE allows me to not have any range anxiety.

I may buy a new G20 330e, but the Tesla Model 3 Long Range is quite appealing now (better specs, faster, and has a tax incentive). I also own an M2 Competition and a 1M Coupe for the fun side of a nice ICE.

The G20 330i and 330e are similarly priced. It's strange because they have essentially the same engine, while the 330e obviously has the electric motor and battery which must add non-trivial production costs for BMW.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Bread View Post
They quickly discontinued it and switched to the PHEV 330e which used the N20 instead.
The 330e used the B48 right from the start.
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      05-08-2019, 11:01 AM   #12
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Quote:
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The 330e used the B48 right from the start.
The point is, they changed from a six to a four. Not exactly a huge difference between the N20 and B48.
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      05-08-2019, 11:28 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Bread View Post
The point is, they changed from a six to a four. Not exactly a huge difference between the N20 and B48.
Agreed. But the B48 is way better than the N20!
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      05-10-2019, 07:38 AM   #14
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Quote:
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The 530e costs the same as the 530i.
doesnt it have like 30 mile range? I mean in cold days the range is much worse.
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      05-10-2019, 12:19 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JMon View Post
I think it would be better if they used the B58 like they do for the new 745e and upcoming X5 45e. It would also be nice if the electric motor were more powerful.
While the six would be great, I would be happy with the 250 HP ICE instead of the detuned version.
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      05-10-2019, 12:32 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by hans007 View Post
The 530e costs the same as the 530i.
doesnt it have like 30 mile range? I mean in cold days the range is much worse.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by hans007 View Post
The 530e costs the same as the 530i.
doesnt it have like 30 mile range? I mean in cold days the range is much worse.
more like 15
though it will get a larger battery soon like the 330e which gets it to the 20s.
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      05-12-2019, 09:35 AM   #17
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When you say soon, How soon do you reckon?
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      05-18-2019, 11:37 AM   #18
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Quote:
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When you say soon, How soon do you reckon?
EU:July
US: “a few months later”

My guess is September for US

Note that all PHEVs are required to have noisemakers turn on under 18mpg starting in September 2020, so the first shipment may already have this. Yuck.
Might be customizable noises available tho. And it’s gonna save lives I guess.
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      05-20-2019, 09:20 AM   #19
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I live in Europe, production starts in July and the delivery of my car will be around September.
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