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2019+ BMW 3 AND 4-SERIES FORUMS (G2x Generation) Local Forums UK 330e vs Merc A250e

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      02-08-2020, 09:42 AM   #1
mrr_robot
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330e vs Merc A250e

Hoping to get some insight from fellow 330e owners..

Am having to get a company car and am currently eyeing the 330e, due to company policy (VED Tax) the P11D is capped at £40k. Which means I can only get a standard M Sport trim with no options.

On the other hand .. I could get a heavily specc'd Merc A250e Saloon (Premuim Plus + Advance navigation) and what makes it more interesting is I do get more range on the A class over 40 miles under the new WLTP regime which means is going to be 8% BIK compared to the BMW 12%

In a nutshell is the driving pleasure and the 249-289(Xtra-boost) BHP worth it ?

Will be great to hear opnions from anyone who has driven the new A Class as well.
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      02-08-2020, 10:31 AM   #2
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Ive looked at the standard A200, nice car, but it a class below the 3 series so not really comparable, its smaller and more cramped inside, the new MBUX system is funky, but not massivly better than the G20.

If you dont need the space, then id go for it, the savings arent to be sneezed at. I would be wary about the range claims and bear in mind, its only a 1300 engine, so depending on how your company car system is setup, you can only claim 12p per business mile, vs the 14ppm for the 330e.
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      02-08-2020, 12:31 PM   #3
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Where did you find the WLTP figures for the Mercedes? I hadn't realised there was an A250e saloon - in AMG Line Premium trim it's cheaper than a 330e MSport with no options.
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      02-08-2020, 01:13 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Auslander View Post
Where did you find the WLTP figures for the Mercedes? I hadn't realised there was an A250e saloon - in AMG Line Premium trim it's cheaper than a 330e MSport with no options.
Found out on our lease portal.

You should be able to find the same information on comcar.co.uk

I was quiet surprised by the findings as well and the 8% BIK makes it quiet a tempting offer.
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      02-08-2020, 01:37 PM   #5
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That's quite a find, actually - yes, it's smaller than a 330e, but the potential tax saving is huge.

For 2020/21, it should only be 6%, or £76 / month for a 40% tax payer (Rising to £104 in 2022). Which would make it by far the most cost effective plug-in I've found so far.

Boot is probably not great for me, but I'll sacrifice that for the tax saving.
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      02-08-2020, 02:13 PM   #6
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For us the Merc is tenner dearer than the 330e. i have to pay a greater personal contribution. for me the deal breaker is the lower PPM.
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      02-08-2020, 02:27 PM   #7
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I looked at the A Class Saloon today. Nice car inside and out, the dash and interior are very slick.
For me the lease price for the Premium Plus is right at the top of the budget so cannot pick a colour, so solid white it would have to be. The Premium is well within budget but it's missing a few good options.
The sales guy at the showroom was at the launch event in Germany, he said it drove very well and felt quick. I had read though that traction isn't great from the front wheel drive on the A250, which roughly has the same power level of the A250e.
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      02-09-2020, 01:39 PM   #8
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Due to the storms today, I've barely left the house - so I've been looking at the ComCar website. It would appear that the 330e is at risk of not being a default choice for a co. car user - the LCI will really need to push battery range further and emissions lower to remain competitive.

Believe it or not, Ford have managed to fit their new Kuga with a fairly large petrol engine (2.5 litre) and hybrid system that drops CO2 emissions down to 29g/km. Not a massive Ford fan, but the Vignale is incredibly well equipped - I'm guessing that it'll be very under-stressed with a big non-turbo lump up front, too.
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      02-09-2020, 03:58 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Auslander View Post
Due to the storms today, I've barely left the house - so I've been looking at the ComCar website. It would appear that the 330e is at risk of not being a default choice for a co. car user - the LCI will really need to push battery range further and emissions lower to remain competitive.

Believe it or not, Ford have managed to fit their new Kuga with a fairly large petrol engine (2.5 litre) and hybrid system that drops CO2 emissions down to 29g/km. Not a massive Ford fan, but the Vignale is incredibly well equipped - I'm guessing that it'll be very under-stressed with a big non-turbo lump up front, too.
I was actually looking at the Ford KUGA as well.. you can easily get a first edition ST-X or Vingale well under 40k..
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      02-09-2020, 04:01 PM   #10
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Whilst the tax is a little better, they are 2 different classes of car, its not comparing like for like.

A-class by all accounts is a gruff 1.3, has quite a small cabin and is FWD. The real test for the G20 330e will be the next gen C class, put the MBUX twin screen setup in a new C300 PHEV and that could be the ideal car for CC drivers if it matches up with emissions and range of the A250E.

Golf GTE will also be one to look out for in the next few months.
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      02-09-2020, 04:02 PM   #11
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Have the WLTP numbers been released for the Kuga yet?

Edit : Looks like a range of 35miles and Co2 of 26, which means its the same tax as the 330e (10% the next tax year), but crucially the bigger engine means you can claim back more PPM if you dont have a fuel card. Downside is that its a horrid CVT gearbox.

Last edited by wassap; 02-09-2020 at 04:14 PM..
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      02-09-2020, 04:15 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wassap View Post
Whilst the tax is a little better, they are 2 different classes of car, its not comparing like for like.

A-class by all accounts is a gruff 1.3, has quite a small cabin and is FWD. The real test for the G20 330e will be the next gen C class, put the MBUX twin screen setup in a new C300 PHEV and that could be the ideal car for CC drivers if it matches up with emissions and range of the A250E.

Golf GTE will also be one to look out for in the next few months.
Whilst they're different classes of car - I don't have a fixed class in mind - I've had a Passat, Prius, Golf, BMW 1-Series and BMW 5-Series as my last few cars. I have no issue downsizing or going to an SUV if it saves me money, or gives me more for my company £. (the A250e is positively loaded with kit compared with a similarly priced 330e, same for the Kuga - which is bigger and cheaper than the upcoming X1 25e)

The 3, to me, is a compromise on space anyway, so a 1 or A class barely makes any difference in comparison if I'm downsizing anyway.
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      02-09-2020, 04:18 PM   #13
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Of course if you dont need the space its a no brainer.Ive got 3 kids, so i still need a reasonable back seat. Ive never had a good experience with Ford, so i probably wouldnt go for a Ford, but its looks like afantastic option for PHEV SUV.
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      02-09-2020, 04:30 PM   #14
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I am really in 2 minds now....... was set on the 330e I love the looks, interior, drive and speed. But now an extra £100 in the pocket each month from BIK saving makes sense with a compromise of the A250e Prem Plus. Oh what to do.......
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      02-10-2020, 01:46 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred321 View Post
I am really in 2 minds now....... was set on the 330e I love the looks, interior, drive and speed. But now an extra £100 in the pocket each month from BIK saving makes sense with a compromise of the A250e Prem Plus. Oh what to do.......
Exactly the same here !

Am edging closer to the A250e.. at this point in time.
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      02-10-2020, 02:01 AM   #16
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No brainer, save the money. why pay the Tax man more than you need to, you are still getting a premium car.
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      02-10-2020, 03:21 AM   #17
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I was divided between A250e and 330e. I would have liked the longer range and faster charging of A250e, but the delays with A 250e (dealers initially told they'd be available 1st thing new year, but there seems to have to be several months delay as now the dealer test drives are noly arriving late march) made me pipck up a dealer demo G20 330e. What mostly put me off the A250e was reports about problems with traction control on wet roads; really did not want to to buy a car before knowing how it would behave in Finnish winter, this is their 1st front wheel drive hybrid so a bit uncharted territory

"Mercedes acknowledges the fundamental traction problem with the A250e hatchback"

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review...er-2019-review

I think my current 330e MSport has slightly nicer interior, but I test drove/checked A200 AMG and it is has very nice and premium feel to it and AMG trim is beautiful. The interior size did not feel that much different between the cars and the battery/muffler/trunk in A250e is a bit better than in BMW so it loses a bit less trunk space in hybrid models vs ICE models than BMW.

One real difference is the petrol engine; the smaller engine in the merc is not as refined or sophisticated as the one in BMW and BMW powertrain is just beautiful, one really does not feel any difference between the different modes (eelctric, ICE, hybrid)

We are actually actually considering the A250e for my wife as her Audi is getting old, but I after hearing about the power train/traction control issues, I want to test drive that car in slippery conditions.
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      02-10-2020, 03:40 AM   #18
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Yes, had read that..... my worry is i will have it for 3 years and will not be able to drive before placing the order.
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      02-10-2020, 03:55 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tn1krr View Post
One real difference is the petrol engine; the smaller engine in the merc is not as refined or sophisticated as the one in BMW and BMW powertrain is just beautiful, one really does not feel any difference between the different modes (eelctric, ICE, hybrid)
For me one of the main drivers to go towards the 330e is that its BMW's 2nd go at a PHEV, the drive train is tried and tested, and with it being out for 6 months, you can get real world figures for economy etc. The Merc's small engine might be more economical, or it might be worse as you may need to thrash it more on the motorway. depends when you need to order it i guess.
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      02-10-2020, 06:00 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wassap View Post
For me one of the main drivers to go towards the 330e is that its BMW's 2nd go at a PHEV, the drive train is tried and tested, and with it being out for 6 months, you can get real world figures for economy etc. The Merc's small engine might be more economical, or it might be worse as you may need to thrash it more on the motorway. depends when you need to order it i guess.
This did play a role in my decision too. The engine from Renault in the A250e is not known to be smoothest or best design there is whereas the ICE engine in the 330e is excellent and a pleasure to drive in longer trips and the drive train has gotten nothing but praise. Having now owned one for a few month I can join that praise. From what I could gather from the available data from the engines the ICE in the A250e is tiny bit more economical, but the difference is quite small.
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      02-10-2020, 08:23 AM   #21
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Well.. BMW just threw a spanner in the work.

They've revised their pricing and now the M Sport has gone to £40,645.

So no longer an option.
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      02-10-2020, 08:55 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mrr_robot View Post
Well.. BMW just threw a spanner in the work.

They've revised their pricing and now the M Sport has gone to £40,645.

So no longer an option.
Where have you seen this? The online price hasn't changed.

When is it from? 1st March?
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