5000 miles in a BMW 530e - Is a hybrid an alternative to a diesel?

When I rejected the VW Touareg diesel I was given this BMW 530e iPerformance. Since Dieselgate happened I heard a lot of people say that instead of a diesel you should buy a hybrid. I thought this is a good opportunity to check if a hybrid is really an alternative to a diesel. While the result is not a surprise the actual numbers are shocking. This is my attempt of making a KZbin video about what happened.
0:00 introduction
1:45 in town
3:37 Autobahn
10:30 Innsbruck - fuel economy and charging (or not)
21:42 Genoa - finally a charger
25:45 from Barcelona... - apps of the infotainment
29:07 ...to Gibraltar - driving dynamics (or not)
33:54 Lisbon - interior
44:04 back in Germany - Final thoughts
Music:
Clear - Seamus McNamara
Chicken Old Ladies On A Bus 3 - Martin Landh
Helsinki Travels 3 - Magnus Ringblom
Dance Party - Josef Habib
Destiny Rising - Niklas Johansson
Divergent - Ooyy
Roadtrip Through Europe 14 - Jan Chmelar
Getting Tipsy 1 - Martin Landh
No Limits - Matt Large

[@kennycasillas901]

Good video. I'm in the US and most people do local driving. I just bought the 2019 530e and am getting about 20 miles electric only. Combined consumption is somewhere is the 150mpg range. I can usually do about 70% of my daily commute in electric only. On weekends no gas at all. This car is definitely not geared toward long distances but I'd rather be in my 530e than in a Tesla. It appears looking for a charging station can be a challenge.

[@domantasbimba7541]

Čęęęčęč

[@MLHPChanel]

Thanks so much for your video. I was thinking about the 530e, and your 5000 miles journey has helped a lot🎀

[@PiefacePete46]

MyLinh Pham: It is important that you have a clear picture of the type of use your car will get: Diesel: If you do a lot of long trips, a diesel is in it's element. Lots of short trips, and it is quite possible you will have problems with a blocked exhaust Diesel Particulate Filter. Can be a hassle, and expensive to clean. Replacing it could lead to bankruptcy! Hybrid: If you do a lot of short trips, and have somewhere to plug in the charger at home, the hybrid is great. On longer trips, I find it best to think of it as a 520i that has a 50% electric power boost for overtaking. I intend to do a public comment in the next few days, giving my experiences of diesel vs hybrid BMW's.

[@geoffreyhughes9979]

Excellent review of the 5 series.I really enjoyed it and your trip looked great fun.

[@borisantunovic1612]

Great reviev. It helped me

[@Stinger-bz9od]

Super review mate 👍👍

[@rjbir]

Great review

[@adrianflorin5769]

Awesome trip mate 👌👍

[@logofatusorin]

The best video I ve seen so far ,thank you man!!!i will buy the 530i😀

[@aravindaravind1379]

You deserve more views

[@kurtpatterson18]

Just about too take delivery of my new 530e M Sport. Driving it from the UK to the south of Spain in August. Loved your video, thanks for the pros and cons - I shall see for myself in due course!

[@moc1385]

Thanks. Nice road trip ahead of you. The miles will just fly by in this car. There are a lot of mountain roads in the south. Maybe with the bigger tires and the M-Package you can have more fun on the twisty stuff. Make sure the batteries are charged when you do. And let me know what it was like.

[@jissanhuq3792]

also have a 530e on order but circumstance and location change so much of this. i found the car in M Sport very tossable, has upgraded breaks and optional adaptive and here in the states the 530e is drastically less cost both to lease and buy so that negates a lot of the cost in mpg.. we also dont get any diesel or 520i. Amazing how those little things add up. no 2 5 series are the same anymore with the amount of options and variants in engines and drive train. loved your first hand experience though even though my car will mostly inside city raffic for which i think the 530e will be better suited as the petrols ones nets about 15-20 mpg us, so even your 30 would be a dream come true.

[@merseycourier4948]

Charging in motion significantly increases mpg. There's no need to rely on or plan in charging stations. Basically the save mode recharges the battery so you can alternate between petrol and electric mode whilst driving. I currently own a 330e since August 2016 and will be taking delivery of a 530e in August and know the system inside out. I regularly do a 105 mile round trip and burn no more than 1.25litres of fuel, or £6 approximately from a standard charge at home pre departure. A full charge of just over 3 hours costs just 29p inc vat on our tarrif. Once electric range of around 18miles has exhaust I switch to save and in roughly 10 or so more miles it has recharged around 8 or 9 miles worth of electric and resume to full ev mode. So it basically cuts a journeys fuel consumption in half at motorway speed. Sport mode tends to regenerate power quicker but city driving in comfort mode is the fastest method imho. The on the road cost price is the obvious compromise however, if obtained as a company or fleet lease, this car works out far cheaper than a basic diesel derivative due to green taxes and BIK rates here in the UK. They're fantastic to drive and offer performance and opulence. EV or Hybrid vehicles aren't for everyone but suits our needs all round. Look at the other incentives, congestion free charge, growing public charge facilities with better wider parking bays. Apart from all that, your part in a better greener environment. My realistic combined is a very acceptable 65mpg. Pretty decent considering it's a heavy twin turbo automatic vehicle.. Can't recommend it enough and cannot wait for our 530e.

[@MatiKosa]

What a great and super informative vid, beautiful landscapes and great camera position behind your back, I reckon it required some special, horizontal mount. Fantastic vid, I am interested in the newest G20 330e and was looking for some info about hybrid BMW. Mostly driving in the city, so that could be an option. Please check the newest 3 Series if you will have a chance. Very nicely edited vid, was pleasure to watch. You earned my sub, good luck man.

[@greezieeez7796]

i know the video is 5 years old but great content planning on buying 530e 👍

[@BobBrown.]

This car is suited for city driving and charging at home and work. If you do long distance road trips get a diesel. I mainly use electricity so I fill up my 530e once every two months.

[@The1Prince91]

Very detailed review and I agree ECO pro mode and also you must charge daily ideally at faster charger also its not designed to replenish dead cell by driving it drops the fuel eco dwn doing it that way. Also seem you had a well equipped lux model the M sport model does handle much better. great job do more ??

[@Coolh2014]

Wonderful review! Who wants a 4 cylinder 5 series 😢

[@gavinhill4121]

Great video - 1st real review on youtube - I'm also about to take delivery of a 530e. I'd rather have a diesel, but UK company car tax means I'll save around £1800.00 a year vs the 325d that I currently drive. Over the 4 years I'll have the car that's a big saving. Gonna miss that Diesel torque....

[@moc1385]

Thanks a lot. As long as the batteries are charged there is a good amount of torque. It's just not that effortless and all across the rev range. Wow £1800 a year! Unless you're driving 30000 miles or more/year you'll never save that much in fuel with the diesel. Plus no congestion charge with the 530e. So under these circumstances I think it's the better choice.

[@Elliot_Vulpe]

Gavin Hill wow 325d e90?

[@cube1us]

Thanks for giving some of the figures in imperial units rather than just metric. Actually 38 miles per gallon on the highway without having to be really careful is pretty darn decent (unless maybe those are UK imperial gallons?) My Acura TLX gets between 30 and 35 on a V-6 AWD. It looks like you weren’t driving in the warmest of weather either. The sweet spot for a plug-in hybrids are people who do a fair amount of short trips in town more than those who take long road trips like this one.

[@Aschtarot]

Can I get a uncensored version of the Touareg Review in the beginning please! 😂😂

[@respectiveperspectiv]

Great review, thank you so much for submitting, please keep making these. However I would like to point out that, in my opinion, you overestimate the mileage of the 530d. I have the new (G20) 320dx drive and I average 50mpg UK (thats like 5L/100km) and I do lotsa highway miles in eco pro mode. So I seriously doubt the 530d has an even BETTER mileage.

[@Elliot_Vulpe]

320d e90 f30 are way better fuel mileage than 530d, because I drive a 525d e60 LCI with 3.0litre engine S-o i have 6.4 7.8 8.5

[@dennisstrimple6624]

Since the battery wasn’t charged and most of the highway driving clearly the hybrid isn’t designed for this type of driving. Most of my driving is around town and under 30 miles per day that’s my ticket. Basically I hardly ever need gas at all.

[@AMKo-fw5jq]

Thanks for your video :) I live in Nordic area, harsh winter :P I used to drive a 520d SW F11. So, for me the fuel fee was about 2200€/year (regarding my annual mileage of 18000 KM)! I got my new 530e about 5 months ago when the temp. here was around -20 daily. So far I got 6300 KM and only paid less then 200€ for the fuel and the electricity! Winter time, with charging the car at home and my work place I could get an ave. consumption of 2,5 Liter/100 KM with preheating the car and lights on all the time. Now, only with one time charging, I can get about 36-42 KM easily for my daily working commutes of 30 KM. As you know, it depends on several factors such as how you drive, winds, road condition, outside temp. and battery temp., what is your speed, air condition, lights on/off, extra weights etc. All in all, I'm very happy with its comfort, beauty and performance, although it could be much better if the battery capacity could be about 20 KW with giving you an ability to use fast charging (the car only accepts max 3.7 KWh charging current, even if you use 22KWh type 2 charger!). Anyway, in a highway, on Eco mode I could get 5,2 L/ 100KM with an ave. speed of 80 KM/h. It is also possible to switch the modes like saving battery during highway driving and use MaxEV mode but even AutoEdrive does not bother you to save energy. :)

[@TheMasterNinjaRyu]

A. M. Ko great info thanks

[@BokiXI]

Just ordered one as company car with a lot of toys. How does the recuperation work when stopping? I have a Lexus now and you can start using the brake long time before the stop in order to recuperate a lot of energy.

[@crustybread9286]

I agree I have 2018 for long distance need to be in battery limit mode so that you don’t drain out completely but still mileage is meh . It’s great for city driving . Also yes not sporty but ok for highways for overtaking

[@MrAshtonunderlyne1]

What mpg you get on Moterway, local and pure engine local/Moter way). Thanks

[@fishingwithRoger1]

To test the car properly you should have it in ECO PRO MODE. I have a 2018 bmw 530e in Norway and my average comsumtion is only 3,7 liters pr 100 km's

[@PiefacePete46]

roger ommundsen: I am getting similar results to you with my 330e in day-to-day use. Obviously the length of trips etc. has an effect.

[@hi-fiequipmentcomparison667]

Can you please tell me what is your average consumption on the long trips without charging the battery I’m assuming it’s not really good. I’m planning to make a long trip over 5000 miles in August. Thanks in advance

[@fishingwithRoger1]

A good review, but with Eco Pro mode the miles pr gallon would be a lot better..... it is a ca test, then you should TEST the car

[@TheMasterNinjaRyu]

Thanks for the detailed review. It always amazes me how well Germans can speak the English language. The opposite is seldom the case.

[@moc1385]

Thanks a lot. I think both languages have the same origin, but the German language is way harder to master.

[@richardsweat9315]

Excellent informative video. I was about to buy a 530e, but it gave me second thoughts.

[@PiefacePete46]

Richard Sweat: While MOC has done an excellent video, his figures and conclusions are based on one 5000 mile trip. This is far from a typical use scenario;... in reality, very few of us will ever do a trip like this. My experience with both a 335d and a 330e in day-to-day use leaves me with quite different findings. Horses for courses! :o)

[@jfalconc]

My 530e has given me 615 miles per tank, car must be kept on ECO PRO Individual and charged every day. I don´t think you used ECO PRO, for what I saw it was on Comfort mode...try again on eco pro 🤣🤣🤣

[@Grey-Foxxx]

Is this car good on eco pro in a city for taxi purposes? How efficient is the hybrid engine in town?

[@MrAshtonunderlyne1]

That means you got half of it because the rest was covered by electric chargers isn’t it ?

[@mnamanna5270]

I want to buy for taxi with full tank how many mileages I will get

[@catalynadryan88]

if you drive to work 15k a year and you can charge at work whould it be a good buy or still better a 530d?

[@lenniebruce]

Guten Tag moc and others. Where can I buy one of the chrome strips on the Left hand drive version on the 530e? Here in UK/Ireland, I'm told I can't order one here (strange I know),

[@mildot5482]

Film 4 years ago .. but with the prices of diesel ⛽️ now .. everything changed .. isn't it

[@coa4s513]

I would buy the 530e and ecu tune/chip it

[@tr478]

If you need some towing capacity at least the earlier 530e hybrids are not an option.

[@paco4894]

Actually the combustion engine starts when I put the car in manual mode. However once I put it at park, the combustion engine stops and it returns to the battery. Even if I press the sport button after that, it still remains in the battery. Is there any way to make it remain in combustion engine without keeping it at manual mode throughout the time I start it for 5 minutes without moving it ?

[@dagjohnsen]

perhaps in charge mode I belive.

[@Edvard.Munchkin]

Hi 😊 great video 😊 just one question, did you manage to fully recharge the battery from empty just by using the engine? And if so, how far did you have to drive for it to charge? Thank you. Subscribed.

[@moc1385]

Hi. Yes I did. It was not that far. If remember correctly it was less than 100 km (the distance from the charger to the petrol station is 31 km, but I think I took an additional round). I do not have the chance right now, but when I am back home I will check the footage and see if it was more. Keep in mind though, that I was going b-road / motorway. In city drive it takes a bit longer. Also your fuel consumption goes up.

[@Edvard.Munchkin]

@@moc1385 Thank you for the response. It seems reasonable enough for me, I have a diesel car I get around 5.4 L per 100 km but I live in Ireland and the government is talking about taxing diesel cars a lot more so was thinking of changing to one of these. However I have to park on street and don't really have great access to a charging point and as usual there is no charging point in my town. Last question, do you ever lose power? Like when the battery is empty do you lose the BHP the battery produces or does the engine help the battery so you always have 252 BHP? Thanks and sorry for all the questions.

[@moc1385]

​@@Edvard.Munchkin Hi. If you do not have access to a charger, you might consider a full hybrid (e.g. Lexus G450h). But the electricity-only range is shorter (only 1-2 km). But in a lot of countries tax breaks for el. cars require a certain minimum electricity-only range. So if you want to be sure, rather go for the plug-in hybrid. Regarding the power: In theory you lose power. If the batteries are empty the 184 hp engine has to do everything alone. However in reality I did not noticed this a lot. Everytime you lift, everytime you brake, the batteries are charged a bit, and if you step on it again you get that nice additional boost from the electric motor. Hope this helps. BR.

[@Edvard.Munchkin]

@@moc1385 Yes that helps thank you very much. You're probably right, I think I will have a look at the Lexus thanks again

[@e.s.5271]

Which state of mind compared a hybrid 530e with a performanse S5 and says it is sluggish and slow.. 🤦‍♂️

[@AngeloGuardia]

did you notice that by 2:56 the door isn't locked yet? do you have to lock the car manually?? that stick can't be that long!

[@moc1385]

Hi. You can configure it. I changed it later to lock automatically as soon as the car sets off. @13:10 you can see the locked state.

[@harrisbioinfo]

How did you get 45km ??? For a full charge battery ? I can get Max 35-37km

[@BobBrown.]

Depends on how you drive. I normally get 35 but got 42 once.

[@morstyrannis1951]

Does the EU spec 530e have a larger battery than the one for North America? My display shows 23km range when fully charged...

[@moc1385]

I haven't found any indication of different batteries being used in different parts of the world. 23km or 14 mi seems to be fairly low. Maybe your battery is broken or worn out. Should probably have it checked.

[@morstyrannis1951]

@@moc1385 That's no it - that number is the official estimate used by both Transport Canada and the US Dept of Energy www.fueleconomy.gov

[@fishingwithRoger1]

Auto edrive and eco pro at the same time, then you will see a big difference

[@evcompanycarman5463]

good video, but the car is all about saving hundreds of pounds per month on the BIK/ company car tax.. which like all PiH cars, it does what it says on the tin compared to the tax on a diesel company car

[@rogercooke8384]

I take delivery in July

[@jenesaisquoi2558]

8 minutes twenty seconds in he is driving by what looks like the Audi Q8 prototype. Is that right?

[@moc1385]

8:10 - Was near Ingolstadt. Lots of prototypes. Unfortunately I did not get the camera on sooner. But from the looks of it it's a Q8. Yes. Next time I'm there I just keep the camera roolin' :D

[@lindacooper51]

Nice catch!

[@DarcersTech]

I like your resting methodology, but I don't think you got the point of the plug-in hybrid power train. Full-electric would be a better option.

[@luisc9652]

By a Camry Hybride and you get around 5.5 Max and 10 years guarantee

[@lildifrank]

What about if you drive on the “aggressive” side, would this be the car for you at that point- been going back and forth on a 23 530ex vs ix.

[@Grey-Foxxx]

What’s the MPG like in a city on eco pro?

[@paradox5556]

Infinity, as long as its charged up

[@WiseMammoth]

Расскажу вам про свою машину,530е не Х драйв Покупал новую в 2019 году сейчас пробег 50.000 если честно жду не дождусь когда я от неё избавлюсь машина абсолютно не ехала в стоке, бензиновый мотор дефорсирован до 184 лошадей 😢 и на севшей батарейке - это вата ватная а не BMW, как раз для дедушки.после месяца эксплуатации поехал сделал stage 1 стало 340л/550 крутящего, сейчас можно обгонять 2 фуры такой же мотор на семёрке 248 лошадей, Поэтому при чип-тюнинге снимается просто ограничения эко 6 и так далее которые душат мотор изначально без каких-либо последствий. Батарея бесполезный хлам если вы живёте или работаете дальше чем 10 км в одну сторону, то смысла от неё нет, летом с выключенным кондиционером максимум что я смог проехать по ровной дороге на скорости 75 км/ч 22 км. Батарейка 9.2 кВт. Так что если вы покупаете эту машину в надежде экономить это точно не про эту БМВ, без чипа она тяжёлая и ватная в поворотах, маленький бак 40 л на 500км ходу, реально пожалел что купил это ведро😢 расход топлива в режиме battery control 12 -15л но заряжает батарею примерно за полчаса в режиме спорт. средний расход на 20.000 км около 7.7 л пользуюсь второй гибридной машиной mercedes е300 старая 2015года не подключаемый гибрид у него расход 5,2 и на баке можно проехать 1.200км После замены передних колодок через 10.000 они начинают греметь так же как была на старых chrysler😢 машина с пробегом 100.000 Я бы обходил стороной третьей дорогой😢 хочу отметить что в целом серьёзных поломок не было но постоянно глючит крышка закрытия зарядного устройства постоянно пишет что она открыта хотя она закрыта устал ездить дилера сбрасывать ошибку, кожа качество очень плохое через 50.000 видно следы эксплуатации потёртости на сидушке и так далее, шумоизоляция посредственная как на гольфе при скорости 130 и выше очень шумно сзади из-за того что шумки там вообще походу нет😢 тачка для пенсионеров которым нужно ездить от дома до магазина 10 км но и в этом случае придётся ехать 2 раза багажник реально маленький😢 очень часто глючит электрическая регулировка руля😢, не опускается в предыдущие положение приходится несколько раз включать и выключать машину может в более новых моделях всё исправлено но слабо верится😂 после е60 если вы пропустили как я версию f10 внутри сделано красиво и приятно, технологии шагнули вперед, но шумоизоляция полный отстой стали экономить на снижение веса 😢 ещё из минусов из-за прореза в передних крыльях , для вентиляции передних колёс машина постоянно вся в грязи😢 будьте к этому готовы берите светлый цвет😅 ещё позор BMW что при заведённом двигателе работает только левый глушитель правый фейковый неужели было трудно соединить две трубы в одну кучу😊 выглядит реально смешно всем бобра😂

[@thet3mplarv509]

Well I wish I had seen this video before buying it... 😕

[@dimmster369]

Me too. Expensive mistake

[@Die_Quelle]

Without looking at the paperworks everyone should know that the diesel engine is far more better than a hybrid or normal petrol car when its about long drives with over 50% autobahn. Why? Because the Hybrid benefits from the start and stop traffic in the city extremely. I drove the 530e already and can say that it drives really good an for people which are driving everyday to work for around 20-30 kilometers you can drive fully on e-drive with normal speeds.

[@moc1385]

Totally agreeing with you. But it is something that is being propagated: www.driving.co.uk/car-clinic/buying-guide/best-hybrid-cars-to-buy-instead-of-diesel/

[@BokiXI]

If you are only looking at costs that’s probably true. For everything else, diesel belongs in trucks and tractors.

[@PiefacePete46]

@@BokiXI : When I was a younger person, I thought diesels were something you made jokes about... I was a total "Rev-Head"! Many years after I got out of motorsport, I could not help but notice that Le Mans had become the domain of diesel power! Five years ago I bought a BMW E91 335D (3 litre twin-turbo diesel). It was a five year love affair. When I retired, it quickly became apparent that the diesel was not happy with ten minute trips to the shops, and it was not long before the diesel particulate filter in the exhaust became a problem because of the lack of hot running. We recently sold the diesel, and now have a BMW F30 330e. This is proving to be ideal for the type of motoring we do nowdays, and another love is affair is just beginning! Oh, by the way, Hybrids now rule Le Mans! :o)

[@dziniuseeek]

Who compare hybrid car to diesel one is made mostly for town and other for motorway 😂

[@moc1385]

The idea was really floated back then... www.driving.co.uk/car-clinic/buying-guide/best-hybrid-cars-to-buy-instead-of-diesel/

[@johnsharpe7900]

Not very professional. You don't deserve more views.

[@paguliukas]

330e is a pile of shit not a hybrid dont know about 530e so no comment

[@user-zz6nr3vb3j]

stage 1 tune brings the engine to about 310hp+111 electric power the perfect daily