BMW X3 xDrive30e PHEV - 2000 km in a plug-in hybrid (ENG) - Test Drive and Review

[@robertw.1499]

Hi Marek, I drive the X3 2 liter diesel which lease runs out this year in July. I'm thinking of getting the X3 30e as shown in your report. I test drove the Mercedes GLC 30e yesterday and was terribly disappointed in electric range and material quality, plastic everywhere! Oh, by the way, I'm an English language coach, and I have to say, your English is truly excellent 👏

[@urosmedved7892]

The review is just spot on of what i needed to know. Great, Thanks.

[@MarekDrivesENG]

Glad I could help!

[@dmpanis]

The best in its segment got even better! Awesome car!

[@Sebastianlx]

1st like and first comment!!! Ahahah Merry Christmas Marek, from Portugal!

[@MarekDrives]

🎉

[@mikeuk8486]

Nie wiem dlaczego ale wole twoje filmy ogladac po angielsku. Pewnie dlatego że mniej tu zajadlych komentarzy. Wszystkiego dobrego i szczęśliwego lepszego niz obecny 2021!

[@MarekDrives]

Wszystkiego dobrego!

[@mattesrocket]

Mike UK's comment translated by google: I don't know why, but I prefer to watch your movies in English. Probably because there are less bitter comments here. All good and happy better than this 2021!

[@tubetotto]

@@mattesrocket That's a pretty accurate translation!

[@simonmajura]

We have a VW Passat PHEV and love it. It matches our driving style: Unless we are taking a long day trip to the sea or going on holiday, all our driving is in the city and all electric. But we are finding the range to be very similar to what you experienced. 40-45km in the summer, 30-38km right now in winter. I like the idea of that Mercedes you mentioned that has a longer range and the ability to fast charge.

[@MarekDrives]

Thanks for sharing! Yes, that A Class gave me peace of mind that I'll definitely not have to recharge during the day (or do it quickly, if such a need arises).

[@tomhaworth2208]

Thanks Marek. Just got one of these through my work. Boot space is pretty compromised, so I also use the back seat a lot. Not quite got my head round all the different driving modes yet

[@MarekDrivesENG]

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts in a couple of months, when you get used to the car.

[@JanHenrik541]

I own a PHEV and charge at home. I drive most days within electric range so the fuel consumption is about 60% less than my last petrol (non hybrid) car. Fuel consumption increases in cold so the impression that PHEVs are a substitute for BEVs is wrong in my opinion, but at least in my case no HEV or ICE car can match my average fuel consumption. I think PHEVs are great in the sense they give more options for people that would like to drive electric but can’t find a BEV that fits their needs well enough. My PHEV was the best option at the time of purchase. I think it’s also worth mentioning not all PHEVs are created the same, some are more fugal and others seems to be tuned for performance. My car is more of the “prius” type than the BMW in this review, and perhaps not very exciting for some.

[@MarekDrives]

So, which PHEV did you buy?

[@JanHenrik541]

@@MarekDrives , I went from a Ford Focus 1.0 EcoBoost to a Kia Niro PHEV.

[@MarekDrives]

I supposed that's like the XCeed PHEV I reviewed a couple of months ago. I wasn't too happy with the implementation. kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5OWiGd-i92Iha8 But it if the range is sufficient for your daily commute, that's fine.

[@JanHenrik541]

@@MarekDrives yes, about that. The higher trim XCeed PHEV have 42 km WLTP electric range and the lower trims have 48 km (which is about same as my Niro at 49 km). At least for my driving pattern the lower trims of the XCeed would probably feel similar to my Niro I think. For anyone considering a PHEV my first question would be how far (or short) does he or she drive day to day, for example in commuting for work. The second question would be if the person intends to charge up the car regularly. :-)

[@MarekDrives]

Totally agree. It makes sense only if you can charge it overnight (and/or at work/other destination), and if you usually don't drive more, than the electric range. Lower trim models have lighter wheels I think, hence better range.

[@PerkyPro]

Great test! I was looking few day for real long trip consumption test and finaly find it! thnx

[@MarekDrivesENG]

Glad I could help!

[@Naphewonix]

Hello Marek, I am in plans of purchasing a BMW X3 Plugin hybrid currently driving 318i but I got one or two questions that will determine my choice. 1. Taking X3 xdrive25e with 217hp, does it mean if I drive with Auto edrive and then the battery depletes am left with only 123hp(from gasoline motor) since the battery motor adds 94hp? 2. When I drive with max electric and then the battery depletes say after 32 miles does it mean am left with only Gasoline motor 123hp? 3. What is the MPG for X3 after depleting the battery? 4. If am going for a journey of 200kms how far can the hybrid be active before the battery depletes?

[@MarekDrives]

Isn't 25e an X1? As for your questions, the battery is never fully depleted (unless you're doing hot laps on a track), so full power is always available. However that requires both the electric motor and the petrol engine to work. When driving in electric, if you accelerate very hard, the petrol engine will come on. I don't know the real life fuel figures for 25e.

[@md8744]

Hi Sir. Until now I don't still understand why we must drive ev power only instead of drive with gasoline? And what happens we don't charge for a while couple of days just using gasoline? And we use ev only it produces less power right? Thks

[@rodnej22]

Witam. Obecnie posiadam bmw 520d g31. Świetne auto. Wygodne i ekonomiczne. Zastanawiam się nad wymiana na coś pod phev iż 95% jazdy jest w promieniu 15km od domu. Jedyna zagwostka jest to czy phev da radę z przyczepa kampingowa 1700kg. Obecne auto w miarę daje rade z 192 koniami. Jak pan sądzi czy x3 30e albo 530e da radę pociągnąć przyczepę. Oczywiście nie martwię się o spalanie podczas ciągnięcia raczej o moc. Tereny górzyste więc sporo podjazdów. A może volvo xc60 T8 byłoby lepsze ? Jakieś propozycje ?

[@MarekDrivesENG]

Proszę sprawdzić dane techniczne. Nigdy niczego nie holowałem, więc nie umiem się odnieść do innych aspektów.

[@rileypart1]

Merry Christmas Marek!! 🎁🎄❄️ 🎅🏻 from Los Angeles, California in the USA. I’ve got a question for you, how many takes do you’ve to do both from English and Poland video in one car review?

[@MarekDrives]

Happy holidays! How many takes? I read the script from a prompter, so I try to keep it down to one take, and repeat just for backup. If I did only one language version, I'd probably do a lot more freestyle, but then editing would be a nightmare. Also having a script means I know what cutaway shots I need, etc.

[@iwontforgetmypsw]

What was your fuel consumption driving just in CITY on Auto eDrive mode? At what speed car switches from electric to gas? How long does it take for a car to charge a depleted battery strictly on gas mode while driving in a city and urban?

[@MarekDrivesENG]

1. No idea, this was a road trip; 2. 135 km/h, assuming you're not flooring it; 3. Long enough to make it a non-viable option.

[@TwoHemiViewer]

Yes a reasonably good video , well done 👍✅

[@MarekDrivesENG]

Cheers!

[@aligee7903]

Great review super helpful

[@MarekDrivesENG]

My pleasure! Are you thinking of getting it second hand?

[@aligee7903]

@MarekDrivesENG yes I was, but the loss of boot space has made me realise hybrid is not right for me

[@rocketdreamer]

Hello Marek, can u compare it with a regular X3 where weight is differently distributed and perhaps driving might be sharper ? Second, will u test Merc ML PHEV soon, which has a much bigger battery? Thanks and congrats for the reviews you do: the what, the why and the how.

[@MarekDrives]

Thanks! I wouldn't say it felt sharper. The G01 X3 in general feels pretty soft, and the same is true here. It's a comfortable car, with a bit of emotion "engineered" into it, like the sound symposer. It will make you smile, but not overwhelmed. I'm cutting down on PHEVs and EVs, as they get very few views, and the KZbin algorithm is penalizing my channel for it :(

[@laurentiutrifan8173]

A SUV for the shortlist. 👍

[@do8472]

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

[@MarekDrives]

Same to you!

[@pontikigri3216]

Merry Christmas Marek! Big fan of yours! A wish for 2021: No more electric cars reviews! Please!! Not until at least car manufacturers come with a clear and solid proposal!and the infrastructure across Europe can support such proposals!

[@JohnyMcNeal]

This one is plug in hybrid, not pure EV. Tbh in a perfect world PHEV would be shity but with all the taxes and bs goverments implemented on us it is a smarter choice unfortunately.

[@MarekDrives]

A good PHEV is an interesting proposition. I'm sure BMW could do better, but I guess they had to hurry up, and put something greenish in whatever they had, rather than wait for the next generation of every model to be designed with PHEV powertrain in mind.

[@The_Hero_Is_Back]

I only watch Marek for the EV reviews (you know, the 21st century cars) so he will lose a subscriber if he does what you ask. :-)

[@pontikigri3216]

@@The_Hero_Is_Back 1/5th of the 21st century is allready gone so you are not exactly accurate on this.i totally agree that its a popular way to go (in terms of subscribers) im just saying that there is no actual plan right now and most of the companies in order to prove that they are active in this segment of the market introduce products which are not mature ! The pricing is driven by limited production and not by quality .if you feel confident right now go have one i ll steak to my petrol engine until something pro comes out!

[@The_Hero_Is_Back]

@@pontikigri3216 After 1920, historical photos show fewer and fewer horses. Armies and farmers still used them but less and less and there is still horse racing. Brand new fossil fuel vehicles are still obsolete technology, like horses in the 20th century. But fossil fuel cars will be with us for decades, I guess. There are hundreds of millions of them.

[@jemand8462]

If you want an electric car - buy an electric car. A hybrid is not built to drive for hours on battery. It's built to recuperate and or ultra short trips to the supermarket.

[@alliejr]

Beautiful (new?) photography!!!

[@MarekDrives]

Thanks. No, nothing much has changed. I used a 360 camera more in this episode, because I didn't have a second car to film car-2-car shots. And we were on a really tight schedule. We planned this road trip to film an "Xmas special" for our other channel (in Polish only), and then a quasi-lockdown was implemented. Anyway, this is the camera I'm talking about: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJyxaqOLbpiSasU

[@alliejr]

@@MarekDrives 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽 Merry Christmas

[@stevensteven3425]

Is a "parking heater" or "auxiliary heating" standard in the 30e?

[@MarekDrivesENG]

As far as I remember you could pre-heat this car, while it is plugged in. There was no auxiliary heating option on this car at the time of filming, but it could be ordered on regular ICE models.

[@drhmufti]

No more falling out of the X5 in the inro??

[@lupoal4113]

very well done!!!

[@TEVAssociation]

Many are switching from x5 40e to x3 30e as the new 45e simply too expensive ..you may as well get an etron or ipace or eqc for same price!

[@kevinn1158]

This is a very good looking vehicle once you add the M sport package and those really nice wheels but that hump in the trunk seems to be very limiting if you are going to use this for more than a city car. My friend has a Audi A3 PHEV and he loves it. He uses it for a lot of city driving and can drive it in electric most of the time. In the end, with all of the longer range BEVs coming on the market soon, ID4, Q4, Ariya, Ioniq 5, XC40, Polestar 2, Mach E, I wonder how attractive a vehicle like this will end up being.

[@Anthropos_X]

We waiting for your review for new Mazda MX-30 R-EV (phev)!!

[@MarekDrivesENG]

Do I really have to? :)

[@rafaelbabar3494]

Can you fit in a mountain bike without taking off the wheels?

[@MarekDrives]

I think you should be able to fit it diagonally.

[@rafaelbabar3494]

@@MarekDrives I’ve got a full sus mtb in with both wheels on.

[@markuslangguth7315]

Thanks for the on point review! I like the concept of PHEVs but the X3 seems to be another really flawed example. I heard the Toyota Rav 4 PHEV is a much better representative of that class. Maybe you can give that one a shot?

[@MarekDrives]

Soon.

[@victorradu9645]

Fuel consumption seems very high for running in hybrid mode

[@MarekDrives]

A lot of motorways.

[@mattesrocket]

When you said 75.000 for an X3 I first didn't believe you. BMW developped more and more to a ridiculous brand. And it's the brand with the least design development in the last 20 years. Boring.

[@w7class]

7:56 "carrion suitcase" did i listen correct??...

[@MarekDrives]

carry-on suitcase.

[@w7class]

@@MarekDrives otherwise also make sense!😁😁😁

[@AliHijazi]

One more thing where is the place which appeared at2:27

[@MarekDrives]

goo.gl/maps/3769vbZwdNfFmPyh8

[@yassu-4722]

Very good review, hopefully you are using Waze while traveling around:)

[@MarekDrives]

Thanks. Google Maps.

[@numbereightyseven]

Launch control is basically a deceptive marketing gimmick. It's a cheat number to hide poor performance in the most-used part of the rev range: the lower engine speeds. To compare 0-100 (km/hr) times between cars that have / don't-have launch control, you'd need to adjust by, what, half a second? One second? I mean, how useful is it, really.? Top Gear understood the problem: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p2PTeqBvoZx1gdk My aging '07 Toyota Blade Master, a 276bhp 3.5L wallowy front-wheel-drive in a Corolla / Auris body (no launch control, of course), is as quick in normal daily city traffic as the mk7 Golf R that I owned. Quicker off the line, too - but there's well over a second difference between their official 0-100.

[@stefanp.9222]

I think for the X3 a diesel engine is a better option. You get 100% power and good performance at any time, but with good fuel consumption. I don't see the point in having PHEV. If you ocasionally need to travel within a zone with emision restrictions, just rent an EV, or pay the tax. It will be cheaper than buying a PHEV with worse fuel consumption (compared to diesel) and all the compromises it comes with

[@Commentator541]

Why do they keep insisting on these failed concepts? The only electric car I could ever imagine owning is Tesla because I can actually charge it.

[@AliHijazi]

PHEV? For me it's pointless why? Low range, long time to recharge, additional cost and definitely additional electric parts to maintain If i were to buy this i would go for the pure ICE though I'm not a fan of BMW I like the part where you engaged launch control; it is these sounds and scenes that i like in reviews Keep it up Marek

[@andyn6266]

I agree with you Ali. Either go full electric or full combustion. Compromising never seems the way to go.

[@AliHijazi]

@@andyn6266 exactly

[@airsammy18]

I understand that PHEV can be pointless in some occasions, but it's actually perfect and the best option for a daily 30 kilometers commuter like me. I've been driving x3 30e for more than 7 months now and I enjoy everyday drive. In case of going on a long haul drive everyday on a highway, then you should go for diesel because nothing beats diesel in miles per gallon category.

[@nathanwolf5547]

6 years ago the cars were relevant but few were being made. Now? Why pay the extra for one when you could buy a good EV for the same money? People still over estimate the amount of mileage they do. For the odd long journey an EV is perfectly capable if you show some sense and stop for a rest break every 2 hours. You just stop and plug in while you have a pee and get some food and rest. Even shorter rage EVs, such as the MG, can cope well with longer journeys.

[@mattesrocket]

I learned in driving school and automobile clubs and others are saying: you shall make every 2 hours a proper brake on a long journey because your concentration drops significantly after 2 hours, even if you feel fit, everybody who is driving 3 or 4 hours without proper stop is overestimating himself. At critical traffic situation you will get the bill for not being fit anymore, every split of a second of a later reaction can make the difference for an accident or no accident or severe accident or just light accident. So charging nowadays with modern EVs is not longer a problem, it's very little more than a usual break (except the small or older EVs), unless you want to do long trips in a dangerous way. For 75.000€ like this BMW you get a good EV that is just better.

[@vvp1002]

Only diesel......

[@nsa5214]

PHEV sucks. Double systems double trouble

[@strezification]

For 75 000 euro i would buy full specs Mazda 3 sedan and Kia Sorento, and be left with money to put gas for both of them for 10 years...

[@MarekDrives]

You would buy them, but you'd have no money left for fuel.

[@strezification]

@@MarekDrivesIn my country Mazda 3 with almost full equipment is 26-27000 euro and Kia Sorento with almost full equipment is around 38-39000.After that i would be left with around 9-10 thousand euros for fuel😉

[@stanthemafia]

Sorry, Mercedes is just way better