Should You Buy a BMW 530e? (Test Drive & Review 2017)

[@HighPeakAutos]

Before buying any used car, it's important to check it's history. Use the link below for a 10% discount or Discount Code HIGHPEAK : www.carvertical.com/gb/landing/v3?a=HighPeakAutos&b=38b26e3a&voucher=highpeakautos

[@elthamlad468]

I wanted to revisit this video and post some comments, good and bad, now that I have owned my 2017 530e M Sport for 4 months and have driven over 2000 miles in it. Hopefully, this will help anyone like me searching for real-world information on the car before buying used. THE GOOD 1. Comfort is on another level. I was really worried about buying my 530e M Sport with the 20" wheels as I'd heard the M Sport can be a harsh ride (have never owned a BMW before). Nonsense. My 530e has the nicest, most comfortable ride outside of my old boss's Rolls Royce Ghost. I mean it, my BMW glides. Bumps and potholes are remarkably smooth and even on the ultra-low profile run-flat tyres, it's so damn comfortable. The seats, whilst not as comfortable as my old Volvo V60, still offer a decent amount of support and comfort and I do not get back ache in the BMW, like I do in some cars. I have the option of Adaptive Suspension in mine, so I am not sure if this has anything to do with the beautiful ride but I would suggest if getting one of these to try and seek out a model that does have the Adaptive Suspension. For comparison, this weekend I drove my friends 2017 Audi A4 Avant 2.0d and I was so glad when I got back into my BMW. The Audi ride was bumpy, on his 19" wheels you could feel every undulation and bump in the road. When I drove the same road in my my car it really was night and day difference. My partner even commented on how nice it was to be back in the BMW with the lovely ride. If you want to go a bit sportier activate sport mode, stiffen up the suspension and get a little better throttle response or leave it in comfort and just drive in supreme comfort. 2. Interior quality on the 5 series is next level. Again, i'm comparing this to my old Volvo and the Audi A4 Avant I just drove. The Audi interior is nice, its well put together and tactile. But compared to the BMW 5 Series you can tell its one or two levels down from the 5 series. The Audi has more plastics, cheaper quality surfaces and although still nice, does not exude that 'Luxury' feel. The BMW does. I mentioned my old boss's Rolls Royce Ghost earlier, back in 2012 I drove my boss's car a lot. No word of a lie, the interior of my 2017 BMW 5 Series feels almost as luxurious as the Rolls. Getting in and out of the 5 Series feels 'special' whereas other cars dont. 3. Looks. There is absolutely no denying the BMW 5 Series is a stunning loooking car, especially M Sport with the 20" wheels and low profile tyres. As I said, go for a model with Adaptive Suspension and it rides beautifully. 4. EV MODE - I'm going to break this down. If you have a home charger and make short journeys or commutes then this car can save you a lot of money, but you do have to factor in the cost of getting a home charger fitted, which is approx £1000. If you do have a home charger then many energy companies have EV tarrifs with very cheap electricity overnight so providing you charge overnight the cost of doing so is minimal. As the video mentions range is dependent on many factors but with the early model like mine do not expect to get more than 20 miles on a full charge. Great for short journeys but not much else. The great thing about the BMW is you can choose which mode to drive in, so if I am making a motorway journey I can choose to charge the battery when driving so it builds up. Or you can leave it in dual mode and it automatically switches between the two for the most efficient driving. Its far more complicated but I wont go into all that here, theres too much to it. THE BAD 1. Charging is a PITA having to faff around with cables and there are times I just wish I had a diesel. 2. Fuel economy. The people at BMW were smoking crack when they came up with the official fuel economy figures for this car. Maybe they were in Unicorn Land running the car on Magic Juice with a magical sprinkling of Fairy dust for good measure. Lets be real, forgetting EV mode, in standard running switching between petrol and EV self charging it averages between 25-30mpg, maybe more on a longer run. If you want ultimate fuel economy go for the diesel. If you want to drive a scarily near-silent vehicle where it's almost impossible to know when the engine cuts in and out, that glides effortlessly and is stupid quick when it wants to be, buy the 530e. 3. Boot size is reduced due to the batteries, if you want loading space you'll need to go for the newer 530e Touring model, but that came out in 2019 I think? 4. Fuel tank is 40% smaller than the standard petrol/diesel cars so you'll be filling up more. It has the effect that you think your car is super thirsty for fuel, but you have to remember the tank is smaller than the standard car so it will need filling more often. The UGLY 1. Battery life is one of the reasons I was hesitant to buy this car and I made several enquiries with BMW garages and technicians prior to buying my car. The batteries are only guaranteed by BMW for six years, but the BMW techs I spoke to from various garages all stated that they were not aware of any 530e's that had come back with any battery faults or to have replacement batteries fitted. Long term this is still an unknown but for now everything is good. 2. Desirability long term is an unknown but these are still selling for good money at dealers so they must be fairly desirable. Try owning a Range Rover right now..... SUMMARY The 530e is a niche vehicle. It won't appeal to everyone, be suitable for everyone or work for everyone. I would encourage anyone looking to buy one to really do your research first to ensure it is the right car for you, and I hope this long a*** post might help with some questions you might have. For me, it is a beautiful car and yes it costs a little bit more to run than the diesel but it is also almost silent and driving it is like, as Stephen Fry once said in an advert for beer 'smoother than a cashmere codpiece'.

[@mobeenkhan2176]

absolute legend, thanks a lot

[@gullible119]

The A4 is not a fair comparison at all

[@elthamlad468]

@@gullible119 I understand an A6 would have been a better comparison, however an A4 is all I had.

[@makstar7062]

I’m considering this vehicle and after reading your post I’ll need to think twice and do extra research before committing. Few things you didn’t mention was servicing/reliability/Cost of Ownership, if you could comment on that it’d be be very insightful. Thanks.

[@elthamlad468]

​@@makstar7062no problem. I've owned the car since around July last year and it has so far been 100% reliable. Servicing was completed prior to buying and according to the digital display is not required for several thousand miles yet. The car will tell you when you need to service it. I've been driving mostly motorway miles this last couple weeks, around 46 miles a day and it's averaging 38-43mpg in hybrid mode. The car has been faultless so far, drives lovely, is comfortable and so quiet it's unreal. That said, all my previous points still stand as to whether it's the car for everyone.

[@ybmb1121]

A friend of mine has a 530e. During the two years he’s owned it he’s done approx 50,000km, 80% of that is driving 1400km round trips on rough and mountainous highways. And it’s also tuned to 400hp on stock hardware. So I guess you can say that G30 530e is reliable.

[@xanny5689]

Can you ask him what tune he got?

[@luciangura]

you can bring it to 320BHP on Stage 1 so i rekon he must have run stage 2 on it @@xanny5689

[@Casshern_Sin]

@@xanny5689 Most likely just a stage-1 within tolerances on stock equipment. Many tuners offer this.

[@thedaveybhoy]

I've owned a 2018 530e for two years now and it's wonderful. Three things are worth a mention though. Firstly, you can't fit two large cases in the boot. There is a bar that runs along the ceiling of the boot space that inhibits a large case (depth-wise) from being pushed as deep into the boot as you would wish. Secondly, a full charge on my car offers anything between 14 and 19 miles. I have never seen anywhere near 28 miles. Finally, you didn't take the trouble to mention the very useful ability to switch between a variety of driving modes. On a longer run, I always switch to battery recharging mode so that when I am back in urban areas I have a full charge again. This will reduce the mpg on a run but is worth doing because it's better to be on electric power as much as possible in traffic.

[@djdad2482]

interesting and useful info..quite liking the 530e idea... not had a petrol car since 2005... !

[@RonaldKools]

I think I've read they increased the battery in 2019.

[@makstar7062]

What kind of MPG were you getting ona run and typically how fast were you driving. Thanks.

[@thedaveybhoy]

@@makstar7062 I'd say 70mph does about 43 miles per gallon.

[@Midnytcowboy]

Am thinking of buying a used 2018 or 2019 530e nothing more than 80k miles. Is it worth buying a 2nd considering the battery has been used. Am not sure how good these batteries are after 4-5 years.

[@TrevorSullivan]

I fully agree with this review. This is the best of both worlds. Run the heat, air conditioner, and radio system without worrying about range anxiety. Using petrol engine with electric drive is truly the best option all around.

[@philhall759]

had mine for 4 yrs now - absolutely love it, fast quiet, comfortable. what's not to like

[@amansur1]

I'm thinking of buying a 2018 model.witb 95k miles and I'm worried the battery is probably going to die any moment. Apparently they only last 3-5 years and the car is 6 years old now. Would you still recommend it? What mpg can I expect with town driving and on motorway without any change? Thank you

[@normanelipsis8392]

Here's an anecdote for you PHEV haters. I drove a 530e from Folkestone to Holyhead last year (that's roughly 380 miles) and averaged about 56mpg - I started with a full tank of petrol (that's 44 liters) and had one third of that left when I got to my destination. This is something that Matt didn't mention in the video, but the trick is to let the car charge the battery using the petrol engine when you're doing steady motorway speeds. This way you can use the EV mode in bumper to bumper traffic, like you'd inevitably get on the M25 and other such places... Yes, while the battery is being charged the fuel consumption will be slightly higher than it normally would be. However, this is more than made up for when you can just let it run in EV mode in heavy traffic. You just have to remember to manually switch it to "Battery Control" mode which charges the battery and then back to "Auto EV". When doing a steady 60-70mph it takes about half an hour to fully charge the battery. So yeah, it can be very economical - especially for a car this size/weight - even if you can't be bothered to charge it from a socket or just aren't able to do that.

[@HighPeakAutos]

Good tips

[@normanelipsis8392]

@@HighPeakAutos Thanks! The car itself does some of that for you, especially if you use the onboard navigation and the car "knows where it's going." But it still basically uses all the battery charge that it has available and then effectively becomes a "mild hybrid." So for best results you probably want to take control of the charging... I suppose this would apply to all PHEVs, not just this 530e

[@amansur1]

I'm thinking of buying a 2018 model.witb 95k miles and I'm worried the battery is probably going to die any moment. Apparently they only last 3-5 years and the car is 6 years old now. Would you still recommend it? What mpg can I expect with town driving and on motorway without any change? Thank you

[@DingKong]

Totally agree about how we are not ready for EVs (which I don't even think are a proper replacement for ICE - but that's a different argument altogether) Everything about this car just appeals to me. The styling (both interior and exterior). The comfort. The punchy performance. The practicality. It's on my radar as a possible next car.

[@oldschoollondoner4674]

In my opinion, this is the best car I have ever seen on this channel.

[@robsawalker]

I have a G20 330e as a company car (like a million other people) and it is absolutely superb, can't fault it. Over the last 20 months I have drive about 50k in it, almost completely long-distance driving too, and my average MPG over the whole time is 71mpg.

[@leefoster8015]

How is your economy on longer trips say 80-100 miles? Do you find yourself activating engine on the motorway as its more efficient at higher speeds?

[@mrmuds8624]

I have to disagree with you from the perspective of "best of both worlds" it's actually worst of both, if you look at it from a cost perspective, they're more expensive than the diesel to buy, 520d for example. If you look at it from a running cost perspective it'll be a lot more expensive than a pure ev as you will have a short range and also considering you need to still service the combustion engine.

[@rayaanshaikh5830]

Maybe in the new market. But in the used market they're similiar prices for similiar spec. The 530e also has fits into the higher writing down allowance percentage so greater tax relief. BIK is less when it is used as a company car in comparison to the 520d. Its also much much faster than a 520d which is actually more comparable to a 520i.

[@Xover112]

Its good only if you can charge it at work for free, otherwise its useless. You lose cargo space, your electric engine can go only 65km and once it is out of charge you are left with silly 2.0 while you spend the same money as it would cost you to buy 3.0d, and obviously repair costs since you will have to maintain both electric engine and petrol one.

[@TC-V8]

You would need to compare it to the 530d - much quicker than the 520d.

[@umarkhatab1700]

Who gives a damn what that alphabet community think, buy a 530d, drive around & make out like those freaks don’t exist.

[@davidoldridge3138]

In the long term PHEVs are a dead end. But currently for some they allow commuting journeys on electric, and the long runs without resorting to the dubious charging network. But like all vehicle choices at the moment, depends entirely on what and how you’re going to use it.

[@TheFatmer]

Was looking at the 330e and 530e - made my mind up to go for the 530e…. Then got a 435d instead. Now that’s a weapon of a car with (so far) 42mpg and much o fun

[@ferdvds]

You hit the nail on the head, we are definitely not ready to move to EVs. Its a bit like the rush to plasma tvs when they first came out, everybody said move even though the picture was worse. EVs have a long way to go before I trade my trusty 535d :-D

[@HighPeakAutos]

100%

[@JW20236]

There is also not enough Cobalt, Copper, Magnesium etc. and other precious metals on earth required to make EVs in the same numbers as Petrol/Diesel cars. It is all a scam.

[@tomsdaddy]

Have you driven one ?

[@ferdvds]

@@tomsdaddy Yup, not a lover of them, expecially the grabby brakes and the recharge time. Don’t like the limited range either. On top of that they are really bad for the environment (the making of the batteries) and take advantage of child labour to mine the materials. EVs being good for the planet is simply propaganda, zero carbon my backside. The average EV has a worse carbon footprint during its manufacture than my diesel car has during its manufacture and its entire lifetime. It is the same farce as the Germans claiming to be green and getting their gas from Russia who are anything but green. How do you save the planet by polluting more? Utter hypocrisy imo 🙄

[@allseeing357]

Have to be honest, I think diesels have received a terrible (and unfair) wrap care of dieselgate - on the most part they still IMHO offer the perfect blend of performance and running costs. I begrudgingly just sold a beautiful 2012 C350 CDi AMG Sport estate (as it wasnt quite big enough for our needs) - the thing was an absolute rocketship and still would turn 40+ mpg if driven half sensibly....just the running costs (to keep one properly maintained) was the only downside

[@tomy5885]

I can’t speak for the 530e, but I briefly had the “pleasure“ of driving a 545e as a company car. I’d always imagined it to be the literal dream of a car guy in modern times: straight 6, some electric commuting range, good combined fuel economy, great looks … only then I had to figure out that the battery came at the expense of the fuel tank - 46l is pathetic! barely gets you from Munich to Frankfurt in one tank.

[@miamitten1123]

545e!? Had no idea that existed! The power in it must be crazy!

[@speak_your_truth.]

Stop at the gas station then, have a coffee and a chill pill.

[@rocus80m]

So siehts aus, das ist auch mein Problem mit dem 530e

[@YourTechGerman]

Can't speak for the 530e but I just bought a 2017 330e and it really is a great car! Very fast but economical when you want it to be. The interior is also a great blend of sporty and luxury, love it. The only draw backs so far are the tiny 40 liter tank as well as the pretty mediocre 27km full electric range. It's plenty for one way to work but not enough for two routes, which would be nice (something I was about to do with my previous car, a mk 7.5 golf GTE with about 40km range).

[@borstijn5014]

If you only get 27 km electric range out of your battery you should let it get checkt up. I get around 35 km electric range on my 320e touring. I meen BMW claims 40-45 km range ( I knop you can nevver get that out of it) but yours is almost half. Think your battery isn’t at his 100% capacity anymore.

[@YourTechGerman]

@@borstijn5014 Yeah, it is 5 years old so some depletion could for sure be there. They only made a hybrid from of the 330e new body, which 320e do you refer to? If its the new version I would really hope you get at least 35km out of it if not more

[@borstijn5014]

@@YourTechGerman bhought the car brand new one year ago so yeah it is the newest version. I dont think they sell the 320e in every country but in Belgium they do. The most full electric range I got out of it was 48 km on 1 charge but i am a very sportief driver Lets say so I get most of the time around 35-37 km out of it.

[@HiruS22]

The battery size in the 330e was increased significantly around 2019, ones before that get around 17 miles. I have the later one which gets 26 miles in the summer. Both reduce by about a third in the winter. If I’m coming back from a, mostly motorway, journey where I haven’t been able to charge, I get mid 40s mpg. In town (without charge) it’s low 20s. Perfect car for me really as I have a 25 mile round trip commute with a weekly return trip of 250-300 miles where I wouldn’t have time to charge. I’ll probably get another one, but id love them to put the bigger battery/motor setup from some of their other models to create a 345e. Id buy one like a shot.

[@deadlydizzle3942]

@@HiruS22 I have a 2021 330e M Sport with the pro pack in white, and coming from a GLE63 which needed £150 a week to get me around, I'd say the 330e is the best all round car I've owned (noise apart). It's just a dream having a car that's relatively quick, very refined and costs a fraction to run on the same roads. On a recent trip from home in Liverpool to London I got a full tank with about £45 (small fuel tank acknowledged) and with a full battery range of 29 miles I had a combined range of 296 miles. I did the 200mile trip to London in hybrid mode with normal driving and most of the journey on cruise, and got to London with the electric battery range depleted but with an estimated 160 miles of fuel range left in petrol. I was able to get back to Liverpool with the same tank of fuel and a top up on charge in London and still had fuel for a couple of days commuting to and from the office, all on a £45 tank of fuel! It's pure heaven on the wallet and still quite enjoyable to drive with its dynamics! I'm looking at a 545e for a quick upgrade in the coming months for the added room.

[@davidbrooks187]

Hybrids are definitely the way forward. I trialled an electric vehicle five years ago when they first come out and it had a range of 83 miles. It was a continual case of range anxiety and there was times when I’d dare not turn on the air-conditioning Because it would reduce the overall range of the car. With a hybrid you have the best of both worlds.

[@Big-Cjl-Chris]

I love the 5 series I have had 2 very reliable, I changed to a X5 3D a good car too with 100 litre tank great range,now have a X5 45e with 53 miles electric range I would say not as economical the 3.0D

[@lewishill87]

Great review as always. Love these videos. Been looking at the 530e recently as well so good timing! Keep up the excellent work and good luck with the new channel too 👍🏼

[@HighPeakAutos]

Thanks! 👍

[@kingsantino4179]

I been looking as well. Only thing is new model is released next year. Will that mean the price of this will drop?

[@mattlawton4715]

@@HighPeakAutos great car great review

[@alanoates525]

Looking at one of these .in auto hybrid ( petrol ,battery combined ) what is the fuel consumption like petrol wise ,and range when used in tandem .my current car is a Nissan fuga hybrid ( non plug in ) 8n uk speak it does 27 mpg in town and about 30 on a trip when it virtually doesn't hybrid .will the 530e better this .I ask this as my wife is also looking at a phev which could lead to infrequent charging on my part .what actual differences do they make power bill wise when a car is charged every day of the week .I apologize in advance if I have bored folk senseless

[@barriemoorcroft534]

My old job had charging stations for staff to charge their car free. My colleague done exactly as mentioned here and drive a 40mile round trip everyday for free.

[@nanchu2224]

Great review! I agree the G30 5 series is a great car. I have the 540i X-Drive and it’s fantastic.

[@filipwennergren2712]

You made me buy a Lexus RX 400h (2008). The best car i’ve ever have. Been through a bunch of Alfas and BMW’s

[@HighPeakAutos]

Nice! I really like those.

[@Gingerharry2011]

I was tempted with one, but I went with a 530d instead, absolutely awesome! Took it on the autobahn, the e could never have done what my car does 😁 mine still regularly gets 50+mpg on a run and I got 62.4mpg when I was in Holland. Diesel still rules I think

[@TonnesWiik]

i would buy the 530d if i hade the cash, but the 530e is much cheaper.

[@hmikey5680]

Did you really get 50+ mpg on a 3ltr 530d?

[@vinlondon8904]

​@@hmikey5680on a motorway run it can achieve that. Sometimes better than 520d.

[@rocus80m]

I would have taken it as well instead of 530e, but 530e is cheaper for me, the 530d would have been cheaper for the company xD

[@Trucking_Tom]

An old colleague of mine got a 330e back in 2020 through work which made sense as he didn't have to pay as much tax if he got a hybrid.. I went in it a couple times and even in that the acceleration shocked me! It just flew.

[@tcaudiobooks737]

0:51 You are a national treasure sir! Love you man, keep shining!

[@HighPeakAutos]

Haha thank you

[@JonAkdogan]

I have one for 1 and half years, and solar panels as well. Haven't paid a penny on petrol within the city. Even on long trips it doesn't consume that much, because it has all the benefits of an hybrid car. Economy aside, it's an amazing car.

[@Czechbound]

Hybrid seems the most sensible to me. Electric for commuting/ getting the messages bought. Then petrol for when you run out of battery. Charge it at home and away you go. Not sure if you mean the petrol range is 50% of a non-hybrid due to being less efficient ( with the extra electric gizmos' weight, or just that the petrol tank is smaller ). And those seats look fantastic.

[@HighPeakAutos]

That's my thought too

[@williamfence566]

Totally agree. EV's aren't the problem it's the infrastructure that causes the range anxiety. Keeping my Hybrid for many more years

[@deadlydizzle3942]

I have a 2021 330e M Sport with the pro pack in white, and coming from a GLE63 which needed £150 a week to get me around, I'd say the 330e is the best all round car I've owned (noise apart). It's just a dream having a car that's relatively quick, very refined and costs a fraction to run on the same roads. On a recent trip from home in Liverpool to London I got a full tank with about £45 (small fuel tank acknowledged) and with a full battery range of 29 miles I had a combined range of 296 miles. I did the 200mile trip to London in hybrid mode with normal driving and most of the journey on cruise, and got to London with the electric battery range depleted but with an estimated 160 miles of fuel range left in petrol. I was able to get back to Liverpool with the same tank of fuel and a top up on charge in London and still had fuel for a couple of days commuting to and from the office, all on a £45 tank of fuel! It's pure heaven on the wallet and still quite enjoyable to drive with its dynamics! I'm looking at a 545e for a quick upgrade in the coming months for the added room.

[@JK-vn3oh]

I had a 330e for 3 years and found the range woeful in the winter. It was the older model which had a claimed range of around 20 miles but couldn’t get 10 miles in winter. I’ve now got an mg5 full ev and enjoy the savings however if I had the cash would jump at a 530e.

[@TC-V8]

I drove the 330e for a few months recently and agree the battery range is poor. The later 330e is much better I that regard. Was a nice car though i found the ride truly terrible - it had 19's and m sport suspension which on most of our roads in the uk is not good! On the occasional nice road it was a very nice drive.

[@Jaymac44]

Wow ironically im making the same change from an MG5 to a 530e

[@lesvassallo5760]

Great review of the 530e. 3 months ago I bought a 2018 330e. I performance. After 3 months I'd agree that its all the car I need. It's comfortable it's quick. I'm travelling into work on electric, and I'm charging the car everyday. I'd have liked the 530e finding the right car and in budget I finally opted to the 330e Might be interesting to hear your views on the 330e

[@gileshalliwell3591]

Before I got a Tesla model 3, range was all I worried about when thinking of an EV but having done 20000 miles in mine since March I’ve never once worried about it! Great review…

[@ryanhall9347]

really ugly looking car

[@gileshalliwell3591]

@@ryanhall9347 Of Course all designs are subjective and you’re entitled to that opinion. I think some aspects work well some not but it is, objectively a much more efficient car that any of the equivalent competitors (BMW included) and that’s before you factor in the charging network!

[@Populas007]

Changing from an Hyundai IONIQ electric 181 miles overnight charge about £5 to this BMW 2021 version.. Only for the next 12months but can’t wait.

[@Boris-xx7dw]

I could never see the purpose of a hybrids until I realised 99% of people do a lot less than 30 miles to work and back and Even other trips are prob even less . The next Cayenne I buy will be the hybrid. Great review as always 👍

[@Brian-om2hh]

Be careful. A hybrid and a plug-in hybrid are two different things. A standard hybrid ( Prius etc) will not and cannot exceed 30 mph without the engine kicking in. They can't usually travel more than a mile or two on battery alone. A plug-in hybrid will cover distances of 20 to 30 miles on battery alone, and will also run at motorway speeds on battery. But to get the best out of a plug-in, you have to charge the battery at every opportunity.......

[@E3XEN]

they/them won't be able to hear you coming. absolute gold.

[@mattburford2035]

I have been in a 530e for the last 2.5 years awesome car

[@amansur1]

I'm thinking of buying a 2018 model.witb 95k miles and I'm worried the battery is probably going to die any moment. Apparently they only last 3-5 years and the car is 6 years old now. Would you still recommend it? What mpg can I expect with town driving and on motorway without any change? Thank you

[@umutgokcay]

i have mine 2017 with 60k miles on it. I am pretty much happy with it so far. Damn silent really. which I love. no more diesel gırgırgırgırrr

[@danielelliot7840]

I had one at work for a couple of years, 2019 model. And I have to say it was an excellent car especially for central London. Only problem with it for me is that it was just a bit bland. Didn’t get excited when I drove it. But apart from that it ticked pretty much every box.

[@minityper]

Had the same, perfect car on one side. But to plain in the other side. Drove well though.

[@markwalker2986]

That's a great car. I really like hybreds! I sold my saab 9-3 convertible diesel and bought a Lexus rc300h self charging hybrid! It's packed full of technology and looks amazing. Great video.

[@cooltools007]

I think they are awesome, we had one on a company lease basis, and if you got your charge points sorted,..it's a really great way to go, had the full package in white and what a motor and a battery,

[@tormodnordskog7702]

I have had the same car myself, very happy with the car, but the battery capacity is low, had this for 3 years and no problems whatsoever.

[@HighPeakAutos]

Pleased to hear it

[@jamesmaginn2003]

530e has 5 HV battery cells, each costing around £1200-£1300. Consider this if you're buying one of the early models (9kw/h). The petrol engine in these cars is as economical as an M3 with half the performance. I got rid of mine after a year and got a 530d instead.

[@benpenagonzales6014]

Really like the upgraded seats the leather and that the back rest folds too. If you live near a city its a v safe option. And the 5 series is just simply awesome

[@johnnicolson467]

A Mercedes E220d will do 56mpg in town and its ok in all city's in the UK with no battery's to worry about.

[@themackemgamer1]

Bought one of these after watching this and a lot of other reviews 😅 Able to charge at work for free so works out good for myself! Think most people would be better suited to the diesel, however. Overall a great car and much cheaper to run than my X4!

[@amato5232]

Not sure about the future proofing given the eventual battery degradation. biggest problem for the future is the people making the decisions. ULEZ is pushing cars out of the market long before their natural time. I wouldn't call either of my cars particularly old, 13' 1 series, and 14' Q5, but both are not welcome in the cities. The video you did on estates was the perfect example, pretty much anything interesting is not compliant. Great video as usual Matt

[@jamesa5980]

Spot on review. I had a 2017 530e MSport. Ran it for 4 years and loved it, supremely comfortable and looked great in blue with blue leather seats. Slightly worried it looked like double denim but still think it’s the best colour combination. Works if your daily commute is less than say 25 miles between charges. I would say cold winter months hampers the range. If your daily commute between charges is much more than 50 miles start to do the maths. For me though as a company car it made sense also from the BIK tax perspective. Now have an Volvo XC40 fully electric which is quicker in a straight line but choppier to drive as it seems to bounce around on the black stuff.

[@timfagan816]

Ohhhhhhhh 😬😬😬 double denim. Always reminds me of Tony tucker, from 'rise of the foot soldier' 🤣🤣🤣

[@iR3DEMPTIONi]

for me, i have always hated plug in hybrids over normal self charging hybrids. For me, i cant charge at home because my parking for my flat is too far from any plug so cant charge at home, and charging at work would be a massive hassle as again i cant park near enough to work to charge, which i would have to do every day. So i would have to try and charge at a super market or petrol station, as well as filling up the petrol tank anyways. To me if i can charge at home i would go full EV, and if i have to fill up at a petrol station then go for a self charging hybrid for the low running costs and for the planet saving people. Long comment and i will get hate, but that's my thoughts, i drive a CT200h for reference.

[@nordic1121]

I have a 530e and have owned it for 18 months, it ticks all the boxes in terms of comfort , ride , affordability etc. I drive on what’s going to be a smart motorway and thought I have run flat tyres a electric motor and a petrol engine, so yes it does tick all the boxes.

[@badboi4lyff]

what mpg do you get with yours Nordic? I'm surprised he said the cars getting 40mpg on the petrol engine, mines more like 22mpg.

[@nordic1121]

@@badboi4lyff to be honest I mainly run on electric as most of my journeys are around 20 miles each way and I charge back up at each end so the engine only gets used on long journeys, I think when Matt said 40 mpg that wouldn’t be around town,

[@Billythebubble]

184bhp Plus electric motor =242bhp then 0-62 in 6.1seconds, small 42 litre petrol tank. I owned one for 3 years from new £49k (68 plate) dropping to £23k trade-in. It’s an absolutely beautiful car with that awesome 8 speed gearbox and don’t forget quadrilateral exhaust pipes. Put your foot down and hear nothing on full electric or boot it to kick in the petrol engine to hear a great sound from your exhaust. Fuel economy on regular charging is anything from 350 to 500 miles using full tank of petrol and electric or travel 11-22 miles on all electric depending on time of year. Having used mine daily and clocked up 30K during the pandemic, my mileage was greatly reduced but use of electric added for cheap motoring until recent energy increases. Then I moved to full electric dumping my combustion engine and now back to diesel to crunch those miles and forget about waiting for Tesla’s to charge. Only fault was transmission issues (twice at 8K and 16k) and one shock absorber replaced. All covered by warranty thank goodness. Make sure you get a good warranty with full service history and decent or low mileage avoiding thrashed versions.

[@pprreejj]

£25k cost (8.3k a year) over three years?! That's a lot

[@TheGalifrey]

Had 125mpg out of a 330E, great car, if you Maximise the downhill charging and coast where you can you can get some great MPG out of them!

[@ukcarver]

I have a 2022 530e and it’s wonderful, I’ve done a few 300 mile trips but mostly local and I know I’m over 100 mpg, not put petrol in since June and then only £30. But you have to drive it properly and not driving it like an F1 driver.

[@Smith-90]

My favourite car I've owned so far!!

[@guinnessharvey4476]

What I love the most is you didn’t feel the need to explain how far Romiley to Buxton is for people down south or abroad. Let them google it if they’re interested:)

[@HighPeakAutos]

😂 yes exactly

[@DiscoFang]

Yes nothing like giving an audience incomplete information while trying to describe a point. Matt's next video will be 30 seconds long telling everyone that there's no need to explain how the cars drives and anyone who hasn't driven one themselves can go google it if interested. Smug level be off the scale then.

[@Indecisive7337]

Well I had to watch your BMW 5 reviews again and your right, the 530e is better then the 530d in this current climate. All you need to do now is to do a comparison review between the 530e and the 330e :-) Many thanks for all your reviews, your are always very interesting especially for those of us unable to buy new.

[@kevincroft9848]

Yes I do like this 530E you have converted me to get one .Nice and stylish comfortable nice to drive on a long distance lovely colour I just love and would buy one but only from you Kevin

[@bobibest89]

Call me old fashioned but the perfect BMW has a straight 6, manual gearbox and tight suspension. Anyway... This model looks great. The design is flawless.

[@HighPeakAutos]

I would agree with you. I'm old fashioned like that too

[@dpfghela]

I found the 530e comprised. The battery typically gave between 14-21 miles with a 3-4 hours charge time. The petrol was good for about 250-300miles from full. When you add home charging and petrol costs it’s on par with a normal 2.0 petrol and below any of the diesels. That being said, the comfort, tech, build quality and dynamics were very, very good!!! Personally… I’d opt for a newer euro 6/7 diesel. It’ll embarrass the 530e.

[@rocus80m]

I completely understand your perspective. I also drive a 530e as my company car, and I must admit, it feels like there's a hole in the fuel tank whenever I accelerate on the highway. The fuel consumption is astoundingly high, which is quite a contrast compared to my previous 420d. That car managed to maintain a fuel consumption of 6-7 liters even at higher speeds. My frequent business trips from Frankfurt to Munich were a breeze with the diesel - I could easily make the round trip without needing to refuel. However, with the 530e, it's a whole different story. The combination of its small 46-liter tank and its excessive fuel consumption on the autobahn is incredibly frustrating.

[@rocus80m]

However, if you often drive short distances and consistently charge the car every 3-4 hours, then of course it might make sense. Nevertheless, the car weighs 2 tons, and you have to get it moving first :)) I'll leave out comfort and such, as the car was listed at well over 85,000 EUR and has many great features.

[@mikebartlett723]

I had a 330e and it was brilliant. I wasn't motorway travelling for a year and in that year I barely used any petrol. Had to give it back when I moved jobs so I got a trusty 520d for motorway pounding. I miss the s silent and effortless torque of the 330e

[@rotteneffekt4416]

Batteries over the rear wheels is a godsend for people with slippery conditions during winter.

[@Tuffluk]

In a 68 reg car my son struggled to get 15 miles on electric commuting in traffic. One cold winter morning he registered 1 mile completed reversing out of his garage. He loves the car but the mileage figures are all over the place

[@willhj7705]

I've been looking at a 330e/ 530e recently as it makes a lot of sense. The thing holding me back was the warranty of the batteries only covering 60,000 miles. With the cost of cell replacements at the moment if a few of them go it can write off the vehicle. That's probably very unlikely, but I'd feel a lot less sanctimonious if I spent 20K on a 330E and 5 years later it was worth scratch!

[@bck0001]

It’s a valid concern…I’ve read of some hybrid system problems with these, battery and other components. Not sure about the UK but I assume it’s similar to here in the US where you can find someone to replace the failed cells and rebalance the battery (forget the BMW dealer at that point).

[@louisvl10]

My last phev did 240K km before I sold it. The battery's range lowers slowly, not by a lot, but the hybrid system keeps doing it's job. Never had big costs but I drive like a grandpa.

[@athollmcnicoll1028]

Nice car Matt and I'd love to drive one but space is a premium as I have already pointed out several times in my car-park so for now I'll stick to what I know and have paid for - Fiesta.

[@tomaspiscicelli3288]

Personally I prefer the Audi A6 55 TFSIe, it has more power and, in my opinion, looks better. Even the 50 TFSIe has more power and is cheaper than the 55

[@AJCalabria1]

I've been looking at a few used 530e models in the U.S. You just sold me on buying one. The only thing I am disappointed with is that we are "left hand drive" in the U.S. and "right hand drive" seems so much more natural to me. I guess I have to move to the U.K. (or Australia). 🙂

[@iancoggin6126]

I’m so slow on the up take I’ve watched so many Matt Tubes never knew there was one on my car. 2018 530e had it from new and done 115k miles it still works exactly as it did the day I bought it. The 530e is my fifth 5 series and without doubt the best. Yes it will fail but ultimately it’s money well spent.

[@martino9134]

My Sales Director has a 530e - he's hardly never plugged it in in 3 yrs ..it's self chargin' innit .. I've driven EV's since 2016, moved from an A3 2ltrD sport. the latest . A 20plate kia has a 280-300 mile range and I always start off with a full tank so to speak so no sweaty palms. ( I'm no Evangelist, I prefer the drive and its tax/ cash beneficial) My misses drives a BMW 225Xe which has a 3pot 1.5 mini engine with an electric motor on the Rear axle. Both my and my wife's 2 series both suit our driving needs and range . Though servicing a PHEV is way more than just an EV.

[@NaNa-wj8tw]

It won't be a 'no brainier' picking up the service and repair costs on a ultra hitec BMW Matt, come on!

[@GM-mk3ep]

I saw a Harry’s Garage tweet yesterday, where he said, he was talking to a high up in a dealership. The dealership guy said people are turning back to diesel, bc of all the uncertainty going on, the cost of electricity & the vat for business users on company cars…

[@MrWrightWay]

Ok that Diesel JOKE was freaking genius

[@howardlake6178]

I do think, these are the way forward. Possibly for the next 10 years. Like you say Diesel is now a very dirty word. EVs….long term battery problems, possibly worthless after a decade. And with electricity prices going up so much, they will cost more to run than a piston engined car that will do 35mpg. Another great video 😀

[@Brian-om2hh]

Why worthless after a decade Howard? There are EV specialists here in the UK who can refurbish an older EV battery pack. The last EV battery refurb video I watched on KZbin was of a 10 year old UK owned Nissan Leaf. That battery refurb cost the owner £500. He drove away happy enough. My Kia eNiro costs me around 3 to 4p per mile to run now, after the 3.5p per kwh price increase on my off-peak EV charge tariff. I can still cover 1000 miles for way less than £40, even at 12p per kwh. I have no idea where you get the idea an EV costs the same to run as a 35mpg ICE car....... Sure, public charging costs much more, but stats show only 18% of EV owners rely on it completely. Most charge at home...... Last March was the last time I used a public charger...

[@hertzranks]

That’s my car colour, Wheels, it’s the best car for that price and handling perfect 😊

[@johncoote5134]

I3 Rex - 140 miles electric - 100 miles on the petrol back up - it’s the 530e in reverse….. but I like your car

[@markdance574]

It’s criminally insane that Matt isn’t on main stream tv ! Him and Rory @ autotrader would be a dream team tv show - the only car better than a 5 series was the 6 series gran coupe . This 5 series does look good , just never seen an estate version of this car which is annoying - did they make one ?

[@leetaylor7145]

They/them won’t be able to hear you coming 😂😂😂 The video is worth a like just for that.

[@andymartin86]

I had one from new on a 69 plate. It had the larger 12kWh battery and the later iDrive 7 with full LCD dash. It was a fantastic car. Its a shame it didn’t have more range (32 approx). It was quiet, quick and reasonably good on fuel on a run. The sound system was one of the worst I’ve ever heard and had better in a Ford. No bass at all, and just all round poor. Boot space was poor. Build quality was good but didn’t feel as solid as older models. I bought it for tax reasons but had it been a private buy then it would have been a 530D. I can imagine that being almost perfect.

[@Conservator.]

The Bowers & Wilkins sound system is absolutely fantastic but you could buy another car for the money. I don’t know but assume that the Harman Kardon system is good as well and it’s much more affordable.

[@andymartin86]

@@Conservator. I have a Tesla M3 LR now, polar opposite from a build quality POV but wow, the sound system is mind blowingly good

[@Conservator.]

@@andymartin86 Thanks. Did you have the standard BMW sound system in the 530e? I’m just curious. Tesla is extremely good at some things but also quite bad at some others. Very interesting cars though.

[@andymartin86]

@@Conservator. Yes. Instead of Harmon Kardon I specced it with folding dimming mirrors, privacy glass, sunroof and wood trim. I didn’t want 20” wheels so didn’t get the plus pack. I’d come from an F30 whose standard system was pleasant enough so I expected something equal or better, but this one was awful. It needed tweeters and a subwoofer so badly. It was a constant regret through the entire 3 year ownership.

[@ahyaan2552]

@@andymartin86 the harmon kardon i would say is as good as tesla's one with slightly more bass, but the tesla has clearer vocals

[@MichaelHay447]

545e With the 3.0l petrol looks great! Xdrive too. Not many around as of yet though! Great review.

[@HighPeakAutos]

Yeah I agree. Never had one of those

[@bcfairlie1]

Actually I agree with you Matt. This is a good model.

[@zzhughesd]

Right. That answers that then. It’s like a range extender i3 as a 5 mid large exec saloon which can do 29 on electric and then fuel up long distance. Get it. Decent motoring

[@santana9537]

Always loved the 5 series but if I was going hybrid it would have to be the 545e over any hybrid/electric car on the market Slightly more useful for those emergency trips at midnight to and from Gatwick airport

[@lw2978]

Matt, these cars have the most complex drivetrain of any on the road, with loads more parts, including a dual mass flywheel amongst many other components. Still a great car though!

[@danielarmes707]

I came to look at this today (Sunday). After phoning and confirming I'd be there before your man left, we saw him running from the garage to make sure he avoided us no doubt. Wish he'd just said make it another time. A bit frustrating. Anyway, keep up the great videos, might try visiting again next week.

[@HighPeakAutos]

Sorry to hear this. Our colleague was called away to a breakdown. Please call us on 01614942444. Cheers

[@alanbayley3255]

Quite convincing but on balance I opted for the 530i, just for the pure simplicity of it. Lugging a flat battery around on a long journey does't suit me, plus I easily achieve 52mph on motorways and 42mph on mixed roads which I think is incredible for a 250 bhp large quick petrol car.

[@migbass]

superbly presented review as usual , thanks for the informative video

[@HighPeakAutos]

Glad you liked it

[@rouman7]

I’ve just bought A 420m sport BMW. 2020 from a bmw dealer it’s a nice car looks good drives well , nice interior .. I wanted a comfortable car that my wife could drive. , I looked at the 5 series. But I wanted to try the 4 series .. I’ve had a few 5s before …only bought it on sat so still new to me but so far I am enjoying it

[@HighPeakAutos]

Good choice! Coupe, convertible or Gran Coupe?

[@jimrowe4177]

I just spent $6300 replacing 6 cell monitoring circuits, safety box, and csc/communicationswiring for my 2018 530e with just 46,000 miles on it. Insanely expensive to fix.

[@Ian-ij4of]

I bought back in 2018 a new G31 Msport 530d, cracking car and quite quick, and being the estate quite useful too, after 2.5 years of ownership I sold it privately and bought a new S class ....8 months later I sold it...I think that says it all....I looked at the G30 saloon hybrid like this one here, on specification it was slower, weighed more and in my opinion it was not as nimble as the G31 which was lighter and quicker. SN68NZJ was the number plate on my old one....wonder who has it now...personally I wouldn't touch the E version ....I remember it had a dreadfully battery range if you drove solely on the battery. IMHO your better off with either petrol or diesel...anybody notice if go along with what he says you get a love heart ♥... if you don't agree you get FA...funny...and I've just bought for 300 quid, I've never seen it and know nothing about it...but it sounds promising lol ....those crack me up ....especially when they're off to the scrap yard 10 minutes into the video lol....

[@banditt659]

Great review Matt! Would love to see a GS450h review from you, sold mine recently and miss it every day

[@HighPeakAutos]

They're great cars. I need to get one on the channel

[@slimtimothy1]

​@@HighPeakAutos yes would love u to review a GS450H. They are so quick and reliable

[@datannkk]

@@HighPeakAutos I can email you if you'd like to try mine. 2015 GS450h premier. Fantastic car although I just wish there was an estate version

[@devlinracing3553]

I think these hybrids are a real niche fit for a small sector of drivers. I do 800 miles Mon to Fri commuting and another 200 miles over the weekend. I will stick to a diesel XF Jag for this year, I don’t have any range anxiety with that when it’s empty I fill it up at the closest service station😀 I always buy a 4 or 5 year old car with a good chunk of the depreciation knocked out of it drive it a year, add another 40000 miles and trade it in. I can see the advantage for full electric as a company car though especially with the low company car tax, no doubt that’s the future for us all.

[@helldogbe4077]

Even the MB e300de doesn't seem to get better MPG on a run than the e220/e250d. The extra complexity and cost of battery replacement doesn't make sense in the total running cost. The only reason for these is the low BIK if you're doing big miles?

[@helldogbe4077]

@@CandyMan2001 Exactly, if I had to change now (from a 530d) I'd go for an e400d and wait one more generation of EV's while battery tech and charging services mature.

[@helldogbe4077]

@@CandyMan2001 I'd pay for the extra fuel on a V8 over the depreciation of a 4-cylinder plug-in hybrid any day of the week!

[@jp6975]

1000 miles a week!!! Wow!!! I used to like driving, 15 years ago, but now I hate it. Even the 60 miles a week I do I hate!

[@jamiefarrell4425]

I love my 330e, amazing car! It’s convinced me to order an i4 edrive40 M Sport Pro.

[@zzhughesd]

Finally a car I know nothing about E-530

[@XzzVttll]

you should use petrol on high way and EV in the city... fantastic car... just a dream

[@allseeing357]

Fine as a company car care of the low BIK, or I suppose as a used buy for someone doing a lot of A to B where they can primarily run it on electric (though charging isnt getting any cheaper at the moment). Otherwise when its out of juice you have a ridiculously heavy (probably not so dynamic) 520i. Again get it as a company vehicle but otherwise a 520d (and defintely a 530d) is a better option. In fact id probably put up with the poorer MPG and just get a 540i if I was in the market for one, the performance and noise trumps them all

[@jamesfraser1622]

I agree it’s far too early for fully electric. There’s still a lack of charging stations and the range of even 2 electric motors in a car is pitiful in real world scenarios imo

[@Brian-om2hh]

A *lack* of charging stations? There are already *three* times as many public charging connections as there are petrol stations! With a further 30'000 being installed in 2022 alone...... Electric motors don't have range James. The battery provides the range.....

[@WyreForestBiker]

Great video Matt, small point but you did say you could commute 25mile and back for free ... I hear this type of thing casually mentioned all the time and of course it costs MONEY to charge an EV ! I know it's being pedantic but it's the same as saying EV's are zero carbon ...also nonsense, zero LOCAL carbon maybe but not in any way zero carbon.

[@CatBroiler]

When my dad was looking for a new car a few months ago, I got him to get a C350e estate, which is also a 2l plug-in. It's perfect for him really, enough electric range to go to the shops and back (and can go on longer trips which he does a few times a year without range anxiety), he has solar panels so he can charge the car for free, found him a 65 plate that's road tax free, it's far more luxurious than his old Rav4 hybrid (especially since that C350e has almost as much money in options as the base price of the car, it had every option in the pricelist except for the HUD when I checked), it'll do 50 mpg in normal hybrid driving, and it has enough space to carry his things when he goes to his allotment (though the boot floor is a bit high). He gets to feel like he's driving the future without the astronomical cost, or any of the other EV disadvantages. These plug-ins are very good if your lifestyle suits them.

[@kevincroft9848]

Nice car this 530 e you do get the best of both worlds buying this car very smooth very stylish car Yes Matt I would seriously think of buying one of these cars Thanks for the video Matt Kevin

[@DaleSteel]

Once you've used all the battery it'll then run in hybrid mode. Just around town I've been getting at least 38mpg (without using battery at all). When I use the battery for my local runs I never put petrol in. I prefer driving on electric because it cost pennies. It's also very very fast

[@wallace-bv4rl]

Enjoyed this and interested by your comment near the close about “future proofing” love to hear more options 👍

[@Conservator.]

4:49 ‘I’ve just been overtaken by a Fiat 500 which is quite embarrassing’ 😁

[@devenair681]

Totally agree with your assessment of the EV push which you may have to do when the battery runs out. 🙂 Hybrids make much more sense than a pure EV. Try the new Nissan ePower Qashqai. Very smooth too and no range anxiety either. Not in the BMW league maybe but a very nice drive. 👍🙂

[@Brian-om2hh]

Hybrids won't make much sense once oil runs dry though, will they?