BMW 330e

It only has a four cylinder engine, that's a reason not to buy one over the 330d. In the real world I bet the 330d will do more mpg for most drivers. I'm also sceptical that for long distance drivers it will be any more economical than the 330i (which also sadly has only a piddly little four cylinder engine these days).

That said, if it was well priced, it is a credible alternative to the 320d for low mileage buyers. For low mileage and mostly urban motorists, this car could work, especially for people who do short distance driving - they should be able to get very good mpg (though of course I wouldn't expect them to get 140 odd mpg as claimed).

What is the price of a 330e? I had a look on BMW's site and the model isn't listed (or at least I couldn't find it).

The 330d is the model to go for in the 3 series, sensible motor tax (only €270 a year), a proper silky smooth six cylinder engine and a shedload of performance. It's not expensive at all for the performance (and engine) you're getting, the premium they charge for the 530d over a 520d is a heck of a lot higher than the one charged for a 330d over a 320d.

carsfan wrote: »

Its on the January 2016 price list pdf on the website not on the configurator yet.from memory price ranges from about 41k for se up to 45 for m sport.

Finally managed to track it down!

I think I'm going to have to eat my words somewhat about it not rating besides a 330d, €45k for an M Sport is an absolute steal! A 318d M Sport auto (and I'm sorry but if you're buying a diesel then it simply has to be automatic) is almost €4,000 dearer but only has 148 bhp to this car's 248 bhp. A 330d M Sport is almost €12k dearer than a 330e M Sport, that's a LOT of money for the same model just different engine, though a 330d is a fair bit faster than a 330e. On the petrol side of things a 330e is a fraction cheaper than even a 320i with a manual gearbox is about €7,000 cheaper than a 330i.

If you were interested in the SE model, then it gets better, because a 330e SE is actually cheaper than even the 316d SE automatic!

At those prices there's an awful lot to like about it, assuming it drives as well (or almost as well) as the standard car, the thing about plug in hybrids is they tend to be very heavy so it's likely that the car doesn't handle or ride as well as the standard 330i or 330d.

Four cylinder engine or not, it deserves serious consideration for anyone buying a 3 series, you're getting something with a lot more power than a conventional petrol or diesel 3 series for the same money and lower car tax, and if you use it right, far better mpg also. Plus, it may not be a six cylinder but it's still going to be far more refined than a 320d or other four pot diesel.

It's something of a bargain at those prices and the €170 motor tax will ensure plenty of demand for it second-hand also. It will be fascinating to see how many people buy it, it could sell very well at those prices even in conservative Ireland, you'd have to assume people spending over €40k on their new car are more clued in than the average buyer who just wants whatever has the lowest list price and ticks the relevant low car tax and diesel boxes.

carsfan wrote: »

On paper it looks like a good buy compared to regular 3 series but I would like to drive it to see what the real world experience is.
I wouldn't expect it to be as good as a 330d but it is substantially cheaper.

I've no doubt it's not as good as a 330d, the six cylinder engine makes a huge difference plus the 330e is very heavy (1735 kg unladen vs 1525 kg for a 320d auto and even the 330d auto is 1615 kg) and thus may not quite be the 'Ultimate Driving Machine' to drive either, however the €12k saving simply cannot be ignored. The 330d is definitely better but I wonder if it's €12k better? Probably not I suspect . I'd certainly take the 330e over any of the four cylinder diesels in the range, sure it's cheaper than an equivalent 316d automatic and that only has 114 bhp! I think I'd have it over the petrols as well, well I'm certainly not going to buy a 3 series with a three cylinder engine while the 330e is actually slightly cheaper than even a manual 320i and a lot cheaper than the 330i. The 340i is definitely the best 3 series petrol (only non-M model with a straight six) but sadly it doesn't make sense in a country like Ireland.

mickdw wrote: »

Tempting option to be honest.
Any 5 series version? So much nicer than the typical 20d
Im stunned at the pricing of that.
Maybe now is the time. Government grants and no serious taxes on electricity yet.

No, but I would expect there will be when the G30 comes out at the end of the year.

Worth noting that the X5 xDrive40e is cheaper than the X5 xDrive25d, and only a small bit more expensive than the sDrive25d M Sport (due to the quirks of our VRT system, the sDrive25d SE is a lot cheaper than any other model as it is in VRT band B, whereas the sDrive25d M Sport and all xDrive25ds are in band C).

Compared to an xDrive40d the xDrive40e is almost €15k cheaper, and even compared to the xDrive30d, it is about €10k cheaper.

carsfan wrote: »

VRT really is a curse alright and skews the prices when one model jumps into the next band. Can't see it changing anytime soon however.
The rebates on the 330e however are what make it a bargain(relative I know still a 40k+ car) but I wonder about resale in a few years.
Will the tech be old hat by then or will plug in hybrids be the norm by then and so more common?

I'm just doing some quick sums. I'm doing about 1000 miles per month on petrol, short runs mostly. I figure if I could get 20 miles each day on EV only, that would wipe out over half my current petrol costs with an esb cost of only 22 quid per month.
The problem with that Is I wouldnt get anywhere on EV only as I'm pretty sure I would be calling on engine and battery for performance most of the time.
It would need an extended test drive to see if it's a runner tbh.

While the price looks great and the headline figures for 0-60 look equally as impressive I would imagine the extra 200 kgs or so of weight would make a big difference to driving dynamics.
Another big issue I see is that the vast majority of 3 series drivers are company car drivers and have little or no interest in fuel economy figures as we don't pay for our petrol or diesel. Another negative is three hours recharge time and a max range well short of a regular 3 series.
I drive a 520D company car and it's a nice place to sit but it's dull as dishwater so I'm looking for something a bit more fun and faster so when I saw the price of the 330e and the performance figures I was very interested but after 10 minutes research I've lost interest again.

This is an interesting car indeed. The OTR price is basically €52,000 for the M-Sport model, the SEAI grant and VRT relief bring it down to €45,000.

This kind of car would actually suit me perfectly, my average trip is probably 5-10 miles tops and I waste about €60 a week on frig all miles; I could eliminate fuel bills completely.

I'd have €5000 a year in saved fuel and tax to stick towards repayments, certainly an option.

Voodoomelon wrote: »

I'm down at the dealer on Wednesday, gonna make some inquiries. I specced one up there to the €53k mark and its a very tasty vehicle. Dunno if I could live with the size of a 3, but they're bigger than ever these days.

How did you spec it up? I can see it in the price list but not the configurator.

Just did the maths one one.

Specced up to €51,000 OTR.

- Deposit of €15,240.
- 36 monthly payments of €470 (which turn into €54 payments when you consider my current €5000 tax and fuel bill)
- Trade up after 3 years for a new model or different model entirely
- Or €22,000 takes it home

I'd be charging at work and yes, assuming zero petrol. Can't see it being more than a few hundred for petrol to be honest, per year.

Can also knock off a further €1000 a year for tyres, servicing and NCTing my current yoke.

AND way cheaper insurance, probably €500 a year less.

Well I suppose I can't comment on the petrol usage as I haven't lived with one yet. But 90% of my annual mileage takes place within a 5 mile radius and i'd only do 100-150 miles a week. A daily charge would have me running petrol free nearly all year round.

Plus, my driving is about to come less again when I move house, i'll be less than 2 miles from work.

That's good news about the handling. Apparently adaptive dampers aren't an option which makes sense somewhat considering the weight.

Your figures with a gfv of 22000 seems dodgy to me. Is this from bmw or a guess? I'd be thinking it might be nearer 18k.
In my case, I'd be thinking of a more basic m sport with about 13k to 14k deposit leaving a payment of about 450 per month with the lower gfv.
If it halved my petrol bill, it would be a very affordable car.

mickdw wrote: »

Your figures with a gfv of 22000 seems dodgy to me. Is this from bmw or a guess? I'd be thinking it might be nearer 18k.
In my case, I'd be thinking of a more basic m sport with about 13k to 14k deposit leaving a payment of about 450 per month with the lower gfv.
If it halved my petrol bill, it would be a very affordable car.

Yes it's something of a guess, I based the repayments on a 520d touring which would have the same list price and hopefully the same 3.9% rate. So i'd imagine the GFV of a 330e would be a touch lower alright.

Thanks for that. Shame there's still no options pricing yet, not much more I can ask at the dealers on Wednesday so.

Went into Frank Keane's today for an aircon recharge and sat down with a rep for half an hour regarding the 330e very helpful.

How many inquiries have they had over the 330e? Zero.

Anyways, here is a very well specced 330e so as to get a look at the options prices.



The VRT reduces the options by a decent amount.

For example, here are some comparisons to a 320i M-Sport:

M Sport Plus package:
330e: €2759 - 320i: €2944

Tanzanite Blue:
330e: €1925 - 320i: €2029

Media package - Professional Plus:
330e: €2087 - 320i: €2201

Interior comfort package:
330e: €869 - 320i: €1104

Electric Glass Sunroof:
330e: €1235 - 320i: €1302

Comfort Access:
330e: €681 - 320i: €720

Elec Fr Seats + Driver Memory:
330e: €1304 - 320i: €1375

No details on PCP yet or GFV as they don't have figures yet, but he has sent off to request for me. 3.9% is to the end of the first quarter (March), they never know what the rate is beyond a quarter at a time.

Delivery is about 2 months, stick an Individual option in there like the paint and it can bump it to 3 months.

Price excludes the €7500 grant. You stick the deposit down, the purchase order goes off for grant approval, comes back to BMW then and they give the green light to build. You never pay the €7500 at any stage.

I have to say it does interest me a lot. They had a 320 Sport in the showroom and I was surprised how much room there was, along with the quality. The 3 has really grown up in the last 10 years. That said, nearly all the models in there bar the 7 seemed to have cheap leather, its no where near as nice as the leather I have right now.

He reckons it will have decent value at the end of the 3 years, but sure they're probably the last ones to be listening to. That said, a well specced 330e might be few and far between in 3 years time so , it might do well. It's hard to know.

He was curious by my interest in it as no one had asked, said I seemed to know more about it than he did. Didn't try and steer me one way or the other, I think he saw straight away I had no interest in a diesel.

There's gonna be a problem with demo cars. He said at the beginning that it would be unlikely they'd be getting one at all. But then contradicted himself (or maybe i misunderstood) by saying there will probably be one available in late March.

I'd be the same, if it couldn't be driven 90% of the time on electric alone, for whatever technical reason or couldn't achieve realistic improvements over a regular fuel car, I wouldn't be interested.

Voodoomelon wrote: »

There's gonna be a problem with demo cars. He said at the beginning that it would be unlikely they'd be getting one at all. But then contradicted himself (or maybe i misunderstood) by saying there will probably be one available in late March.

I'd be the same, if it couldn't be driven 90% of the time on electric alone, for whatever technical reason or couldn't achieve realistic improvements over a regular fuel car, I wouldn't be interested.

Yep, if as you say it can be driven without activating the petrol engine, it will be a great option for town dwellers.
We know it will do 20 odd miles on full electric mode but can it allow the petrol engine to remain stone cold or will the engine need to run for 10 mins when the car is cold just to have all systems ready to roll.
I know the first model gs 450h would always switch on engine when cold even though it was capable of full electric driving. I found with that car on an extended test drive that the short journeys I was doing morning and evening resulted in engine being on all the time.
If the bmw was similar, it would make it a non runner for alot of potential customers.

Tested a gte last week, nice drive, it always starts in electric mode provided it's charged. You can keep it in e mode or put it in hybrid mode which switches between petrol and electric automatically , also has battery hold, battery charge (charging by engine) and gte mode which is both working together. Very smooth switching from electric to petrol, potentially could be very economical but really depends a lot on driving style, flat roads, weather and distance per journey. 50km on electric apparently but have read on line anything for 12 to 30k realistically per charge. When I first enquired about it salesman knew very very little about them and said no one else had enquired about it

carsfan wrote: »

There's bound to be a demo some where.
BMW Ireland will make sure to have some brought in. Journalists will need press cars. The dealer I contacted said they hope to have a demo in March .
Will be a niche car alright.
If its all urban short hops you do is I would say electric will work for you.
Re the new 5 series, it will be like the new 7 reduced to 80 per cent and I doubt the hybrid will be on sale at launch so probably a 2018 car. My local merc dealer is a pig and after owning a c class that was a piece of crap I swore never again. Although the current c is nice looking but spec wise is even meaner than the 3 series/ A4 competition.

I think all mercedes dealers are pigs to be fair. If you dont match the profile of a typical merc buyer, they seem to snigger. That has been my experience anyway.
On the next 5 series, I'm sure I read that alot of the different engine options are coming on stream very quickly.
I see these phev as a major push away from diesel certainly for customers that should never have bought a diesel and as such, I wouldn't be surprised to see an e version at launch specially as it's not available in current 5 series.
I believe there is a 530e and a 540e coming.
I don't see these tanking in terms of residual value. If anything, I think they may offer stunning residuals. Certainly if the 7.5k grant was dropped in a few years, used values could be very strong.

Aye, I saw all that muck and it would be coming off. I'd probably pull the service pack too, although you might just about get the value out of it.

My spec wouldn't be far off that, but if you do a bit of tweaking, you can get better value. For example ditch the interior comfort package and spec heated seats separately, save yourself €450. Step back from the Professional Plus Media, which looses you heads-up display, but knocks €900 off.

I barely have the lumbar engaged in my 7er, so i'd prob knock that off, another €365. €1230 is a rip-off for the sunroof, but I like it a lot in the summer. Comfort access is far from necessary, but love it on the 7.

Would all come down to the price, much like anything.

Never thought about the grant being gone Mick, a real possibility if the government starts loosing out over the next 3 years.