Change to hybrid ?

leoncuprar

leoncuprar

leoncuprar

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Hi

So like many covid has brought a change of circumstance which has left me pondering what to do on the car front.

Pre-covid I was doing about 16k miles a year, mainly a 23 miles each way commute to the office.
Even when things get better it could be a long time , if ever, I'm back in the office every day as I can work from home quite adequately. In the last 4 months I've done 1500 miles.

Current car I've had nearly 3 years in a 65 plate bmw f10, 530d, msport pro nav, which now has 57k on the clock.

We have chargers available at work.

So do I change the car ? On the plus side it's got nothing wrong with it at all.. next major service and mot in october this year and has done a good chunk of its depreciation now.
But I do fancy a change and wonder if a plugin hybrid would be sensible (dont want to spend the kind of money to get a decent full electric if I'm hardly doing any miles).

I'd probably have to trade in the existing car just for convenience so if hybrid is the way forward what should I be looking at upto 20k ? Not a fan of SUVs, needs to be able to carry 3 teenagers and luggage etc when going on holiday.

Thoughts appreciated.
 
Plug in hybrids have all the complexities of an electric car and Ice. Lots of additional weight means in ice mode they aren't as efficient. Same goes for electric mode lugging a ice engine about.

I'd go for a non plug in hybrid like the Lexus which is based on the heavily reliable Prius technology or full electric car if you have charging at work. Plug in hybrids don't make any sense to me. They have a 15-30 mile range. Non plug in hybrids use the electric motor constantly to boost efficiency.


However charging is the least expensive part of owning an electric car it's the car itself that's the major expense.

If you are looking to save money just keep your current car or if the mileage will be an issue a Prius is a good transition towards an electric car and cheap.

Look at Lexus IS or Lexus coupe models if you want the shape and luxury of BMW 3 series.

Alternatively get yourself a leaf, ioniq, i3 or Tesla whatever suits your budget and go full electric.

I've yet to see a plug in hybrid that makes sense over a Lexus hybrid or an electric car.
 
I'd probably keep it, just make sure it gets a good run regularly. Because it's a good car and you probably won't get a good price for it.

If you change, it doesn't really matter what you change to, all the options are fine. Drive a few and pick the one you like. Presumably test drives aren't on atm so you have time to think about it.

If I was in your position and I had a driveway I'd be getting a full EV.
If I was in your position and I had no driveway I'd be keeping the current car.
 
Financially all in I doubt changing would work in your favor. You've all ready taken the big depreciation hit on the BMW. I would keep it.
 
I'm in basically exactly the same position - right down to the 2015 530d M Sport :D

Since New Years Day I've used it twice - its our distance car and distance just isn't a thing at the moment. I've had it for 5 years this year and always intended to keep it 5 years when I bought it, so it's due replacement. I've considered various options, the favourite always seems to come back to the M340i, but the 545e M Sport is a potential candidate too.

Then I drive the 530d. It's absolutely brilliant, it's immaculate and I love driving it. I'm really in two minds and I'm quite tempted to just keep it for at least another year and see how things are. I fitted 4 Pilot Sport 4 non runflat tyres to it last year which fixed the only thing I didn't like about it. Now it's smooth, comfortable, refined, quick, looks great and handles exactly how I like. Infact I think the only reason I think about changing it is because I don't want to miss out on owning something else, if that makes sense.

One of the things I can't shake is that I am just not ready to let go of a 6 cylinder BMW. Which is a shame because on paper a year old 530e M Sport just before they sort of messed things up with the facelift would work well.

edit: I missed this bit:

what should I be looking at upto 20k
Click to expand...

Absolutely nothing. Seriously, keep the 530d. One thing I've found is that I'd need to spend much more to get something worthy of replacing if it. For £20k I'd absolutely not bother and just keep the 530d. You're going to end up in something that's either much less good a car or barely any newer. So what's the point?
 
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Thanks for the replies all.. Lol Fox it's rubbish isn't it knowing the next car could be a considerable investment for not really a lot of gain.

I do have a driveway but it just seems a lot of hassle to go electric and why do I want to invest in an expensive car now when I use it the least I ever have in my life.

In reality I think its keep it another 12 months and see what the lay of the land is with work and covid...if my social life gets back to normal my mileage will still justify having a nice car to do the journeys in.

(how is the leather on your drivers door handle Fox ? Mine has lost all the oyster colour and gone white )
 
leoncuprar said:
(how is the leather on your drivers door handle Fox ? Mine has lost all the oyster colour and gone white )
Click to expand...

It's absolutely fine - the whole interior is mint - but I have black leather which hides basically everything short of actual damage, so I don't know what it would look like if it were Oyster. Jealous of your Oyster interior though, best colour :)
 
We have a countryman hybrid, love it, but only when it's charged. And truthfully getting tired of having to plug it in everyday to reep the benefits.
It's our "city car" and it's great for nipping to shops or work (when I do work local) and around town but as soon as the battery is depleted it's the same MPG as the XE.
Truthfully the next cars we're looking at are a fun petrol and whatever my requirements are will dictate the other engine choice but I don't think it will be a hybrid.
Maybe if we had a charger with cable or a garage it could fit in that the standard charger could live out and plugged in at all times, but the tediousness of opening the boot, uncoiling the cable, plug in to the socket, plug into car etc has worn thin over the three years we've had it.
 
that's the problem with plug in hybrids, i did think about getting one, then i clicked "do i want to plug it in twice everytime"
fill it with Fuel AND plug it in to get electricity
no thanks
 
[TW]Fox said:
I'm in basically exactly the same position - right down to the 2015 530d M Sport :D

Since New Years Day I've used it twice - its our distance car and distance just isn't a thing at the moment. I've had it for 5 years this year and always intended to keep it 5 years when I bought it, so it's due replacement. I've considered various options, the favourite always seems to come back to the M340i, but the 545e M Sport is a potential candidate too.

Then I drive the 530d. It's absolutely brilliant, it's immaculate and I love driving it. I'm really in two minds and I'm quite tempted to just keep it for at least another year and see how things are. I fitted 4 Pilot Sport 4 non runflat tyres to it last year which fixed the only thing I didn't like about it. Now it's smooth, comfortable, refined, quick, looks great and handles exactly how I like. Infact I think the only reason I think about changing it is because I don't want to miss out on owning something else, if that makes sense.

One of the things I can't shake is that I am just not ready to let go of a 6 cylinder BMW. Which is a shame because on paper a year old 530e M Sport just before they sort of messed things up with the facelift would work well.

edit: I missed this bit:



Absolutely nothing. Seriously, keep the 530d. One thing I've found is that I'd need to spend much more to get something worthy of replacing if it. For £20k I'd absolutely not bother and just keep the 530d. You're going to end up in something that's either much less good a car or barely any newer. So what's the point?
Click to expand...
One for you - Update just posted. You know you want to :D

BMW X5 45e 10,000 mile review

 
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ShiWarrior said:
that's the problem with plug in hybrids, i did think about getting one, then i clicked "do i want to plug it in twice everytime"
fill it with Fuel AND plug it in to get electricity
no thanks
Click to expand...

Depends on your mileage. For me I've gone from filling up £70 every 10 days or so, to filling up £40 every 6 weeks or so. Plugging in after parking it really is no more onerous than charging your mobile every day it's just no effort at all. Only do it after the last journey of the day, really no point in anything other than a low rate overnight charge given how slow the charging is.
 
Clarkey said:
Depends on your mileage. For me I've gone from filling up £70 every 10 days or so, to filling up £40 every 6 weeks or so. Plugging in after parking it really is no more onerous than charging your mobile every day it's just no effort at all. Only do it after the last journey of the day, really no point in anything other than a low rate overnight charge given how slow the charging is.
Click to expand...


just over £70 a week ? im assuming thats just a petrol car ?
or is that a diesel and your doing more miles?

i find it very interesting that you've going to a plug-in hybrid getting £40 in just over a month


i really want to change my car to something a lot more economical

2009 1.8 focus , costs me £50-60 a month doing roughly 12 miles a day (work and back) im getting approx 28 mpg :(
 
ShiWarrior said:
just over £70 a week ? im assuming thats just a petrol car ?
or is that a diesel and your doing more miles?

i find it very interesting that you've going to a plug-in hybrid getting £40 in just over a month


i really want to change my car to something a lot more economical

2009 1.8 focus , costs me £50-60 a month doing roughly 12 miles a day (work and back) im getting approx 28 mpg :(
Click to expand...

That’s a false economy if I ever saw one. You’ll not get a car cheaper than what you have in terms of total cost of ownership.

You’ll be loosing hundreds of pounds per month in depreciation on buying plug in hybrid compared to nothing on that Focus. The premium over a standard ICE car really isn’t worth it unless your going lots of miles in lots of relatively short journeys.

By all means buy a new car because you want one but saving a few £ on fuel shouldn’t be the major decision making point, particularly when your only spending £50-60 a month.
 
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ShiWarrior said:
that's the problem with plug in hybrids, i did think about getting one, then i clicked "do i want to plug it in twice everytime"
fill it with Fuel AND plug it in to get electricity
no thanks
Click to expand...

Yeah well complicated man.

We have an ICE and a BEV. Weirdly though I end up doing the same as the MINI is the Wifes car...
 
I think the best situation for most familes is an ICE and a BEV. 90% of our driving is done on the BEV and then we've got the ICE for when a longer trip is needed.

A PHEV is just double the complexity, weight and expense. As someone has said earilier - the worst of both worlds. The only PHEV that makes sense to me is the i3 REX - where the petrol part is only used as a backup incase you aren't able to charge. Only problem is they're way over priced.

23 miles each way I could easily do on my old 24kw Leaf - and I wouldn't have to charge at work (although a big of free leccy is always a bonus).
 
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