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BMW seems to have the widest range of PHEVs at the moment - in the 2, 3, 5 and 7 series.
I've had a 225xe for 6 months and it's proving to be an excellent car: in fact, the best company car I've had. I loved my two previous turbodiesel Volvo V60s but the 225 is a better package all round. Much punchier acceleration (it's hot-hatch quick), roomy, handles really well and is more practical. The economy's better too - I'm averaging over 60mpg on petrol alone, and around 50mpg on combined petrol / electricity costs. It's no looker but it's a very accomplished all-rounder.
The Mini Countryman PHEV has exactly the same drivetrain and underpinnings.
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That is very interesting, and thank you. When I was choosing my first Alfa Giulietta in 2015 I went to my local BMW dealer and asked to see the i3 and was told I had to go to a specialist showroom and that they couldn't offer it out of the normal showroom. But I am interested in the 2 series for sure, so that's great to hear.
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Any large BMW dealer should have access to the hybrids. If you've any specific questions about charging, economy, driving modes etc etc (the 225 has a lot to play with) I'm more than happy to answer.
As mentioned, the 2-series is practical, comfortable and roomy but is very bland looks-wise. You may prefer the looks of the Mini, which is enjoying much more marketing wallop.
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Just had a quick look at BMW 2 series Gran Tourer on BMW Approved Used website.
When it comes to Gran Tourers (which is the body style I would want), I find a choice of 356 diesels in stock, 127 petrol in stock and zero hybrids, none / zilch.
That's again kind of my point, yes they make them and offer them in the catalogue, but 20 years after Toyota launched Prius, BMW have been late in the market not scaled production and still flood the market with diesels.
I wonder wjhat they would quote in terms of price and delivery on a new one, I will indeed find out because I am interested in a "2"
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Just had a quick look at BMW 2 series Gran Tourer on BMW Approved Used website.
When it comes to Gran Tourers (which is the body style I would want), I find a choice of 356 diesels in stock, 127 petrol in stock and zero hybrids, none / zilch.
That's again kind of my point, yes they make them and offer them in the catalogue, but 20 years after Toyota launched Prius, BMW have been late in the market not scaled production and still flood the market with diesels.
I wonder wjhat they would quote in terms of price and delivery on a new one, I will indeed find out because I am interested in a "2"
Unfortunately the PHEV is NOT available in the Gran Tourer body. However the basic 2-series is plenty roomy and the boot big enough (400 litres) despite the extra room taken by the battery pack and motor.
My own car was 4 months from order to delivery.
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Following the commetns above I just took myself in to our local BMW showroom, (watford),
"Hi I would like to talk to someone about the 2 series plug in hybrid"
"sure no problem" took my name and let me wander the showroom a while
After a few minutes, receptionist comes over "sorry we don't have any here".
Me " can I ask a few questions about it"... receptionist calls over a staff member, apparently a salesman. Me "hello, I would like to ask about the 2 series Hybrid". Salesperson "we don't have any"...." but.... they are all the same identically apart from the engine"....
Me (no offer to show me around one), "there;s one outside, a nice blue one, can I have a look at it".... Sales person" yes sure lets go out". Out we go, cold.... wet.... car is locked we are standing next to it.
Me "for the Hybrid version what's its range on battery alone". Sales person "about 20 miles" . Me " can you be more precise? my wife;s commute is a 25 mile round trip.
"Sales person" I really don't know I only do finance"
Me, " can we look at the car properly?" sales person " yes, let me get a key.... "
10 minutes later still standing in the cold, I give up waiting and walk in to the Mini showroom next door.
As per my original thoughts, yes VW, BMW, and others are promoting the fact they have Hybrid models. but their hearts just aren't in it, the dealers aren't interested, diesel stock is 1000s of unsold vehicles to shift.
It doesn't matter if BMW have a Hybrid power train in countless variants if showrooms don't have the car to promote, if the sales people aren't trained, if they haven't scaled production to meet demand (becuase they have 1000s of diesels to sell ) and if the above experience is how they treat a potential customer.
I keep pinching myself, it is more than 20 years since Toyota launched the Prius, 20 years, 20 years, say it again, 20 years.
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I'd echo that, Guygamps. I've had a good run in a 220i Active Tourer and was very impressed: but none of the dealers near here can get a 225xe as a demonstrator. BMW UK won't even list it in the test drive section of their website.
I have absolutely no idea why they don't want to sell it. It seems to be the fault of BMW UK rather thn the dealers, who give me the impression that they would like to have the 225xe to demonstrate.
Craig will be able to confirm or deny (did you manage a test drive first, Craig?), but from road test reports it does look as if the realistic range on electric power alone is about 20 miles. So if Mrs Gamps (Gamine?) has to do 25 miles a day, it won't quite fit the bill.
If you have another car which is petrol-powered, a purely electric car like a Leaf or Zoe, or more expensively a BMW i3, would be ideal for the commute. The Ayudi A3 e-tron looks attractive until you realise tha it costs about £8,000 more than the equivalent petrol A3. And the petrol A3 will beat 50 mpg on a long run.
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To be fair, I had an email about an hour after writing this, from the sales guy apoligising, he could not find the key, he has also sent me a extract of the brochure answering my question, and found a demonstrator at a sister dealership not to far away
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To be fair, I had an email about an hour after writing this, from the sales guy apoligising, he could not find the key, he has also sent me a extract of the brochure answering my question, and found a demonstrator at a sister dealership not to far away
I'm lucky in that Williams BMW has two very large sites not far from where I live, and they sorted me out with a weekend test-drive in a 225, and were generally very helpful. I was dealing with the corporate / fleet salesman however, which may be the difference (as a majority of the new PHEVs are being bought by company user-choosers, like me).
I did try another BMW dealer and they were clueless, and compounded the problem by not getting back to me with quotes, etc.
To answer your questions, the real-world electric-only range of the 225 (and the 330e for that matter) is about 16 - 18 miles with ambient temps above 10C, and 12 - 15 miles below 10C ambient (cold temps affect battery efficiency), depending on how much stop/start and speed is involved.
Charging to 100% from about 5% charge remaining, takes 3 hours from a conventional domestic 13A socket. If you have a BMW wallbox installed, this cuts the charge time to 2 hours. I couldn't be bothered with a wallbox as it only saves an hour.
However, the strength of the car is the seamless integration of the petrol and electric drivetrains. If you just leave the car in the default mode that it always starts in, it will run pure electric below 49mph, or unless you really put your foot down. The petrol engine chimes in so smoothly in everyday driving that sometimes you only realise it's running from the revcounter. Of course, you're aware of the engine if you floor it.
The car's brain never lets the traction battery get completely exhausted: it retains a % of charge so that electrical assistance is always available for acceleration if you need it. When the % charge gets to 6%, the petrol engine chimes in automatically.
An added feature is that when the petrol engine is running, the car is 4WD, making it very sure-footed in snow, etc. In fact the car's stability programme will kick 4WD in if it detects slippage / lack of traction.
Do let me know if you've any specific questions and I'd be happy to answer them!
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Thanks that's very helpful, sounds like a good job has been done, I wonder if the Mini Countryman PHEV (running on the same platform) is as well thought out. Although they were not Hybrids, standing alongside a 218 and then a Countryman today, literally a few metres apart, they seemd to offer similar interior space yet I found the Mini aesthetically so much nicer.
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I wonder if the Mini Countryman PHEV (running on the same platform) is as well thought out.
The Mini has been roadtested recently by several of the major magazines and on the HJ site too (curiously, the 225 wasn't promoted to anything like the same degree -- it's like BMW were shy about putting it out there). The tests are unanimous in praising it.
The drivetrain and driving mode options are 100% identical to the 225 (it's built in Austria in the same plant). It seems to offer pretty much the same interior space, just in different packaging that's in keeping with Mini's design palette.
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