How is X5 xDrive40e? Would you buy hybrid over 35I? If yes, why? If not, why not?

[hsahi]

Can' decide which one to buy X5 Hybrid or X35I. I just feel like Hybrid has a small engine for X5..compared to the weight... has anybody experienced any issues??

[david_594]

I have a 40e and have been very happy with it. Has adequate pickup when needed and cruises comfortably on the highway.

I will emphasize that the X5 is a plug in hybrid and not a standard hybrid and you really only see any benefits of it when you plug it in every night at home to recharge the battery. This can be via a standard wall adapter(~8 hour charge time) or more ideally with a Level 2 (240v) charger.

Where are you located in the US and what is your commute like? If you are in CT, I welcome you to come take a ride in mine.

I'll be honest and saying I doubt the 40x is actually cost effective compared to the x35i, but its a cool toy if you want a partially electric vehicle or some of the unique quirks/perks of the it being a PHEV.

The biggest Pros:
Preheating and cooling via ConnectedDrive app - Can be enabled at any time via phone or can be preprogrammed for a specific time each day. This runs off the battery and doesnt require the engine to run. This is great in the morning in colder climates if the car is parked outdoors. Lets you come out to a toasty warm car every day and defrosted windows.

~15 miles of electric range per charge - Its not a ton but is useful. For me this gets me where I need to go most days and back home. Electric power is pricy in my town, but means I need to hit up the gas station less often.

Fuel economy - likely a little better than the 35i. My last road highway trip of ~300 miles with the battery on save mode (so not really contributing to fuel economy) returned an indicated 29mpg which seems pretty good overall.

[ems328i]

I looked at a 40e before buying my 35i. What put me off was that for me personally, the 4 cyl didn't cut it on the highway. We drive often through the more mountainous parts of Germany and Austria (4 hrs +) and with my family of 5 plus all our (and by our I mean my wife and our daughters) crap it just didn't cut it.
Plus, the batteries take up the space of the spare wheel well, which we use for ski boots etc and add an extra 430 lbs of weight....I could well imagine that if you drive in a flatter region then this would not be such an issue.

Next time round, as much as I dislike the G05 external looks, the 45e uses a 6 cyl, and I can't see the outside from behind the wheel

[H4L03]

Bought a 2016 40e CPO back in June; really enjoy driving it. I'm in Texas but do mainly city driving and average about 30 MPG. I'm not disappointed by the engine power at all and when I am on the highway I don't think it has any issues with acceleration. Also being in Texas, the pre cooling through the app is really nice. Usually turn it on a few minutes before I plan to get in the car after work and it's pretty cooled.

[corduroy]

I've had my 40e for a few weeks now and am pretty happy with it. But I think the big thing with it is that you need to be comfortable with charging it each night. I really do wish that it had a larger/denser battery pack.

Performance wise, I think it's fine. I was cross-shopping with the Lexus RX450h and I thought that the highway performance was a little better, even with the turbo-4. I haven't went faster than 80, so I can't comment on top-end.

These past 6 days, I've done probably around 150 miles and used a couple gallons of gas (my work is 12-14 miles away, gas is mostly highway). even factoring electrical costs, my energy (elec and gas) is pretty cheap. Even if I was gas only, gas mileage is pretty good for an SUV of this size.

[RED_Y_]

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[-c-]

Well I owned the 35i and swapped it for the 40e and it's just as powerful and hear is the best part!

NO TURBO LAG!!!!!!

The 35i always had a moment of nothing before power kicked in. Scared the wife from time to time when pulling into traffic. The 40e just goes!

It pulls hard as well. It combines the electric motor with the gas engine when you need it. You'll see the E-boost come on when the electric motor and gas engine work together and it's great.

Anybody that complained about the 4 cylinder may just had a bad apple not sure because I never miss my 35i for power.... in fact it feels faster because of the lack of turbo lag. Nice and instant response. Just like an electric car.

Otherwise it's all X5!!


Worst part of the 40e is the exhaust note isn't the most powerful sounding.


Best part is if you are 6 miles from work you can go forever on e-power and not use any gas.

Also you can turn on AC or Heat in the cabin in the winter and summer and don't need an auto start. All controlled through the app.

All our weekend errands are all on e-power

We get around 650 to 700 miles a tank, once our daughter gets out of daycare we should be able to go the whole day without gas.

[Kdawg1966]

Related question: How long does the battery last before it needs to be replaced? How expensive is that when it happens?

[-c-]

Originally Posted by Kdawg1966

Related question: How long does the battery last before it needs to be replaced? How expensive is that when it happens?

If it's the same as the i3 they have a "life span" of 25 years of which the battery can only hold 75% of its charge. So technically many many years.....

10 year 100 thousand mile warranty

[KnudsonM3]

If you want mileage, I suggest you buy the diesel.