[2018 X5 xDrive40e] What mpg should I be seeing?

[dragonness]

Hi everyone,

While my brand new X5 sits in the shop for the second time in a little over a month of owning it (check engine light again), I am wondering what mpg I should expect from this car.

The trip computer consistently says I'm getting 23-24 mpg.

This is mostly city driving in Seattle.

My battery doesn't last through my commute which is under 8 mi roundtrip.

On my first tank of gas I clocked just over 500 miles.

Curious what everyone else is getting.

[P1]

I get just slightly below that in a 35i...

[retx]

My first tank was almost 700 miles. 2nd one is pretty much the same.

I haven't reset my trip computer yet. Here is the list of numbers.

1,557 miles
1.7 miles/kWh
33.1 mpg
13.2 mph

I have to say the mpg for this 2.0 engine alone is worse than my 35i. When the battery is depleted, the engine appears to have the sufficient power to move this vehicle, but the heavy weight in X5 and other factors seem to cost more fuel and hurt mpg.

I have lots of bumper-to-bumper traffic daily.

And, the way that BMW and ZF transmission deliver the battery power to 4-wheels isn't very efficient. Our miles/kWh is much lower than the true EVs.

My battery can go about 10 miles in Winter. I expect my 40e shall perform better in warmer time later.

[dragonness]

Originally Posted by retx

My first tank was almost 700 miles. 2nd one is pretty much the same.

I haven't reset my trip computer yet. Here is the list of numbers.

1,557 miles
1.7 miles/kWh
33.1 mpg
13.2 mph

I spoke with someone at BMW USA yesterday and he said the mpg number the trip computer shows is literally miles per gallon, gas-only usage, not MPGe. He says my 24 mpg is correct per the EPA for gas-only, and that I can't actually track my hybrid MPGe. Clearly he is wrong if you are seeing 33.1 mpg for yours.

[dragonness]

Originally Posted by retx

My battery can go about 10 miles in Winter. I expect my 40e shall perform better in warmer time later.

Is this with preconditioning where you prewarm the battery while still plugged in before you drive? I'm told that should extend the range. Not sure by how much though. Will try it when I get my car back from the shop.

[dragonness]

Here for reference EPA's fuel economy numbers for this X5

[retx]

Originally Posted by dragonness

I spoke with someone at BMW USA yesterday and he said the mpg number the trip computer shows is literally miles per gallon, gas-only usage, not MPGe. He says my 24 mpg is correct per the EPA for gas-only, and that I can't actually track my hybrid MPGe. Clearly he is wrong if you are seeing 33.1 mpg for yours.

Be honest to you, I don't know what that number is about. I can see STATISTICS in my BMW Connected App showing mpg, a wide range of numbers, from 10+ to 100+. So, it is possibly "gas-only". But, they way they calculate "MPG" does add those miles driven under the battery power.

For example, you can use your battery power to drive for 6 miles, and please run your engine for at least 0.1 or 0.2 miles during the time, you should then see the very pleasant MPG in the end. The car is then told you use all that little gasoline to drive this 6 miles long distance. I really have no idea of how their calculator is doing. (If I fire the engine to run my daily routine from the beginning to the end, this 2.0 engine has average MPG around 13. My '15 X5 had 15.)

Did I really use my 20-gallons tank to drive 700 miles? It's 35 MPG in heavy traffic NYC. Of course not. I used my 20-gallons plus hundreds of kWh for this distance. The only thing I really save is - visit less to gas stations, and use slightly cheaper electricity to move my heavy vehicle. (I believe your state should have much cheaper electricity than where I have. Mine, including tax and fee, is about $.25 per kWh.)

Originally Posted by dragonness

Is this with preconditioning where you prewarm the battery while still plugged in before you drive? I'm told that should extend the range. Not sure by how much though. Will try it when I get my car back from the shop.

I don't do so. My 40e is currently plugged to Level 1, so the slow charge will not compensate all the kWh I use for preconditioning.

My Level 2 EVSE will be here shortly, this should provide me more juice to prepare my car. EV or PHEV need to precondition to get better performance and mileage.

Additionally, your car may be often making noise from the left side of the engine bay during the charge. EV is supposed to heat or cool the battery components as needed to ensure your battery is being charged under the optimal temperature. I don't know how BMW is doing, but Tesla will use fan and coolant pump and compressor to balance the temperature during the charge.

[dragonness]

Thank you. How is this car topping fuel economy lists for luxury SUVs if this is the actual gas mileage it's getting?

[CarMan77]

Originally Posted by dragonness

Thank you. How is this car topping fuel economy lists for luxury SUVs if this is the actual gas mileage it's getting?

Originally Posted by dragonness

Thank you. How is this car topping fuel economy lists for luxury SUVs if this is the actual gas mileage it's getting?

The range on my 40e is disappointing. I believe the 4 cylinder engine is not adequate for a vehicle as heavy as the X5. Once the battery dissipates, the fuel economy plummets especially on the highway. BMW should have the hybrid system operate similar to the Cayenne Ehybrid. Our Cayenne's engine shuts off each time the driver lets off the accelerator, hence improving fuel economy. In addition, Cayenne's ICE is more than adequate on the highway.

[retx]

Originally Posted by CarMan77

The range on my 40e is disappointing. I believe the 4 cylinder engine is not adequate for a vehicle as heavy as the X5. Once the battery dissipates, the fuel economy plummets especially on the highway. BMW should have the hybrid system operate similar to the Cayenne Ehybrid. Our Cayenne's engine shuts off each time the driver lets off the accelerator, hence improving fuel economy. In addition, Cayenne's ICE is more than adequate on the highway.

I feel the same that this 2.0 engine has the terrible MPG when the battery is depleted.

You mentioned the engine shut-off. So I'm wondering if you try Auto + Eco Pro on the highway.

In certain conditions, Eco Pro is supposed to be automatically decoupled from the transmission in the D selector position and the engine is switched off. The fuel consumption is interrupted while coasting. (Your engine shuts off when you're off the gas pedal.)

However, this also means your battery will get less charge during Eco Pro. If you really like to use Eco Pro, you may get more juice to your battery by switching from Auto + Eco Pro to Save + Eco Pro, which means your engine will shift some power to generate and feed your battery. Of course, your MPG will be hurt a little bit, and you'll have less power for driving.

[jonboyglx]

I just reset the odometer on my 2017 40e and after 3300 miles I averaged 73mpg. This last tank I got almost 1200 miles on it and the previous tank I got 1500 miles. Obviously this is a lot EV only driving as my daily commute is 11 miles each way and I am able to charge at work. I drive in Max e-Drive all the time.

When I take longer rides the gas engine will average in the upper 20's to 30ish if i am in Auto. Driving in Save hurts mileage a lot.

[retx]

Originally Posted by jonboyglx

I just reset the odometer on my 2017 40e and after 3300 miles I averaged 73mpg. This last tank I got almost 1200 miles on it and the previous tank I got 1500 miles. Obviously this is a lot EV only driving as my daily commute is 11 miles each way and I am able to charge at work. I drive in Max e-Drive all the time.

When I take longer rides the gas engine will average in the upper 20's to 30ish if i am in Auto. Driving in Save hurts mileage a lot.

Yours is one of the best results I can imagine so far. Short commute, EV charge at home and destination/work, less local traffic, more highway, etc.

I'm not always getting the charge in the work/destination, so I have to find out how to make the trip home more efficiently.

I usually use Max E + Eco Pro when leaving home. If I can have the smooth ride in high speed, I'll try Save + Comfort to give the battery at least 50%, then switch to Auto + Comfort.

[jonboyglx]

Originally Posted by retx

Yours is one of the best results I can imagine so far. Short commute, EV charge at home and destination/work, less local traffic, more highway, etc.

I'm not always getting the charge in the work/destination, so I have to find out how to make the trip home more efficiently.

I usually use Max E + Eco Pro when leaving home. If I can have the smooth ride in high speed, I'll try Save + Comfort to give the battery at least 50%, then switch to Auto + Comfort.

I actually use Max E-Drive and Sport (i coded the car to always start in sport) as it gives more regen and is as close to 1 foot driving that we can do with this car. When the battery gets low I usually switch it to comfort so that when the engine comes on it will keep the RPM's low.

[retx]

Originally Posted by jonboyglx

I actually use Max E-Drive and Sport (i coded the car to always start in sport) as it gives more regen and is as close to 1 foot driving that we can do with this car. When the battery gets low I usually switch it to comfort so that when the engine comes on it will keep the RPM's low.

Got to give Max E + Sport a try. Let's see how it goes in my daily routine routes. Thank you.

Sport = Stronger shift mapping and throttle response, optimize drivetrain and chassis, more energy recovery from regen.

Eco Pro = Lighter shift mapping and throttle response, the engine can be decoupled, fuel-efficient climate control, and other consumption reduction, and low energy recovery from regen.

I guess we have no way to learn how much regen energy Sport/Eco Pro gains, and how much consumption Sport/Eco Pro uses.

[jonboyglx]

Originally Posted by retx

Got to give Max E + Sport a try. Let's see how it goes in my daily routine routes. Thank you.

Sport = Stronger shift mapping and throttle response, optimize drivetrain and chassis, more energy recovery from regen.

Eco Pro = Lighter shift mapping and throttle response, the engine can be decoupled, fuel-efficient climate control, and other consumption reduction, and low energy recovery from regen.

I guess we have no way to learn how much regen energy Sport/Eco Pro gains, and how much consumption Sport/Eco Pro uses.

Sport vs comfort is noticeably different when in EV mode. You will see more Regen back into the battery.

[Mudrazr]

I’m getting only 18.5l/100km I have to refill my tank of 75L around 325km. I do not charge most often. Mostly use on gas.