Quote:
Originally Posted by Galex999
You and I are on same page about 330e. Those who constantly nitpicking on few disadvantages of 330e, such as slightly smaller trunk space and smaller gas tank, just don't seeing the full picture.
How many times you completely fill up your trunk space on a sedan? And you really want to drive non-stop for over 300 miles without ever stopping for gas/snack break? If 330e is thousands dollars more expensive than 330i, maybe I would reconsider buying 330e. But they have nearly identical price BEFORE the federal tax rebate! To me, it was no brainer and I'm still quite surprised 330e is not such high demand.
Instead they should concentrate on the major advantages of 330e. First, obviously the huge MPG advantages in city driving if you regularly charge your vehicle. Second, $5k~$7k tax break, in fact 330e is one of very few cars that still qualifies under the new law. Third, carpool sticker and free EV-reserved premium parking spots on many busy shopping malls and etc. Fourth, helps reduce CO2 even if it's not a huge amount. Finally, based on my testing driving of both cars, 330e feels much FASTER off the line especially if you use the XtraBoost. I don't care if their official 0-60mph numbers are identical. To me and my wife, 330e definitely feels much faster. And many people do the quick & easy software upgrade to unlock the more HP to 350~400 range, which 330i is not possible with the same money.
I think most people still see PHEV cars as boring Prius-like vehicle while 330e is a genuine German-engineered performance sedan that can do 25~30miles pure EV and achieve ~40 MPG, and still can outperform most other sporty cars, all under ~$40k if you don't go crazy with options and get the federal/state tax breaks.
Also I would NEVER switch 100% to EV cars. I'll always have at least one regular gas car or PHEV such as 330e. I don't have full confidence that our EV infrastructure will be always up and running in case of natural and man-made disasters (such as war or major social unrest). We don't know what will or can happen in near future, but having access to both EV and gasoline is a huge advantage. Just imagine the lines at EV charging stations if majority of populations need to evacuate for whatever reasons...
|
I specifically picked the 330i over the 330e because it does not have hybrid drive. I'm averaging 28k miles a year driving to/from work. Most hybrid batteries have a lifespan of 120-150k miles. That means I'd have a high chance of doing a battery change within the next 4-5 years, which is not acceptable for me. If I was putting 10K miles a year on my car, it would be a different story....... but I'm not.
As for my 330i, I average 36-37mpg driving 80% highway / 20% city. I'm a pretty aggressive driver too, so this mpg has far exceeded my expectations. I'm not surprised the 330e exceeds it's EPA data too given how my BMW drives.
