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      09-08-2018, 08:38 PM   #1
gti6cyl
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'18 BMW 530e (new lessee)

So, I am working on dotting the i's and crossing the t's on my new 2018 BMW 530e lease in Massachusetts.

I'm so excited that I had to write about it. The model I got was a dealer demo car with 264 miles on it or something like that. The purpose of my post is just to ask some general questions from members on things like whether they leased or bought?

What you've thought of the car since leasing or owning it and how many miles you have on the clock now?

What issues you have had to take it in for until now (and state ~mileage of each event)?

Finally, just some tips/tricks on efficiency although I believe that for now I'll be doing all electric to get to/from work since I'm about 16 miles each way and it seems like the best bet if I don't have any stops to make in between.

Also - I think that feature where you can reserve about 50-90% charge is really neat since you can think ahead. How have people used this, in what situations and do you recommend it?

Finally, I pickup Friday. One really important final question I have is does anyone out there just not charge the car at all and find it still kicks ass? what mileage do you get combined when doing so?

Thanks so much everyone.
Cheers!

Last edited by gti6cyl; 09-11-2018 at 03:04 PM..
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      09-09-2018, 08:23 AM   #2
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What you've thought of the car since leasing or owning it and how many miles you have on the clock now?
8 months and about 5500 miles. Rock solid so far with no problems. While I wish the car had more power (540e? M550e?) it has had ample power for me any time I needed it including passing a car pulling a trailer on a step hill with a speed limit of 65 mph.

Just be aware that your trunk has a much more limited vertical space.

Finally, just some tips/tricks on efficiency although I believe that for now I'll be doing all electric to get to/from work since I'm about 16 miles each way and it seems like the best bet if I don't have any stops to make in between.
I bought my car for environmental reasons and the ability to drive in the car pool lane at any time of the day or week. I am less concerned about mph. But be aware that unless you "hypermile" you will not get 16 miles of pure electric driving most of the time. Very cold weather or very hot weather will serious erode the capacity.
My suggestion is to put the car in whatever driving mode you like (comfort/sport/ecopro; I have the dynamic dampers and I had my car coded so I default to adaptive mode) and leave the car in auto edrive mode. The car is smart enough to do a good job of balancing your driving. If you have an area where you need to drive in pure electric mode (such as a city with congestion pricing), then it might make sense to use battery save mode; I don't. The only time I normally take the car out of auto emode is when I am on my way home doing local driving and can see that it makes sense to use up my electrons.
Otherwise, you are likely to use the same amount of electrons.

My other advice is that after you break the car in, at least occasionally drive it like you hate it. It is fun and, like people, the car likes exercise.
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      09-09-2018, 12:08 PM   #3
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If I were to consider a 530e, that's a least only car. Too much complexity built into the power train.

I own my 530i with a nice extended BMW warranty.
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      09-10-2018, 09:58 AM   #4
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packages.

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Originally Posted by 530iDriver View Post
If I were to consider a 530e, that's a least only car. Too much complexity built into the power train.

I own my 530i with a nice extended BMW warranty.
Lieutenant, I agree - that's why I am leasing.
What packages do you have on your 2017? Are some of them similar to what was offered in 2018 and which is your favorite so far?
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      09-10-2018, 10:07 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gti6cyl View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by 530iDriver View Post
If I were to consider a 530e, that's a least only car. Too much complexity built into the power train.

I own my 530i with a nice extended BMW warranty.
Lieutenant, I agree - that's why I am leasing.
What packages do you have on your 2017? Are some of them similar to what was offered in 2018 and which is your favorite so far?
Can't help you much in terms of packages because my car is a base "vanilla" 530i whose only option are the 19" wheel/tires. The car was intentionally ordered this way from the factory and I am really enjoying it. I believe it is a much nicer vehicle, than say a fully loaded F30 330i.

It's kind of an unicorn. Dealers normally rarely or ever order base cars as they typically prefer to stock their lots with fully loaded samples.

No matter how you cut it or slice it, the G30 is a very nice vehicle, even in its most basic form.

I own my vehicles and average of 6-8 years, so I look at it in terms of reliability in the long haul.

FYI, in Europe they have the 170HP 520i Which is slotted below the 530i/e models.
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      09-10-2018, 02:35 PM   #6
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hey everyone - if the BMW does regenerative breaking to fill the battery while you drive. in theory, can you drive much higher than 16 number miles if it's not uphill (if you use that battery reserve feature)?
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      09-10-2018, 07:31 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 530iDriver View Post
If I were to consider a 530e, that's a least only car. Too much complexity built into the power train.

I own my 530i with a nice extended BMW warranty.
The G30 is already complicated enough without the hybrid part, so if you wanted a simple car that would last you a decade without any issue, this probably wasn't the best choice. By the way, G30 isn't the first plug-in hybrid, so let's hope BMW knows how to make durable hybrid drive trains.


Quote:
Originally Posted by gti6cyl View Post
hey everyone - if the BMW does regenerative breaking to fill the battery while you drive. in theory, can you drive much higher than 16 number miles if it's not uphill (if you use that battery reserve feature)?
That's not how the automotive industry measures the electric range. Obviously, every trip will involve some amount of braking, and BMW, like any other OEM, takes their model for specific driving conditions and estimates how much range a driver can typically expect. If I am driving like a 60 year old, yes, I do get 15 +/-3 miles. If I drive it like I stole it, the e-range is gone within 5 miles.

By the way, regen also works while you are going uphill when you brake and/or let off the "gas" pedal. Regen isn't exclusive to going on flat surfaces or downhill.
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      09-10-2018, 08:32 PM   #8
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I have had a 530e for a couple weeks now (bought it) and first impressions are I love it! I am able to drive to and from work on full electric. I live 13 miles from my work and I make it with a little bit of power to spare. I'm also able to charge the car while I work, so it's full when I get off. Most days I'm pretty easy on the car to maximize range. I wouldn't say I go as far as 'hypermiling' but I'm aware of what I'm doing. I don't often have to haul stuff so the reduced trunk size doesn't bother me much. I think it's a beautiful car that rides solid and handles well!
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      09-11-2018, 01:05 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Elmercc View Post
I have had a 530e for a couple weeks now (bought it) and first impressions are I love it! I am able to drive to and from work on full electric. I live 13 miles from my work and I make it with a little bit of power to spare. I'm also able to charge the car while I work, so it's full when I get off. Most days I'm pretty easy on the car to maximize range. I wouldn't say I go as far as 'hypermiling' but I'm aware of what I'm doing. I don't often have to haul stuff so the reduced trunk size doesn't bother me much. I think it's a beautiful car that rides solid and handles well!
Thanks! I think that if you have a charging station somewhere at work it's a no-brainer if you live within 13+/- miles of work. I happen to live about 15 miles away and I could see me saving a ton of gas if I just charged. But the electrons cost money and impact the environment too. I think one of the huge things that are great about this car aside from the environmental impact is how QUIET the darn cabin can be. Do you pay for charge at work or is it complimentary?
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      09-11-2018, 09:59 PM   #10
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I don't have to pay for the charge at work. An amazing bonus.
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      09-16-2018, 05:40 PM   #11
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I've had my 530e for almost 3 months and I have about 3000 miles on it. I leased it, as I like to get a new car every few years and I don't drive a ton of miles. I installed a Level 2 Charger at home and it made a world of difference in my mileage. It's been a little over a month since I installed it and I've only used a little over half a tank of gas for about 700 miles of use during that time. I don't have a charging station at work, but 1 charge is enough to drive to and from work and almost to and from the gym at night. I do recharge to capacity as soon as I get home from work, though, which is why the Level 2 station is great. I can fully charge in about 2 hours. I've had no issues with the car, so far.
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      09-17-2018, 08:33 PM   #12
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Hey all
I have had my 530e for about a month I love it I only work 8 miles from home I have 800 miles on it now came with 184 I lease it. first time I filled up cost me $37.00 I drove about 538 miles before I had to fill up. I could have gone more. still learning all the toys.
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      09-20-2018, 11:10 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by waccamatt View Post
I've had my 530e for almost 3 months and I have about 3000 miles on it. I leased it, as I like to get a new car every few years and I don't drive a ton of miles. I installed a Level 2 Charger at home and it made a world of difference in my mileage. It's been a little over a month since I installed it and I've only used a little over half a tank of gas for about 700 miles of use during that time. I don't have a charging station at work, but 1 charge is enough to drive to and from work and almost to and from the gym at night. I do recharge to capacity as soon as I get home from work, though, which is why the Level 2 station is great. I can fully charge in about 2 hours. I've had no issues with the car, so far.
super interesting. how does Level 2 improve the miles? just for your own uses where as you come home and it charges faster and allows you to go-go-go faster? or is it doing something special to the electrons in the battery to make them store more power? thanks!!!

I find myself toggling between Auto-Edrive/Sport mode for highway style trips and then when I'm near home like 40mph zones, I'm going to full E-Drive and EcoPro (which I don't know what it does entirely) and then going off of some battery and this seems to make me efficient like up to 60mpg average (or greater) and then i get home and I can charge off my 110v again. Thoughts?
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      09-20-2018, 03:32 PM   #14
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I am new to this forum and have decided to get a 2019 BMW 530e. I have solar at home and can charge at work for free, which is 12 miles away. I want the 2019 instead of the 2018 because my hope is that they will have worked out some of the kinks in the 2018, which was the first model year.

I have always purchased with cash, never lease or finance, and hold on to my cars for 10 years as it seems to have the best value.

My first question is whether purchasing makes more sense than leasing (3 years) or financing (4% APR) for this 530e?

My second question is, if I’m considering a 530e with a MSRP of $65,500, what price should I expect to pay (prior to tax, registration)? $60,000?

Thanks.
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      09-21-2018, 04:49 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SDbimmer View Post
I am new to this forum and have decided to get a 2019 BMW 530e. I have solar at home and can charge at work for free, which is 12 miles away. I want the 2019 instead of the 2018 because my hope is that they will have worked out some of the kinks in the 2018, which was the first model year.

I have always purchased with cash, never lease or finance, and hold on to my cars for 10 years as it seems to have the best value.

My first question is whether purchasing makes more sense than leasing (3 years) or financing (4% APR) for this 530e?

My second question is, if I'm considering a 530e with a MSRP of $65,500, what price should I expect to pay (prior to tax, registration)? $60,000?

Thanks.
These cars have high depreciation rates. Honestly, the best and most financially sensible way to purchase a BMW is to opt for a CPO or lightly used car and hold on to it for as long as possible. Let the first owner eat the initial steep depreciation as soon as he drives it off the lot.

If you insist in buying brand new, then I would suggest to shop around for the lowest interest rate available and try to finance it for no longer than 36 months (Thus avoiding the need to purchase additional gap insurance). You may have to put down a significant down payment to keep the monthly payment in check. Hold on to the vehicle for 7-10 years minimum to justify the depreciation.

Some would argue the leasing is the only way to justify a new BMW. Personally, leasing has never made any sense mathematically and financially speaking, it just doesn't add up. But that's me.

If you are buying for the long haul, consider adding an extended BMW warranty that will take you to 6-7 years and or 100K miles. The 530e is a complex car with an equally complex drivetrain. You don't want to deal with repair costs of a German plug in hybrid outside of warranty. BMW extended warranty plans have changed in recent years so it pays to be informed before signing the stack of papers at the finance manager office.

Good luck.
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      09-21-2018, 10:08 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SDbimmer View Post
I am new to this forum and have decided to get a 2019 BMW 530e. I have solar at home and can charge at work for free, which is 12 miles away. I want the 2019 instead of the 2018 because my hope is that they will have worked out some of the kinks in the 2018, which was the first model year.

I have always purchased with cash, never lease or finance, and hold on to my cars for 10 years as it seems to have the best value.

My first question is whether purchasing makes more sense than leasing (3 years) or financing (4% APR) for this 530e?

My second question is, if I’m considering a 530e with a MSRP of $65,500, what price should I expect to pay (prior to tax, registration)? $60,000?

Thanks.
Hi! My input would be to lease the vehicle. OR, there is one other option that is worthwhile in my opinion, but only if you find a 2018 model you appreciate. The 2018 models, if they have less than 500 miles on them you can get an aggresive 1% financial purchase rate from BMW. I almost did this, but could not justify the HUGE monthly payments when trying to finance over $45,000. Just doesn't make sense. I leased and am financing about $21,000 over 3 years and it just makes so much more sound sense. If I want to buy, at the end of my lease, it's $35k to buy the vehicle outright from BMW USA.

Best of luck and let me know if I can help you out in any other way. I'm in MA so keep in mind that deals etc, may be different here but should mostly be similar outside of Fed/state rebates.
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