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BMW 5-Series (G30) Forum 2017+ BMW 5 Series (G30) General Discussions 530i or 530e

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      05-03-2021, 11:06 AM   #1
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530i or 530e

Hi everyone, we are looking to add a preown 5 series to our BMW family of cars Was wondering which one we should focus our search on, 530i or 530e? in terms of reliability and problematic.
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      05-03-2021, 11:20 AM   #2
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I would compare them side by side and see where they stack up for you. I'm a major fan of the 530e and don't see a reason to buy the 530i over the 530e, but there are no one size fits all solutions so either car is a very valid choice in any individual circumstance. Up until MY2021 (the LCI) the price for the 530i and 530e were identical, but the Federal Tax break could slightly move the needle on the 530e. Perhaps the pre-owned 530e is discounted slightly to account for this break? I haven't looked.

I am not aware of any special reliability problems on the 530e over the 530i, but keep in mind that the HV battery in the 530e is warrantied for 8Y/100K Miles (10Y/150K miles in CARB states) and electric motors are less likely to breakdown compared to ICE motors so you're usually worried about the HV battery on the EV side and not the motor itself.

Fuel economy for me on the 530e has been fantastic. It is better the more you can charge it. You also get "climitization" support which is very much like Remote Start (Remote Start is only on the LCI MY2021+ otherwise).

I'm sure others will chime in with their experiences and opinions as well.
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      05-03-2021, 11:29 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LogicalApex View Post
I would compare them side by side and see where they stack up for you. I'm a major fan of the 530e and don't see a reason to buy the 530i over the 530e, but there are no one size fits all solutions so either car is a very valid choice in any individual circumstance. Up until MY2021 (the LCI) the price for the 530i and 530e were identical, but the Federal Tax break could slightly move the needle on the 530e. Perhaps the pre-owned 530e is discounted slightly to account for this break? I haven't looked.

I am not aware of any special reliability problems on the 530e over the 530i, but keep in mind that the HV battery in the 530e is warrantied for 8Y/100K Miles (10Y/150K miles in CARB states) and electric motors are less likely to breakdown compared to ICE motors so you're usually worried about the HV battery on the EV side and not the motor itself.

Fuel economy for me on the 530e has been fantastic. It is better the more you can charge it. You also get "climitization" support which is very much like Remote Start (Remote Start is only on the LCI MY2021+ otherwise).

I'm sure others will chime in with their experiences and opinions as well.
thanks, we really dont have any preference on either, but it seem like there are more 530e while searching, so that's why need to get feedback from others to see if there something i need to be concerned of sounds like there isnt. thanks again!
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      05-04-2021, 02:23 AM   #4
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I’m very pleased with mine. The only downsides are the less comfortable ride and clumsier handling caused by the extra weight and reduced boot space.
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      05-04-2021, 07:27 AM   #5
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The 530e fits our transportation needs perfectly. Mid-size luxury sedan with a smaller carbon footprint. Did not consider the 530i an option so I can't compare. We do our daily driving in a medium sized town and only use the combustion engine about once a month during road trips. Not as "tossable" on twisty country roads as our 228i but I wouldn't call it clumsy. It is certainly larger, heavier, and roomier and a very comfortable highway cruiser.
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      05-04-2021, 10:12 AM   #6
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Prior to the LCI, when I looked at CA dealer stock, they were mostly 530e. It was clearly the value leader in 5-series with Fed/CA tax breaks so perhaps that is why you see so many used offerings. In my view, having owned two, and still one, it's a slam dunk for the 530e.
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      05-04-2021, 10:23 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dream54ing View Post
thanks, we really dont have any preference on either, but it seem like there are more 530e while searching, so that's why need to get feedback from others to see if there something i need to be concerned of sounds like there isnt. thanks again!
That is somewhat concerning to me. My 2018 530e, in the northeast valley area is pretty rare...I have only seen three others in 3.5 years, all in golf course parking lots. So if there are more 530es than 530is I wonder why.

Having said that, my 530e has been rock solid and works well for me. But whether it would do so for you depends upon your situation.

First, do you have a garage to keep it in? If you can't readily charge it overnight I would skip the e and go for the i.

Second, what kind of driving do you do? Do you have a daily commute? If yes...is it local driving on city streets (where a hybrid performs best) or highway driving (where you get minimal benefit from the hybrid but do get hurt by the extra weight of the battery pack). Note also that the right to drive in the car pool lane at any time is no longer available except for full blown BEVs (I am grandathered into that benefit but would lose it if I traded my 530e).

My biggest concern on the e would be the added complexity. You are adding a second motor to the car along with the battery pack. BMWs are expensive to repair and the added features mean more things to potentially go wrong. At a minimum, my recommendation would be that you only consider cars with full service history so you can determine whether the car has been fully maintained and whether there have been any problems during that time (I don't count the grill opening/closing issue: BMW has extended its warranty on this and it is a pretty minor issue anyway).

Bottom line, if you can charge the car regularly at home in a garage, do a lot of local driving, and the car has a full and clean repair history, then the e would potentially be a good choice.

Note that Arizona is NOT a carb state so the warranty is 8 years on the battery pack, not 15 years and the former benefit on registration fees is no longer existent.

What might be more important are other features. The BMW forums are filled with folks praising or complaining about particular seats. I have the luxury seating package with the 20 way adjustable seats which I find excellent but some with the sports seats praise them and some complain unceasingly about them.

If you have a significant other, do a test ride with that person. My prior car was a 2016 330e which I sold back to BMW because of battery pack problems. But my wife really hated the ride (I had the MSport suspension). So this time around, to make my wife happier, I opted for the adjustable suspension. But most cars are not sold with that option. I think the regular suspension is less aggressive than the one I had in my 2016 car but you still want to make sure whatever you buy works for you and a significant other.

If you do a lot of night driving, I would only consider cars with the lighting package as the standard BMW lights are considered marginal in the testing reports I have seen. If you rarely drive at night, then I would not worry about the lights.

One big advantage of the e in Arizona (assuming you are not up in Flag) is the ability to use the phone app to turn on the AC. In the summer I take out my phone after finishing the 17th hole on a golf course and turn on the AC in the car (it runs the AC off the hybrid battery...it does NOT start the car). When I get to the car it is comfortable despite temperatures around 110F.

Both cars are excellent. Find a good example and enjoy the car!
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      05-04-2021, 01:55 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveinArizona View Post
That is somewhat concerning to me. My 2018 530e, in the northeast valley area is pretty rare...I have only seen three others in 3.5 years, all in golf course parking lots. So if there are more 530es than 530is I wonder why.this is just from me searching in various sites/bmw dealership. as i'm doing more searching i do see more 530i, but plenty of 530e

Having said that, my 530e has been rock solid and works well for me. But whether it would do so for you depends upon your situation.

First, do you have a garage to keep it in? If you can't readily charge it overnight I would skip the e and go for the i.We have a 3 car garage, but i prefer to park outside. single car garage can be reorganized to be a parking spot. or possibly have the charging cable reach the car from the garage???

Second, what kind of driving do you do? Do you have a daily commute? If yes...is it local driving on city streets (where a hybrid performs best) or highway driving (where you get minimal benefit from the hybrid but do get hurt by the extra weight of the battery pack). Note also that the right to drive in the car pool lane at any time is no longer available except for full blown BEVs (I am grandathered into that benefit but would lose it if I traded my 530e). this will be my daily (25miles round trip) not too concern with car pool since i there isnt much the hrs i drive to/from to the office

My biggest concern on the e would be the added complexity. You are adding a second motor to the car along with the battery pack. BMWs are expensive to repair and the added features mean more things to potentially go wrong. At a minimum, my recommendation would be that you only consider cars with full service history so you can determine whether the car has been fully maintained and whether there have been any problems during that time (I don't count the grill opening/closing issue: BMW has extended its warranty on this and it is a pretty minor issue anyway). seem like most of the ones i'm leaning towards are still under warranty or with super low miles. from what i've read, i dont see much issues on the 530e, which was my main concern. in term of which one to get probably wont matter. probably aiming for which options/color i prefer

Bottom line, if you can charge the car regularly at home in a garage, do a lot of local driving, and the car has a full and clean repair history, then the e would potentially be a good choice.

Note that Arizona is NOT a carb state so the warranty is 8 years on the battery pack, not 15 years and the former benefit on registration fees is no longer existent. noted, but again, not really priority, but good to know.

What might be more important are other features. The BMW forums are filled with folks praising or complaining about particular seats. I have the luxury seating package with the 20 way adjustable seats which I find excellent but some with the sports seats praise them and some complain unceasingly about them. we've own and currently own bmw's with the premium seats and standard seats, so aware of them. for this car, probably not a priority since its a short commute

If you have a significant other, do a test ride with that person. My prior car was a 2016 330e which I sold back to BMW because of battery pack problems. But my wife really hated the ride (I had the MSport suspension). So this time around, to make my wife happier, I opted for the adjustable suspension. But most cars are not sold with that option. I think the regular suspension is less aggressive than the one I had in my 2016 car but you still want to make sure whatever you buy works for you and a significant other. wife probably wont be driving this much if at all. she has a loaded G05 with air, so anything i get wont compare, not going to please her on this one.

If you do a lot of night driving, I would only consider cars with the lighting package as the standard BMW lights are considered marginal in the testing reports I have seen. If you rarely drive at night, then I would not worry about the lights.

One big advantage of the e in Arizona (assuming you are not up in Flag) is the ability to use the phone app to turn on the AC. In the summer I take out my phone after finishing the 17th hole on a golf course and turn on the AC in the car (it runs the AC off the hybrid battery...it does NOT start the car). When I get to the car it is comfortable despite temperatures around 110F.
yes we are in Phx; scottsdale area. definitely good info on this!
Both cars are excellent. Find a good example and enjoy the car!
Thanks for the extensive write up!!
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      05-05-2021, 03:32 AM   #9
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How much of the boot do you lose with the 530e vs 530i?
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      05-05-2021, 07:44 AM   #10
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I personally would take the 530e over the 530i. It has everything the 530i has but you get the benefits of the electric motor. The 545e would be even better.
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      05-05-2021, 09:38 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by peterm22 View Post
How much of the boot do you lose with the 530e vs 530i?
none in terms of depth and width but you lose height. Mot counting the underfloor storage, the floor of the boot is level with the rear ledge.
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      05-06-2021, 06:43 AM   #12
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If you are looking at the sedan then bootspace in the 530e is officially reduced in volume from 530 liters (18.7 cbft) to 410 liters (14.5 cbft). Same as 545e which i have ordered.
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      05-07-2021, 10:52 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LogicalApex View Post
I would compare them side by side and see where they stack up for you. I'm a major fan of the 530e and don't see a reason to buy the 530i over the 530e, but there are no one size fits all solutions so either car is a very valid choice in any individual circumstance. Up until MY2021 (the LCI) the price for the 530i and 530e were identical, but the Federal Tax break could slightly move the needle on the 530e. Perhaps the pre-owned 530e is discounted slightly to account for this break? I haven't looked.

I am not aware of any special reliability problems on the 530e over the 530i, but keep in mind that the HV battery in the 530e is warrantied for 8Y/100K Miles (10Y/150K miles in CARB states) and electric motors are less likely to breakdown compared to ICE motors so you're usually worried about the HV battery on the EV side and not the motor itself.

Fuel economy for me on the 530e has been fantastic. It is better the more you can charge it. You also get "climitization" support which is very much like Remote Start (Remote Start is only on the LCI MY2021+ otherwise).

I'm sure others will chime in with their experiences and opinions as well.
FYI: The federal tax credit only applies to new electric vehicles. It can’t be claimed on pre-owned. That said, I’d still go with the 530e.
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      05-08-2021, 03:32 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by peterm22 View Post
How much of the boot do you lose with the 530e vs 530i?
Quite a bit :-(

About a month ago I looked at a new 530e next to my current 4 year old 530i (both G30s) and the reduction in boot space was just too much for me to put up with. As, frustratingly, you can no longer buy a 530i in the UK that means I'm staying with my current car instead of buying a new one. Fortunately, especially after the last year, my mileage is low.
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      05-14-2021, 09:44 AM   #15
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I'm looking at both of them and scratching my head about the horsepower, per realoem they both have the same engine B46B20B, but the 530e has the additional 111hp electric motor. However they are both rated at a total output of 248hp max.

Is the B46 motor in the 530e somehow dumbed down vs the same motor in the 530i? C&D didn't get their math right here: https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...-drive-review/

180hp+111hp should equal 291 for the 530e, but if it truly has the same motor as the 530i (248hp) as well as a 111hp electric motor the 530e should have almost 360hp max. I also ran a vin for each model on bimmer.work and both came back as 185kW (248hp).

???
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      05-14-2021, 09:46 AM   #16
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Personally, I love the idea of the "e", but I just can't get past that huge friggin door on the fender. They seriously couldn't have found a better less conspicuous place than that for it?
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      05-14-2021, 11:32 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ajsawyer View Post
I'm looking at both of them and scratching my head about the horsepower, per realoem they both have the same engine B46B20B, but the 530e has the additional 111hp electric motor. However they are both rated at a total output of 248hp max.

Is the B46 motor in the 530e somehow dumbed down vs the same motor in the 530i? C&D didn't get their math right here: https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...-drive-review/

180hp+111hp should equal 291 for the 530e, but if it truly has the same motor as the 530i (248hp) as well as a 111hp electric motor the 530e should have almost 360hp max. I also ran a vin for each model on bimmer.work and both came back as 185kW (248hp).

???
Combining electric motor HP with ICE HP to get a number is not a true representation of the combined HP produced by the car as both aren't a single unit.

The B46 inline 4 in the 530i and 530e are similar, the difference being a smaller turbo in the 530e vs a bigger turbo in 530i. Both cars are rated at the exact HP output, the 530e has higher torqu6figure due to the batteries but it also weighs significantly more which counters the increase.

I test drove a 530i before purchasing a 530e. The 530e felt quicker but the added weight was noticeable. I didn't purchase the car with the intention of tracking it and si that didn't bother me, if anything the added weight makes the car smoother to drive.
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      05-16-2021, 04:13 PM   #18
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We own both (17-19 models) and if I bought another G30 it would be a 530i, or more likely a 540i now that it is a 48v mild hybrid.

- the 530e actually has marginally worse fuel economy than the 530i once the battery is depleted, which happens pretty quick (~12 miles in a large US city).

- poor range - unless you charge frequently and drive short distances, you'll be lucky to get 300 miles on a tank, which is at least 100 miles less than the 530i

- no longer eligible for state incentives - doesn't matter if you're buying used. As a fleet user the main reason we got the 530e was due to cost.

- the electric motor combined with regenerative braking make it difficult to accelerate and brake smoothly. You might not care if you don't carry passengers / guests.

- the reduced trunk height is a problem as you can't put even carry-on sized suitcases on its side and have to lay them flat. This effectively makes the car incapable of accommodating 2 passengers who each have 1 checked bag and 1 carry on. As a result, only suitable for airport runs with one passenger. (Admittedly, 75% of airport runs only have one passenger)
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