Hello everyone, I'm new to the BMW forums and the brand. I recently put a deposit down for a 2018 BMW 530e. I was not in the market for a 5-Series, especially not a plug-in hybrid. My aim was to get into a 2017 BMW 750li but the lack of sufficient warranty and terrible reliability kept me at bay.
The 530e was previously owned by a BMW executive so it is decently optioned. The car is clocked at 33,000 KMs and within the 4 year BMW warranty. I do not plan on keeping the car for long as I do not have much faith in BMW reliability (especially an electric one) and do not want to get stuck paying repair bills out of pocket once the warranty ends.
I previously owned a 2017 Jaguar XJL Portfolio with the 3.0 Supercharged V6. I loved the car to bits and have sold it to my dad with the intention of buying it back in a few years. I have a 2010 Lexus LS460 as a backup reliable vehicle incase the BMW acts up.
- I do have the option to extend the warranty by an additional two years (complete factory warranty) for `$5,000 (Yay or nay?). I'm told the 530i are generally reliable and the battery on the 530e is covered by an 8 year warranty from in-service date. A battery warranty would not cover the electric motors as far as I know.
- What should I be looking for besides the usual:
. Complete service history
. Tires, brakes, overall condition of the body and interior
. Any corrosion or rust
I'm not too worried about the car being in good condition as it is being sold by BMW and they have re-conditioned it.
- What accessories should come with a 530e beside the charging port?
- Any weak spots or areas of concerns I should pay extra attention to? Perhaps a recall that may not have been performed
- How are the 5-Series generally? In terms of interior quality, ride quality, performance, etc. I understand it's an inline 4 with mediocre performance numbers but I'm not looking for a sports car.
- Is the plug-in hybrid feature more or less a gimmick? My daily commute is less than 15 km each-way.
- Can the 530e be charged at any conventional charging station (Maybe not at a Tesla station)? Do I need to buy a separate adapter?
Thanks for taking the time to read the post, I look forward to your responses!
Cheers!
I just bought a 2021 530e. I have owned in the past i3, and BMW525. I also own a Tesla Model X.
The 530e comes with a charging cable that can be plugged into a regular outlet. I can be charged at any conventional charging station not Tesla, you dont need anything special.
The plug-in will be fine for you if your commute is 15 miles or less.
I am also considering a 530e. Most of my driving is within the ~21 electric range of the '20 models, which I gather is about the same for the '21's, so I possibly go for months without ever starting up the gasoline engine. But that would likely bring up other issues - stale gasoline in the tank, etc. So under that scenario perhaps an electric-only car would make more sense. With BMW moving toward electrics, might there be an electric only 5 series coming, similar to the upcoming electric only 3 series?
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