[Drbob20]

Hello all,

New to the forum and will be new to BMW ownership.

I will definitely be getting a 2024 X5, the question is 40i vs. 50e.

I'm undecided. This will be a 2nd car, which will probably be driven 6000-8000 miles/year on average. 90% will be around town with 4 or 5 500-700 mile roads trips typically per year. I'd be lookin to get as close to identical build either way, M Package, Drivers assist, etc.

Is the price difference of approx. 5-6k worth getting the 50e? Money aside any advantages/disadvantages over one vs. the other performance wise, reliability, maintenance, etc.?

Any insight is appreciated.

Thank you

[jad03060]

The 50e's 0-60mph is listed as 4.6s, while the 40i is 5.3 on the BMWUSA website, if that's any help.

Around town, with the 50e, you may not buy gasoline for months as you could do all of that in electric mode.

Off the line, the immediate torque from the large EV motor is nice, and, while some hate that it's quiet, you may miss the engine sounds, or be very pleased by it.

You can get a spare tire kit with the 40i, but there's no room under the floor on the 50e for one so your choices of OEM tires will be somewhat restricted versus the 40i.

In stop and go travel, the PHEV tends to be more efficient, but the mild hybrid on the 40i helps a little with that. Out on the road, the PHEV is no slouch given the weight of the thing, but the 40i is likely slightly better.

Depending on your local utility costs and gasoline prices, driving EV mode can either be a lot cheaper than gasoline, more expensive, or somewhere in between. Most people buying an X5 aren't really stressed about that, but it is a factor.

You'll want to install an EVSE, or at least a plug to recharge the thing, and depending on your situation (i.e., how far from your panel and how complex the install might be), that will add some costs. While some use patterns might allow plugging the included EVSE into 120vac outlet, it will take MANY hours to refill the batteries.

Again, depending on where you live and your financial situation, there may be some incentives available for the purchase. The US federal rules are expected to change some next year, and with the M-option, you'd probably be above the price cap for that credit anyway, but some states will still have theirs.

Personally, I bought my 45e to replace an ICE and an EV, as most of my daily stuff can be done on EV mode, and on trips, it's a no-brainer...just fill it up. Recharging is nice if you can get it overnight, but pretty much useless during a road trip otherwise until you get back home again. Stop at a friend's that has an EVSE you can use, that's a nice bonus.

[RNorb]

If the Auto stop start feature bothers you, it could be an issue with the 40i

The 50e is a complex vehicle which increases the odds of having repair or service issues.

[crackerjack15]

I love the 50e. It's so smooth. It eliminates my issues with start/stop, since it can pull out on electric and then seamlessly blend in the inline 6cyl. Also, while its stopped the electric powers the hvac system and it doesnt have to restart the engine for the a/c
. Its fast too! The electric motor adds a lot of torque. On the freeway at speed it oozes through traffic. Lots of torque. I had it to 135mph today. So smooth. I love the all electric around town and when cruising through shopping areas etc. I have 2600 miles on it so far in 3 weeks. No issues. When the battery is depleted it's getting 28.5 mpg.

[Muggins88]

Originally Posted by crackerjack15

I love the 50e. It's so smooth. It eliminates my issues with start/stop, since it can pull out on electric and then seamlessly blend in the inline 6cyl. Also, while its stopped the electric powers the hvac system and it doesnt have to restart the engine for the a/c
. Its fast too! The electric motor adds a lot of torque. On the freeway at speed it oozes through traffic. Lots of torque. I had it to 135mph today. So smooth. I love the all electric around town and when cruising through shopping areas etc. I have 2600 miles on it so far in 3 weeks. No issues. When the battery is depleted it's getting 28.5 mpg.

Total agreement. With a 44 mile full electric range, 90% of my driving is covered, with zero full electric angst. Great vehicle!

[cobramite]

Originally Posted by crackerjack15

I love the 50e. It's so smooth. It eliminates my issues with start/stop, since it can pull out on electric and then seamlessly blend in the inline 6cyl. Also, while its stopped the electric powers the hvac system and it doesnt have to restart the engine for the a/c
. Its fast too! The electric motor adds a lot of torque. On the freeway at speed it oozes through traffic. Lots of torque. I had it to 135mph today. So smooth. I love the all electric around town and when cruising through shopping areas etc. I have 2600 miles on it so far in 3 weeks. No issues. When the battery is depleted it's getting 28.5 mpg.

135 MPH? Wow, can't imagine doing that in a near 6,000 lb SUV.

[eelnoraa]

Originally Posted by crackerjack15

…. When the battery is depleted it's getting 28.5 mpg.

Just to be clear, this mpg is highway cruising at reasonable speed, right?

[Lionel Hutz]

First question is do you want to be able to do fully-electric driving or not. For me, that was a requirement for my DD. So 50e was the only model even in consideration.

[jad03060]

Some love it, some hate it, but you can't get the air suspension on the 40i in the USA right now, but it's standard on the 50e. That option is available in some markets, and may eventually return to the US, but it's not currently available until the supply chain fully rebounds. There are good things and bad about being a big market for the X5...supply chain issues tend to limit what BMWUSA offers based on corporate decisions to best satisfy all markets.

[crackerjack15]

Originally Posted by cobramite

135 MPH? Wow, can't imagine doing that in a near 6,000 lb SUV.

It's all relative. 135 to me is slow. X7 m60i shuts down the fun at 155. However my twin turbo ~1200hp(1k whp) mustang has no limiter. Top of 5th gear is 185. And it doesn't take long to get there.

My 50e has the 20" wheels which is what I wanted. But it lowers the top speed. Like other bmw's, if you spec the 21" staggered summer tires on the 50e, does is raise top speed to 155?

[FastMarkA]

Some other perhaps "surprise" benefits of the PHEV that often don't get pointed out in reviews and/or marketing materials:

• You save a lot of time/anxiety on the refueling process; if you can charge at home, every morning you can go ~40 miles.
• Pre-conditioning (aka "remote start") can be done when the vehicle is in a garage and nobody will die from CO poisoning.
• It's fast!
• Lots of premium parking spaces (provided you charge).

[bono]

Fairly standard cruising speed for SUVs on German autobahn. Not sure where you can speed that high in the US (after two tickets and thousands of dollars paid for increased insurance premiums I don't speed), but these vehicles are built to drive 150 mph on autobahn 24/7.

Originally Posted by cobramite

135 MPH? Wow, can't imagine doing that in a near 6,000 lb SUV.

[crackerjack15]

Originally Posted by eelnoraa

Just to be clear, this mpg is highway cruising at reasonable speed, right?

Yes. Only get 28 ish if your easy on the go pedal. Today and yesterday we drove 672 miles and the bmw app says 25mpg average. We drove for over 2hrs today at close to 100mph following a few cars. Here are a couple trips out of the app.

[jad03060]

While I've driven on the Autobahn at some fairly high speeds (lived there for a while), in the USA, the average driver is just as likely to pull out in front of you and severely impact your progress and safety. At least in Germany, most drivers are watching their mirrors and aware of the significant potential speed differences. Super high speeds in the USA is not a common experience, and the average driver just doesn't understand the consequences of that act, making it generally unsafe unless you're on a track.

Make sure your tires are rated for that speed, too.

[crackerjack15]

Originally Posted by jad03060

While I've driven on the Autobahn at some fairly high speeds (lived there for a while), in the USA, the average driver is just as likely to pull out in front of you and severely impact your progress and safety. At least in Germany, most drivers are watching their mirrors and aware of the significant potential speed differences. Super high speeds in the USA is not a common experience, and the average driver just doesn't understand the consequences of that act, making it generally unsafe unless you're on a track.

Make sure your tires are rated for that speed, too.

Obviously, I'm not passing anyone at that speed, and its only in short bursts. Grandma doesn't pay attention and would launch me harder than the Bentley into rainbow bridge.

[Drbob20]

Originally Posted by Lionel Hutz

First question is do you want to be able to do fully-electric driving or not. For me, that was a requirement for my DD. So 50e was the only model even in consideration.

Not really sure, this will, potentially, be my first dip into anything electric/hybrid. I'd guess I'd try full electric or keep it in hybrid mode

[crackerjack15]

Originally Posted by Drbob20

Not really sure, this will, potentially, be my first dip into anything electric/hybrid. I'd guess I'd try full electric or keep it in hybrid mode

The cool thing is.... you charge it at your house... and you drive and make it back before 40 miles, awesome! If you get to zero miles of electric, it will still utilize re-gen and as you drift down hills or come up behind cars, it sends juice back to the battery. Then you come to a light and its off. As you leave it will use the energy it gathered until its out again and then switch to the engine. So your always getting some benefits, even though it's technically at zero range.

Down a long steep hill it can gain 1 to 2 miles of range sometimes.

[eelnoraa]

I am a 45e owner. it is my family car, and I am not emotionally attached to the car at all. It has strength, but isn't all rainbow either, just like anything else. The primary deciding factor is if you have a consistent mean to charge the car. That means either home or office, where you will be there for a while for purpose other than charging. If you don't, then PHEV isn't the right car. If you have to go out of your way to charge, it gets old fast and you will end up not charging the car. BMW PHEV will lose most if not all benefit if you operate it as a non plug in hybrid. It certainly won't be as efficient as 40i.

Two biggest benefits to us is:
1 missing the routine gas station stop. The only time we stop for gas is on longer road trip.
2. I can run HVAC with ICE off in close space. Not so much for preconditon, but for fall asleep infant in car

what isn't necessary a benefit is $/mile. This highly depend on your gas price vs. electricity price. If you care, then maybe do some match to confirm. Here in Cali, $/mile is higher with eDrive vs gas by as much as 40%. Even if $/mile is lower, it will take years to recoup the additional cost of PHEV in 2024.

As for relaibility, it really depend on how long you want to keep the car. Short time, I don't think you will see much different between 40i and 50e. Long term, 50e will have things to fix simply because drive chain is more complicated. How much worse is very hard to say. The volume and age of 45e and 50e is enough to make a concrete conclusion for long term reliability

[eelnoraa]

Originally Posted by crackerjack15

Yes. Only get 28 ish if your easy on the go pedal. Today and yesterday we drove 672 miles and the bmw app says 25mpg average. We drove for over 2hrs today at close to 100mph following a few cars. Here are a couple trips out of the app.

Very good. Consider such a large and heavy car, and the power B58 can deliver, really cannot complain. But then, I think 40i will do better in similar condition just because it is 6-700lb lighter, and 40i had gear advantage at high gears for efficiency.

Here is a few resultant gear ratio at 8th (8th x final)
40i (both pre and post LCi): 2.17
50e: 2.33
45e: 2.43

50e RPM will be 7.4% higher than 40i when cruising at 8th. 45e RPM will be 12% higher

[eluded]

I get 12 MPG in short distances in sports mode in my 50e without any WOT, or reving above 4K

The delta between the two is big. Unless Joe is chipping in not sure it's worth it. You do get air suspension, bigger brakes and more horses but at a cost. If electricity is cheap or you have solar panels might be worth it. I would plug the numbers into Excel and the numbers might be a wash for a much more complicated vehicle that loves check engine lights.

Originally Posted by crackerjack15

When the battery is depleted it's getting 28.5 mpg.

[Mattl0806]

What’s the vote for someone who has a 45 mile single way commute. So one way entirely on E , no where to charge - then one way in hyrbid with battery depleted. Would you pick 40i or 50e in this scenario?

40i you’re filling up 1x a week.
50e maybe get 2 weeks out of it, right?

[FastMarkA]

Originally Posted by Mattl0806

What’s the vote for someone who has a 45 mile single way commute. So one way entirely on E , no where to charge - then one way in hyrbid with battery depleted. Would you pick 40i or 50e in this scenario?

40i you’re filling up 1x a week.
50e maybe get 2 weeks out of it, right?

I'd figure out a way to not have a 90-mile r/t commute!

If there is a charging facility on both ends, the 50e is an easy choice.

Even still, the 50e is perfectly fine; for those distances I'd assume (I know) you'll be on a freeway and the gas engine will probably kick on for a bit in both directions. Plus, all the added benefits of the PHEV over a regular ICE.