ENGINEER EXPLAINS WHY PLUG-IN-HYBRID 330e IS BETTER VALUE THAN GAS VERSION 330i

Automotive Engineer David Koichi Chao explains why the PHEV version of the 3-series, the 330e, is the better and wiser buy than the gas version 330i. David provides 5 reasons why that is the case, starting with the fact that the 330e is the cheapest 3-series you can buy in Canada.

Automotive Press is owned and managed by David Koichi Chao, a global expert in the field of automotive evaluation, consulting, and strategy. David is known around the world as an authentic specialist of Lean Thinking or Agile Thinking. Born and raised in Japan, David has an engineering degree from University of British Columbia and post-graduate education from MIT and Harvard Business School in Boston.

[georgev]

I’m probably looking at this car soon. Always wanted a bmw 3 series and this checks all my boxes.

[Titangon]

I have the BMW 330e 2023 since 3 months and I am really agree with you and happy with my car; the car es very quiet and free noise when you drive in electric mode, but if you want to feel the real power of the car, you can switch to sport mode (xtraboost) and the sound as well is magnific. About the concerns about an 100% electric car, I feel that this car is perfect because of the capacity to swith to hybrid mode and use gasoline until you reach a charge station or to your home in your own charger. Finally, the car deliver great power in electric mode, it is not slow, and fool. This car is perfect! Thanks for the review.

[philippem]

I own a 330e since six months. Perfect car

[pain]

I think the price drop is an advantage. I bought mine with 90.000km 3 years old, and paid HALF the retail price. The interior and exterior are flawless, the car is essentially new for 20k€

[PsychedMedia]

In my country the 330e costs in between the 320i and 330i. But when it comes to resale value, even the 320i retains its value more after a few years compared to the 330e

[Trades]

Honestly would seriously consider the all electric i4 for similar price of a 330e.

[AFRetPA]

Interesting. You tout the benefits of the electric side of the 330e. (I let me be clear, I have owned a 330e for nearly a year. Already have over 12k miles on it.). During the time you were driving the car in this video, you were burning gasoline. The instrument panel borders were white, not blue, as they are when it’s running in electric mode. Just an observation, as an owner.

[ahmedvorajee]

Excellent review which explains things really for someone like myself who is considering one as a company car 😊

[KungPowEnterFist]

I have owned my 2021 BMW 330e for over a year and half now. The short answer is if a larger trunk space is the most important consideration for you, then get the 330i. Otherwise, the 330e is better or comparable in every other way. Its considerably cheaper to buy (with the US tax credit), far cheaper to operate, cheaper to maintain, and in every other way at least comparable. The 330e is perhaps the most anti-compromise vehicle choice you can make with little competition. Not crazy price to buy, amazing economy, decent sport performance, decent handling, luxury feel, and so forth. I regularly get 24-26 miles all electric if you drive normal, but can be stretched to 30 miles if you drive for max economy. Even if you never plug the car in, you will get 34-35MPG in the city.

I have also put miles on same model year/generation 330i, as my wife had it for a while as her car needed repairs for an extended period of time. The first thing that jumps out at you is just how much less refined the 330i powertrain feels in a normal driving situation. It is an afterthought vs the 330e. As if they tuned the 330e first, and then said, fine, we will also make a 330i, but we are budget limited so it will be what it will be. The 330e feels like you are driving something a lot more modern, you have options, and it builds and delivers excitement when you switch from economy to sport. The 330i drives more like an early teens 3 series. Its fine; there is nothing wrong with it. But that philosophy was different. You get the base model to be practical, and if you want more you get the slightly upgraded engine or the hugely upgraded M model. Whatever choice you made, you are stuck with that choice and its place in the philosophy. That is how it feels to drive the 330i after you have driven the 330e. Its yesterdays car, and its limits are glaringly obvious.

[kirthgersen]

I own a 330e Touring xDrive since one month (that's the wagon model, available here in the old world), so I'm quite convinced this is a very good car.
However the reasons shared here sound a bit weird to me.
Firstly, reasons 1 and 2 are mutually exclusive. You can indeed run only in electric mode if your daily commute is around 40 to 50km, but you won't for sure get the performances of a 330i in pure electric mode. Electric mode is limited to 70hp plus 10s boost up to 113 hp. This is good enough, especially in a city, and the immediate torque helps, but you'll never meet the 0-60mph in 6s with electricity only. This requires the gazoline engine to be up and running. In pure Electric mode, 0-60mph is achieved in nearly 10s.
Finally, giving as 5th reason the fact to be afraid of running out of battery, is a not relevant here. You are doing a comparison with a 330i whose tank capacity as well as one way trip range are both much higher than the one of a 330e. That could be an argument if comparing with a model 3, not with a gasoline 3 series.

[LongIslandDad]

I've had my 2023 330e xDrive M-Sport for about 3 months now and it's been great. Looking forward to my tax credit and enjoying buying only 9 gallons every 3 weeks.

[bubububu]

I drove both and i choose 330i, its just a better car overall, and the weight was noticeable in 330e

[Trojan]

Got in my son’s 330e & performance on back roads felt like his 2010 328. His work round trip is 15miles.

[jeremywt]

Hey David. 330e rwd or xdrive in Ontario? quite a big price difference

[Gödelbo]

What is your life in a flat and have no where to charge it ? How long does it take to charge ?

[Alienegra]

Hi it’s a nice video. Any user got battery problem? How is the warranty going?

[peterdirection]

I wish they did this right. But they get too much power from a very small battery. Once the battery is depleted, the car is veryunder powered.

[Viktooooooor]

Why should I buy hybrid if I just charge the car an rely on the electric motor ? Better I buy full electric car and that’s it

[Mysteryp]

22mpg. BUT I heard this only works with SUPER slow, NO a/c, No head light, No Radio, etc. so it is not really 22mpg. if you drive 40~50mph with a/c on you would only get around 17 mpg. is this true? I read multiple from online. is only 17mpg why 330e is better? with the weight of battery the gas would take alot more faster than regular 330i.

[malhibhai]

Where I live, in vancouver, the 3 series xdrive is just as expensive as the m340i.