BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary

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Fri 7 Jul 2017 10:57
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - craig-pd130

I collected my 225xe on Tuesday, it's the entry-level 'Sport' spec, with the only extra being heated seats (on the orders of SWMBO, of course).

Having had a weekend test drive earlier this year (detailed here: www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=117325), I knew roughly what to expect. But here are some initial findings from the first few days of ownership:

-- using 'Max eDrive' mode, which stops the petrol engine kicking in unless you activate kickdown, and delivers up to 78mph on the electric motor alone, I can do my 8-mile round trip commute (which involves NSL dual carriageways and town shuffling) for two consecutive days, and still have about 25% charge left in the battery. Performance in this mode is more than adequate for keeping up with traffic flow, although battery range will be reduced in winter weather.

-- the BMW-supplied charging cable would be better if it was 3 feet longer. A full charge from 25% remaning takes about 3 hours from a standard 3-pin socket, costing about 80p.

-- I can't make any sensible fuel economy calculations yet, as there's still more than half a tank of petrol to use up from when I collected it.

-- the manual's running-in instructions say "don't exceed 4.500rpm until 1,200 miles have been completed", although the petrol engine hasn't actually started up for the past 3 days, so it may take me more miles than that ....

I'll post more findings when I find them.

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Fri 7 Jul 2017 11:11
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - RobJP

A serious question - one I hope our engine builders / rebuilders might reply on, in particular.

Could there be serious internal engine corrosion issues with a petrol engine - like that fitted to this car - that is rarely used ?

We all know that exhaust back-box corrosion can be a major problem when the water from combustion condenses - which typically happens when the entire exhaust doesn't get hot enough on very short trips. Could this happen with a hybrid where the engine might only run for a couple of minutes, so is pretty cold a lot of the time ?

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Fri 7 Jul 2017 11:43
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - skidpan

Could there be serious internal engine corrosion issues with a petrol engine - like that fitted to this car - that is rarely used ?

No problems at all providing the oil is fresh and uncontaminated. All parts will be coated and the oil film will be OK for years.

2 examples.

I bought a Mondeo engine out of a burn out caused by a dash fire (faulty phone install). The fire brigade had liberally soaked the engine as they extinguished the fire and the plug galleries were full of orangy coloured water. It had been at the yard for ages and they were glad to see the back of it. I took the sump and head off and all was fine.

In 2008 I bought a brand new crate 2 litre Focus Zetec. The engine was built in 2004 (when the last Mk1 Focus was sold) and had been stored (along with many others) in a warehouse since. All the oily bits still had a coating of oil on them and no corrosion but its must be said it had probably only run on the bench at the engine plant (if they do that sort of thing).

BMW will have programmed the engine to run occationally even if the batteries are full so nothing to worry about at all.

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Fri 7 Jul 2017 11:44
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - Stanb Sevento

A serious question - one I hope our engine builders / rebuilders might reply on, in particular.

Could there be serious internal engine corrosion issues with a petrol engine - like that fitted to this car - that is rarely used ?

We all know that exhaust back-box corrosion can be a major problem when the water from combustion condenses - which typically happens when the entire exhaust doesn't get hot enough on very short trips. Could this happen with a hybrid where the engine might only run for a couple of minutes, so is pretty cold a lot of the time ?

Its not something Id be worried about to be honest, good quality oil and fuel look after engine internals pretty well and BMW like most Germam brands will have a stailess steel exhaust system. Best practice is likley to run the engine periodicaly and fully heat everything up.but that will happen in normal use anyway I suspect.with the limited battery range. Internal corrosion is mainly caused by acid thats a byproduct of combustion.

Edited by Stanb Sevento on 07/07/2017 at 11:50

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Fri 7 Jul 2017 13:22
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - craig-pd130

Could there be serious internal engine corrosion issues with a petrol engine - like that fitted to this car - that is rarely used ?

Apparently, the car's brain has a routine which turns the engine over periodically (without starting it, effectively spinning it on the starter) to circulate the oil around the engine and keep the high-stress surfaces like cam lobes & followers, cylinder bores etc lubricated ready for service, to minimize start-up wear and corrosion.

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Fri 7 Jul 2017 13:30
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - RobJP

Many thanks for that Craig.

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Thu 20 Jul 2017 10:52
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - craig-pd130

Just over 2 weeks and 250 miles into ownership. There was just over half a tank of petrol in the car when I collected it ... and I've still got over a third of a tank left.

I'm using 'Max eDrive' mode for my daily 8-mile commute, which stops the petrol engine kicking in unless you exceed 78mph. The speed is deceptive, as it doesn't feel fast because of the elastic pull of the electric motor and the complete lack of noise, but you soon realize that you're wafting up to 65 / 70 without trying at all.

The on-board computer calculates electricity usage: since getting it, I've used around 57KWH, which at 13p per unit from my domestic supply is £7.40.

I'll be doing some long trips in the next couple of weeks so will have the chance to make meaningful economy calculations then.

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Mon 4 Sep 2017 17:10
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - craig-pd130

1500 miles up in 2 months now, and I'm enjoying the car very much. It's a very comfortable and relaxing drive all round, but really can shift in 'sport' mode, which combines petrol and electric power.

Most working weeks pass without the petrol engine firing up at all, as all commuting etc is being done on pure electric mode. Most evenings, I'm charging up from around 50 - 60% capacity, which costs around 50 to 60 pence on my current electricity tariff (13p per KWH). Mile for mile, that's about half the cost of petrol for the same journey.

On a weekend which involved a 250-mile motorway round trip (cruising at 75 - 80mph) plus some town / urban driving (and only one charge-up), I got 46mpg so it's not too bad for a 1,800kg mini MPV on faster journeys either.

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Tue 10 Oct 2017 10:55
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - craig-pd130

Just back from a two week holiday in the Yorkshire Dales. Handily, the place we were staying had an outdoor 13A socket so I was able to charge the car and do a fair bit of driving (including the 15-mile round trip to the nearest town) on electric-only.

Filling up when I got back home showed we'd used bang on 5 gallons for 381.3 miles = 76mpg. The electricity was 'free' but as mentioned in previous posts, it's fair to assume that the car uses about 60p worth of electricity per day. Over 14 days that's £8.40, which is equivalent to 1.5 gallons of unleaded. So the 'combined' fuel cost was 58mpg.

That's better than I used to get with either of my previous Volvo V60 diesel manuals. Considering the BMW weighs more and is more powerful, I'm very pleased with it.

Otherwise the car continues to be very comfy, practical and fun to drive.

One interesting and unexpected feature that was discovered while on holiday was the car's part-time 4WD mode. I was in electric-only mode, reversing into a parking space on wet grass. It was quite a steep uphill reverse and the rear wheels (driven by the electric motor) span a little due to lack of traction. To my surprise, the petrol engine automatically started up to give me all-wheel drive, so I could complete the reverse easily. Smart!

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Fri 13 Oct 2017 15:47
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - Avant

One particular question if you see this, Craig, put into my mind by the current thread on 'creep' - does the automatic 'creep' like a normal auto? I would hope so!

I'm attracted by the idea of being environmentally friendly (well, comparatively) by being able to do al the short journeys on electric power. I suspect that the 225xe makes more sense for company car drivers like you than for private buyers like me: but there isn't quite such a premium over the equivalent 220i as there is for, say the Audi A3 e-tron, and it's good to know that you like yours so much.

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Fri 13 Oct 2017 16:15
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - craig-pd130

One particular question if you see this, Craig, put into my mind by the current thread on 'creep' - does the automatic 'creep' like a normal auto? I would hope so!

It does, irrespective of whether it's on electric-only, petrol-only, or both. Considering that there is no physical connection between the petrol engine & trans and the electric motor apart from some wiring (unlike many other plug-in hybrids, which have the electric motor sandwiched between the petrol engine and trans), the powertrain's integration is seamless.

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Sat 14 Oct 2017 09:31
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - jc2

A hybrid vehicle where there is no connection between the IC engine and the wheels is a "series" hybrid.Where the wheels can be powered directly by both IC and electric motor,it's a "parallel" hybrid.

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Tue 30 Jan 2018 14:58
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - craig-pd130

Nearly 7 months and 6,000 miles into ownership, and here are a few more findings and observations.

-- total fuel & electricity consumption so far has worked out at 50.5mpg (the electricity cost for a charge is around 65p per day). I can still go for a week or more without the petrol engine firing up at all.

-- the part-time 4wd capability proved very handy recently during a snowfall: many other vehicles got stuck on a local hilly road, I had no issues at all getting up and navigating round the stranded vehicles

-- ambient temps below 5 celsius impact on battery-only range, cutting it to about 13 - 14 miles max. The improvement in range when the ambient temp is in double figures is easily noticeable

-- the 'preconditioning' capability from the electric heater on frosty mornings is very welcome: it's nice to be able to get into a warm cabin and have frost-free windows. If the power cable is plugged in then it doesn't affect battery range either

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Tue 10 Jul 2018 12:12
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - craig-pd130

It's just over a year and 10,000 miles since I got the car. It continues to be extremely practical, relaxing to drive, yet very brisk when flicked into 'Sport' mode (especially using the manual gear selection, which gives absolutely razor-sharp throttle response without the torque converter smoothing things out).

Absolutely zero problems to date. Zero oil consumption. The 'combined' economy (i.e. petrol plus electricity) works out at 50.2mpg.

A full charge of the battery from around 20-25% capacity remaining takes about 3 hours from a domestic 13A socket. At my electricity tariff (13p / KWh), that's about 80 pence.

In the current temperatures, a full charge will give 18 commuting miles before the petrol engine will kick in (which it does automatically when the battery charge reaches 5%). In practice, this means I can go weeks at a time without the petrol engine ever starting.

When not charging the car (on a week's holiday in Wales recently, there was no accessible charging point), it averaged 42mpg in mixed driving. It gives the same consumption on long motorway trips at a cruise-controlled 77mph too.

Overall, I'm very happy with the car. It makes most sense as a company car (because of the low BIK tax) or for those who have to regularly go into congestion/emissions charging zones, but it's very well designed and easy to live with.

Now, if only they'd make a version available that had the drivetrain from the i8 installed (the i8's petrol engine is simply in a higher state of tune, and its electric motor has a 2-stage stepper) ....

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Tue 10 Jul 2018 15:52
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - skidpan

The 'combined' economy (i.e. petrol plus electricity) works out at 50.2mpg

And that is exactly why I will not be buying any brand of hybrid any time soon.

A 2 series petrol can be had for £21800 from Carfile wheras the hybrid will set you back just over £30000.

Assuming that the 218i would match the Superbs 45 mpg overall I would have to do over 600,000 miles at todays petrol price to recoup the extra purchase price.

A work colleague found that out over 4 years ago when he got a new Auris hybrid as his company car. It would only just beat the mpg I was getting from the Leon but he had to drive like a dead vicar to achieve that figure. He also found the car very tiring over a long distance beacuse of the hateful CVT continously revving the engine when you breathed on the throttle.

It makes most sense as a company car (because of the low BIK tax)

But he said exactly the same as your comment, compared to his previous Focus diesel he was saving a fortune.

At the weekend he preferred using his wifes C3.

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Tue 10 Jul 2018 17:41
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - craig-pd130

A work colleague found that out over 4 years ago when he got a new Auris hybrid as his company car. It would only just beat the mpg I was getting from the Leon but he had to drive like a dead vicar to achieve that figure. He also found the car very tiring over a long distance beacuse of the hateful CVT continously revving the engine when you breathed on the throttle.

The 225 isn't hobbled with a CVT, the 'box is a 6-speed torque converter auto which is very well calibrated. So I can either relax and let it do all the work or, if I'm on A- or B-roads, use the manual override for maximum go.

The drivetrain's integration is seamless, so there's no compromise in terms of driving behaviour. Sport mode combines the full output of both motors so you get 284ft-lb from 1,300rpm to 4,300rpm. The throttle response is (literally) electric, which makes it great fun to hustle along. It corners well too, with the semi-permanent 4wd.

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Tue 10 Jul 2018 17:54
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - sammy1

At what point and how many EV or hybrid vehicles on the road do the government begin to realise that they are losing revenue due to cheap electric tarrifs to run these cars and no money going into their coffers. Are the rest of us going to have to subsidise the running of these vehicles through increases on tax on diesel and petrol? Will this be a back way to encourage more of us to go to EV? How do you pay to charge at a lamp post, I am sure the local authority won't oblige you and how much to charge. How is the charging network going to be protected from thieves, bypassing the meter will become a cottage industry for free fuel! Will Customs and Excise be dipping batteries for RED electric!!!

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Tue 10 Jul 2018 18:29
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - gordonbennet

Whatever system they go for the British Inland Revenue has never had any trouble extracting dosh from the pockets of us plebs, various multi-millionaire celebs and some companies they seem to stuggle with mind.

When the balance of electric or plug in hybrids to normal ICE powered vehicles is high enough that they notice the tax receipts falling, they'll soon shift the goal posts.

Be careful what you wish for, if its road pricing (as i suspect it will through GPS linked systems, handy spyware too and automated speeding tickets all in one package, yay) then poor old ICE users may well find themselves paying fuel duty as well as punitive VED plus road usage costs.

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Wed 11 Jul 2018 09:07
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - expat

I will be interested to see what the resale is like in 5 years time when the battery will likely need replacing. My guess is that they will be worth nothing on the second hand market.

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Thu 12 Jul 2018 01:10
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - Avant

That's another reason why the 225xe makes sense as a company car (as Craig's is) but not to private buyers.

In fact no 2-series Active Tourer appears to hold its value well, accoprding to the What Car tables. That was one factor that led me to my Q2 in preference to a 220i.

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Thu 12 Jul 2018 02:43
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - veloceman
It’s probably been said before.

My Leon will do 50mpg easily. I don’t need two engines and a floor full of batteries
to achieve similar mpg. How can it be green to produce all these additional parts and ship them around the world when 1 engine does the same.
With the extra weight I guess they chew through tyres sooner too.

Also there is the issue of what happens when the batteries need disposing of.

A pointless government tax break IMO.

I do not however have a problem with pure electric cars.
In time they will do greater mileages and leave cities in a much cleaner state which can’t be a bad thing.

I’m sure our competent government will have plans for the increased generation needed.
;-).
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Tue 30 Jun 2020 11:48
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - barney100

So over £8000 extra for the hybrid, still have to power it up and put fuel in it.

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Mon 19 Aug 2019 14:46
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - craig-pd130

Over 2 years and 20,000 miles since I got the car now. It had its first service in July (basically an oil & filter change, and a plug-in to the diagnostic computer. No problems or faults.

As mentioned above, it continues to be practical, relaxing to drive, but amusingly rapid when flicked into 'Sport' mode, which harnesses both petrol and electric motors to give the full 225bhp and 285ft-lb. This gives excellent punch for making progress on A-roads.

The 'combined' economy (i.e. petrol plus electricity costs, I only charge at home) works out at 50.3mpg average in my ownership - better than any of my previous turbodiesels.

A full charge of the battery from around 20-25% capacity remaining takes about 3 hours from a domestic 13A socket. At my electricity tariff (13p / KWh), that's about 80 pence.

When the ambient temp is above 10C, a full charge will give 18 commuting miles before the petrol engine will kick in (which it does automatically when the battery charge reaches 5%). In practice, this means I can go weeks at a time without the petrol engine ever starting.

As mentioned in the updates above, it's a very well-designed and easy-to-live-with car that's also fun to drive in both pure EV and combined 'Sport' mode.

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Mon 19 Aug 2019 19:24
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - Avant

Craig, I'd be interested to know how many miles you can go between petrol fill-ups. I believe the fuel tank is smaller on the 225xe to accommodate the battery, but maybe that's compensated for by the extra mpg.

A PHEV would make sense for me next time: up to now they've been too expensive, but there are signs that the gap is narrowing between petrol and PHEV versions of a model. But I do like the 400+ mile range that both our (petrol) Audis can do. As you'll remember, the diesel Volvo V60 would do over 700 with its 67-litre tank.

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Mon 19 Aug 2019 21:45
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - craig-pd130

Craig, I'd be interested to know how many miles you can go between petrol fill-ups. I believe the fuel tank is smaller on the 225xe to accommodate the battery, but maybe that's compensated for by the extra mpg.

A PHEV would make sense for me next time: up to now they've been too expensive, but there are signs that the gap is narrowing between petrol and PHEV versions of a model. But I do like the 400+ mile range that both our (petrol) Audis can do. As you'll remember, the diesel Volvo V60 would do over 700 with its 67-litre tank.

Yes, the petrol tank is just over 8 gallons. On a typical business trip of say 350 to 400 miles in a day, mostly motorway (where the petrol engine is running all the time and the electric motor contributes little), I usually set cruise control at 75mph, and will typically get a genuine 42 to 45mpg at the pump.

Worst case, that means refilling at 290 to 300 miles to be safe. But equally, I've gone over 800 miles on a tankful many times, when journeys have been more mixed and I've been able to use pure EV mode more.

As you say, I sometimes used to get 700 miles between fills from my old V60, but to be honest, at some point on those 350+ mile in a day journeys, I'll want to stop for a coffee and comfort break, so filling at the same time is no hardship.

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Tue 20 Aug 2019 10:57
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - skidpan

Yes, the petrol tank is just over 8 gallons. On a typical business trip of say 350 to 400 miles in a day, mostly motorway (where the petrol engine is running all the time and the electric motor contributes little), I usually set cruise control at 75mph, and will typically get a genuine 42 to 45mpg at the pump.

And that is the problem with older hybrids. Our much larger Skoda Superb 1.4 TSi 150 PS covers a trip of 430 in the day 4 times a year and its pretty much loaded. Setting cruise at 73 mph it averages a genuine 53 to 55 mpg depending on the weather and traffic. We can easilyget 700 miles from a tank before we get nervous.

It seems that the nnewer hybrids are much better but why pay a fortune for a "green" car that does less mpg than a conventional one with a good engine.

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Tue 20 Aug 2019 12:27
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - craig-pd130

.

And that is the problem with older hybrids. Our much larger Skoda Superb 1.4 TSi 150 PS covers a trip of 430 in the day 4 times a year and its pretty much loaded. Setting cruise at 73 mph it averages a genuine 53 to 55 mpg depending on the weather and traffic. We can easilyget 700 miles from a tank before we get nervous.

It seems that the nnewer hybrids are much better but why pay a fortune for a "green" car that does less mpg than a conventional one with a good engine.

Hybrids are always a compromise, so it's swings / roundabouts. You're quoting a single type of journey at which the Skoda excels. Equally, the 225 does my daily 8-mile round trip commute without ever using a drop of petrol.

Of course, electricity ain't free. But that 8-mile commute will use less than 50% of the battery's capacity. Replacing that 50% capacity takes 3.5kW of electricity, or 45 pence on our domestic tariff of 13p/kWH. That 45p equates to 0.35 litres of petrol at the current pump price of £1.299, which is the cost-equivalent of over 100mpg when I'm commuting.

Edited by craig-pd130 on 20/08/2019 at 12:28

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Mon 29 Jun 2020 09:55
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - craig-pd130

Well, after three years and 25,000 miles, it's going back to BMW this week as the contract hire is up.

All of the points I've covered above still apply: there were no faults during my ownership. It's been the best company car I've had - versatile, roomy, comfortable and great fun to drive whether in pure electric mode, or in combined 'sport' mode.

In my ownership it averaged 68.8mpg on petrol alone. The combined fuel cost (including electricity) averaged out at exactly 50mpg. For perspective, that 50mpg is better than any of my previous turbodiesels averaged in my ownership (Passat PD130, Mondeo IV, two Volvo V60s, all with manual gearboxes).

I'm going to miss it.

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Mon 29 Jun 2020 10:20
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - Terry W

50mpg overall is a respectable but far from outstanding figure.

In pure financial terms it is not worth paying the extra cost of the vehicle.

The outcome is unsurprising:

  • carrying extra weight of batteries, motor, control systems makes it less economical and slower
  • saving a little through grid charging which is almost tax free compared to petrol or diesel
  • paying a chunk more for outright purchase or (I suspect) lease

Not a decision I would take - but it's a free world and diversity is to be encouragged.

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Mon 29 Jun 2020 10:39
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - Brit_in_Germany

As a company car, the BIK rates may have made a significant economic impact.

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Mon 29 Jun 2020 13:28
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - craig-pd130

In pure financial terms it is not worth paying the extra cost of the vehicle

As a private buyer, I'd agree, unless you needed something that complied with ULEZ regulations in a major city.

But as it was a company car for me, I was getting over £100 per month extra in my wallet because of the lower BIK tax compared to my previous Volvo V60 D4 (which was one of the lowest-taxed turbodiesels at 99g/km CO), and the lease cost to the company was cheaper than the Volvo too. So that was a win/win.

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Mon 29 Jun 2020 20:54
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - Senexdriver

Question now is: what do you get to replace it? Presumably you have an element of choice, but it’s always hard to replace a car you’ve really enjoyed driving and owning (whether truly or as a company car in your case). Do please let us know as I’ve enjoyed reading your experience with the 225.

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Tue 30 Jun 2020 13:49
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - craig-pd130

Thanks - I'm opting out of a company car now and taking the cash instead.

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Tue 30 Jun 2020 19:29
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - DavidGlos
That’s interesting Craig. I guess you’ve crunched the numbers, but I thought many who’d taken the cash option over recent years were now looking to opt back in, owing to low BIK rates for BEVs and PHEVs.

Once my Kuga PHEV arrives and my monthly tax bill reduces substantially over the current Golf GTD, aside from the bangernomics route - which isn’t viable at the moment, I can’t see a more cost effective option for me, what with tyres, insurance, servicing etc all included.
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Tue 30 Jun 2020 20:45
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - craig-pd130
That’s interesting Craig. I guess you’ve crunched the numbers

Lifestyle change, really: I'm going down to 3 days per week and working permanently from home, which means I can't really justify having a company car any more.

It has been fun having someone else pay all the running costs on a series of nice family cars over the past 20-odd years, though.

My favourite is the 225 because it's very swift when you want it to be, incredibly versatile and always fun to drive. Closely followed by the Volvo V40 T4 I had in the late 90s, which was an excellent Q-car (especially with the Dawes boost control device I fitted, which made the mid-range response electric, but didn't help the torque-steer).

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Wed 1 Jul 2020 07:33
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - DavidGlos
That makes sense.

With your lower mileage, perhaps an opportunity to go retro and choose something with a PD 130 engine?! ;-)
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Wed 1 Jul 2020 09:10
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - craig-pd130
That makes sense. With your lower mileage, perhaps an opportunity to go retro and choose something with a PD 130 engine?! ;-)

Heh, I had a Passat PD130 with the 6-speed gearbox (and a tuning box) for 6 years. It was an excellent car.

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Wed 1 Jul 2020 11:13
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - BMW 225xe plug-in hybrid: owner's diary - John F

Well, after three years and 25,000 miles, it's going back to BMW this week as the contract hire is up.

Lots of interesting mpg figures in this thread but not many £ figures. Can you please tell us how much the 3yr 25K mile contract has cost for the actual car ownership/rentalship?

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