Should You Buy a BMW 530e? (Test Drive & Review 2017) 

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I wanted to revisit this video and post some comments, good and bad, now that I have owned my 2017 530e M Sport for 4 months and have driven over 2000 miles in it. Hopefully, this will help anyone like me searching for real-world information on the car before buying used. THE GOOD 1. Comfort is on another level. I was really worried about buying my 530e M Sport with the 20" wheels as I'd heard the M Sport can be a harsh ride (have never owned a BMW before). Nonsense. My 530e has the nicest, most comfortable ride outside of my old boss's Rolls Royce Ghost. I mean it, my BMW glides. Bumps and potholes are remarkably smooth and even on the ultra-low profile run-flat tyres, it's so damn comfortable. The seats, whilst not as comfortable as my old Volvo V60, still offer a decent amount of support and comfort and I do not get back ache in the BMW, like I do in some cars. I have the option of Adaptive Suspension in mine, so I am not sure if this has anything to do with the beautiful ride but I would suggest if getting one of these to try and seek out a model that does have the Adaptive Suspension. For comparison, this weekend I drove my friends 2017 Audi A4 Avant 2.0d and I was so glad when I got back into my BMW. The Audi ride was bumpy, on his 19" wheels you could feel every undulation and bump in the road. When I drove the same road in my my car it really was night and day difference. My partner even commented on how nice it was to be back in the BMW with the lovely ride. If you want to go a bit sportier activate sport mode, stiffen up the suspension and get a little better throttle response or leave it in comfort and just drive in supreme comfort. 2. Interior quality on the 5 series is next level. Again, i'm comparing this to my old Volvo and the Audi A4 Avant I just drove. The Audi interior is nice, its well put together and tactile. But compared to the BMW 5 Series you can tell its one or two levels down from the 5 series. The Audi has more plastics, cheaper quality surfaces and although still nice, does not exude that 'Luxury' feel. The BMW does. I mentioned my old boss's Rolls Royce Ghost earlier, back in 2012 I drove my boss's car a lot. No word of a lie, the interior of my 2017 BMW 5 Series feels almost as luxurious as the Rolls. Getting in and out of the 5 Series feels 'special' whereas other cars dont. 3. Looks. There is absolutely no denying the BMW 5 Series is a stunning loooking car, especially M Sport with the 20" wheels and low profile tyres. As I said, go for a model with Adaptive Suspension and it rides beautifully. 4. EV MODE - I'm going to break this down. If you have a home charger and make short journeys or commutes then this car can save you a lot of money, but you do have to factor in the cost of getting a home charger fitted, which is approx £1000. If you do have a home charger then many energy companies have EV tarrifs with very cheap electricity overnight so providing you charge overnight the cost of doing so is minimal. As the video mentions range is dependent on many factors but with the early model like mine do not expect to get more than 20 miles on a full charge. Great for short journeys but not much else. The great thing about the BMW is you can choose which mode to drive in, so if I am making a motorway journey I can choose to charge the battery when driving so it builds up. Or you can leave it in dual mode and it automatically switches between the two for the most efficient driving. Its far more complicated but I wont go into all that here, theres too much to it. THE BAD 1. Charging is a PITA having to faff around with cables and there are times I just wish I had a diesel. 2. Fuel economy. The people at BMW were smoking crack when they came up with the official fuel economy figures for this car. Maybe they were in Unicorn Land running the car on Magic Juice with a magical sprinkling of Fairy dust for good measure. Lets be real, forgetting EV mode, in standard running switching between petrol and EV self charging it averages between 25-30mpg, maybe more on a longer run. If you want ultimate fuel economy go for the diesel. If you want to drive a scarily near-silent vehicle where it's almost impossible to know when the engine cuts in and out, that glides effortlessly and is stupid quick when it wants to be, buy the 530e. 3. Boot size is reduced due to the batteries, if you want loading space you'll need to go for the newer 530e Touring model, but that came out in 2019 I think? 4. Fuel tank is 40% smaller than the standard petrol/diesel cars so you'll be filling up more. It has the effect that you think your car is super thirsty for fuel, but you have to remember the tank is smaller than the standard car so it will need filling more often. The UGLY 1. Battery life is one of the reasons I was hesitant to buy this car and I made several enquiries with BMW garages and technicians prior to buying my car. The batteries are only guaranteed by BMW for six years, but the BMW techs I spoke to from various garages all stated that they were not aware of any 530e's that had come back with any battery faults or to have replacement batteries fitted. Long term this is still an unknown but for now everything is good. 2. Desirability long term is an unknown but these are still selling for good money at dealers so they must be fairly desirable. Try owning a Range Rover right now..... SUMMARY The 530e is a niche vehicle. It won't appeal to everyone, be suitable for everyone or work for everyone. I would encourage anyone looking to buy one to really do your research first to ensure it is the right car for you, and I hope this long a*** post might help with some questions you might have. For me, it is a beautiful car and yes it costs a little bit more to run than the diesel but it is also almost silent and driving it is like, as Stephen Fry once said in an advert for beer 'smoother than a cashmere codpiece'.

A friend of mine has a 530e. During the two years he’s owned it he’s done approx 50,000km, 80% of that is driving 1400km round trips on rough and mountainous highways. And it’s also tuned to 400hp on stock hardware. So I guess you can say that G30 530e is reliable.

I've owned a 2018 530e for two years now and it's wonderful. Three things are worth a mention though. Firstly, you can't fit two large cases in the boot. There is a bar that runs along the ceiling of the boot space that inhibits a large case (depth-wise) from being pushed as deep into the boot as you would wish. Secondly, a full charge on my car offers anything between 14 and 19 miles. I have never seen anywhere near 28 miles. Finally, you didn't take the trouble to mention the very useful ability to switch between a variety of driving modes. On a longer run, I always switch to battery recharging mode so that when I am back in urban areas I have a full charge again. This will reduce the mpg on a run but is worth doing because it's better to be on electric power as much as possible in traffic.

Great review as always. Love these videos. Been looking at the 530e recently as well so good timing! Keep up the excellent work and good luck with the new channel too 👍🏼

had mine for 4 yrs now - absolutely love it, fast quiet, comfortable. what's not to like

I fully agree with this review. This is the best of both worlds. Run the heat, air conditioner, and radio system without worrying about range anxiety. Using petrol engine with electric drive is truly the best option all around.

Great review! I agree the G30 5 series is a great car. I have the 540i X-Drive and it’s fantastic.

Just perfect in every way Matt. Great review as always :D

0:51 You are a national treasure sir! Love you man, keep shining!

Great Vid Matt. Thinking of getting one of these to replace my current Golf GTE. A very useful insight :)

Really like the upgraded seats the leather and that the back rest folds too. If you live near a city its a v safe option. And the 5 series is just simply awesome

As per usual great honest reviews 😊

superbly presented review as usual , thanks for the informative video

Enjoyed this and interested by your comment near the close about “future proofing” love to hear more options 👍

In my opinion, this is the best car I have ever seen on this channel.

Always great content 👌

Great review of the 530e. 3 months ago I bought a 2018 330e. I performance. After 3 months I'd agree that its all the car I need. It's comfortable it's quick. I'm travelling into work on electric, and I'm charging the car everyday. I'd have liked the 530e finding the right car and in budget I finally opted to the 330e Might be interesting to hear your views on the 330e

Love this.. explained the way you have makes it a no brainer

Brilliant car Matt. It's only the purchase price that stops me as I can't afford to have £25k tied up in a car. Thanks once again for an interesting and entertaining vid.

Great video Matt. Love that car too 👌great package

Great introduction Matt.

Excellent video - sound advice.

Best video you’ve done and love it. So informative

Totally agree about how we are not ready for EVs (which I don't even think are a proper replacement for ICE - but that's a different argument altogether) Everything about this car just appeals to me. The styling (both interior and exterior). The comfort. The punchy performance. The practicality. It's on my radar as a possible next car.

I think they are awesome, we had one on a company lease basis, and if you got your charge points sorted,..it's a really great way to go, had the full package in white and what a motor and a battery,

An old colleague of mine got a 330e back in 2020 through work which made sense as he didn't have to pay as much tax if he got a hybrid.. I went in it a couple times and even in that the acceleration shocked me! It just flew.

Really interesting Matt, thanks 👍

Loved the video review thanks

Love your work 👍

Was looking at the 330e and 530e - made my mind up to go for the 530e…. Then got a 435d instead. Now that’s a weapon of a car with (so far) 42mpg and much o fun

That's a great car. I really like hybreds! I sold my saab 9-3 convertible diesel and bought a Lexus rc300h self charging hybrid! It's packed full of technology and looks amazing. Great video.

Great recommendation. Time to start saving up.

they/them won't be able to hear you coming. absolute gold.

My old job had charging stations for staff to charge their car free. My colleague done exactly as mentioned here and drive a 40mile round trip everyday for free.

Nice car Matt and I'd love to drive one but space is a premium as I have already pointed out several times in my car-park so for now I'll stick to what I know and have paid for - Fiesta.

Fantastic video Matt very clear in your delivery. The car is very good I would love e to own one for myself. The BMW 5 series is the best in my opinion. Thanks once again Matt . Ps glad the was cup orders in the car I like cup holders as well for my coffee ☕ drinks Kevin

I have been in a 530e for the last 2.5 years awesome car

Love the vlogs

I have a 2006 Lexus GS450H which is classed as a self charge hybrid under todays terms, does everything your BMW does Matt except much more powerful, way ahead of its time and still as relevant today, my only gripe is it doesn't run on electric only over 25mph

I've been waiting for this.😁

Well I had to watch your BMW 5 reviews again and your right, the 530e is better then the 530d in this current climate. All you need to do now is to do a comparison review between the 530e and the 330e :-) Many thanks for all your reviews, your are always very interesting especially for those of us unable to buy new.

545e With the 3.0l petrol looks great! Xdrive too. Not many around as of yet though! Great review.

I love the 5 series I have had 2 very reliable, I changed to a X5 3D a good car too with 100 litre tank great range,now have a X5 45e with 53 miles electric range I would say not as economical the 3.0D

Your wardrobe is like mine! Only I am xl! Nice review. Cheers.

Bought one of these after watching this and a lot of other reviews 😅 Able to charge at work for free so works out good for myself! Think most people would be better suited to the diesel, however. Overall a great car and much cheaper to run than my X4!

You hit the nail on the head, we are definitely not ready to move to EVs. Its a bit like the rush to plasma tvs when they first came out, everybody said move even though the picture was worse. EVs have a long way to go before I trade my trusty 535d :-D

Interesting review, good to hear about the comparison with the diesel. I've been following your reviews for a couple of years and they are certainly affecting my opinions on what I'd like to drive next. An added bonus is spotting the roads I commute on through the peak, and even keeping an eye out for you filming when I do. The relevance of 'people with confusing pronouns' is lost to me, although a browse through the comments shows it's amused some of your audience. Considering a Mini Clubman next, and I don't recall seeing one on your channel, so I'd be pleased to see a review of one if you had the opportunity.

Great review Matt! Would love to see a GS450h review from you, sold mine recently and miss it every day

I love my 330e, amazing car! It’s convinced me to order an i4 edrive40 M Sport Pro.

My favourite car I've owned so far!!

I have a 2021 330e M Sport with the pro pack in white, and coming from a GLE63 which needed £150 a week to get me around, I'd say the 330e is the best all round car I've owned (noise apart). It's just a dream having a car that's relatively quick, very refined and costs a fraction to run on the same roads. On a recent trip from home in Liverpool to London I got a full tank with about £45 (small fuel tank acknowledged) and with a full battery range of 29 miles I had a combined range of 296 miles. I did the 200mile trip to London in hybrid mode with normal driving and most of the journey on cruise, and got to London with the electric battery range depleted but with an estimated 160 miles of fuel range left in petrol. I was able to get back to Liverpool with the same tank of fuel and a top up on charge in London and still had fuel for a couple of days commuting to and from the office, all on a £45 tank of fuel! It's pure heaven on the wallet and still quite enjoyable to drive with its dynamics! I'm looking at a 545e for a quick upgrade in the coming months for the added room.

Yes I do like this 530E you have converted me to get one .Nice and stylish comfortable nice to drive on a long distance lovely colour I just love and would buy one but only from you Kevin

I had a 330e and it was brilliant. I wasn't motorway travelling for a year and in that year I barely used any petrol. Had to give it back when I moved jobs so I got a trusty 520d for motorway pounding. I miss the s silent and effortless torque of the 330e

I have a G20 330e as a company car (like a million other people) and it is absolutely superb, can't fault it. Over the last 20 months I have drive about 50k in it, almost completely long-distance driving too, and my average MPG over the whole time is 71mpg.

Totally agree. EV's aren't the problem it's the infrastructure that causes the range anxiety. Keeping my Hybrid for many more years

Had 125mpg out of a 330E, great car, if you Maximise the downhill charging and coast where you can you can get some great MPG out of them!

0:42 wow that is a quote to keep for life :)

Batteries over the rear wheels is a godsend for people with slippery conditions during winter.

Hybrid seems the most sensible to me. Electric for commuting/ getting the messages bought. Then petrol for when you run out of battery. Charge it at home and away you go. Not sure if you mean the petrol range is 50% of a non-hybrid due to being less efficient ( with the extra electric gizmos' weight, or just that the petrol tank is smaller ). And those seats look fantastic.

Good review and interesting car. It seemed like it was either/or EV/petrol engine. Is there no hybrid mode that uses both for longer runs? If so what economy and performance does. That have?

😂 loved the intro commentary

Nice car this 530 e you do get the best of both worlds buying this car very smooth very stylish car Yes Matt I would seriously think of buying one of these cars Thanks for the video Matt Kevin

Can't speak for the 530e but I just bought a 2017 330e and it really is a great car! Very fast but economical when you want it to be. The interior is also a great blend of sporty and luxury, love it. The only draw backs so far are the tiny 40 liter tank as well as the pretty mediocre 27km full electric range. It's plenty for one way to work but not enough for two routes, which would be nice (something I was about to do with my previous car, a mk 7.5 golf GTE with about 40km range).

I had one at work for a couple of years, 2019 model. And I have to say it was an excellent car especially for central London. Only problem with it for me is that it was just a bit bland. Didn’t get excited when I drove it. But apart from that it ticked pretty much every box.

I have a 540...LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wish i had the sport package for a slightly stiffer suspension.

Superb review missing these from you! So to the point so relevant! So helpful cheers again

Changing from an Hyundai IONIQ electric 181 miles overnight charge about £5 to this BMW 2021 version.. Only for the next 12months but can’t wait.

Nice colour that Matt 👌 Saw a Mercedes C class estate that was a plug in, high mileage but liked the MPG stats and 0-60 times.

Another great review, keep up the good work 😎

beautiful car inside and outside

Looks brilliant see when you run out of electricity does that mean you loose the extra 90bhp

It’s criminally insane that Matt isn’t on main stream tv ! Him and Rory @ autotrader would be a dream team tv show - the only car better than a 5 series was the 6 series gran coupe . This 5 series does look good , just never seen an estate version of this car which is annoying - did they make one ?

I do like hybrids that give good power when needed. I know it's nowhere as economical but my brother had. 2005 and 2006 Lexus gs450h it was soo smooth and relaxing but when you put your foot down it gives 335bhp from the 3.5 v6 and battery combined

Always loved the 5 series but if I was going hybrid it would have to be the 545e over any hybrid/electric car on the market Slightly more useful for those emergency trips at midnight to and from Gatwick airport

I have one for 1 and half years, and solar panels as well. Haven't paid a penny on petrol within the city. Even on long trips it doesn't consume that much, because it has all the benefits of an hybrid car. Economy aside, it's an amazing car.

I came to look at this today (Sunday). After phoning and confirming I'd be there before your man left, we saw him running from the garage to make sure he avoided us no doubt. Wish he'd just said make it another time. A bit frustrating. Anyway, keep up the great videos, might try visiting again next week.

Not sure about the future proofing given the eventual battery degradation. biggest problem for the future is the people making the decisions. ULEZ is pushing cars out of the market long before their natural time. I wouldn't call either of my cars particularly old, 13' 1 series, and 14' Q5, but both are not welcome in the cities. The video you did on estates was the perfect example, pretty much anything interesting is not compliant. Great video as usual Matt

I agree, a plug in hybrid is perfcet. I recently bought a Kia Niro hybrid, and it's brilliant, but if I could of afforded a plug in version I would have

A very witty script today! Super interesting car as well: thank you for the review.

Totally agree with your assessment of the EV push which you may have to do when the battery runs out. 🙂 Hybrids make much more sense than a pure EV. Try the new Nissan ePower Qashqai. Very smooth too and no range anxiety either. Not in the BMW league maybe but a very nice drive. 👍🙂

Matt, these cars have the most complex drivetrain of any on the road, with loads more parts, including a dual mass flywheel amongst many other components. Still a great car though!

Great video and review as always Matt, entirely agree with all of your sentiments in respect of PHEVs being the best of both worlds. I have a Volvo XC60 T6 (in Portugal), which I am not sure is available in the UK, only the T8 there I believe. The T6 has plenty of umph, Volvo quote combined 350bhp (590nm) but when you dig into the details is doesn't quite add up and I've not been able to get a definitive answer from anyone, 250 from the ICE and 145 from the electric motor, at least its not less. This is not about that, the quoted endurance on the electric is 46 miles (74 kms) and invariably I get close to that around town. It goes thru the power quicker on the highway but when I am local I can go a couple of days before needing to recharge it. Mine is the 2022 version with the uprated 18.8 kwh battery which is much better than the previous 11+ and it makes it a more useable vehicle. Thankfully Volvo didn't compromise on either fuel tank (70ltrs) or boot size because the battery pack is in the centre consul but there is no spare wheel or even a jack, only tyre repair kit and small compressor under the boot floor, which is also where the main starter battery is. Not a bad compromise but I have bought a space saver and kit for long journeys, i.e. to and from the UK twice already this year. I often achieve more than 1,000kms before refuelling, this is of course a combination of journeys. How about you tracking one of these down to do a review? Maybe not the T6, unless you come to Portugal and test mine which you would be welcome to do, but the T8 is more or less the same vehicle but with more horses. Keep the videos and reviews coming Matt.

I love tideswell it’s beautiful. My daughter works there Great video as well

You made me buy a Lexus RX 400h (2008). The best car i’ve ever have. Been through a bunch of Alfas and BMW’s

I saw a Harry’s Garage tweet yesterday, where he said, he was talking to a high up in a dealership. The dealership guy said people are turning back to diesel, bc of all the uncertainty going on, the cost of electricity & the vat for business users on company cars…

Hey great content as always, I've been wondering about a BMW 335i xdrive m sport 2015 the BMW 330e 2017 I think do you have vids about these cause in my opinion the 3 series in general has alot to offer.. cheers 🍻

I’m looking for a new car eventually. I’m very curious if you’d give a 330e a try since I’m seeing a lot of them around. I’m also curious how you would compare this to a Lexus ES as both are hybrid luxury saloons.

I was tempted with one, but I went with a 530d instead, absolutely awesome! Took it on the autobahn, the e could never have done what my car does 😁 mine still regularly gets 50+mpg on a run and I got 62.4mpg when I was in Holland. Diesel still rules I think

Brilliant. I've never known what they like. There's a lot to think about when buying a car these days...specially what it's needed for and how long you wanna keep it. Take care Matt and thanks.

They/them won’t be able to hear you coming 😂😂😂 The video is worth a like just for that.

Carol vorderman! Haha did make me giggle. Fantastic video and great car!

Love see you test the bmw 7 series 2020

Actually I agree with you Matt. This is a good model.

Crisp great video

Tideswell? Its Tidsa! It will be interesting to see your next career move. I have to watch your videos twice to really get the superb script and commentary

Lovely Motor. Hybrid ! Is all one needs !

you have comfort seats there as an option which are great

Ohhh now this is a car I love. I would go for the 530d xdrive though in estate version. Wow wow wow! 👌

What I love the most is you didn’t feel the need to explain how far Romiley to Buxton is for people down south or abroad. Let them google it if they’re interested:)