BMW 530e

The director’s ideal choice

Andrew Walker

If you read the literature on the 530e, it’s easy to see why business users will be queuing up to have one. Higher rate tax payers pay just 9% in Benefit in Kind for a new 530e, saving more than £3,000 a year over an equivalent 530d (or £2,500 against a 520d).

Factor in the 28-mile electric range and claimed 141.2mpg fuel economy and surely a 530e is a no brainer. Or is it?

First and foremost, the 530e is virtually identical inside and out to its diesel brethren and that has to be a good thing. It’s also cheaper than the equivalent 520d at £47,130 for an SE specced model, another tick.

The only things that make you realise you are in a plug-in and not the diesel are the eDrive button by the gear lever and slightly different dials in the cabin. When you drive it, especially on motorway and A roads, you get the same excellent rear wheel drive and handling you’d expect in a 5 Series – and a bit of oomph when required.

It is only when you spend a bit more time in the 530e that you notice the subtle differences. The battery reduces the boot space by 120 litres and you will also have to account for the two charging cables bagged up in the boot; one for domestic and one for fast socket charging.

You also notice the difference when you drive the plug-in hard on twisting roads; that’s when the extra weight of the battery – a hefty 650kg – is felt most and it does reduce the fun factor ever so slightly. Having said that, the 182bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine plus the 95bhp electric motor produce 249bhp and a total of 310 lb ft of torque, so it’s no slouch. The 0-62mph time is almost identical to the 530d as well, at 6.2 seconds.

The auto box is also a delight to use. In Auto mode it will switch between electric and petrol power and you won’t even notice when it does. Select Max eDrive and the engine will choose battery power all the way up to 87mph. You can also use the engine to charge the battery up for use, later in your journey, although as with the VW Golf GTE, the petrol tank will empty alarmingly fast

BMW has managed to keep the 530e up to date and right-on-trend with its entertainment, information and safety technology. The latest i-Drive system is incredibly intuitive and a pleasure to use, while the SatNav is well balanced between ease of use and concise display. Throw in an MP3 connection and a logical DAB radio set up and for me it’s another class win for BMW.

Front and rear seat passengers get excellent head and leg room. Only the rear centre passenger will struggle. Around the cabin

there’s plenty of storage space including large door bins, a cubby hole hidden beneath the armrest that’s located between the front seats and space in the centre console to fit two bottles of water and there’s also a space to wirelessly charge the Display Key or your mobile phone

I have gushed enough about the 530e. Now it’s time to look at the negatives. BMW claims that 530e’s total range is just over 400 miles. I spent a week driving on all types of roads at varying speeds and over different distances, and a 40-minute log-jam on the M6 saw my electric range disappear completely. I had spent five hours charging the 530e up at home on a domestic connection the day before, although using a proper EV wall box will reduce this time by almost 50 per cent.

I drove the 530e for almost 330 miles, at an average fuel economy of 33.4mpg (I only managed 37.8mpg in the 520d ) and left 20 miles worth of petrol in it before BMW collected it, so the 400 miles range is more likely to be 350 miles. But, and it is a big but, that is about it as far as negatives are concerned.

As with all plug-in models, it will be up to the driver to make the 530e a cost-effective choice. You’ll need to charge the battery regularly, preferably from a 7.4kW socket at home or at work. Government support will reduce the cost of having a socket fitted at home or at your office, so this shouldn’t put buyers off.

Those who only travel short distances to and from work or who drive mostly around their local area will benefit the most from the 5 Series plug-in. What we can most definitely say is that just like the diesel 5, the plug-in 5 is a wonderful car to drive or to be a passenger in. It offers the best handling of any plug-in that we’ve experienced as well.

Furthermore, those company car drivers who can persuade their fleet manager or director to let them have one will benefit massively, saving enough tax in a year for a family holiday. And if that doesn’t convince you, nothing will!

“It’s no slouch despite the weight... 0-62mph time is almost identical to the 530d, at 6.2 seconds...”

CC&V VERDICT

Even with a heavy battery, the 530e is still great to drive and the BIK savings gives it the edge over its petrol and diesel counterparts.

CC&V RATING: N N N N