Our cars: BMW 330e Touring & BMW iX3

Essentials

BMW iX3 M Sport Pro

On fleet since: May 2022

Price new: £65,865

Engine: 1x e-motor/80kWh battery, 282bhp

CO2/tax: 0g/km/1%

Options: Towbar (£850)

Insurance*: Group: 44 Quote: £548 Mileage/econ.: 1,366/3.4 miles/kWh Any problems? None so far

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.

Richard Ingram

Richard _ Ingram@autovia.co.uk @rsp_ ingram

THE BMW 330e xDrive hasn ’t been with us all that long. Just three months, in fact. It was only ever meant as a stop-gap between my Volkswagen ID.3 going back and my next electric car – the Sophisto Grey BMW iX3 M Sport Pro you see in the main image – being ready for collection.

Yet the 3 Series Touring was chosen to fulfil a very specific brief: would running a plug-in hybrid feel like a backward step after a string of fully electric vehicles?

It’ s not an easy question to answer. The idea of the 330e being a ‘ stop-gap ’ is particularly relevant in today ’ s new-car market, and something I touched on in my first report (Issue 1,723). Many new car buyers are using hybrids like these as a stepping stone – a way of dipping their toe in the world of electrification before finally committing to a full EV.

But for me, as someone used to managing range, charging and rising energy bills –even without access to off-street parking –the idea of plugging a car in for such a meagre range (25 miles on a good day) did seem a little trivial, especially with the fall-back of a petrol engine should I need it.

Hybrids, in general, are fantastic. I love how they can creep around town without using the engine, and I’ll admit that long journeys – especially late at night – have been much less stressful for not having to rely on the UK’ s often patchy electric-car charging infrastructure.

But the BMW’ s system isn ’t the most talented I’ ve tried. It feels like it’ s designed to prioritise electricity for as long as the battery is charged, but let it run flat and it’ll operate more like a petrol car. The latest Lexus PHEVs realise the benefits of electric running more of the time, and feel more accomplished as a result. I managed more EV miles per tank in the Mercedes GLA 250 e I reviewed last year, too.

And yet I totally understand why the 330e is such a huge hit for BMW, and why it topped the plug-in hybrid sales charts in 2021. It’ s an incredibly satisfying car to live with; over three months and 2,642 miles I’ ve not once wished for more power or performance, better handling or greater high-speed refinement. Some might even call it the consummate all-rounder.

Everything feels familiar. The driving position is spot on, and the infotainment system is among the most intuitive I’ ve ever used – although judging by information released on the forthcoming, facelifted 3 Series (Issue 1,729), that may not last long. The new 330e will lift the maker ’ s eighth-generation iDrive system from the BMW i4; to my eyes (and hands) it’ s just not as straightforward as the screens I’ ve been using these past couple of months.

One thing the jury is out on is practicality. I was singing the Touring ’ s praises when it was first delivered, and I’ ve posted updates since then questioning why we don ’t see more estate cars on the road. But after just a few days with the iX3 (more on that car in my next report) I’ m already reaping the benefits of that higher seating position and taller roofline – lifting my daughter into her car seat is so much simpler, for instance.

The 330’ s split rear screen is a wonderful idea in theory, although in practice I’ ve used it less often than I expected. Nine times out of 10 I’ll open up the main tailgate – feeding a buggy through the letterbox opening is a non-starter, and even stowing the cables that way is an impossible task because I keep them in the compartment under the boot floor. While I’ ve not really needed more space in the time I’ ve had the Touring, the iX3’ s boot is significantly bigger, which may come in handy for our summer holidays.

Overall though, the 330e has been a fantastic car to spend time in – just like any modern 3 Series. To call the PHEV a jack of all trades might sound like I’ m selling it short, but as with any hybrid, how effective it is in reducing your dependence on fossil fuels hinges on how you use it. So for me, it has felt like a backward step, but for many, it remains the perfect solution.

BMW 330e Touring &

FINALREPORT Plug-in estate and electric SUV line up for family test

Running costs

Official EV range/tax 32 miles/£510

Practicality

Boot (seats up/down) 410/1,420 litres

Performance

0-62mph/top speed 5.9 seconds/140mph