Model Y or BMW X5 45e

[sarugby4life]

Hi all,

Looking for a new car for the wife. I drive an X myself and have a Y on order for her. However, there are some really solid deals on the X5 45e which after tax credits and rebates puts it very close to the Y on cost - and this is a well optioned config.

Only 30 Miles on a charge, but the gas engine if you need it. Obviously great build quality. I love Tesla and all they do, but have never owned a BMW so wanted to get people's thoughts.

Cheers!

 

[C-Bus Y]

Drive them both and pick the one the two of you like better?

 

[Oofie810]

Hmm, also have a Y on order for the wife but this thread piqued my interest. What kind of deals are you seeing here in the Bay Area?

 

[sarugby4life]

I have driven both and they are obviously VERY different cars. Teslas are incredibly fun to drive - instant torque is a beautiful thing. Resale is great, cost of ownership is great, easy maintenance etc.

The BMW is a tank but drives very well - adaptive air suspension, plenty of power, plenty of charge for trips around town. And very buttoned up interior / styling.

I know having 2 EVs will be fine for longer family road trips etc as Tesla's charging network is incredible as well. BMW maintenance will be more expensive but I have read several reviews saying reliability is quite good on these new hybrid models. The previous x40e was a dud, only has 14 miles on electric and was far underpowered. They moved from a turbo 4 to a turbo 6 to couple the battery (also double the size of the previous model).

@Oofie810 - getting 10% off MSRP plus an additional $2500 from BMW...couple that with $7500 federal tax credit and most of that first year depreciation is given back...

Decisions.

 

[Oofie810]

Thanks @sarugby4life. Might have to check them out this weekend. East Bay BMW has one for $71k, and if I can get 10% off and the incentives/rebates, it comes out a couple of thousand more than my wife's Y build.

 

[sarugby4life]

What is your daily driver now? Do you own a Tesla currently? I'm torn - without the tax credits etc I wouldn't even be looking at these as they are out of our price range. And the Y really is a great car...an apples to oranges comparison which makes it really hard to decide.

 

[Oofie810]

I don't have a daily as I'm work from home now and before the pandemic I was taking Bart. My wife drives an i3 (the one with the bigger battery and can do ~125 miles) and her lease is up in December. Her commute is 40 miles round trip so the 30 miles of the X5 will almost be enough.

We placed an order for a Y a couple of weeks ago. Wasn't really considering the X5 as well just because I didn't know they had the plug in hybrid.

 

[sarugby4life]

OK got it. The other one we looked at was the XC60 Recharge - it's super stylish and very safe. But only 17 miles on battery alone. So not as ideal. But really peppy and fun to drive.

 

[Oofie810]

Good luck with the decision and thanks for bringing this up @sarugby4life ! Looks like we're both in the same quandary now.

 

[cusetownusa]

Good luck with the decision and thanks for bringing this up @sarugby4life ! Looks like we're both in the same quandary now.

same here. I believe the X5 is bigger and roomier inside also.

Interior looks really nice.

 

[1windy]

If it has iDrive, Enjoy it, after you get an advanced degree on how to use it.

 

[LionelHutz]

It’s an interesting comparison but they are extremely different. The 45e is a traditional full-size SUV that can scoot around on its battery for short errands. The battery tech is basic—a 24 kwh with no fast charging capability. So it will take 5+ hours just to charge to the 50 mile EV range. Once the gas engine kicks in the mpg is pretty dismal. And while it certainly isn’t a slow car, it doesn’t kick like a Tesla.

But the X5 does give a nice traditional luxury car experience. All kinds of tech, very quiet, very solid.

You should not count on the X5 being better built. See bimmerforums for plenty of complaints on assembly quality and reliability. I found the interior trim quality lower than expected—the mid grade leather in particular looks and feels cheap.

 

[sarugby4life]

Thanks all! The range is actually only rated around 30 miles in the US. And yes no fast charging is a downer - the battery is actually very inefficient for only delivering 30 miles in a 24kWh pack. Regarding gas mileage - yea for the longer road trips, the battery is not super useful and gas mileage is on par with the x40i version.

My heart says Tesla. The practical side of me also leans Tesla. We have solar and charging is free so hard to beat.

I'm hesitant to PURCHASE the X5 as well given resale and the likelihood of an all electric in the next few years. But am also done leasing cars!

 

[LionelHutz]

This is where I ultimately came out: I prefer the Tesla for my own car because of how it drives. I will likely get a PHEV like the X5 (not the 45e as I think it’s not quite there yet) for another family car at some point, because I want the gas engine flexibility and don’t care so much how it drives as a daily.

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

If you know how to use turn signals, I'm afraid the beemer is off the table :

 

[sarugby4life]

This is where I ultimately came out: I prefer the Tesla for my own car because of how it drives. I will likely get a PHEV like the X5 (not the 45e as I think it’s not quite there yet) for another family car at some point, because I want the gas engine flexibility and don’t care so much how it drives as a daily.

Agree. The 3kW charging is a downer as well. 7 hours for a full charge to go maybe 30-40 miles is not going to work. I think I’m back to the MY for now.

 

[Sunshine State]

I have a new X5 in addition to our Tesla cars, it isn’t a plug in but a regular gas. The BMW interior is miles ahead of our Teslas in quality but our X5 Msport has the top BMW "individual" Merino leather trim. The mileage is great and beats the EPA estate if you keep you foot out of it but admittedly our Teslas can also suck up the juice if you don’t watch your foot. The BMW can easily pull a trailer with the factory tow package like there isn’t anything behind you and you don’t have to worry about trailering range because you can gas up quickly. The BMW has heads up display plus 360 top view camera view, plus another walk around camera view (not sure of name but very neat). The BMW is overall a much nicer car but I drive my Performance S much more because it is more exciting. I would stick with a regular gas BMW over the "plug in" because of long term reliability if buying a BMW. We have had BMW’s for many years and had exceptional reliability and when needing something the service is so much better than our Tesla service experience.

 

[cusetownusa]

I have a new X5 in addition to our Tesla cars, it isn’t a plug in but a regular gas. The BMW interior is miles ahead of our Teslas in quality but our X5 Msport has the top BMW "individual" Merino leather trim. The mileage is great and beats the EPA estate if you keep you foot out of it but admittedly our Teslas can also suck up the juice if you don’t watch your foot. The BMW can easily pull a trailer with the factory tow package like there isn’t anything behind you and you don’t have to worry about trailering range because you can gas up quickly. The BMW has heads up display plus 360 top view camera view, plus another walk around camera view (not sure of name but very neat). The BMW is overall a much nicer car but I drive my Performance S much more because it is more exciting. I would stick with a regular gas BMW over the "plug in" because of long term reliability if buying a BMW. We have had BMW’s for many years and had exceptional reliability and when needing something the service is so much better than our Tesla service experience.

How much was your X5? Comparable to the AWD Y?

 

[Carlvs]

Selling our much loved Porsche Cayenne Diesel and have ordered a model Y. Will miss the panache of owning a Porsche and 7,000 lb. towing capacity! Will not miss buying gas/fuel, expensive maintenance and mixed dealer service to name just a few. It’s amazing how similar the weight and dimensions, both interior and exterior, are.

 

[sarugby4life]

I have a new X5 in addition to our Tesla cars, it isn’t a plug in but a regular gas. The BMW interior is miles ahead of our Teslas in quality but our X5 Msport has the top BMW "individual" Merino leather trim. The mileage is great and beats the EPA estate if you keep you foot out of it but admittedly our Teslas can also suck up the juice if you don’t watch your foot. The BMW can easily pull a trailer with the factory tow package like there isn’t anything behind you and you don’t have to worry about trailering range because you can gas up quickly. The BMW has heads up display plus 360 top view camera view, plus another walk around camera view (not sure of name but very neat). The BMW is overall a much nicer car but I drive my Performance S much more because it is more exciting. I would stick with a regular gas BMW over the "plug in" because of long term reliability if buying a BMW. We have had BMW’s for many years and had exceptional reliability and when needing something the service is so much better than our Tesla service experience.

I have no doubts the X5 non-hybrid is an excellent car, especially the M sport. But that is a 100k car and not really comparable to a model Y.