@Glos Guy Very frustrating for you. To be fair Kezo’s suggestion of the Cupra Formentor PHEV is a good one, about the same height as the X1, but unlikely to have the same interior quality. I just don’t think you will like the way the Tucson drives. Ignoring for the moment that you don’t feel ready for an EV, it may be worth knowing the the iX1 30 is now available on the scheme with the 309 BHP motor, albeit in X Line trim. One of your reservations of the 20 model was perhaps a lack of performance. EV range requires a slightly different mindset. How often do you cover more than 200 miles in a day? Would you ever need to plan a longer journey which requires using a public charger. If you did, would it really be such a chore to plan ahead and use the BMW satnav or a charger app to tell you where the convenient chargers are located en route and whether they are working or in use? The BMW satnav even suggests where to stop and what % you will have left when you get there! Don’t think of it as “filling up” like in an ICE car. Think how many miles am I likely to do in the next few days. Right I’ll charge to 80% and that’ll give me 180 miles. We’ve had our i4 a month and I’ve only charged it 3 times, and then only to add about 40% to keep it topped up Maybe it’s time to disavow yourself of your current reservations? I say this as someone who had no intention of getting an EV before the i4 appeared on the scheme. Food for thought ? <p style=”text-align: center;”></p>
Thanks. All good points. I certainly wouldn’t entertain the Tucson until I’ve driven the PHEV model for at least half a day. I’ve never chosen a car based on any less test time than that, as it’s a recipe for disaster! Out of interest, why don’t you think I’ll like the way it drives? It would be useful to know so that I can look out for those specific aspects. I’ve watched a number of detailed YouTube videos on the facelifted Tucson and the revised interior and, in particular, the infotainment look very good. I’m still not 100% on the exterior, but it looks better in dark colours.
Although I have been called ‘anti EV’ by one or two who are incapable of reasoned debate (and take the stance that their view is the only view, and everyone else is just stupid or a dinosaur), I am open to the idea of one, in spite of my reservations. My wife (the benefit recipient) is less so. I’ve only driven one EV, but it was the iX1 30e X-Line (the only 30e that’s on the scheme). I had it for a whole day and I just didn’t like it and was glad to get back in my petrol X1. Yes it was quick, but if you drove it in the slightest bit ‘keenly’ the range just plummeted, considerably more so than would be the case in a petrol car. I also didn’t like the driving characteristics compared to a petrol car, especially the regenerative braking. Then, of course, there’s the further degradation of range in the winter which, again, is far more than is the case in a petrol car. All these things will no doubt be resolved over time as technology improves, but I see the current situation as being too many compromises for my liking, compared to what I am used to..
It is indeed true that 95% plus of our journeys would present no problem with an EV in terms of the range, but moving to a car with a realistic range of 200 miles when our current car has three times that range is a leap of faith. We do go on a lot of holidays, probably once every few months, and each of these require journeys that would require charging en-route. I know that people say that ‘you just charge when you stop for a coffee’, well, we don’t stop for a coffee! At most it’s a 10 minute loo stop. So that would result in us making stops that we otherwise don’t need to make. My wife has concerns that charge points might not be available. I don’t, in spite of some of the scare stories. However, motorway service stations are expensive and just as I would never fill up with petrol at one (and never need to due to the 600 mile range) I don’t fancy the idea of charging at them. Neither do I wish to divert off the motorway just to charge a car, stopping at places that I have no desire to stop at. By contrast, if I need petrol I just keep an eye on prices as I drive past garages and when I see a cheap one I stop and fill up. In and out in 5 minutes. Done. As mentioned previously, I appreciate that EVs are cheaper to run as long as you can charge at home (which we can) but I prioritise convenience over cost.
Just as I have a good relationship with a salesperson at Hyundai, I also know an excellent salesperson at BMW whom I have also used for both Motability and private purchases. She arranged the iX1 30e for me last year. She’s due to call me this month so I’m going to ask her to provide me with a iX1 20e, preferably an M-Sport, as that’s what I’d get. As we are now down to just 2 cars, I certainly will not rule it out without driving one.
Who knows, I might just fall in love with it! Having driven hundreds of cars of most makes, BMWs certainly suit me the best and I will be sorry to see our X1 go. It’s the smallest BMW I’ve ever had, but has been nigh on perfect for our needs. Comparing against the Hyundai will indeed be interesting, so please let me know what I should be looking out for. Thanks.
