Hi @rosie54 I’m sorry to hear that you’ve been unwell. Thank you for coming back with an update, which is always appreciated.
If it wasn’t for the poor mpg that you get from your X1 (some 17 mpg less than I got from mine) then I’d be tempted to extend the lease, given that you can. However, I can understand the temptation to get a new car.
I quite understand your view on the looks of the Tucson. In all honesty, they match mine! I love the interior on our Ultimate (with the pale leather) but I’m not a fan of the exterior. It’s interesting how looks are subjective with cars. I much prefer the look of our previous X1 but my wife and both our adult daughters think that the Tucson looks much better 🤔 I don’t like the look of the Volvo XC40, whereas many do.
However, as you are looking for a self charging hybrid, I probably wouldn’t recommend the Tucson. I had a self charging hybrid Tucson for 24 hours and was unimpressed with the fuel economy. Our Tucson PHEV is fine when in electric mode, but when the battery is depleted it’s thirstier than my X1 was, as your dragging around a heavy battery with a modest sized petrol engine. Whilst I haven’t driven any of the new generation models, Toyota seem to have the whole hybrid engine thing well sorted, albeit their interiors are a bit plasticky compared to what you are used to.
If you are thinking of trying something very different, such as a French car, do make sure that you get a long test drive. Whilst France might be next door to Germany, they build very different cars. One wag on this forum made me laugh a year or so ago when they said “French cars – style over substance, except Citroen which has neither” 😂
Leaving aside my dislike of the XC40s stying, be aware that many people find the petrol engine variants to be extremely thirsty. If you can charge at home and do mostly short journeys, the PHEV variant could be an option. I might be wrong, but I don’t think they make a self charging hybrid. The XC40 is showing its age now and the infotainment isn’t a patch on your BMW system. Standard equipment isn’t great either.
Most cars these days are called ‘hybrid’ but are actually mild hybrids, which means that the hybrid bit is really only active in tiny bursts when starting and stopping, but in reality they are just normal petrol cars with no meaningful hybrid assistance. It’s probably a ‘self charging hybrid’ that you need to be looking at.
It won’t be an easy choice for you as, in truth, there aren’t really any true premium cars left on the scheme any more, so a degree of compromise will be necessary. Good luck.
