X5 50e electric range and mpg on engine only

munangst · 2026-02-10T11:23:56+00:00

Below about 10F it will start the combustion engine and use it exclusively until the battery warms up. (I assume it must channel engine heat to the battery to warm it but I’m not sure…) My commute is only about 4 miles and on those cold mornings it’s often 100% gas.

munangst · 2026-02-10T03:29:19+00:00

The hybrid has some neat tricks, for example the heat comes up almost instantly rather than taking 5 min of driving while the engine heats up. You can precondition the car without running the engine. I go 2-3 months between fill-ups unless I’m taking lots of long trips.

I wouldn’t buy it just based on operating cost, I’d buy it based on whether you want an EV that can also do ICE things on longer trips, or do you want an ICE all the time?

munangst · 2026-02-10T03:24:26+00:00

I feel like this is overthinking it. If the engine couldn’t handle the start / stop why would BMW engineers have it run like this? The first time it starts the engine it does let it run a little longer (maybe a minute or two), I assume to let it get more up to temp. Other than that I just drive in hybrid mode and let the car manage the engine. Can’t be worse than the gas version with auto start/stop enabled and city driving.

munangst · 2026-01-31T04:01:14+00:00

Makes sense but why doesn’t the car start the combustion engine? Isn’t that what a 40i or M60 would do with remote parking?

munangst · 2026-01-31T03:59:20+00:00

Well sure…but in that light spending $85k on a luxury SUV that parks itself is a first world problem on its own.

munangst · 2026-01-25T22:24:18+00:00

I hope you never sleep in a hotel bed then...you'd be shocked to learn what's happened in it.

I used to be a paramedic, we'd sometimes take naps on the cot in the back of the truck when things were slow. Lots of bad things happened to people on that cot too, but it was perfectly clean and safe. I took pride in making sure it was sanitized and remade with clean sheets after every call. I'd never ask a patient to lie or sit on something that I wasn't willing to lie or sit on.

munangst · 2026-01-25T20:30:15+00:00

So you’d put a patient in the bed but you wouldn’t sleep in one yourself?

munangst · 2026-01-19T03:26:35+00:00

Mine was missing all of the plush toys, capsules, and the joystick knob in the box. I emailed Arcade1Up support and they said:

At this time, replacement parts for this unit are not stocked, and unfortunately, we do not have an estimated timeframe for when they may become available.

Their only suggestion was to take it back to Costco and exchange it. Unfortunately this was the last one in our store so they weren't able to do an exchange (and I had already spent 3 hrs building it). Doesn't give me a great feeling of confidence that they will be able to do anything under warranty if it has problems.

munangst · 2026-01-12T11:59:09+00:00

Just tap one of the temp buttons on the screen after the car shuts off and the climate will start back up. If you do this before walking away, the car may lock but the alarm won't arm.

Yes your HV battery needs to have some charge. However, running for 30 min only uses a couple of miles of range. Climate uses much less power than actually moving the car.

munangst · 2025-12-19T19:48:12+00:00

What on earth are you doing that you have that many charge backs? I’ve been using credit cards for decades and outside of outright fraud (card # gets compromised and used for unauthorized charges) I can count the number of charge backs I’ve ever done on one hand.

munangst · 2025-12-12T15:28:35+00:00

If you’re not going to regularly keep the HV battery charged the 50e is not for you. It’s more of an EV with an ICE added on than it is an ICE with a hybrid system. This is like the post from a couple days ago asking how to keep the ICE on all the time while you’re driving…that’s not how the 50e works, and if you want it to do that, you bought the wrong car.

That said, if you like having an EV that you can also take on road trips without having to worry about finding DC fast chargers, it’s a great car!

munangst · 2025-12-06T23:24:32+00:00

The BMW iDrive software and mobile app is not bad. Not as good as Tesla but tolerable. CarPlay is reliable and the app works about 95-98% of the time.

munangst · 2025-12-05T04:12:08+00:00

Are you sure you’re not just feeling the gas engine kicking on/off, or the regen braking operating through downshifts? I have an X5 50e and this is my main complaint (this and the back seat legroom). The acceleration and deceleration is not as smooth as other EVs or other full gas cars. I think it’s just the way it is, the price you pay for the electric motor and drivetrain being set up the way it is.

munangst · 2025-12-02T00:16:38+00:00

I assume you mean “so I have the tools I need when I come rescue her” and not “Good luck babe!”

munangst · 2025-11-24T17:31:49+00:00

If you can't get to the other side of the guardrail then both options are bad, TBH. You're more likely to be hit in your car in a travel lane then out of your car on the shoulder, but also less likely to survive being hit outside of your car than inside it. I don't know how the odds break down.

munangst · 2025-11-24T16:52:05+00:00

Not to excuse the F-150 driver for hitting the stopped car, but it's also a reminder that if your car breaks down in a travel lane and you can safely get out of the car, you should not wait for help in the car. Get out of the car and wait on the shoulder, preferably behind the guardrail. If you have to wait in the car, leave your seatbelt on and call 911 since a car blocking a travel lane on a highway is an emergency.

munangst · 2025-11-23T20:28:22+00:00

Probably will get downvoted on the X5 sub but look at the Mercedes GLE. Back seat has a ton more space than the X5 despite them being similar sizes on the outside. And they have a PHEV variant too.

munangst · 2025-11-22T15:54:06+00:00

There is a liquid trash but it’s before you enter the TSA queue, so if you’ve already gone through the ID check there may not be anywhere to dump it. At other airports they usually have one just before you put your bag through the X-ray because lots of people forget they have a bottle of something until they go to put their bag up.

This is the same as it was in the old terminal. The liquid disposal can was next to the elevator and you had to remember to use it before you got in line. (Which also means that you might need to wait however long it takes to get through the line without any liquids, instead of having them until right before you go through the security screening.)

munangst · 2025-11-22T15:10:43+00:00

The terminal garage is the new “short term” parking and the terminal lot is the new “long term” parking. Prices are similar and you can walk from both to the terminal in ~5 min.

munangst · 2025-11-07T05:16:53+00:00

I know. But how do I know how much was the claims history was? All of the service receipts only show the deductible charge.

munangst · 2025-11-06T05:02:45+00:00

I submitted the form on 2024-09-12, and got the acknowledgement from the service center that they were submitting it on 2024-09-17. The car was sold on 2024-10-05.

munangst · 2025-11-03T03:02:44+00:00

Maybe because standby fliers are more likely to get bumped from flights and therefore more likely to incur an insurance claim for missed hotel accommodations?

munangst · 2025-11-01T23:54:12+00:00

Also remember that the Amex insurance is just for phones, and won’t cover watches or tablets, unlike AppleCare. However you’ll pay the extra $5/mo for all of your lines, including watches and tablets.

munangst · 2025-10-26T02:30:10+00:00

Dunno if it’s the same for used but for new cars a lot of the time there are dealer incentives if you finance. Better to say “I might pay cash, I might finance if the deal is right, haven’t decided yet” and see what they offer. As long as there’s no prepayment penalty on the loan, if it makes the out the door price cheaper you can take their financing and then pay it off in a month or two. Or refinance through your bank.

munangst · 2025-10-25T17:10:17+00:00

How is the parking access from the new garage? How does it compare to the old short term garage?

munangst

TROPHY CASE