2013 BMW ActiveHybrid 5: The 2,000-Mile Road Trip – Review and Report – The Green Car Driver –

Perhaps shockingly too, the AH5 was not just decent but satisfying to drive on the highway. This is largely due to the eight-speed automatic transmission, and our particular test car’s upgraded Sport Automatic. This meant that a quick downshift was at the ready to make jumping into an opening in the passing lane effortless.  Furthermore, in Comfort or Eco Pro modes, the engine would fully switch off when it wasn’t needed – even at speeds of up to 80 mph (129 km/h)!

In conjunction with the driver assistance technologies, and the comfort of the car’s interior, a nine-hour drive from Upstate South Carolina to Washington, D.C. was downright pleasant, though the thought of doing it in most cars would be painful, and, unlike any other hybrid I’ve driven, the ActiveHybrid 5 returned more than the EPA-estimated 30 mpg (7.84 l/100km), impressive.

The handling was good, though the low rolling resistance tires made the car understeer substantially in more than a few instances. They do, however, help the car keep emissions as low as possible and have a smaller carbon footprint.

The engine has a great note, and is not in anyway artificial or pumped through the sound system, which is excellent as well when upgraded to the Bang & Olufsen option.

ECO PRO

Eco Pro mode sets the car’s engine and drivetrain to operate more fuel efficiently.  Driving in Eco Pro mode changes the entire character of the car, even reducing the air conditioner’s output. It will “suggest” ways to improve driving efficiency, such as not using DS mode, slowing down to below 75 mph (121 km/h), and it reconfigures the accelerator pedal’s resistance to sudden input changes.

The BMW Connected app on a connected smartphone can track one’s driving, acceleration, anticipation, and fuel economy, helping to achieve top economy goals.

In the AH5, I quickly learned that the city was not the place to use the Eco Pro mode; comfort mode would allow for purely electric driving and my fuel economy numbers were similar in both. On the highway it was more or less something to experiment with while on a traffic-free stretch. My iPhone tracked my Eco Pro stints, and reported an average 31.6 mpg (7.44 l/100 km), while averaging more than 33 mpg (7.13 l/100 km) point to point (manually calculated) and in a combination of sport, comfort and Eco Pro modes.

WISH LIST

After driving over 2,000 miles in the ActiveHybrid 5, I do have a few requests.  I wish that BMW would let you do more with the Drive Mode Selector, and couple the responsiveness of Sport mode with the ability to sail, and even have the tighter feeling steering with electric mode.

Another request: bring back the bolsters.  The fantastic multi-contour seats no longer have the adjustable side-bolsters that had part of the seat design since the early 2000s. Sliding across the wide-backed seat will happen, and the AH5’s performance is not in any way hampered to the point that the adjustable bolsters aren’t necessary.

Finally – and I’m personally sure it’s coming – a plug. Plug-ins are the new black, or so I am told.  I don’t want a plug-in hybrid because it will save the polar bears. I want it because it will let me into the carpool lane and pay cheaper tolls in many areas. That alone would make the price increase worth it, and might make me choose the hybrid even over the diesel.  That alone would make the $1,800 (net after the current $4500 eco credit) price premium worth it, and might make me choose the hybrid even over the diesel.   The 535i has an MSRP of $55,100; the 535d (just introduced) costs $56,600, and the ActiveHybrid 5 will run you $56,900 (after the eco credit has been deducted).

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