Considering a 2013 Activehybrid 5 series
 

Hi there.

This is my first time on this forum. I've been on the E60 forum since 2005.

"Precious" is starting to look her age and so I'm considering trading her in on a 2013 ActiveHybrid 5. I'm not particularly interested in the Activehybrid but the car is nicely tricked out and at a good price from the dealer. My interest in it is because of the age, milage (5,000 miles), and the options included. I've not seen a car like it for a while.

The background on the car is that it's a service loaner from a location across town. I've actually not seen it yet.

My question to this forum is if anyone has experience with the Activehybrid? Does it improve the drive and handling of the car? What are the downsides?

Of course, I know that it's a more complex car.

Thanks

Decided to buy it - took delivery today.
 

I was travelling for a month before I finally decided to purchase the Activehybrid. I too delivery this morning and drove it for a couple of hours this afternoon.

I'll post commentary occasionally on it's Activehybrid features and on the F10 features in general.

First point is that the Activehybrid feature is kinda neat. It does two things. It kicks in when the car accelerates. Additionally, in Eco-pro and Comfort mode it will run at low speeds on just battery. But that doesn't last for two long.

The additional weight is noticeable and I think I'll miss the loss of trunk space. And I really hate the noise and stiffness of run-flats.

Cheers for now.

You could replace the runflats but trunk space and a lack of a spare could cause problems. On other forums there are pictures of spare tire kits that may solve your spare problem if it will fit on the floor of the car.
The fact you have the hybrid doesn't affect the ride (other than some extra weight) or the runflats.
Enjoy the car. After 2 years I still love the Space Grey. It never looks dirty even after a winter without a wash.

congrate on the new car

Thanks for the congrats. I'm chuffed about the car.

And thanks for the great news about the Space Grey. My neighbours/good friends called tonight just to say that they really like the colour. Not looking dirty is a real bonus !!

I replaced the runflats on Precious (the 2004 530i) with a set of Michelin PS2's. Huge difference. And then I bought the BWM spare kit that included a jack and fittings to make it all fit nicely under trunk floor. In a cheeky move, I kept the kit when I traded in the car. And yeah - I learned that it really doesn't fit in the new car. So I'll probably stay with run flats for now. Ugh

If you're in the Toronto area, let me know if you need a spare kit.

I've decided that it's like driving a video game. The ActiveHybrid challenge is how long can I drive on battery alone. It's effected by how hard I accelerate, down vs up hill, use of air conditioning, outside temp, etc. I have't quite mastered driving from the main street to my house without the engine kicking in at the bottom of my street. I'll keep working on it.

Nice car. Got myself the m sport version of the active hybrid 5 series in alpine white. Boot space is a loss and no folding rear seat option and no sports auto transmission. But aside from that, the cars performance is sweet. All 535i plus some for a total of 340 bhp.