BMW 330E buy or Jeep 4 X e lease

Ask the Hackrs
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Hi all,

We are a one car household but now with my oldest starting school, we need to add another car and this is not the market to get another car is what I am quickly realizing, anyways needs to be done so I plan to bite the bullet and jump in. Used is out since the available cars/SUV’s have asking prices which are difficult to hear let alone pay. After getting our last car through a broker we found on LeaseHackr, I am again committing to go that route. We already have a Jeep GCL so the 2nd car can be sedan or SUV, we have currently two front runners, the Jeep 4 X E on lease, which I felt is the best lease deal available today on any car class. If I am wrong on not considering any others, please let me know.

The Jeep does tick all the boxes for us but is expensive for a lease. Recently I came across my friends 330 E and liked the car, it does not have the roominess or the SUV features like the Jeep but it is a BMW(which I have had before and love), is a plug in hybrid and with the credit, is well priced considering the market. We will plan to buy the BMW as the credits are more easily accessible, the final price is affordable to buy and if this crazy market continues, we wont be back again in this situation, as I feel I can stretch the BMW 5 years if needed.

Dear Hackers, can you help me on this strategy, is this sound, which one would you pick. Is buying the BMW the right thing with resale in mind(My last lease an X3 which I sold to Autonation did give me equity, so I am hoping this can be repeated). Will I get the same lease incentives on purchase. When do I find out the interest rate in the buying process and if I work with a broker am I allowed to back out if I dont like the interest rate. Anything else I am missing, which I should consider.
I am based in AZ. Thanks for your help.

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My 2 cents and everyone may not agree with me but:

Headlights are one of the most important crash-prevention features IMO and the Wrangler received the lowest score in IIHS tests for them.

Distractions are another risk factor. IMO parents of teen/YA drivers should also avoid their kid’s car becoming the party car or party-going car.

Lastly, you mention “oldest” child, implying there are more. Are you comfortable setting the precedent that each gets something fancy like a brand new BMW when they are given their own?

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I dont disagree with your assertion here… but I am very skeptical of what actual configuration iihs used when testing. The 4xe headlights arent the best ive ever used, but theyre at least average for factory led sets… and that puts them above average overall.

I cant help but think the iihs test vehicle lights were aimed too far down or something like that. Their results are not consistent with the experience ive had.

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“LED” does not mean much by itself. Good halogens are actually better than mediocre LEDs (this may surprise many).

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Get your 330e order in and take delivery before year end to take advantage of the Fed tax credit, they are now building 2023 model year and next year there likely will lose the $5800 tax credit. You can get a small discount from brokers here.

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No, but led lights do tend to be better designed units. Obviously its no guarantee.

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Thats a good point on the headlight, I was not aware, thanks for sharing.

Sorry I should have clarified, my wife is the one we are getting the car for, the oldest is going to pre K. No way I would buy them a brand new BMW, maybe the electric toy at Walmart but that is probably as close as they will come to get a Bimmer from me. :grinning:

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Thanks and thats a good point, the 5800 credit is high on our reasons to buy the 330e, one question, will the 2023 model not get the credit, the one I built on BMW only allowed me the 2023.

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I wouldn’t expect the resale value of the 330e to be great. If you’re ok with that, then go for it.

Otherwise a wisely chosen EV does better on both fronts: bigger tax credit, and better resale.

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It will I think model year 22 production ended. You can find a MY 22 in the lot or order a MY 23 but make sure you take delivery before year end on either models. The MY23 model has a facelift and curve display inside. I have a 23 on order with expected date before October.

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4xe lease has been getting much worse each month. Make sure you are looking at the most recent numbers, which are not so hot.

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Can I ask why used is out? As someone also considering the 330e, I am finding used ones from the last 3-4 years that are substantially cheaper than new - tax credit.

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Used 530e is looking pretty good on price, too.

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Can you make some suggestions please, we thought about the Tesla M3(no credits, so expensive) and the Polestar 2(credits, but not very comfortable for me personally) and the i4(no rebate but credits, great car but also expensive). The 330 e net net was cheaper than the other options while ticking most boxes, if there are others I have missed, please let me know. Thanks

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Id be trying to get into one of the korean triplets

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I couldn’t find any decent one near where I am when I looked, also when I was researching used I read somewhere that BMW battery tech and the general hybrid electric concept was not as well defined some years ago as it is today, so my thinking and I could be wrong is that paying the extra is also allowing me to get the latest and hopefully most reliable technology so far which should last longer.

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I leased a 2018 and a 2021 330e. The difference is night and day. Just the switch between gas and electricity is much more seamless in the new model. I was also looking for a EV but I gave up. Im also not intend to keep this car for long, maybe a year or two.

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Be aware a lot of EV credits going away with new law based on 55K MSRP limitation, US build, etc.

Among other provisions, the new bill:

• Offers a new tax credit of up to $4,000 on used EVs put into service after Dec. 31, 2023.

• Takes away the 200,000 vehicle cap on tax credits that made EVs and plug-in hybrids from Tesla, GM, and Toyota ineligible for tax credits.

• Does away with today’s tax credits for pricey EVs—such as the Hummer EV, Lucid Air, and Tesla Model S and Model X.

• Eliminates tax credits for vehicles not assembled in North America, including the BMW i4, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, and Toyota bZ4X.

But, most important, the bill also restricts the full tax credit on new EVs to vehicles with battery minerals sourced from countries that the U.S. has a free trade agreement with or recycled in North America, and with battery components sourced from North America.

If any minerals or components are sourced from “foreign entities of concern,” including China or Russia, the vehicle will not qualify for any tax credit. A 2022 analysis of the EV supply chain from the International Energy Agency shows that the vast majority of minerals, components, and battery cells are currently sourced from China. This restriction doesn’t apply to used vehicles.

“The EV tax credit requirements will make most vehicles immediately ineligible for the incentive,” wrote John Bozzella, president and CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, an auto industry trade group

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Although we don’t know which vehicles will meet the battery portion of the tax credit, these are the current and upcoming models made in North America with versions that cost less than the bill requires:

  • Cadillac Lyriq (only if it is classified as an SUV)
  • Chevrolet Blazer EV
  • Chevrolet Bolt
  • Chevrolet Bolt EUV
  • Chevrolet Silverado EV (with certain options and trim levels)
  • Ford F-150 Lightning (with certain options and trim levels)
  • Ford Mustang Mach-E
  • Nissan Leaf
  • Rivian R1S (with certain options and trim levels)
  • Rivian R1T (with certain options and trim levels)
  • Tesla Cybertruck (with certain options and trim levels)
  • Tesla Model 3 (with certain options and trim levels)
  • Tesla Model Y (only if it is classified as an SUV, and only with certain options and trim levels)
  • Volkswagen ID.4 (only 2023+ models made in Tennessee)
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In AZ reach out to @Clutch. He can get you in the best direction. You may not want another GC, but it has a rate lock (on the 22 version) and could fit the bill well- with no payment surprise at delivery.

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