[ss87]

Looking through this forum every 5 series sold in the UK seems to be diesel. I'm a private buyer and the 528i looks appealing. I don't do many miles so the cost benefit of diesel is negligible.

The 528i is a 4cyl, how would it cope in a car the size of a 5 series?
Has anyone driven it?

I'm currently driving a 2009 Volvo V70 2.4d which is great and a 2002 Mercedes C180 which is not so great and needs replacing.

[xenon]

The fact that it's a four-pot is an inevitable consequence of the strive for ever-better emissions and it's a shame that the days of silky-smooth sixes are numbered. However, look beyond that and the engine output for a 2-litre 4-pot is quite amazing and will be perfectly adequate to punt the 5 along with some gusto. The 5 is big but production techniques and materials mean it's lighter than it looks.

Get one on a test drive.

[Jon D]

Before ordering my 535d I tested a 520d and I must say that, for just 2 litres, I was very impressed with the performance and I was briefly tempted, but the lure of 6 cylinders won the day.
At 245 bhp, the 528i is considerably more powerful than the 520d and early reviews on the 328i are looking very good.
As 'xenon' says, take one for a test drive, you won't be disappointed.

[Matt01]

I currently have a f11 523i... Not under powered in any way, with the sports auto (which is a must) on sport mode and it can shift, you'll not win any traffic light drag races but it can hold its own...

[Gordon4499]

Agree with the above comments. I test drove a second hand 528i before opting for a new 520d and you wont be dissapointed, to be honest I dont think there is a poor engine in the 5 series range.

[SomeRandomer123]

Originally Posted by Jon D

Before ordering my 535d I tested a 520d and I must say that, for just 2 litres, I was very impressed with the performance and I was briefly tempted, but the lure of 6 cylinders won the day.
At 245 bhp, the 528i is considerably more powerful than the 520d and early reviews on the 328i are looking very good.
As 'xenon' says, take one for a test drive, you won't be disappointed.

Indeed, the 28i is a powerful motor and I was also impressed when I test drove a 520d.

[ss87]

Thanks for the replies. The American threads seem to praise the 528i. The 328i also looks appealing but if the last 3 series is anything to go by they became far too common a site on our roads.

[techno]

Originally Posted by Gordon4499

Agree with the above comments. I test drove a second hand 528i before opting for a new 520d and you wont be dissapointed, to be honest I dont think there is a poor engine in the 5 series range.

This would have been the old 6 cylinder.

I was interested in the new 4 cylinder 528 but the leasing deals were not as good as the 520d so I ended up having to go for that.

As a private buyer that would suggest that depreciation is going to be higher on the petrol than the diesel, if that's an issue for you.

The performance stats are certainly very good and I would have preferred the petrol but there were none available to drive anyway when I ordered mine.

One final thing to consider as a private buyer is that the 520d (for me anyway) gets nowhere near the advertised MPG, so factor that in with the Petrol too!

[Gordon4499]

Originally Posted by techno

This would have been the old 6 cylinder.

I was interested in the new 4 cylinder 528 but the leasing deals were not as good as the 520d so I ended up having to go for that.

As a private buyer that would suggest that depreciation is going to be higher on the petrol than the diesel, if that's an issue for you.

The performance stats are certainly very good and I would have preferred the petrol but there were none available to drive anyway when I ordered mine.

One final thing to consider as a private buyer is that the 520d (for me anyway) gets nowhere near the advertised MPG, so factor that in with the Petrol too!

Techno,

Yes it was the 6 cyl and I wasn’t aware that that had changed.. Sorry but I am a recent convert from Audi so still not fully up to speed with the range.

Surprised you are not getting decent mpg as I can’t believe the difference from my old A6. I am getting just over 50mpg on the commute to work. Not had a decent long motorway run yet but would be hopeful of mid to high 50's. The A6 struggled to get above 42mpg!

[techno]

Originally Posted by Gordon4499

Techno,

Yes it was the 6 cyl and I wasn’t aware that that had changed.. Sorry but I am a recent convert from Audi so still not fully up to speed with the range.

Surprised you are not getting decent mpg as I can’t believe the difference from my old A6. I am getting just over 50mpg on the commute to work. Not had a decent long motorway run yet but would be hopeful of mid to high 50's. The A6 struggled to get above 42mpg!

You obviously don't drive like an Audi driver then

My overall average across ~4000 miles is 31 and that includes a few long motorway runs but is mainly around town.

[xenon]

50mpg? I can't even get close to that.

[SpikeUK]

.........Nor me. I can only average 42mpg....

[Jon D]

Originally Posted by xenon

50mpg? I can't even get close to that.

Originally Posted by SpikeUK

.........Nor me. I can only average 42mpg....

Only low 40's from a 520d?!!!! I know that BMW's claimed figures are substantially optimistic, but that's way off the published 57 combined.
I easily average 39 in my 535d and that's without stinting on the fun-factor. As a test exercise, I once managed 47.5 on a 100 mile trip from Aberdeen to Inverness.

[the_rangdo]

Sounds low, see my sig for what I'm currently getting - and that's before the recent engine change that tweaks the performance.

[Gordon4499]

Originally Posted by techno

You obviously don't drive like an Audi driver then

My overall average across ~4000 miles is 31 and that includes a few long motorway runs but is mainly around town.

LOL.. Spot on, I drive way to slow for an Audi driver...

I am surprised at the low figures quoted on the thread and can only assume its down to individual driving styles but there still seems to be a large gap.

I have just returned from a trip to my mums which is approx 200 miles and I averaged 53 on the way there and 55mpg on the return. That was with the cruise on a 70mph and the efficiency dynamics selected.

[ss87]

I suppose we get low figures because it is an enthusiasts forum. Even if we like to think we don't hammer the throttle we probably do more than the average user.

[eskdale]

Originally Posted by Gordon4499

LOL.. Spot on, I drive way to slow for an Audi driver...

I am surprised at the low figures quoted on the thread and can only assume its down to individual driving styles but there still seems to be a large gap.

I have just returned from a trip to my mums which is approx 200 miles and I averaged 53 on the way there and 55mpg on the return. That was with the cruise on a 70mph and the efficiency dynamics selected.

Hi Gordon - Was that what the computer said or what you measured it at from fill up to fill up?

I drive very economically (mind you my son calls it something else!) On a 400+mile trip to Cornwall and back not exceeding 70mph the car indicated 50.7 but in reality the true figure was 47.1 the Car computer always reads 3.5 to 4 mpg better than what I get truthfully. A bit disappointing when you find out the true figures.

[Gordon4499]

Hi Eskdale,

You raise a valid point.. I have checked the actual mpg and, by my maths, it is circa 52mpg which is about 3mpg less than the computer. Still happy with that as my A6 was lucky to get 43 on a decent run. The big test will be when I tow the caravan which on the A6 was arround 23mpg! I will find out next week..

[xenon]

Please tell me you're not going to tow a caravan with your F10?

[Gordon4499]

Originally Posted by xenon

Please tell me you're not going to tow a caravan with your F10?

If I don’t it will be a complete waste of the £1,100 it cost me to get the towbar fitted..

Appreciate there won’t be too many caravan fans on this forum but the F10 is proving to be an excellent towcar. Believe it or not it will pull 400kg’s more than the A6, which is impressive for a 2ltr.

Bring on the abuse

[psyxologos]

It seems I am in the minority here... I test drove a 520d and found it lagging and slow. I test drove a 530d and it was a totally different car. It was, lacking other words to describe it, alive! It is all personal choice though, so test drive as many cars as you can and make your own mind up...

[gIzzE]

I never saw our 520d touring drop below 39mpg, that was round town, it averaged 44mpg and would do 50+ on a run no problem.

That was the auto by the way and with around 10k miles on it when it went.

I have to admit though that the 525d loaner seemed to be about 2mpg behind at the most and the 530d I have just tried seemed to be the same again. (245bhp 530d, 2011 car).

I don't think the 2.0 litre diesel is much more frugal than the 3 litre cars in real world driving.

Also, Gordon is in Scotland, that is the only time I ever saw my old e46 320d auto ever get above 40mpg from a whole tank, used to get around 33mpg back in Norfolk.
You sort of get forced into very economical speeds up there.


The new 528i looks very good, I also find that I tend to get very close to combined figures as an average with petrol cars, on all the ones I have had, where as on diesels I see nearer urban figures.

I bet I would see over 30mpg average from the 528i.
But then there is the new 525d 4cyl with 218bhp, I bet I would get 45+ mpg average from that.

Compared to the D5 they will all feel very rapid imho. I have been looking at a D5 to replace my E320cdi estate as I need the load space, but it felt slow compared with my wifes 18d sDrive X1 and a bit agricultural as well.

The 528i is 1.5 seconds quicker then the Volvo and people are saying that the offical times on it are very conservative too, by around .3 seconds. So it will feel pretty rapid.