is 530d right for me?

[jonboy07]

seen alot of 530d /530i debate on here and id say most people think the 30i is better but i have to do a 140 mile round trip ( all carrigway ) to work 5 days a week and thats not including driving around for my self, so i need a good mile eater but still like to drive enthusiasticly, i wouldnt mind if the cost was very marginal for the "I" but i think the "d" would be best for me, what do u think? thanks guys

[AB]

140 miles a day is quite a few miles, above the threshold that 'they' say the diesel becomes the wise option.

The diesel, IMO, would be better if majority of your driving is done on A/M roads. Stop start traffic, overtaking at motorway speeds etc. The only time the d disappoints me is when I want to have some fun. The power delivery is all wrong.

[jonboy07]

whats the "d" like on the motorway? is there still plenty of go when driving at speed?

[CommanderJameson]

It's ideal for what you want. The 530d doesn't have the top-end shove of the 530i, but it's still more than quick enough to get you into trouble, if that's your thing.

It sounds like a tracdurr, of course, at idle, but the autobox is very smooth and it's a nice cabin. Ish.

Edited by CommanderJameson on Sunday 25th January 16:34

[Battenburg Bob]

I drive a 530d as a 'works' car on the motorway. It cruises with no effort at all. Fabulous car, that sits rock solid at very high speed.

[alfaspiderman2]

Been wondering about this myself.

Considering a 530 myself. I'd only be doing 10-12k a year so presume consensus would be to seek out a 530i?

Thing is, there don't seem to be many E60 530i Tourings knocking about.

[mondayo]

As others have mentioned, the 530d is an excellent mile muncher on the motorway and would be pretty economical. I havent driven the petrol 530, but I cant imagine its as economical for cruising on multi-lane roads.

[gizlaroc]

mondayo said:

As others have mentioned, the 530d is an excellent mile muncher on the motorway and would be pretty economical. I havent driven the petrol 530, but I cant imagine its as economical for cruising on multi-lane roads.

I got 34mpg sat at 85mph on the motorway with the odd overtake.

Sat at 75mph and it averaged 36mpg.

My 535d would get around the same as that.


With fuel prices you need to average 15% more than that with the derv to break even, if it averaged say 30% more you would need to be doing around 40k miles a year to really notice a difference surely??

[E21_Ross]

i think it's the same engine that was in my dads old 330d (was the 204bhp engine) and i can say that the engine was superb, easily saw over 45mpg on a run sat at 70+, great car, great engine. the engine was rock solid and could easy sit at 100+ all day long. not that it ever did

[Gallen (BPH)]

I have a 530D.

It pulls like a train from the start.

I have owned many cars from petrol 6-cyl BMW's to Boxsters and 911's, so I like to drive powerful cars and have a fondance of the fun pedal!

Right now I can't justify having anything other than diesels. The 530D Sport (Auto/Tip) is great. I have read somewhere that 0 - 140 is a steady tireless climb on the speedo, no faultering!

A great car. I certainly wouldnt consider a petrol 3.0 simply due to the cost of the fuel. I really cant see "too" much difference in performance either but I haven't driven a petrol 530 to be able to give a fully balanced point of view

Oh, an the 530d has a turbo... which means that significant gains can be had from a re-map (although mines 1 owner, factory standard and mint - and it's staying that way!).

Great car.

[pgilc1]

gizlaroc said:

mondayo said:

As others have mentioned, the 530d is an excellent mile muncher on the motorway and would be pretty economical. I havent driven the petrol 530, but I cant imagine its as economical for cruising on multi-lane roads.

I got 34mpg sat at 85mph on the motorway with the odd overtake.

Sat at 75mph and it averaged 36mpg.

My 535d would get around the same as that.


With fuel prices you need to average 15% more than that with the derv to break even, if it averaged say 30% more you would need to be doing around 40k miles a year to really notice a difference surely??

At 140 miles round trip to work thats up to 36400 mile a year work mileage alone, plus the O/P's own 'private' miles, thats going to break 40K per year easy.

I'd have the diesel all day long with that mileage.

[CommanderJameson]

For huge mileage the diesel makes sense.

My reaction to the auto was initially the usual antipathy I have to autoboxes, and then after a few dozen miles I was starting to think, "oh, so THIS is what an automatic is supposed to be like..."