I Haven't Seen A New 5 series That Isn't A Diesel

[daveco]

I know diesel engines make financial sense nowadays, but come on! Is the 520/525 petrol that bad?

Is anyone even bothering to test drive a petrol derivative or are they all company cars?

I know the newer diesel engines are even more powerful and refined, and I can see many a test drive highlighting the mid range grunt and "real world usability" of them. Will we see a day where a manufacturer's entire range are diesel, or would the cost implications of replacing fuel injectors etc get so high that forced induction petrol is the only way forward?

[stewjohnst]

Mine's a diesel only because of the tax, BMW don't really carry a price differential between petrol and diesel models but it's the tax that sways it to the smokers.

I toyed with a 528i but would rather the £40 a month tax difference was sat in my pocket, add in the miles I cover and it was a no brainer for the diesel.

I have seen at least one Petrol 535 on the road though.

[V88Dicky]

You know, I think you're right.

My daily commute involves around 25 miles of DC, and a seemingly endless chain of 520d-520d-520d-520d-A6 2.0TDi-520d-320d-118d-A4 2.0 TDi-Insignia CDTi etc ad infinitum.

I really like the new 5 series, but I would never consider owning what, in effect, is the bottom of the range model.

[stewjohnst]

V88Dicky said:

I really like the new 5 series, but I would never consider owning what, in effect, is the bottom of the range model.

Depends on what you use it for. Mine is used as a mile muncher and the 520d does that just fine, my car allowance meant I could get a standard 535d SE, a sport 530d with a few options or a 520d with a ridiculous amount of options so I went for the 520d so I could fill it full of toys to make my travels as comfy as possible.

It has the base engine but it's far from base inside, all I need now is a weekend toy again so I have something to rev above 5500 rpm...

[GestapoWatch]

Yep went for the 520d - looked at the 523i but there were very few about in the spec I wanted and the wait time for a new build was something like 3 months.

Sorry to tarnish the roads with it

[Pablo16v]

A mate has just bought a 530i saloon as a company car, replacing a 3.0tdi Audi A5. Apparently it isn't that much dearer than an equivalent 5 series diesel due to the lower purchase price.

[stewjohnst]

GestapoWatch said:

Sorry to tarnish the roads with it

Man up! - There are worse things than buying a 2.0diesel, my mode of transport whilst waiting for mine to be built was was a 20 year old £500 Shogun with more rust than a Lancia Beta in a salt bath!

Got some funny looks being suited up and ttting around in that, including the time plod pulled me as it was registered in London and I was in Leeds. (A 450 mile weekly commute in that old stbox makes you appreciate a comfy car - and the price of petrol).

[SteveS Cup]

I had a play with a white 535i on saturday... wasn't impressed by it at all. I take it the extra weight hinders the performance significantly over the other 35i models.

[PaulFontaine]

I know gas is expensive there but it seems a shame to get a car that would be far better as a gas engine as a diesel. BMW doesn't even sell diesel engined cars in the US. They make lovely gas engines and were I to get a diesel engined car it seems a shame to pay the premium for the BMW and not really get the full benefit of the car

[ZeeTacoe]

I haven't seen one that wasn't black, silver or grey.

[tim2100]

The smaller petrols are pretty much redundant in that size car IMO.

The 520d is 180bhp, the 525d is 201 bhp. Whereas the 523 petrol is 201 bhp. Same BHP but diesel is far better mpg.

That sort of car is just going to be pushed up and down motorway where the diesel makes better sense.

[stewjohnst]

ZeeTacoe said:

I haven't seen one that wasn't black, silver or grey.

Might have something to do with the options available...you think BMW assume 5er drivers are conservative?

[SteveS Cup]

ZeeTacoe said:

I haven't seen one that wasn't black, silver or grey.

535i on the weekend was White... it looked very nice.

[pilchardthecat]

I would love to see the figures for company vs private sales on the 3 and 5 series.

Must be 90% company cars?

[stewjohnst]

PaulFontaine said:

I know gas is expensive there but it seems a shame to get a car that would be far better as a gas engine as a diesel. BMW doesn't even sell diesel engined cars in the US. They make lovely gas engines and were I to get a diesel engined car it seems a shame to pay the premium for the BMW and not really get the full benefit of the car

It depends really, the diesel BMW is excellent at what it's supposed to be used for - The majority of buyers tend to be company buyers and buy it for motorway cruising. The diesels suit the motorways just fine as they behave more like a torquey V8 (ok you may have to change down now and again to get in a gap in the 520d) so is good for lazy cruising.

The diesel only shows itself up when I take it out for a good thrashing on a b road and I'm forever running out of revs/changing gear/dropping out of boost on slower corners, etc.

If I was buying a car to go bombing around b-roads, I wouldn't have got the 5, it's too big for the country lanes where I live when I'm driving normally, let alone when I'm driving at 9/10ths. I'd have got a 135i coupe for that.

[mcflurry]

On paper the coal burner has similar specs and there isn't a huge Diseasal cost premium when new.
Why wouldn't someone go for it and save a bit at the service station and company tax bill ?

[Mr Dave]

Ive seen relatively few diesel ones, most are 528s actually.

Maybe because the area im from most people are buying them new to replace their older 5s and not getting them on credit as a company car?

[Citman]

As folk have said, why pay in tax what could be sitting in your wallet for what is, in the majority of cases, just a company hack.

Will get more common from later this month, I imagine, once the new 520ED comes out - 119g/km meaning it's only 30 quid a year to tax.

Can't be all that bad surely - 184bhp, 30 quid a year tax, potential for 60mpg average. Figures the drivers of junior exec level 518/520 cars from 20 years ago could only dream about. It's around the same power output of the legendary 25i engine of that era too.

[Panayiotis]

I had a 525 diesel as a hire car for 2 weeks in Germany earlier this year, I couldnt see the problem with it to be hoest, great mileage, engine was pretty decent, good turn of speed. Not the most flexible engine in the twisty bits, but then that's not really the point of the car. I was actually quite impressed.

[stewjohnst]

Panayiotis said:

I had a 525 diesel as a hire car for 2 weeks in Germany earlier this year, I couldnt see the problem with it to be hoest, great mileage, engine was pretty decent, good turn of speed. Not the most flexible engine in the twisty bits, but then that's not really the point of the car. I was actually quite impressed.

My mate described the sensation of driving it as though it was butler gently ushering you along, a firm but gently building shove in the back "Come along, Sir" instead of the wallop of acceleration you get from his petrol 330.