2020 BMW 520d G30 M Sport - Bluestone Metallic - 0-60 MPG

2020 BMW 520d G30 M Sport - Bluestone Metallic - 0-60 MPG

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joropug

Original Poster:

2,619 posts

191 months

Saturday 27th April
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I’m close to needing new rear tyres. Currently on Bridgestone Turanza T005 all around.

Rears are 275/35/19 - seems that these tyres are rated fairly. The Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3 has the same ratings but I’ve seen mixed reviews.

What are others running on the rear 19s?


Monkeylegend

26,627 posts

233 months

Saturday 27th April
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joropug said:
I’m close to needing new rear tyres. Currently on Bridgestone Turanza T005 all around.

Rears are 275/35/19 - seems that these tyres are rated fairly. The Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3 has the same ratings but I’ve seen mixed reviews.

What are others running on the rear 19s?

Have you tries Asda Tyres?

I bought two Turanza T005's, albeit smaller 235/45/17 for £297 fully fitted for the two. They were quite a bit cheaper than Blackcircle only a few weeks ago.

joropug

Original Poster:

2,619 posts

191 months

Saturday 27th April
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Nice one just checked Asda, £250 a side vs Black Circles revised price £262. Looks like the same garages for fitting too.

Greendubber

13,302 posts

205 months

Saturday 27th April
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That's a cracking looking car, the colour really suits it.

I was dead set on my next car being a hot hatch but this has got me thinking....

joropug

Original Poster:

2,619 posts

191 months

Sunday 28th April
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Greendubber said:
That's a cracking looking car, the colour really suits it.

I was dead set on my next car being a hot hatch but this has got me thinking....
Cheers! Yes mentioned before, a doddle to wash too. The wheels stay clean-ish longer as you brake slightly less from the regen, the tyres also don’t seem to spray water up the bodywork much - so it just looks good for so much longer than my previous car.

A hot hatch or a 520d …. Slightly different propositions!

Tindersticks

235 posts

2 months

Sunday 28th April
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What a good looking car. My FIL is looking at a similar. Can I ask what you paid?

Rob 131 Sport

2,621 posts

54 months

Sunday 28th April
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Great looking car and interesting article. BMW really got the G30 right and I thoroughly enjoyed my 530d. In spite of what many say (probably those who’ve never owned or even driven one), the 520d is a great refined package with more than adequate performance.

I liked all your potential car choices and when I bought mine in 2019 I was particularly drawn to the Audi A6 as I preferred the looks to the 5 series. I test drove a 2.0 (40) A6 S Line and was totally underwhelmed by the experience that I put down to the front wheel drive element. However the 3.0 (50) with the Quattro 4WD totally transformed the car and I liked it. However I wanted full leather that was generally only available in the Black Edition and for a six month old ex demo, it was significantly more expensive than the BMW 530.

I don’t know what others think, but I’m not particularly keen on the new 5 series. It just seems to be too large and high.

Monkeylegend

26,627 posts

233 months

Sunday 28th April
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Rob 131 Sport said:
Great looking car and interesting article. BMW really got the G30 right and I thoroughly enjoyed my 530d. In spite of what many say (probably those who’ve never owned or even driven one), the 520d is a great refined package with more than adequate performance.

I liked all your potential car choices and when I bought mine in 2019 I was particularly drawn to the Audi A6 as I preferred the looks to the 5 series. I test drove a 2.0 (40) A6 S Line and was totally underwhelmed by the experience that I put down to the front wheel drive element. However the 3.0 (50) with the Quattro 4WD totally transformed the car and I liked it. However I wanted full leather that was generally only available in the Black Edition and for a six month old ex demo, it was significantly more expensive than the BMW 530.

I don’t know what others think, but I’m not particularly keen on the new 5 series. It just seems to be too large and high.
I have an F10 2015 528i at the moment, had it for just over 3 years and it's the best car I have owned. The G30 is next on my list and would love a 540i but agree the latest 5 series is a step backwards in my view.

The trouble is that everytime I get tempted I look at my F10 and think it is good to look at, very practical, reliable and lovely to drive, cheap to insure and tax, averages mid 30's with lots of short trips and I cannot bring myself to part with it.

joropug

Original Poster:

2,619 posts

191 months

Sunday 28th April
quotequote all
Rob 131 Sport said:
Great looking car and interesting article. BMW really got the G30 right and I thoroughly enjoyed my 530d. In spite of what many say (probably those who’ve never owned or even driven one), the 520d is a great refined package with more than adequate performance.

I liked all your potential car choices and when I bought mine in 2019 I was particularly drawn to the Audi A6 as I preferred the looks to the 5 series. I test drove a 2.0 (40) A6 S Line and was totally underwhelmed by the experience that I put down to the front wheel drive element. However the 3.0 (50) with the Quattro 4WD totally transformed the car and I liked it. However I wanted full leather that was generally only available in the Black Edition and for a six month old ex demo, it was significantly more expensive than the BMW 530.

I don’t know what others think, but I’m not particularly keen on the new 5 series. It just seems to be too large and high.
On the A6 front, I had a nearly brand new one as a courtesy car. At the time I had my S5, this was a 2022 Estate - base model, think it had 18s but the tyres were huge. It was so unbelievably comfortable I really liked it. The 2.0 petrol didn’t feel that sluggish either it liked to rev. It was a FWD I assume given it was low spec. I never tried an S Line, which sadly I would have to have for the looks!


Monkeylegend said:
I have an F10 2015 528i at the moment, had it for just over 3 years and it's the best car I have owned. The G30 is next on my list and would love a 540i but agree the latest 5 series is a step backwards in my view.

The trouble is that everytime I get tempted I look at my F10 and think it is good to look at, very practical, reliable and lovely to drive, cheap to insure and tax, averages mid 30's with lots of short trips and I cannot bring myself to part with it.
I took my Dad to buy his 2011 F10 520d SE in 2014, he still loves it now - I’ve driven it a few times and it’s fantastic. His had a good spec despite being SE, with the sport auto box, wide nav and the dynamic headlights. Hasn’t been smooth sailing though. Both headlights had water ingress and killed the modules (I see lots even now with the same issue!), his is on 130k and has had a turbo and the chain replaced too (110k).

Monkeylegend

26,627 posts

233 months

Sunday 28th April
quotequote all
joropug said:
I took my Dad to buy his 2011 F10 520d SE in 2014, he still loves it now - I’ve driven it a few times and it’s fantastic. His had a good spec despite being SE, with the sport auto box, wide nav and the dynamic headlights. Hasn’t been smooth sailing though. Both headlights had water ingress and killed the modules (I see lots even now with the same issue!), his is on 130k and has had a turbo and the chain replaced too (110k).
I specifically went for the SE which has more than I need or ever use in terms of technology and gadgets, and the ride on the smaller wheels is very comfortable, living out in the sticks with numerous potholes everywhere. That is one thing that puts me off the 540i with 20" wheels, I can see them causing issues with the state of the roads.

I had driven diesel for many years but was put off by adblue and NOX sensors with Mercedes and have no regrets switching to BMW. The 2 litre B48 engine is very quiet and although lacking a bit of low down torque is quite quick when revved, and the Z8 gearbox is sublime.

I do feel I must have another 6 cylinder petrol BMW before I get to old though, having had two many years ago.

So far, touch wood, it has had three straight MOT passes, two services and all four tyres replaced, two on the front being the original tyres from the factory.

Other than that it has been a very cheap car to run and so far nothing has gone wrong.

Bobupndown

1,908 posts

45 months

Sunday 28th April
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Lovely car! Mpg is amazing for a car that size.
Quite fancy a 520d or 530d Xdrive touring, need 4x4 capabilities where I live.

joropug

Original Poster:

2,619 posts

191 months

Wednesday 8th May
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If it was ever in doubt how frugal these cars can be when driven economically, I surpassed my expectations and then some this evening.

The below was in eco pro mode, making use of the coasting feature as much as possible so that the engine is off. It’s completely silent restarting when moving as I think the transmission bump starts it. I did have climate turned off, tyre pressures reduced to 32psi all around for comfort so glad to see that is hasn’t impacted economy.

Having used the modes more, I have found eco pro isn’t as frugal as leaving it in sport mode if you’re driving at higher speeds and or there is traffic - driving in Sport Individual allows for better slowing using the regenerative braking to avoid hitting the brakes.

Eco pro excels on open roads though, especially with hills. It’s quite fun trying not to brake!

Comfort mode is actually useless in my view. In eco pro if the engine is off it stays off unless you brake hard, you can slow using just the brakes. In comfort, the engine will turn off when you let off the throttle, turn back on when you brake then turn off again as you come to a stop. Not as nice a drive and can’t be doing it much good.

Mine starts in Sport Individual and I switch between that and eco pro on each drive as needed , works well for me.

The record- first leg.


Almost kept it above 80 for the full hour run, over 6 miles the engine was turned off.

joropug

Original Poster:

2,619 posts

191 months

Tuesday 4th June
quotequote all
EML from when I picked up the car back on, can claim on the CRA for it thankfully as it was pre existing. A DPF sensor of some sort, unspecified, was fitted by BMW before collection. The next day the EML came on but I cleared the codes stupidly and garage couldn't find a fault.

Last week it came on again after a long pull up a dual carriageway, signs point to the NOX sensor. Light went out a couple of days later but has come back on again now.

To be tied in with an early service at a specialist very shortly!


I have a genuine BMW roof rack available for sale if any 5er owners are in the market - My E Bike is too heavy to put on and off safely so have scrapped the idea. They've only been fitted to the car for a week and were brand new from BMW's eBay.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/145810371337

joropug

Original Poster:

2,619 posts

191 months

Saturday
quotequote all
Had the 5 series serviced this week - is it just me or do cars always seem to drive so nicely after a service for absolutely no reason ?

Had an air filter and brake fluid too, the brakes definitely feel better for it - braking is a bit odd in these due to the regen and I thought it had a bit of a dead zone before but feels sharper now.

Faults wise, hopefully that’s sorted too. The fault report showed:

DIGITAL DIESEL ELECTRONICS(D83BX7C0) (D83BX7C0) 4 Faults
361600 Nitrogen oxide sensor after SCR catalytic converter, signal: Short circuit

36E000 NOx sensor after SCR catalytic converter, heating plausibility: Dew point enable delayed

338800 Nitrogen oxide sensor after SCR catalytic converter, plausibility: Lambda value too high for partial load

354C00 Nitrogen oxide sensor after SCR catalytic converter, signal: NOx signal invalid for too long



At least seemed very clear it is the NOx sensor. What I didn’t expect was how much it would be, almost £650 fitted inc vat. I’m fortunate that the car was purchased less than 6 months ago and the garage (a car store owned by a dealership group in the local area) didn’t kick up any fuss. They somehow got it through the warranty and sorted it directly with the garage.

Looks like emissions systems are weak links in BMWs of this era, mines now had the DPF sensor and the NOx !

Monkeylegend

26,627 posts

233 months

Saturday
quotequote all
It is not just BMW diesels with this issue, Mercedes Bluetec diesels are plagued with adblue and NOx sensor issues and similar costs and back orders on some parts.

You buy a Euro 6 diesel at your peril smile


Pica-Pica

14,031 posts

86 months

Saturday
quotequote all
Monkeylegend said:
It is not just BMW diesels with this issue, Mercedes Bluetec diesels are plagued with adblue and NOx sensor issues and similar costs and back orders on some parts.

You buy a Euro 6 diesel at your peril smile
Not all Euro 6 diesels use Adblue. Mine does not.

Monkeylegend

26,627 posts

233 months

Saturday
quotequote all
Pica-Pica said:
Monkeylegend said:
It is not just BMW diesels with this issue, Mercedes Bluetec diesels are plagued with adblue and NOx sensor issues and similar costs and back orders on some parts.

You buy a Euro 6 diesel at your peril smile
Not all Euro 6 diesels use Adblue. Mine does not.
Most major manufacturers use adblue on post 2015 cars so I would guess the majority of diesel cars will have it.

What is your car ?

Aletank

106 posts

84 months

Saturday
quotequote all
Monkeylegend said:
Pica-Pica said:
Monkeylegend said:
It is not just BMW diesels with this issue, Mercedes Bluetec diesels are plagued with adblue and NOx sensor issues and similar costs and back orders on some parts.

You buy a Euro 6 diesel at your peril smile
Not all Euro 6 diesels use Adblue. Mine does not.
Most major manufacturers use adblue on post 2015 cars so I would guess the majority of diesel cars will have it.

What is your car ?
I've a 2016 520d F10 which is Euro 6 without the Adblue

joropug

Original Poster:

2,619 posts

191 months

Yesterday (11:54)
quotequote all
EML has stayed off! Hopefully done and dusted.

My wife currently has a 2019 Mercedes A200 - looks fantastic, tech is superb, but drives terribly. There are a lot of threads online about the poor mating of the Renault-ish engine and the Getrag box. The biggest issue is a one second lag after releasing the brake for it to engage the gear, meaning you either roll then accelerate or launch like a lunatic.

We popped into the local BMW dealership to look at the 1 series and most importantly drive one to see what the gearbox was like. 1 series mostly have a Getrag 7 speed wet DCT but the X Drive diesels, 135 and 128 have an 8 speed torque converter (Aisin). We were going to head to Audi after to look at the A3.

The 5er was nestled out of sight between the minis:



They had a lovely 118i M Sport in storm grey - only 9 months old and low miles. We had a very long test drive, going out of the way to find hills to test the gearbox in all situations. I was seriously impressed at the gearbox - absolutely no lag, all manoeuvring, traffic, fast changes smooth as silk. Even reversed up a steep hill to test as the Q3 we had struggled with that!

The car was really refined and felt like a smaller version of my 5 series. No rattles at all.

A quick trip to look at the 1 series turned into looking to buy the used one pictured:



Which after looking at numbers turned into ordering a new one for less deposit/monthly for the exact same car, it will be with us very shortly as there was one exactly like we wanted on its way from Deutschland.

Spec:
118i M Sport
1.5l 3 cylinder
7 speed DCT
Individual Storm Bay metallic
Rear privacy glass
Half leather (standard)

All now have virtual cockpit / CarPlay / heated seats as standard.

This will be a great addition to the 5 series as we can reserve it for longer journeys and use the 1 series for local ones, not that either car can’t do both.

I think we can also load our profiles onto each car so favourites and stuff are saved.

On that topic, I realised you can change the avatar for your profile from the mobile app, so my brother and I have had great fun with that, he has just bought an ID3:





PistonTim

525 posts

141 months

Yesterday (13:56)
quotequote all
Aletank said:
Monkeylegend said:
Pica-Pica said:
Monkeylegend said:
It is not just BMW diesels with this issue, Mercedes Bluetec diesels are plagued with adblue and NOx sensor issues and similar costs and back orders on some parts.

You buy a Euro 6 diesel at your peril smile
Not all Euro 6 diesels use Adblue. Mine does not.
Most major manufacturers use adblue on post 2015 cars so I would guess the majority of diesel cars will have it.

What is your car ?
I've a 2016 520d F10 which is Euro 6 without the Adblue
We have a 2018 Ford Smax 2.0 TDCI which is also Euro 6 and no adblue!

Had a brand new 2015 Audi A6 'ultra' which used it, absolute nightmare of issues.