BMW 530i Sport Manual fuel economy

[kodos]

Hi

My first post here. I own a BMW 530i sport with a 5 speed manual gearbox.

I do a good mix of city and motorway driving and am achieving 21-23 mpg? Is this correct i have seen in various magazines and forums ect people get much better than this in 330is and 530i automatics!

Regards

Kodos

[kodos]

Sorry its an e39 btw

[sparks_E39]

Sounds about right, my 528 auto averages 23-27 mpg a tank usually and at the moment and thats roughly a 50/50 split of longer runs and town driving. You should be getting 30-35mpg on a motorway run at 70 and between 18-25 mpg around town depending on traffic and how you drive it. I had 18 mpg out of one tank once when I did a lot of town driving in traffic. They all like a drink and are only really "decent" on fuel when you are on a longer run.

[Mustard]

Its Cold starts & stop-start urban motoring that kills economy, mine (525i Auto) is used largely on the motorway & A roads and average over 30mpg, if it were a manual it would be circa 3mpg more

Edited by Mustard on Sunday 18th September 08:52

[tgr]

On motorways you should be achieving 32 or so, 21 upwards in town. Rather depends on your driving style, not just the car. Do you for instance coast up to junctions you know you have to stop at?

[kodos]

Hi

I ususally downshift or coast up to junctions. It is mainly short journeys into town i get around 320 miles to a tank tops! sometimes as low as 280. I mean its not that much of a concern (if it was i wouldnt drive a 530i! lol) the car performs fine i just hear stories of people with autos getting much better economy

[dcb]

kodos said:

I do a good mix of city and motorway driving and am achieving 21-23 mpg? Is this correct i have seen in various magazines and forums ect people get much better than this in 330is and 530i automatics!

21-23 mpg isn't a very good average from a 530 manual.
BMW suggest 22 mpg around town, and 38 mpg out of
town, leading to average of 30 mpg.
You are basically getting urban-only figures there.

Lots of short runs doesn't help and using the accelerator
like an on/off switch doesn't help either.

Since changing the routes you drive isn't really
possible, suggest modify driving style to be more gentle
with the loud pedal.

[solidlad84]

I get around 22-24 mpg from purely urban driving in my manual 330 but I think if I had the last gallon of fuel on earth in my tank i'd be able to achieve 25-26 round town. Of course on motorway journeys its possible to average over 35 fairly easily. I can't see your car being a great deal thirstier than a 330.

[kodos]

Thanks for all the input guys. Im going on a long run soon so hopefully will be able to update on how it does. I dont boot it everywhere but as you know that straight six accelerates soo smoothly

[Fox-]

Around town I get 20mpg from my 530i Sport manual. My definition of around town is short journeys, from cold, around town. Other peoples definition and thus fuel economy will vary.

On the Motorway at 70mph I will get between 35 and 40 mpg.

On a 150 mile hoon from Hampshire to Devon last night including plenty of overtaking and only 8 miles of Motorway I was reading 32.8mpg at my destination.

They are very efficient engines when warmed up - it's cold starts that kills the economy.