G31 540i or 530D?

[Martin-6xomo]

Morning lads and lasses,


All the best for 2021!

I am here again looking for some advice if i may, i have now narrowed the new car down to the G31; ruling out the XC90, Q7 and another A6 Avant (cant stand the E class or XF)

So with this in mind i am looking for a 17/18 plate G31 but really cant choose between these two engines.

I really do miss the 5pot Petrol of my old Focus ST BUT my 3ltr Quattro A6 has been totally fine - Fast, decent economy (easy 45s on a run and 30/32 round town with a 36.6MPG over 23,500 miles)

I have done a fair few business miles over the previous few years but that is about to change with a role change this year which will see me more office bound with a commute of about 4 miles with a 1/2 mile dual carriageway blast.(each way)
We have two dogs and two kids so need the touring, also, i do a lot of fishing so every other week im out on a decent run on a sunday and finally we go camping a few times a yeart with our trailer tent so needs to be a tower.

MOT Miles -
2016 - 2017 = 7,422Miles
2017 - 2018 = 8,700Miles
2018 - 2019 = 9,291 Miles
2019 - 2020 = 11,121Miles (this is based on 18 Months with the 6month MOT extension)

I do fancy the sound of the Petrol engine and i fancy the economy of the Diesel engine.

The 540i Touring are few and far between - 9 listed on autotrader! some decent 530d's on there.

I suspect that most will say go for the 540i but i do remain curious.

Hit me!

Cheers

[Martin-6xomo]

that all in mind the one biggest worry for me that i forgot to air was, is dropping £30k in a diesel a wise idea in the current anti-diesel climate .

What are the options i should "need" and what are "advantageous" in your view?

[nordboy]

I ordered a 530d touring in March. I really didn't want a diesel due to dpf, price of diesel at the pump and the anti diesel 'thing'. but I got a good deal. While I was at the dealer I sat in a 540i touring and was pretty blown away with the car, whilst it was the model I wanted, my budget decided otherwise.
I don't do huge miles, like a bit of performance, and the 540i engine is much much nicer than the 530d. the whole car just feels better and quicker to drive.

Anyway, the dealer cocked the order up, BMW had already sold the 530d I thought I was getting and they didn't have another at the time. I said that was fine, if they could return my deposit and let me know if a deal comes around again... They did me a deal on the 540i xdrive touring that I'd sat in, £63k list, I got it for £38k, which was only very little more than the 530d. I just think I hit the timing right and the dealer really needed to shift the cars before financial year end.

I love the 540, it's more than quick enough, superb to drive and you can have a bit of fun on occasion. I thought about keeping it for a few years, then getting something different, but at the moment, I honestly can't see me replacing it for many years.

I mainly do shorter, local runs with the odd longer journey. I'm getting 25mpg recorded on the dash, but my calculations put it just over 27mpg. not great, but I can live with it, just because the car is so good.

The only thing I'd change, is not buy a white one again, it's a bugger to keep clean, especially this time of year!!! Oh, one other thing, I'd get rid of the runflats, whilst they're not horrendous, they're not great, so when they come to replacement, I'll be going non runflat.

[AAD44H]

I would definitely go with the petrol in your circumstance, will hold its value better given the anti diesel climate in the future as well.

[Dinoboy]

4 mile commute, definitely go for the 540i.
Same engine in my 440i, fast enough when you want it and economical enough when you need it. Fantastic engine!

[V10Mike]

I have a 640i GT, and the overall powertrain is fantastic -particularly the engine gearbox integration. It will loaf along in high gear using the torque when you're driving gently, but spin round to 7k when you want to press on, all the while with seamless gearchanges. It amazes me how effortlessly it shifts what is a big car around, with amazing smoothness and refinement. Economy is not as good as I'd hoped, 28mpg on a fast motorway run, 26mpg local pottering.

[smashy]

V10Mike said:

I have a 640i GT, and the overall powertrain is fantastic -particularly the engine gearbox integration. It will loaf along in high gear using the torque when you're driving gently, but spin round to 7k when you want to press on, all the while with seamless gearchanges. It amazes me how effortlessly it shifts what is a big car around, with amazing smoothness and refinement. Economy is not as good as I'd hoped, 28mpg on a fast motorway run, 26mpg local pottering.

I have to make a decision on my 330d this year and on my miles to see figures like that on motorway runs is going to hurt. Mine is usually around 50 mpg and even on one full on night run from west london to gloucester in 90 minutes I couldnt get it below 40 mpg....one mid lane MI run up to Leicester recently showed 60 mpg...the loss of these fantastic powerful bmw 3 ltr diesels is a tragedy.

[Martin-6xomo]

see, this is my problem, so many pros and for both engines and few cons, its all about the running costs it would seem??

[nordboy]

Martin-6xomo said:

see, this is my problem, so many pros and for both engines and few cons, its all about the running costs it would seem??

I would say, looking at your OP, that with the lack of mileage you’re on about, that running costs will be negligible?
Most of the time you will be doing short journeys, with a tour during the year. So buy the car you want, based on 95% of your driving, and just make do with the costs for the 5%?

I was in a similar situation to you and went for the 540 msport based on the fantastic engine and the better handling. I can suck it up cost wise for the odd long trip.

[Smuler]

Hybrid?
Electric power will cover your commute which in any event is too short to require a diesel and , as per concerns in one of the above posts, you’ve future proofed yourself against any diesel penalties that seem likely in a green biased future.


https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/bmw/5-series/353488/...

[Martin-6xomo]

Smuler said:

Hybrid?
Electric power will cover your commute which in any event is too short to require a diesel and , as per concerns in one of the above posts, you’ve future proofed yourself against any diesel penalties that seem likely in a green biased future.


https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/bmw/5-series/353488/...

Not an option - Touring Hybrids are 50k+

[Dinoboy]

Will it be a BMW AUC you'll be buying?
I'd consider what is a better prospect once it's out of warranty, I think I'd rather run a 540 than a 530d if paying for my own repairs.

[Martin-6xomo]

what is BMW AUC?

[Dinoboy]

Martin-6xomo said:

what is BMW AUC?

Approved Used Car

[RUSSELLM]

nordboy said:

I ordered a 530d touring in March. I really didn't want a diesel due to dpf, price of diesel at the pump and the anti diesel 'thing'.

In terms of fuel for the 540, do customers put standard petrol in, or premium ?

My 335D runs on £1.11 diesel quite happily. Where the petrol Mercedes A45 or CLA45 I’m currently considering, will most likely get fed Shell Vpower at £1.27

[335d]

RUSSELLM said:

In terms of fuel for the 540, do customers put standard petrol in, or premium ?

My 335D runs on £1.11 diesel quite happily. Where the petrol Mercedes A45 or CLA45 I’m currently considering, will most likely get fed Shell Vpower at £1.27

My 840i GC (which replaced a 335d) runs very well on the ordinary unleaded. Never tried premium.

The 40i is a fabulous engine and coupled with the ZF box feels very sprightly even in a big car. I worried whether the step down in torque (500 vs 630 Nm) from the 35d would feel like a step down. It doesn’t!

Edited by 335d on Tuesday 5th January 23:20

[nordboy]

RUSSELLM said:

In terms of fuel for the 540, do customers put standard petrol in, or premium ?

My 335D runs on £1.11 diesel quite happily. Where the petrol Mercedes A45 or CLA45 I’m currently considering, will most likely get fed Shell Vpower at £1.27

Mine says 95 ron, which is standard unleaded. I tend to fill it with momentum 99 (i know....tesco), so only ever pay around 116.9. I don't do huge mileage, the same as what the OP predicts himself. So i'd rather have the smooth, more powerful petrol engine.