Real World MPG 520d and 530d touring
Discussion
Was wondering if anyone had any real world experience of mpg in a 520d or 530d touring.
Looking to replace our current 318i with either a 520d or 530d touring to be the family workhorse. There doesnt appear to be much between the 520d and 530d in mpg but i'd prefer the more powerful car for the sake of a few mpg.
As long as its similar to the current 318i which in my experience tends to average on the trip computer about 32 mpg maybe 40mpg on a motorway run .
520d is listed as 39.8 (combined) and 50.4 (extra-urban)
530d is listed as 36.7 (combined) and 47.1 (extra-urban)
I did drive an 08 plate 520d which has a newer engine and it drve ok seemed powerful enough and has figures of 53.3 and 62.8 so if those figures were achieveable may stretch the budget to get a newer 520d (though the trip computer on the one i drove was displaying 24mpg which was a bit worrying!)
Looking to replace our current 318i with either a 520d or 530d touring to be the family workhorse. There doesnt appear to be much between the 520d and 530d in mpg but i'd prefer the more powerful car for the sake of a few mpg.
As long as its similar to the current 318i which in my experience tends to average on the trip computer about 32 mpg maybe 40mpg on a motorway run .
520d is listed as 39.8 (combined) and 50.4 (extra-urban)
530d is listed as 36.7 (combined) and 47.1 (extra-urban)
I did drive an 08 plate 520d which has a newer engine and it drve ok seemed powerful enough and has figures of 53.3 and 62.8 so if those figures were achieveable may stretch the budget to get a newer 520d (though the trip computer on the one i drove was displaying 24mpg which was a bit worrying!)
Forget extra urban, look at combined for a steady 70mph motorway cruise, extra urban is a 7 mile run with a car up to temp in warm conditions and averaging 39mph, so hardly real world.
On an LCI car, if you are looking at E61's, there is very little between it really, if however most of your driving is town work, short (sub 10mile) journeys then the 520d may be the better bet, but as soon as you start to use the thing on motorways etc. the 530d starts to claw it back.
On an LCI car, if you are looking at E61's, there is very little between it really, if however most of your driving is town work, short (sub 10mile) journeys then the 520d may be the better bet, but as soon as you start to use the thing on motorways etc. the 530d starts to claw it back.
My LCI 530d Touring spends most of its life on a 65 miles each way commute. Mainly motorway, not too much queueing, and sitting at about 85 most of the time. Mpg averages between 38 and 40. If I'm at home doing stop/start short journies I get low 30's, so all in all sounds quite similar to your 318. The pre LCI 520d Touring that I had before this was no more than a couple of MPG better than the 530 on like for like journies, but I understand that the LCI 520 is quite a bit better. The 520 was a very competant car, but the extra power and torque of the 530 transforms it (and sounds much nicer too).
I've got the new 2.0d automatic f11 and I've just covered over 10000 miles in it and my average fuel consumption is 43 mpg. I'd say 80% of my driving is on B roads so it's pretty impressive.
Totally boring car though and if I had my time again I would buy a used 3.0d instead of a new 2.0d with lots of toys.
I'm thinking of giving the car to my mother and buying the new ML due out in April.
Totally boring car though and if I had my time again I would buy a used 3.0d instead of a new 2.0d with lots of toys.
I'm thinking of giving the car to my mother and buying the new ML due out in April.
daemon said:
Who rattled your cage?
Nobody? It's a fair point. Everyone seems to crave out of warranty BMW diesels so they can get 10mpg more for 10k a year only to find they end up spending more than the fuel savings when the injectors go or it needs a new turbo or the DMF fails or whatever else goes wrong with todays massively over complicated diesel engines.Chipper said:
I've got the new 2.0d automatic f11 and I've just covered over 10000 miles in it and my average fuel consumption is 43 mpg. I'd say 80% of my driving is on B roads so it's pretty impressive.
But isn't 43mpg about 10% down on even the urban cycle figure for a 520d touring? I would have thought the urban figure is about the worst you should expect so I'm not sure I'd be too impressed if I was missing that driving on B roads; mind, I suppose slowing a relatively heavy car for lots of tight bends and then accelerating it out of them again isn't a recipe for good fuel consumption! Fox- said:
daemon said:
Who rattled your cage?
Nobody? It's a fair point. Everyone seems to crave out of warranty BMW diesels so they can get 10mpg more for 10k a year only to find they end up spending more than the fuel savings when the injectors go or it needs a new turbo or the DMF fails or whatever else goes wrong with todays massively over complicated diesel engines.(a) you dont know how many miles the O/P plans to do.
(b) even if they dont do massive miles, perhaps they plan to keep the car 10 years, therefore the saving is NOT over 10,000 miles, but 10x10,000 miles, therefore very significant?
(c) a lot of people want a fresh BMW and a diesel one is a fairly obvious choice. Not everyone wants to drive a tired old car.
(d) there are many complexities in ANY modern BMW
(e) warranties can be extended and there are aftermarket warranties.
(f) many many people - myself included - have enjoyed running 'out of warranty' BMW diesels and had no major expense.
(g) just because YOU want to drive an old petrol car, doesnt make everyone who doesnt wrong.
Edited by daemon on Sunday 14th August 17:19
Edited by daemon on Sunday 14th August 17:20
Edited by daemon on Sunday 14th August 17:21
Wow, why so defensive? Why all this talk about fresh and new? The OP is looking at 2007/2008 cars is he not?
If you consider my car - a late 2008 registered car - as being 'old' then what do you think of those the OP is considering? If my car is tired then I'd hate to think what you think yours is!
My opinions are based on the growing opinion that an 80k+ mile 4+ year old BMW diesel is a cheap and economical method of motoring. If he's running entirely warrantied cars then my opinion doesn't apply. I even specificially mentioned I was referring to 'cheap' BMW diesels. I did not recommend a petrol alternative, infact, I recommended no alternative. I'm not suggesting he rushes out and buys a 545i instead. I'm just saying that, personally, I think cheap 520d's are a waste of time. You buy a 520d to save money on fuel, and what use is saving money on fuel if the damn thing is a mechanical liability. Its my opinion and I'm as entitled to it as you are yours. Thats the point in discussion forums.
So quite why you took that as an opportunity to go on some bizarre rant about fresh diesels and old petrols I've absolutely no idea?
If you consider my car - a late 2008 registered car - as being 'old' then what do you think of those the OP is considering? If my car is tired then I'd hate to think what you think yours is!
My opinions are based on the growing opinion that an 80k+ mile 4+ year old BMW diesel is a cheap and economical method of motoring. If he's running entirely warrantied cars then my opinion doesn't apply. I even specificially mentioned I was referring to 'cheap' BMW diesels. I did not recommend a petrol alternative, infact, I recommended no alternative. I'm not suggesting he rushes out and buys a 545i instead. I'm just saying that, personally, I think cheap 520d's are a waste of time. You buy a 520d to save money on fuel, and what use is saving money on fuel if the damn thing is a mechanical liability. Its my opinion and I'm as entitled to it as you are yours. Thats the point in discussion forums.
So quite why you took that as an opportunity to go on some bizarre rant about fresh diesels and old petrols I've absolutely no idea?
Edited by Fox- on Sunday 14th August 18:12
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