E39 530d v 530i
Discussion
Hi all
My current daily driver is a 1999 E39 520i Touring SE Auto which is now approaching 177k. I do mainly motorway miles and find I get no better than an average of 28.2mpg on the trip computer. Other than a lack of go (hence a heavy right foot and low mpg) the car is perfect for getting me to work and back.
I'm now planning my next car, and am set on a facelift 530d Sport Auto saloon.....there are a couple of tasty ones in the classified that catch my eye...around the 100k mark for about £4.5k.
What I'm after are some real world mpg figures though. I reckon the 530d should see an easy 38-40mpg? Petrol, 28-33??
However, I'm aware the diesels have potentially more to go wrong at this age and mileage (turbos/swirl flaps etc etc - can someone tell me what the swirl flap is though?!?!).
The petrols are around £1-1.5k cheaper to buy, but I do 25,000-30,000 miles a year, so I'm thinking the diesel is still the more "sensible" choice.
Feedback on either would be appreciated.
Oh, and my current car's value? As mentioned, 176k miles, it's an SE without leather, bodywork in fair condition.....£1500??
Cheers
Paul
My current daily driver is a 1999 E39 520i Touring SE Auto which is now approaching 177k. I do mainly motorway miles and find I get no better than an average of 28.2mpg on the trip computer. Other than a lack of go (hence a heavy right foot and low mpg) the car is perfect for getting me to work and back.
I'm now planning my next car, and am set on a facelift 530d Sport Auto saloon.....there are a couple of tasty ones in the classified that catch my eye...around the 100k mark for about £4.5k.
What I'm after are some real world mpg figures though. I reckon the 530d should see an easy 38-40mpg? Petrol, 28-33??
However, I'm aware the diesels have potentially more to go wrong at this age and mileage (turbos/swirl flaps etc etc - can someone tell me what the swirl flap is though?!?!).
The petrols are around £1-1.5k cheaper to buy, but I do 25,000-30,000 miles a year, so I'm thinking the diesel is still the more "sensible" choice.
Feedback on either would be appreciated.
Oh, and my current car's value? As mentioned, 176k miles, it's an SE without leather, bodywork in fair condition.....£1500??
Cheers
Paul
Probably not a massive surprise in this day and age though I had two 530i autos and both would get 26mpg easy, even round town it never really dropped below this, and on a run it would get around 32-35mpg depending whether I was sat at 70 or 90.
My 530d used to average around 28mpg, and on a run it would do about 34-38mpg.
There really wasn't that much in it at all.
Also, the 530d was nice, very nice, but my 530i's were my favourite all round cars I have owned so far, preferred them to my 535d, 335i, and all the others in between, they are almost perfect. Sure newer cars have more toys etc. but for driving pleasure and comfort the E39 530i is a peach.
I have moved to Mercedes now as the e320cdi feels more like the E39 than anything BMW currently offer, but I keep considering buying another 530i sport touring if a low milage late model came up, or even better a nice Alpina B5 3.3.
My 530d used to average around 28mpg, and on a run it would do about 34-38mpg.
There really wasn't that much in it at all.
Also, the 530d was nice, very nice, but my 530i's were my favourite all round cars I have owned so far, preferred them to my 535d, 335i, and all the others in between, they are almost perfect. Sure newer cars have more toys etc. but for driving pleasure and comfort the E39 530i is a peach.
I have moved to Mercedes now as the e320cdi feels more like the E39 than anything BMW currently offer, but I keep considering buying another 530i sport touring if a low milage late model came up, or even better a nice Alpina B5 3.3.
We used to have a 530d in the family and I have a 530i. Both were manuals - the 530d would be pretty much every time 7mpg more economical than the 530i in each situation. This means that on the Motorway the 530i is 38mpg when the 530d was 45mpg. Around town the 530i does about 20mpg, the 530d did about 27mpg.
The 530d is now an auto 530i which does circa 17-18 around town and low 30's on a run. I would imagine the same 7mpg difference holds true with the auto as well.
IMHO the difference in economy simply isn't worth it for the added complexity of the engine and, well, the fact the petrol engine is arguably a better engine anyway. Quiet, smooth and powerful. The 530d was more torquey but the only real benefit was for lazily overtaking stuff in 5th. Drop the petrol into 3rd and it was clearly the faster car. With an autobox meaning you don't even need to reach for the gearbox to do this, I'd go petrol every time.
The 530d is now an auto 530i which does circa 17-18 around town and low 30's on a run. I would imagine the same 7mpg difference holds true with the auto as well.
IMHO the difference in economy simply isn't worth it for the added complexity of the engine and, well, the fact the petrol engine is arguably a better engine anyway. Quiet, smooth and powerful. The 530d was more torquey but the only real benefit was for lazily overtaking stuff in 5th. Drop the petrol into 3rd and it was clearly the faster car. With an autobox meaning you don't even need to reach for the gearbox to do this, I'd go petrol every time.
My mechanic (BMW specialist) has so many Diesels in its not funny. So many problems and issues with them that it cannot be more ecconomic to run one rather than a petrol.
Latest is a 2006 320D thats had its engine rebuilt twice, clutch, dual mass flywheel and still isn't running right. Half of this was done before he even saw it whilst people have tried to trace the problem.
I do look at the Diesels myself occationally as the E39 isn't as ecconomic as I wish it was but overall its just not worth it.
I'd recommend a 530i Petrol manual and you should get well over 30 on a run.
Latest is a 2006 320D thats had its engine rebuilt twice, clutch, dual mass flywheel and still isn't running right. Half of this was done before he even saw it whilst people have tried to trace the problem.
I do look at the Diesels myself occationally as the E39 isn't as ecconomic as I wish it was but overall its just not worth it.
I'd recommend a 530i Petrol manual and you should get well over 30 on a run.
Thanks guys.....food for thought. It's got to be an auto though, as it's for my dull daily commute. I have 4.6 litres of V8 Mustang (manual) for noisy fun at the weekends 
Does seem crazy that it might be just as economical to run a 3 litre petrol in the long run over a 3 litre diesel. I'll need to do some sums!
I'll be keeping an eye on the classifieds. No rush, as I'm not planning to change until the Spring.
Does seem crazy that it might be just as economical to run a 3 litre petrol in the long run over a 3 litre diesel. I'll need to do some sums!
I'll be keeping an eye on the classifieds. No rush, as I'm not planning to change until the Spring.
On a run, motorway stuff, E39 528i SE auto :
Stay with the lorries 44.9 mpg
Constant 70 39.9 mpg
normal E39 "our lane stuff" 34.9 mpg
around town ..... about 21 mpg
As I can get those figures ..... (checked manually) ..... You'd have to pay me to drive an oil burner.
Diesel cars are like puffs, more accepted these days, but still wrong !
Stay with the lorries 44.9 mpg
Constant 70 39.9 mpg
normal E39 "our lane stuff" 34.9 mpg
around town ..... about 21 mpg
As I can get those figures ..... (checked manually) ..... You'd have to pay me to drive an oil burner.
Diesel cars are like puffs, more accepted these days, but still wrong !
My 2001 70k miles 530i Sport gets ca. 23 mpg with mainly short commutes to the station. Doing more motorways work sees the average rise to ca. 26-27mpg. Just motorway work is does about 28. I managed to get 30 out of it on the motorway as an experiment but it was tedious and slow. I've never seen anything like 35mpg!! I'd question those as accurate figures as the OBC vs. working it out accurately the old-fashioned way can often lead to discrepencies.
The diesels tend to be a bit more maintenance hungry although the coolant system on the M54 petrol is known to fail at 70k plus miles. Still cheaper than replacing a turbo on an oil-burner though. Plus the petrol lump is one of BMW's finest non-M achievements IMO - so smooth and refined
The diesels tend to be a bit more maintenance hungry although the coolant system on the M54 petrol is known to fail at 70k plus miles. Still cheaper than replacing a turbo on an oil-burner though. Plus the petrol lump is one of BMW's finest non-M achievements IMO - so smooth and refined
Edited by Neil G60 on Monday 21st November 15:48
Neil G60 said:
I've never seen anything like 35mpg!! I'd question those as accurate figures as the OBC vs. working it out accurately the old-fashioned way can often lead to discrepencies.
The OBC isn't going to be far off. I managed 32mpg on my last tank (calculated brim to brim) so expect comfortably over 35mpg on long journeys.Edited by Neil G60 on Monday 21st November 15:48
If you're only getting 28 on the motorway then something sounds wrong or you're sitting at 90 the whole time.
Edited by Patrick Bateman on Monday 21st November 16:25
On a run i get 25mpg in a 330 cab. Every car i have ever owned never seems close to some of the mpg figures quoted by people. I think people take their quoted figures as resetting the onboard computer on the motorway at 50 miles per hour, not chnaging speed and seeing what it shows 15 minutes later
laingy said:
On a run i get 25mpg in a 330 cab. Every car i have ever owned never seems close to some of the mpg figures quoted by people. I think people take their quoted figures as resetting the onboard computer on the motorway at 50 miles per hour, not chnaging speed and seeing what it shows 15 minutes later
Sounds like your driving style to me. 25mpg on a run is awful. I have had numerous 35 mpg tank averages calculated the old fashioned way in my 530i including the odd one or two even higher.laingy said:
On a run i get 25mpg in a 330 cab. Every car i have ever owned never seems close to some of the mpg figures quoted by people. I think people take their quoted figures as resetting the onboard computer on the motorway at 50 miles per hour, not chnaging speed and seeing what it shows 15 minutes later
I've found the official MPG is far easier to achieve in my 330Ci than it was in my 320Td.And no, most people aren't that stupid regarding the OBC. I reset it before I began my ~375 mile round trip so all driving was considered.
Im sorry but i have to agree with some comments here.
Yes if at 60mph i run my 530i manual for 15 minutes iw ill probably see 35mpg.
However i quite agree i forever see claims of average of 30mpg or 28 mpg around town from people with 330cis or 530is and i just dont understand where they get this from.
Yes if at 60mph i run my 530i manual for 15 minutes iw ill probably see 35mpg.
However i quite agree i forever see claims of average of 30mpg or 28 mpg around town from people with 330cis or 530is and i just dont understand where they get this from.
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