BMW 520i vs 520d Experience?

[stuart15]

Evening all,

I'm interested if anyone has good experience with the current BMW 520i compared with the 520d?

I am in the midst of choosing my next company car and I want the 5 series touring. I'm in a dilemma between the petrol and diesel. The way my scheme works, I'd be better off financially with the petrol to the tune of £30-40 per month and the way my business fuel is paid, MPG is thankfully irrelevant.

I know the petrol has less torque and will make it a bit less 'wofty' but but does the 2.0 petrol (190bhp) still work well in the car in comparison or does it feel a bit stretched? I drive a genuine mix of motorway and rural roads, about 40k miles per year.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Stuart

[ruggedscotty]

Its a no brainer..... petrol.

Most people sacrifice performance and drivability for diesel economy but as your fuel is paid and it will cost you less id go for it. enjoy the petrol performance delivery....

How times have changed. The G30 variant is powered by the same 2.0-litre TwinPower Turbo unit as its predecessor, and it has practically the same peak power as the E39’s 3.0-litre diesel six-pot did in 2003.
Mated to the eight-speed Steptronic automatic gearbox and driving the rear wheels, it equals the acceleration claimed of its larger forbear, too.

So in 2003 was a 530d slow ? not really in real world, same as the 2019 520i, its got a turbo so it gives good performance and its a torquey engine to boot.

Drive them back to back.

[ZX10R NIN]

I'd say the diesel although the petrol is smoother but I'd probably go for the torquey 520d.

[Big GT]

Diesel. I have the new 5 2.0 and the 4pot petrol doesn't suite the car. Un refined and only mid late to mid 30s mpg.

[Challo]

If your fuel is paid for I would go for the petrol. I drove a 420i petrol and while performance was good, it suffered in on the mpg front.

[cerb4.5lee]

I recently drove a 2017 model 530i and I couldn't help but be impressed by how smooth/quiet the engine was mated to the lovely ZF8 Auto. I used to have a 520d(2009 model) and I didn't like the engine one bit, so for me in your position I'd plump for the 520i for sure.

[stuart15]

Thanks for your thoughts, always interesting to hear. And interesting there remains different views! I'll try and sneak a test drive from the dealership.

[stuart15]

Thanks for your thoughts, always interesting to hear. And interesting there remains different views! I'll try and sneak a test drive from the dealership.

[Dr Jekyll]

Challo said:

If your fuel is paid for I would go for the petrol. I drove a 420i petrol and while performance was good, it suffered in on the mpg front.

How bad was it?

[stuart15]

Thanks for your thoughts, always interesting to hear. And interesting there remains different views! I'll try and sneak a test drive from the dealership.

[Challo]

Dr Jekyll said:

Challo said:

If your fuel is paid for I would go for the petrol. I drove a 420i petrol and while performance was good, it suffered in on the mpg front.

How bad was it?

We averaged 32-34 I think, which isn’t bad.

[martin mrt]

My wife took the 520i demo home last night as her 240i is off the road and she is waiting on a replacement demo

She has previously had a 420i and 220i demos, both of which she really liked but the 520i inher words, dead.

It was gutless, the engine just didn’t suit the car. Harsh and required to be worked quite hard to gain any decent momentum. It was ok once up to speed just getting there was somewhat pedestrian.

I feel the diesel would be better suited to the size of the car personally

[stuart15]

Brilliant thanks very much, I think in this case i'll plump for the diesel and waft about on the torque.