N52 3.0 powered 1 and 3 series MPG
Discussion
It massively varies with usage pattern and driving style but my E82 125i tuned back to 130i power returned around 30mpg for a balanced mix of town, m'way and A road driving with a balanced mix of enthusiasm, which I though was great.
You could get 37/38 on a long conservative run though which I remember hitting on the way to the Ring, to be ruined in the space of 10 laps though!
Amusingly, I get the same mpg out of the M2.
You could get 37/38 on a long conservative run though which I remember hitting on the way to the Ring, to be ruined in the space of 10 laps though!
Amusingly, I get the same mpg out of the M2.
My E90 330 with an auto returned c.23 around town and up to 36 on a long run.
My manual 130i returned an average of 28mpg in the year or so that I had it. I’d see low 30’s on a run.
My other half’s 125i (remapped to 130i power) is more economical despite being a heavier cabriolet. It seems to sit around 30mpg with my other half doing lots of short journeys and will rise to 37 on a run.
My manual 130i returned an average of 28mpg in the year or so that I had it. I’d see low 30’s on a run.
My other half’s 125i (remapped to 130i power) is more economical despite being a heavier cabriolet. It seems to sit around 30mpg with my other half doing lots of short journeys and will rise to 37 on a run.
I've only ever used E5 petrol in mine as the handbook recommends a minimum of 98 RON whenever possible.
I've had two Z4s with the N52 engine, an E91 325i and currently an E90 330i and they have all averaged around 33mpg during my ownership, but as I'm no longer working they don't sit in traffic during busy times of day if I can avoid it!
I've had two Z4s with the N52 engine, an E91 325i and currently an E90 330i and they have all averaged around 33mpg during my ownership, but as I'm no longer working they don't sit in traffic during busy times of day if I can avoid it!
My plan is buy a decent E92 3.0 218hp manual
White, black or blue.
And assume it needs a £1000 spending on it excluding tyres/servicing/brakes to make it right.
Going to have the pre-emptive stuff done like water pump, thermostat, coils and valvetronic gasket, oil filter body. and any oil leaks
White, black or blue.
And assume it needs a £1000 spending on it excluding tyres/servicing/brakes to make it right.
Going to have the pre-emptive stuff done like water pump, thermostat, coils and valvetronic gasket, oil filter body. and any oil leaks
cirian75 said:
My plan is buy a decent E92 3.0 218hp manual
White, black or blue.
And assume it needs a £1000 spending on it excluding tyres/servicing/brakes to make it right.
Going to have the pre-emptive stuff done like water pump, thermostat, coils and valvetronic gasket, oil filter body. and any oil leaks
Be careful - the 218 bhp 3 litre has the potentially more troublesome N53 engine. The 218 bhp N52 engine is a 2.5 litre.White, black or blue.
And assume it needs a £1000 spending on it excluding tyres/servicing/brakes to make it right.
Going to have the pre-emptive stuff done like water pump, thermostat, coils and valvetronic gasket, oil filter body. and any oil leaks
But you might as well look for a 3 litre N52 as the running costs are the same for both and the 3 litre definitely has a bit more urge - which is why I replaced my E91 325i with an E90 330i.
As well as what you have mentioned cam-cover gaskets can also leak.
Mr Tidy said:
cirian75 said:
My plan is buy a decent E92 3.0 218hp manual
White, black or blue.
And assume it needs a £1000 spending on it excluding tyres/servicing/brakes to make it right.
Going to have the pre-emptive stuff done like water pump, thermostat, coils and valvetronic gasket, oil filter body. and any oil leaks
Be careful - the 218 bhp 3 litre has the potentially more troublesome N53 engine. The 218 bhp N52 engine is a 2.5 litre.White, black or blue.
And assume it needs a £1000 spending on it excluding tyres/servicing/brakes to make it right.
Going to have the pre-emptive stuff done like water pump, thermostat, coils and valvetronic gasket, oil filter body. and any oil leaks
But you might as well look for a 3 litre N52 as the running costs are the same for both and the 3 litre definitely has a bit more urge - which is why I replaced my E91 325i with an E90 330i.
As well as what you have mentioned cam-cover gaskets can also leak.
Waynester said:
E63 630i - best I ever saw was 41mpg, but that was on along run down to my parents on the south coast.. driving like Miss Daisy.
I tend to average around 24-26 mpg but…that’s 100% A to B town driving, backwards and forwards to the gym etc..
It has to be said … Miss Daisy did not drive, she was the passenger.I tend to average around 24-26 mpg but…that’s 100% A to B town driving, backwards and forwards to the gym etc..
cirian75 said:
Have now found out how to ID and N52 from a N53 by just looking at the top of the engine bay 
Early N52’s are easy to spot because they have a magnesium valve cover rather than black plastic.The valve covers on the N53 are slightly different to those of the later N52…
‘Black top’ N52
N53 with an identifier circled
I've got an E82 125i manual (stock) run almost exclusively on Costco E10 and have also averaged 30mpg in the 8 months/6,000 miles or so that I've owned it. Pretty good considering a good proportion of my driving is around Bristol- which can be so frustrating that when I do get to a nice open country road I tend to drive fairly enthusiastically. 
On a run you can break 40mpg without *too* much hassle- the below was after a fairly clear (mostly motorway) run with the cruise set around 77mph where possible, and a few 50mph sections due to smart motorways/roadworks. I had a few bursts on slip roads etc too so I reckon if you were really disciplined and stuck below 70mph you could get further into the 40's.
On a run you can break 40mpg without *too* much hassle- the below was after a fairly clear (mostly motorway) run with the cruise set around 77mph where possible, and a few 50mph sections due to smart motorways/roadworks. I had a few bursts on slip roads etc too so I reckon if you were really disciplined and stuck below 70mph you could get further into the 40's.
Edited by Sofa on Saturday 1st October 11:19
Sofa said:
I've got a bone-stock E82 125i manual and have also averaged 30mpg in the 8 months/6,000 miles or so that I've owned it. Pretty good considering a good proportion of my driving is either around Bristol- which can be so frustrating that when I do get to a nice open country road I tend to drive fairly enthusiastically.
On a run you can break 40mpg without *too* much hassle- the below was after a fairly clear (mostly motorway) run with the cruise set around 77mph where possible, and a few 50mph sections due to smart motorways/roadworks. I had a few bursts on slip roads etc too so I reckon if you were really disciplined and stuck below 70mph you could get further into the 40's.
Aye, one the reasons the E92 has come on my radar is my 09 Swift, E10 petrol has ruined the MPG, gets 32 around town now, so why am I paying 2.0+ fuel consumption when I could have a 3.0 BMW?On a run you can break 40mpg without *too* much hassle- the below was after a fairly clear (mostly motorway) run with the cruise set around 77mph where possible, and a few 50mph sections due to smart motorways/roadworks. I had a few bursts on slip roads etc too so I reckon if you were really disciplined and stuck below 70mph you could get further into the 40's.
cirian75 said:
Aye, one the reasons the E92 has come on my radar is my 09 Swift, E10 petrol has ruined the MPG, gets 32 around town now, so why am I paying 2.0+ fuel consumption when I could have a 3.0 BMW?
For me it was an incoming ULEZ zone… £315 tax and 30mpg seem a lot less scary when a little 1.6 diesel is going to cost £9 a day to drive.Sofa said:
I've got an E82 125i manual (stock) run almost exclusively on Costco E10 and have also averaged 30mpg in the 8 months/6,000 miles or so that I've owned it. Pretty good considering a good proportion of my driving is around Bristol- which can be so frustrating that when I do get to a nice open country road I tend to drive fairly enthusiastically.
On a run you can break 40mpg without *too* much hassle- the below was after a fairly clear (mostly motorway) run with the cruise set around 77mph where possible, and a few 50mph sections due to smart motorways/roadworks. I had a few bursts on slip roads etc too so I reckon if you were really disciplined and stuck below 70mph you could get further into the 40's.
Impressive ! Are you tempted to derestrict it back to 130i power?On a run you can break 40mpg without *too* much hassle- the below was after a fairly clear (mostly motorway) run with the cruise set around 77mph where possible, and a few 50mph sections due to smart motorways/roadworks. I had a few bursts on slip roads etc too so I reckon if you were really disciplined and stuck below 70mph you could get further into the 40's.
nickfrog said:
Impressive ! Are you tempted to derestrict it back to 130i power?
Thanks- the car deserves all the credit really and not my hamfisted driving. It's a fairly small and relatively light package (by modern standards) but still testament to how impressive the N52 is.Planning to do it sometime next year, maybe just before the summer so I don't kill myself in the cold- will be my first winter with a RWD car so not sure an extra 50hp would be wise! I would quite like to get it on a rolling road too just to see what it's actually making- it runs sweetly but it's just about to tick over 80k so it'd be nice to know for sure everything is as it should, I can be a bit of an automotive hypochondriac and sometimes worry it's not making as much power as it should. Then there's the days I get back in it after driving something slower and could swear it's been mapped- my butt dyno could clearly do with some more calibration.
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