Review of 2012 528i 4-cyl

http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews...ive/index.html

Very interesting...

Just goes to show you - put the prejudices and preconceptions to one side, at the end of the day a good engine is a good engine... I'd far rather have a smooth and refined high-quality four-banger like this than some of the mediocre and unrefined sixes that are out in the marketplace.

I don't know.... Was the straight 6 528i also "tad lazy around town"??? No such laziness from the 535, just wondering what those currently enjoying their 6-cyl 528 think reading that review...

I don't find my straight 6 to be lazy at all around town. I'm very happy with it.

Originally Posted by yogi799

I don't know.... Was the straight 6 528i also "tad lazy around town"??? No such laziness from the 535, just wondering what those currently enjoying their 6-cyl 528 think reading that review...

My 535 is lazy around town. The transmission parks it in 7th and keeps the revs under 1,500.

Of course, my driving is in VERY slow conditions, hence my overall 19 MPG.

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

My 535 is lazy around town. The transmission parks it in 7th and keeps the revs under 1,500.

Wouldn't that make perfect sense for fuel economy? Mine, however, zooms off immediately on the slightest push of the pedal. Downshifts really quickly when needed...

Not so according to the article on the 4-banger 528i...

"Cruising along, you tip into the throttle and the engine and transmission start to fight about whose turn it is to work. Eventually, they both do: you get a downshift and lots of power, but the wait is a good bit longer than you'd expect."

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2...ny-hemmes.html

Also very interesting...

Originally Posted by St_louis_Scott

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2...ny-hemmes.html

Also very interesting...

No offense to you. But I don't think I can trust this review.

I can't see any criticism in this review. Either the author is related to BMW or he/she is an idiot. The other review complained about a lag for the turbo to kick in. Yet this guy here say the response is better than the straight six. He probably has been driving corollas around and this is his first BMW.

Originally Posted by cawwt

No offense to you. But I don't think I can trust this review.

I can't see any criticism in this review. Either the author is related to BMW or he/she is an idiot. The other review complained about a lag for the turbo to kick in. Yet this guy here say the response is better than the straight six. He probably has been driving corollas around and this is his first BMW.

Just curious if you've driven the new 528 with the 4 cyl? I haven't yet so I will reserve judgement until I get a chance to do a test drive one but BMW has been making 4 cyl engines for many many years I think they know what their doing.

Originally Posted by cawwt

No offense to you. But I don't think I can trust this review.

I can't see any criticism in this review. Either the author is related to BMW or he/she is an idiot. The other review complained about a lag for the turbo to kick in. Yet this guy here say the response is better than the straight six. He probably has been driving corollas around and this is his first BMW.

I took it as a european author who has looked at the whole range and has driven all of the models and was fair in his evaluation. Admittedly, there was not any criticism, but I think US authors are more likely to demand instant head snapping acceleration as opposed to our European colleagues.
I would like to drive it to see if I can differentiate between turbo lag and the tip-in issues.

Originally Posted by cawwt

No offense to you. But I don't think I can trust this review.

I can't see any criticism in this review. Either the author is related to BMW or he/she is an idiot. The other review complained about a lag for the turbo to kick in. Yet this guy here say the response is better than the straight six. He probably has been driving corollas around and this is his first BMW.

As nice as BMW's N/A I6s are, it would be easy to get trapped in a nostalgic view of a departing icon. The GM transmission on some of BMW's previous "_28i" I6 cars had its own lag, and of course the N/A engine is very progressively linear in its power curve. It's not implausible that the 8SAT and N20 combination seems more responsive than what the author tested previously.

Originally Posted by Elias

Just curious if you've driven the new 528 with the 4 cyl? I haven't yet so I will reserve judgement until I get a chance to do a test drive one but BMW has been making 4 cyl engines for many many years I think they know what their doing.

Not only have "we" not driven the 4 cyl yet, neither have the dealers (at least in the Boston area). And they are pretty steamed about having to field questions from potential buyers, without ever having fired one up.

I know I loved the I6 in the 528. And I also know that BMW's history of using early adapters to do do beta testing on the first MY of a new engine. For that reason alone, the turbo 4 is a non-starter, at least for 2012.

http://www.insideline.com/bmw/5-seri...rst-drive.html

Some nice details about the Eco pro setting. Sound pretty exciting. Come on Independence II. Due in port on 10/6!

Originally Posted by yogi799

Wouldn't that make perfect sense for fuel economy? Mine, however, zooms off immediately on the slightest push of the pedal. Downshifts really quickly when needed...

Not so according to the article on the 4-banger 528i...

"Cruising along, you tip into the throttle and the engine and transmission start to fight about whose turn it is to work. Eventually, they both do: you get a downshift and lots of power, but the wait is a good bit longer than you'd expect."

That's exactly how my car drives.

The Start Stop feature seems to work well.