BMW has officially released both 2.0L 4 cylinders powered F10 528i & F10 528i xdrive to US market. The configurator has gone live as well. Anyway, what are your opinion?
I can't believe there's gonna be a 4-banger 5-Series in the States. They should have just kept perfecting the much more luxurious and venerable I6 N/A motor.
I admit if I'm not careful I can get caught up in 'number envy' - but my decision to get the 2012 528 vs the 535 was based on the fact that I drive about 20K miles per year, about 70% city driving, the rest local freeways, so the increased mileage is a big plus. At the end of the day the 2012 528 has the same HP, more torque, and (supposedly/hopefully) better mileage than the I6 version. The extra HP wasn't worth the $6K price difference to me. I will miss the throaty sound of the 6, but that's about it for me.
I hope you'll enjoy your choice, but if it was me, the extra torque of the 535 is ESPECIALLY helpful in the city where it pushes you in the seat without revving much from each stoplight! On the freeway, I could sort of care less about the torque as the damn speed limit is keeping my acceleration potential in check anyway. I realize this is not a 4 cyl vs 6 cyl argument, but specifically commenting on your choice of weaker engine for the city. Mistake if you ask me, but maybe perfectly fine for you. All the best!
It was a no-brainer for me, as 535 in Canada comes way more loaded than 528. Even though the 0-60 times don't vary much, I believe it's all about driving dynamics. 528 requires revving, whereas 535 does not. Sort of like a gas vs diesel argument. Both will deliver, but in quite a different way. I'm with your wife on that one! LOL (You should really listen to her for MANY reasons, imagine regretting your choice on delivery, she will leave you OR you'll hear about it for years! LOL). Best of luck, though, it will be interesting to hear everyone's comments on the 4-banger (I believe they'll be positive...). I may even go on a test drive myself just to see. So damn curious somehow...
I don't know, depending on your commute the gas savings could be big. And you will be driving in style.
my commute is about 0.25 miles and my mileage suffers cuz of that. If I didn't like to drive like I stole it I would go for a 4 banger turbo. Mileage was a big reason I got the 2008 528 over the 535. I had a bad mileage taste in my mouth from my 2005 BenzE500. Turned that in with ave mpg of about 12 with ave speed around 35mph. :bawling: I am about to turn in my 2008 528 and I did much better ave 24mpg at 38mph.
Personally I think BMW should just kill the 528 model line. It is so far from the ultimate driving machine. If I couldn't afford at least a BMW 535, I would get an Infiniti M37 before I got a 528. 528 is devaluing the brand to get business from people who rather buy a better brand than a better car.
It reminds me of the 90s when BMW made a 318 which could easily be outperformed by a Toyota Camry.
Personally I think BMW should just kill the 528 model line. It is so far from the ultimate driving machine. If I couldn't afford at least a BMW 535, I would get an Infiniti M37 before I got a 528. 528 is devaluing the brand to get business from badge whores.
I don't agree. The I6 528i has a more "BMW feel" in terms of keeping with the bloodline than any other 5'er model right now. I can get behind the wheel of a 2011 528i and get reminisced about the E60, E39, and E34 before it. As for handling, that might be a different story, but the F10 overall doesn't feel like any 5'er before it in the ride/handling department really.
BMW was never "Ultimate Driving Machine" due to its HP. In fact, it always confidently trailed M-B in the HP department. The E39 540i (and that era's 740i) were very "fast" cars to most people during their time, and they had a whopping 282 or so HP. The V6 variants had little to no balls in terms of brute power, but they were very much BMW.
I have to agree with m5next. The mpg sold me on the 2012 528. Not a fuel cost issue for me. I reverse commute 70 miles a day roundtrip on the highway in northern California, average speed 60 mph. Its a pretty straight easy drive to and from work for me (no stop/go traffic, no hills or curvy roads) and I put around 20K+ a year on my car. Currently driving an Acura TL, getting on average 25 mpg, and I'm at the gas station a couple of times a week. So for me its the thought of going a week between refueling that makes the 528 attractive to me, compared to the 535.
There are other things to consider. I believe Keyless go is now standard as are xenon headlights and the ipod adapter. I think that the ambient lighting may even be standard now. Sadly these simple things cost me thousands in my 525i E60.
Wow, across the range? So no more 5-Series' with halogens or non keyless go?
Regarding the 528 VS Turbo models, people are also forgetting the reliability aspect. As the miles pile on, an equally built Turbo model will always be potentially more problematic than an N/A model. More parts, more to go wrong, more stress on a motor, etc.
Wow, interesting! Kind of sucks as it means that M-B will predictably/probably "Me-Too" it and follow suit. I had to pay extra for my HID's/LED's, and frankly, I like that the lesser equipped models have halogens and regular key starts, as it makes my equipment of more value to myself.
BTW my other Toyota has a 270hp V6 and will do 0-60 in the low-6s range, and the flat out butt-dyno feel tells me it's really not a whole lot slower than my 335 convertible or an F10 535i. So why buy a BMW? Because the Toyota drives like @#$%, doesn't go around corners well, is far less refined, has far less attention to detail, has a lot more road noise, and the engine sounds and feels a lot worse when you wind it up, it misbehaves in various ways, and just isn't a car I enjoy driving. Wow it goes fast in a straight line. Yippy. That's about the only thing it does well though. It's a one trick pony. The 335 vert is our first Bimmer, and seeing how well it drives compared to anything else, I'd much rather have a "slow" Bimmer than a fast Toyota anyday. I regret buying this silly Toyota. I so shoulda bought an 07/530i or an 08/528i like I was going to back in the day. :tsk:
Funny, the same people claiming that 300+ HP is the end all be all now, were probably the same people claiming that about 200 HP back in the day. Where I live, HP is a penis-extension/statistical charm/marketing gimmick more-so than anything, as you really can't use that power. As long as a car gets up and goes effortlessly and smoothly, in reality, you should be golden. What difference does 5 or 7 second 0-60 make in the real world? Neither are fast enough to make you feel like you're in a "Super fast car", and neither are slow enough to be a safety hazard.
To be honest, with most of the boy racers out there, it's unfortunate how cheap HP is "these days".
Yes, we all have our vices, and many have theirs with the braggart HP factor, and maybe some can even safely and responsibly find ways and places to use it, but I never understood the concept of discrediting a car because it has 10/20/30/50/even 100+ HP less than car B. We aren't talking about race cars here. We're talking about upright, heavy a$$, conservative Sedans for businessmen and housewives and the occasional enthusiast who happens to love everything about them (raises hand).
You'd think you're on the Camaro boards with "It isn't a real BMW if it doesn't have XX HP". LOL. In Europe these things have puny HP and they're built there!
The problem with some entry-level BMWs in the past hasn't been power per se, it's been things like an AT that didn't want to downshift quickly when you're keeping right except to pass like any good German and need a quick downshift to get around someone quickly and safely. And lacking features such as xenon/HID headlights, bluetooth, etc. I'm hopeful the new 528i has remedied these issues and look fwd to checking out the N20-xDrive-8AT combo.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
BimmerFest BMW Forum
11.4M posts
753.1K members
Since 2001
A forum community dedicated to BMW owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about Bimmerfest events, production numbers, programming, performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more! Bringing the BMW community together.