2012 528i xDrive: real-life fuel consumption?

Hello guys, my first post here

After having enjoyed the legendary 6-cylinder 3 liter gasoline engine in my E46 330i, time has come to use a more comfortable and - shall I say - weather-proof xDrive vehicle in a larger body of the 2012 528i. As you know, this is the first 528i with the "down-sized" engine (N20 2-liter with TwinPower). I had a difficult time making my mind to pick it, but the BMW-published specs and a test drive finally convinced me...

Now I have mixed feelings about my decision; yes the TwinPower turbo does perform as advertised when pressed, but at a cost of fuel efficiency waaay less than the advertised 7.0-7.2 (mixed regime). I only did some 2k kms so far, so it might as well improve - but currently I cannot go below 8.9-9.1 l/100km (even though I do not press too hard on the factory-new engine). Is this normal? What are other 528i xDrive owners' experience?

Yes - it certainly is a bit underpowered, but frankly I sort of recognized and accepted it from the start. My dream xDrive 5-er would be the 550i or 535d, but - due to some ridiculous import duty regulations here in Poland - cars with engines exceeding the 2 litre stroke are terribly expensive. So - being 58 years old - I decided for comfort and safety at the cost of power, hoping at least it would need less fuel that those 3+ liter ones do... Oh well - now, can anyone here advise whether it'd be wise to chip-tune this already stressed little engine?!!

So, a question to anyone having the 2012 BMW 528i xDrive: what your real-life fuel consumption is? You may state l/100km or mpg - no problem for me

TIA,

Piotr

Anyone, any comment?

Piotr

I have a round trip of 60 miles (96.5 Km) per day in a 50% mix of stop start (lots of traffic lights) and toll roads with a max speed of 75 mph (120 Kph). Although I have the 2WD version it may help that I get around 27 to 28 mpg (US), 8.7 litres/100 Km to 8.4 litres/100 km. Temperatures are around 20 to 40 deg C so car warms up a lot faster than it probably does in Poland. (I think my maths is correct for the conversion).

Thanks, Whitby. Yes - it's now minus 15C in Poland, so that must add to my consumption. Also, on a motorway I usually do at least 140 kmh; most of the time 160 and up to 180 when overtaking. All these should explain a lot, but....

... I used to push my old good 330i (E46) even harder (up to 220 kmh regularly on motorways, frequent full-pedal accelerations) and it only used 0.5 liters per 100 km more. True - it was lighter and RWD, but with the 6-cylinder engine!

Oh well... I'm getting older, so perhaps the bigger AWD 5-er is more appropriate now - but I sure miss the 3-liter. The new downsized N20 TwinPower is certainly nice, but I only have chosen it over the 535iX basing on the economy figures! Which now prove badly wrong....

I don't know.... but I've always thought it's pointless to compare fuel consumption data from car to car. Each one of us has dramatically different commute routes and driving styles - the very things which affect fuel consumption. So unless you want us to give you a ballpark, say whether the car burns 10 or 15 l/100 km/h, it is likely that you did not get any responses because it does not really lead to anything (and most of North American 5-series owners simply don't give a **** LOL - our fuel is 3-4 times cheaper than yours in relation to the avg. income, and the income of 5-series owners is far from average to begin with). And you know that stated consumption by the manufacturer is pure BS. So you always add 30% on top of what they say, anyway. You did not even state whether you commute on highways or in the city... and me knowing your neck of the woods quite well, I suspect you drive purely in the city (Poland has no highways really). And even if we knew if it's hwy or city, one highway is completely different from another. One sits in a constant morning and afternoon jam and averages 30 km/h while one flows at 100-120 kmh. So you can tell how this is really a waste of time. I think, based on what you said, your MPG is great and you have no reasons to worry. And yes, I personally never believed that a 4-banger would save that much fuel over the much more civilized 6-cyl engine (just like the BS ASS technology does not lead to significant savings either). My .02. Check my sig if you want to start collecting your own data and compare it later to see if your own engine remains healthy.

Thanks yogi - you are right about the fuel cost difference between the US and EU, and many other things. But I did state in my second post I'm not talking urban economy (would be worthless); also in my first post I quoted the BMW's 7.0-7.2 l/100km figure which is the supposed mixed usage. I mainly do long distance trips, as I work at home and do not commute - and yes, we do have some good motorways which I'm also using even if they do not comprise the shortest possible route to my destination... My average trip distance is some 500 kms.

But of course - all I'm expecting from this discussion here is some ballpark for me to compare. Thanks!

Piotr

Oh, and on another (more optimistic) note:

Before I even considered the downsized engine, I read lots of reviews of the 2012 528i - and one thing they had in common: everybody stressed how much worse it sounds compared to the I6-er. Well, to me it's not that bad at all - it's very quiet inside the car (even at high revs), and it certainly lacks that bass roar of the N5x - but frankly, the low frequency noise can be quite fatiguing during a long distance trip (I'm speaking from experience - my 330i was the classic 6-cylinder bimmer, with its classic sound too).

Not sure how much the nice exhaust sound my 528iX has is due to the M-package I have, but anyway - the sound is the least of a problem...

Piotr

I had the same doubts, and went for the F11 535i xdrive here in the Netherlands. Only driven 2k kilometers and averaging 12.6 l/100. Usually driving 150 kmh. Maybe it makes you feel better about your car!
I am leasing it and the company pays the fuel bill; mpg does not really matter

Originally Posted by MoldCAD

Hello guys, my first post here

After having enjoyed the legendary 6-cylinder 3 liter gasoline engine in my E46 330i, time has come to use a more comfortable and - shall I say - weather-proof xDrive vehicle in a larger body of the 2012 528i. As you know, this is the first 528i with the "down-sized" engine (N20 2-liter with TwinPower). I had a difficult time making my mind to pick it, but the BMW-published specs and a test drive finally convinced me...

Now I have mixed feelings about my decision; yes the TwinPower turbo does perform as advertised when pressed, but at a cost of fuel efficiency waaay less than the advertised 7.0-7.2 (mixed regime). I only did some 2k kms so far, so it might as well improve - but currently I cannot go below 8.9-9.1 l/100km (even though I do not press too hard on the factory-new engine). Is this normal? What are other 528i xDrive owners' experience?

Yes - it certainly is a bit underpowered, but frankly I sort of recognized and accepted it from the start. My dream xDrive 5-er would be the 550i or 535d, but - due to some ridiculous import duty regulations here in Poland - cars with engines exceeding the 2 litre stroke are terribly expensive. So - being 58 years old - I decided for comfort and safety at the cost of power, hoping at least it would need less fuel that those 3+ liter ones do... Oh well - now, can anyone here advise whether it'd be wise to chip-tune this already stressed little engine?!!

So, a question to anyone having the 2012 BMW 528i xDrive: what your real-life fuel consumption is? You may state l/100km or mpg - no problem for me

TIA,

Piotr

Real life fuel consumption is a mystery to me. I have a 2012 535xi and a 2007 328xi Coupe. I live in Toronto which is a heavily congested city. My trip to work is partially on a highway partially on busy streets, but generally I can avoid heavy stop and go traffic. My 535xi hovers around 12-13 l/100 km - in heavy traffic could be as high as 15 l/100 or more - my car is modified with an engine tune from Burger Motor Sports. My 328xi uses about 14 l/100 km (my son drives this one). I drove a 2013 328xi with the new 2.0 litre turbo for a week. Could never get better than 13l/100km. The only way I can get good gas mileage is as follows:

Long, uninterrupted drives on the highway - somewhere around 100-120 km/hour, then I can use maybe 8l/100 km on the highway - maybe. If you are experiencing 9l/100 km, I think it is great.

Originally Posted by whitby

I have a round trip of 60 miles (96.5 Km) per day in a 50% mix of stop start (lots of traffic lights) and toll roads with a max speed of 75 mph (120 Kph). Although I have the 2WD version it may help that I get around 27 to 28 mpg (US), 8.7 litres/100 Km to 8.4 litres/100 km. Temperatures are around 20 to 40 deg C so car warms up a lot faster than it probably does in Poland. (I think my maths is correct for the conversion).

That has to be near the best fuel economy in the world!! I tried doing that with the new 328xi loaner I had for a week. No go. Mind you it was very cold in Toronto for the past week. I could never get better than 12l/100km. I gotta go to a warmer climate.

Originally Posted by MoldCAD

Thanks yogi - you are right about the fuel cost difference between the US and EU, and many other things. But I did state in my second post I'm not talking urban economy (would be worthless); also in my first post I quoted the BMW's 7.0-7.2 l/100km figure which is the supposed mixed usage. I mainly do long distance trips, as I work at home and do not commute - and yes, we do have some good motorways which I'm also using even if they do not comprise the shortest possible route to my destination... My average trip distance is some 500 kms.

But of course - all I'm expecting from this discussion here is some ballpark for me to compare. Thanks!

Piotr

7l/100 km. That would be 33 US MPG in a 5 series for mixed use driving. (Imperial Gallons are bigger so the result is 40 mpg.) Now I would love to see BMW prove that one out in "mixed driving". A Honda Civic is listed at 6.4 l/100 km in mixed driving. Of course the disclaimer is actual experience will vary with conditions and driving style. Sure.

OK guys - thank you so much for your valuable input! And yes, it does make me feel better about my car

My expectations have probably been too high (or low - pun intended) due to my previous car being really extremely economical, considering my driving style...

Cheers,

Piotr

Originally Posted by MoldCAD

Hello guys, my first post here

After having enjoyed the legendary 6-cylinder 3 liter gasoline engine in my E46 330i, time has come to use a more comfortable and - shall I say - weather-proof xDrive vehicle in a larger body of the 2012 528i. As you know, this is the first 528i with the "down-sized" engine (N20 2-liter with TwinPower). I had a difficult time making my mind to pick it, but the BMW-published specs and a test drive finally convinced me...

Now I have mixed feelings about my decision; yes the TwinPower turbo does perform as advertised when pressed, but at a cost of fuel efficiency waaay less than the advertised 7.0-7.2 (mixed regime). I only did some 2k kms so far, so it might as well improve - but currently I cannot go below 8.9-9.1 l/100km (even though I do not press too hard on the factory-new engine). Is this normal? What are other 528i xDrive owners' experience?

Yes - it certainly is a bit underpowered, but frankly I sort of recognized and accepted it from the start. My dream xDrive 5-er would be the 550i or 535d, but - due to some ridiculous import duty regulations here in Poland - cars with engines exceeding the 2 litre stroke are terribly expensive. So - being 58 years old - I decided for comfort and safety at the cost of power, hoping at least it would need less fuel that those 3+ liter ones do... Oh well - now, can anyone here advise whether it'd be wise to chip-tune this already stressed little engine?!!

So, a question to anyone having the 2012 BMW 528i xDrive: what your real-life fuel consumption is? You may state l/100km or mpg - no problem for me

TIA,

Piotr

As to Chip Tunes, all I can tell you is on my 535xi it was well worth doing. It makes a difference. No problems so far, but it has been only about 4 months.

Originally Posted by PeterC4

As to Chip Tunes, all I can tell you is on my 535xi it was well worth doing. It makes a difference. No problems so far, but it has been only about 4 months.

Any links, please, Peter? What I'm thinking about is this:

http://www.speed-buster.de/en/chiptu...ps/a-10109572/

- ever heard of it?

Originally Posted by padapada

I had the same doubts, and went for the F11 535i xdrive here in the Netherlands. Only driven 2k kilometers and averaging 12.6 l/100. Usually driving 150 kmh. Maybe it makes you feel better about your car!
I am leasing it and the company pays the fuel bill; mpg does not really matter

One thing I am still uneasy about is that my oil temperature gauge never shows more than the left-half middle mark (95C here, or 195F in the US version, if not mistaken); is it normal? What are your oil temperatures in winter (Netherlands is warmer than Poland, but close)? In my previous BMW I only had a water temperature indicator that - once the engine warmed up which was quick - always stood perfectly upright (it didn't care for my actual driving "load" or the ambient temperature, so it was a bit of too perfect to be true)...

Piotr

Also - to add to my question about your oil temp readings - is there a way to read the water temperature in the F10?

TIA

Piotr

Originally Posted by MoldCAD

Any links, please, Peter? What I'm thinking about is this:

http://www.speed-buster.de/en/chiptu...ps/a-10109572/

- ever heard of it?



One thing I am still uneasy about is that my oil temperature gauge never shows more than the left-half middle mark (95C here, or 195F in the US version, if not mistaken); is it normal? What are your oil temperatures in winter (Netherlands is warmer than Poland, but close)? In my previous BMW I only had a water temperature indicator that - once the engine warmed up which was quick - always stood perfectly upright (it didn't care for my actual driving "load" or the ambient temperature, so it was a bit of too perfect to be true)...

Piotr

http://www.burgertuning.com/N55_Jb_B...nce_Tuner.html

There is a Stage 2 version as well. The Stage 1 version is not hard to install. You have to remove the airbox which is easy. I had someone install for me, but I think I could do it myself. Stage 2 has an extra couple of steps with additional wires.

I don't pay too close attention to the temperature gauge. Here in Toronto we have been having exceptionally warm summers - up to 35 C and this week it has been cold -15 C. Doesn't move too much. The vent gauge below may help you.

http://www.p3cars.com/catalog/f10/

Originally Posted by PeterC4

Doesn't move too much.

Thanks Peter for all your helpful info and links - but regarding the above quote, could I ask you to elaborate please? I get it that the pointer doesn't move much regardless of the ambient temperature, and this would be my experience too - but what value is it actually showing?

TIA,

Piotr

Currently I'm averaging 23 MPG in my 2013 528i xDrive. It's cold here, so I am curious to see if my mileage improves this summer when I'm not using the heated seats, heated steering wheel, etc.

I'd just like to add my 2 cents worth:
Car manufacturers like to base their FE on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ratings which are grossly inaccurate as the tests are carried out in the Labs whilst real word driving shows a different results.

Read this article :http://www.wheels.ca/feature/whats-a...hen-its-wrong/

Since 2009 I've dumped all my gassers for Diesels and have not looked back.

My 2010 335d consistently give me 7.6L/100KM even though I drive it hard on the Toronto highways and streets which are often conjested. I wished BMW would bring in the F10 (535D) soon.

My ML350BT gets a respectable 10L/100KM and my VW Jetta TDI 6.0L/100KM on the same routes.

BTW, on Fuelly.com there are 3 F10 528xi that are getting between 8.4 ~ 11.1 L/100KM:
http://www.fuelly.com/car/bmw/528xi/2012

Originally Posted by MoldCAD

Thanks Peter for all your helpful info and links - but regarding the above quote, could I ask you to elaborate please? I get it that the pointer doesn't move much regardless of the ambient temperature, and this would be my experience too - but what value is it actually showing?

TIA,

Piotr

It's the oil temperature and it's almost always to the left of centre, so less than the mid-point. Is that 120 C?

Nice ride Piotr (sig pic)... To own a 528 in Poland... is like to own an M5 in the USA... So you're doing pretty darn well! Congrats and enjoy!

And watch those average speed cameras on the A1... has the transport ministry taken interest in them yet, or still pretty useless? Looks like they might pretty soon...

http://regiomoto.pl/portal/bezpiecze...-i-kiedy-ruszy

You're damn ride about the gov's evil plot to repair the budget by chasing drivers like me Pure nonsense, but what can you do?



Cheers

Piotr

I'll Add some data points for you...
Starting with a loaner 2013 528 xdrive I had for almost 5 weeks
I was getting 9.1 litres per hundred km in aggressive Eco mode driving

In normal, I didn't care driving, I was getting it to 11.2

I own a 550 xdrive 2012 if that matters, with Dinan stage 2
In normal for me driving, I get 13.1
In aggressive attempts to save fuel I can get as low as 11.2
In I don't care mode, it climbs to over 15

I have a 26km daily drive each direction, about 50 percent calculated with google maps is highway driving at 120km/h. I do a decent amounts of stop and go for the next half

When the 550 Idles its l/100 will l climb pretty fast. And see numbers like 18 to 20
When I had th 528 it would push towards 15 in good stop and go

My opinion about the auto stat stop is its not nearly as bad as I thought it would be, except in traffic. I found that almost in all cases it would turn off the engine and back on within 1 second and this made th fuel consumption climb, like it was not designed fora cycle that quick.

If I had ASS off when in heavy stop and go, it seemed to produce better fuel economy, not dramatic but noticble

The exception to ass was if you hit all the lights right, and had to wait at all of them, which in our city is pretty hard has the lights are timed and seem to even take into account traffic density to get a decent flow for traffic.

All the numbers I quoted are based on the internal fuel consumption computer

Btw, I don't mind the 528 performance at all either. But frankly I didn't see a big enough money saving on fuel for me to be driven to buy it over a 550, but again, it drove very respectfully and if there was a bigger money difference I would have been happy in the 528

Thank you, @bmguy, for this first-hand experience write-up!

I agree completely with your points on the ASS - when active, it takes sort of a skill to watch the traffic lights and the car in front of you, and either slow down earlier and coast (with your foot on the brake pedal) so that just before you'd need to come to a halt, the lights would change - or, should the situation look like it's going to be a longer wait, get close to the preceding car in a smooth, one go and only then depress the pedal completely (I hope you know what I mean - sorry for my English).

As to the 528ix' performance - I also agree that it's quite good. When pressed hard, the car accelerates almost as easily as my old good E46 330i, even though the 5-er is almost 400 kgs heavier.

One thing I don't like so much though is how low the rpm can drop with the AT; with my driving style it's often necessary to manually shift a couple of gears up when the moment comes for quick overtaking or avoiding collision. I can feel the engine laboring at too low rpm if I don't do that, and before the AT reacts - shouldn't be that way in a car of this class. Of course, this is just some 100 Nm lacking - but the BMW engineers seem fixed at making the engine rev as slow as possible - regardless on that engine size (and "natural" torque).

One thing in your post made me interested - are you saying it makes sense to drive aggressively and in ECO Pro mode? Could you elaborate, please?

TIA,

Piotr