Horse Power-Milage Delima

I'm about to pull the trigger on a 2011 F10. In order to fit into my budget I'm faced with getting a 535 with 55K+ miles to get more horse power or going with the 528 with less than 30K miles...should I be concerned about the extra milage on the 535 or should I stick with less milage and have less power? thanks!

Originally Posted by thedwp

I'm about to pull the trigger on a 2011 F10. In order to fit into my budget I'm faced with getting a 535 with 55K+ miles to get more horse power or going with the 528 with less than 30K miles...should I be concerned about the extra milage on the 535 or should I stick with less milage and have less power? thanks!

It's BMW man, low miles all the way and warranty all the way. I would go with the 528 if I were you. If you want more HP, there are good tunes available that can potentially give you more HP than a stock 535. If your budget permits, a 550 would give you your HP fix.

Are there tunes available for the 2011 I6 528?

As for the 528 vs. 535 choice, you should test drive them both and make sure you'll be happy with the 528. For me, the 535 just wasn't worth the extra $6k or so. But everyone's different and for some the lower HP of the 528 is a deal killer.

Originally Posted by DavidZ

Are there tunes available for the 2011 I6 528?

As for the 528 vs. 535 choice, you should test drive them both and make sure you'll be happy with the 528. For me, the 535 just wasn't worth the extra $6k or so. But everyone's different and for some the lower HP of the 528 is a deal killer.

My bad, I was thinking the 2012 turbo 4 cylinder...

Want to buy my 2011 535? It has CPO, only 37k miles. See my sig for options.

I was in the same boat but was looking at new cars. In the end I decided to pull the trigger on 528.
528 is not under powered! It makes a bit of a noise when pushed hard but is nice and quiet when you drive it under normal conditions. You get better gas mileage and its noticeable.
About the HP..HP is like a drug, you will never get enough of it. I realized it after modding my Audi and throwing in 10 grand for upgrades. I also realized that family sedans(except M-series) are not race/track cars and its better off speeding money on a dedicated track car.

But you are a better judge..drive them both and buy the one you will like the most. All the best.

Originally Posted by thedwp

I'm about to pull the trigger on a 2011 F10. In order to fit into my budget I'm faced with getting a 535 with 55K+ miles to get more horse power or going with the 528 with less than 30K miles...should I be concerned about the extra milage on the 535 or should I stick with less milage and have less power? thanks!

If you are going used. I would buy the best car you could find including one with the larger engine.

I always drooled over the drivetrain in the 535i, but I have a huge respect for the N/A I6 found in the 2011 528i.

I think it gets a bad rap from the Horsepower mongers who frequent these boards, but man is it silky smooth, and it is the most "exclusive" drivetrain in the F10 chassis. It sounds great, in that classic BMW N/A I6 way, and has enough HP to have fun with, yet not so much as to where you'll find yourself in "too" much trouble within a split second. Basically, you can wind it out a bit day to day without even breaking the speed limit, IMO that's what having fun with a car is truly about.

It has a classic engine, is buttery smooth, and gets great gas mileage.

Originally Posted by cyberbrutus

I was in the same boat but was looking at new cars. In the end I decided to pull the trigger on 528.
528 is not under powered! It makes a bit of a noise when pushed hard but is nice and quiet when you drive it under normal conditions. You get better gas mileage and its noticeable.
About the HP..HP is like a drug, you will never get enough of it. I realized it after modding my Audi and throwing in 10 grand for upgrades. I also realized that family sedans(except M-series) are not race/track cars and its better off speeding money on a dedicated track car.

But you are a better judge..drive them both and buy the one you will like the most. All the best.

Its a different engine in the 2011 528i.

BMW has a great history with the inline six. I would always opt for more HP, but given that its almost double the miles and I assume the same price (otherwise why would you compare them) I would say go lower miles.

Now given that - I would alway, always, always recommend a 35 over a 28 - I mean come on its a 20+% increase in HP/TQ