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2010 2011 BMW 5 Series Forum F10 BMW 5-Series (F10) Forums General 5-Series Sedan and Wagon (F10 / F11) Forum First Review of 2012 528i With 4-cylinder N20 Turbo
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      09-25-2011, 04:10 PM   #45
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these figures tell (from bmw.de) :

BMW 528i (2L 4 cyl. turbo PS 245)
topspeed in km/h 250
0–100 km/h in s 6,2 [6,3]
80–120 km/h in 5th gear 6,2

BMW 530i (3L 6cyl. PS 272)
Topspeed in km/h 250
0–100 km/h in s 6,5 [6,6]
80–120 km/h im 5th gear 7,0
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      09-25-2011, 06:16 PM   #46
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The US market should be thanking BMW for all the high mileage 4 bangers they can sell. With the new CAFE standards coming, BMW needs to raise the fleet average or we will all be paying more for any BMW.

Most People will never know what engine is in their car. Give it enough bottom end torque and the average buyer will think it has a V8 and be perfectly happy. The average buyer doesn't want to hear the engine and will not rev it hard enough to ever hear it. They'll just feel the acceleration from the stop light or the ability to merge on the freeway.

I can see the conversation with the CA:

Buyer: What engine does it have?
CA: The engine has almost 270 ft/lbs of torque gets to 60 MPH in about 6 seconds and gets 32 MPG.
Buyer: Oh, that's good.

Last edited by 1M Fan; 09-25-2011 at 06:28 PM..
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      09-25-2011, 08:38 PM   #47
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Quote:
Originally Posted by elias View Post
The 2012 528i base price starts at $46,700 for a 4 banger, can't see how thats competetive with Audi A6!
Well one is rear wheel drive like a BMW, and the other is front wheel drive like a VW Passat or Toyota Camry.

I wouldn't expect a fwd car to fetch the same money as a 5 series. Until now the most expensive fwd sedan in the US was probably the Lexus ES350.
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      09-26-2011, 05:22 AM   #48
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Quote:
Originally Posted by G2G View Post
these figures tell (from bmw.de) :

BMW 528i (2L 4 cyl. turbo PS 245)
topspeed in km/h 250
0–100 km/h in s 6,2 [6,3]
80–120 km/h in 5th gear 6,2

BMW 530i (3L 6cyl. PS 272)
Topspeed in km/h 250
0–100 km/h in s 6,5 [6,6]
80–120 km/h im 5th gear 7,0
Interesting. Must say I can't see the point of having the 530i in the range. Slower, more expensive, higher fuel consumption and higher CO2. Unless you really can't bear to have a four cylinder in a 5 series, there is nothing in these figures to suggest that choosing the 530i over the 528i is a better purchase.
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      09-26-2011, 09:49 AM   #49
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I'd prefer I-6 to 2.0T I-4 motor... simply cuz there's no huge advantage in power/EPA... plus I dont want turbo issues (i'm on 3rd turbo for my e92).
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      09-26-2011, 10:15 AM   #50
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stealth.pilot View Post
Well one is rear wheel drive like a BMW, and the other is front wheel drive like a VW Passat or Toyota Camry.

I wouldn't expect a fwd car to fetch the same money as a 5 series. Until now the most expensive fwd sedan in the US was probably the Lexus ES350.
The Audi A6 is the equivalent of the BMW 5 series they both have 4 cyl engines so with everything else being equal you think the person looking to buy a 4 cyl car will pay $5,000 + premium because its RWD instead of FWD. I don't think so the enthusiast will but the enthusiast will step up to the N55 engine not the 4 cyl.
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      09-26-2011, 01:21 PM   #51
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Quote:
Originally Posted by elias View Post
The Audi A6 is the equivalent of the BMW 5 series they both have 4 cyl engines so with everything else being equal you think the person looking to buy a 4 cyl car will pay $5,000 + premium because its RWD instead of FWD. I don't think so the enthusiast will but the enthusiast will step up to the N55 engine not the 4 cyl.
I don't know. I've always regarded front wheel drive cars as cheap engineering. Not something I would ever pay over $40k for.

Still if some mugs want to pay $42k for a Passat let them.
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      09-27-2011, 03:07 AM   #52
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Same can be said about a 4. Let's be real, the 4 that BMW is pushing will not get you significant more MPG unless you drive like a Gandma, but it will look good with Mr. Obama. That is the only reason 528 is coming to US. It will be even better if BMW can make a turbo 3 520, save more quota for the 6 and 8 for those that want it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by stealth.pilot View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by elias View Post
The Audi A6 is the equivalent of the BMW 5 series they both have 4 cyl engines so with everything else being equal you think the person looking to buy a 4 cyl car will pay $5,000 premium because its RWD instead of FWD. I don't think so the enthusiast will but the enthusiast will step up to the N55 engine not the 4 cyl.
I don't know. I've always regarded front wheel drive cars as cheap engineering. Not something I would ever pay over $40k for.

Still if some mugs want to pay $42k for a Passat let them.
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      10-29-2011, 01:06 PM   #53
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This thread exemplifies how we've become victims of our prejudices.

Who cares about the number of cylinders in an engine? If a one cylinder can accelerate as well as a 12 cylinder but get much better mileage without sacrificing NVH, then where is the downside? Bragging rights for a big engne?

BMW has had small 4 cylinder engines in their cars for eons in other markets. The US market is one of the few that is convinced that size matters.

I'm coming from a 335 and I'm getting a 528 intentionally because I don't need or use that excess power and don't mind the extra mileage.

I don't see a downside.
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      10-29-2011, 01:19 PM   #54
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ceb View Post
This thread exemplifies how we've become victims of our prejudices.
BMW has marketed their naturally aspirated 6 cyl engines as premium engineering for years. Now they are selling turbos as "the answer" even as the current turbo owners experience growing numbers of issues with turbos, waste gates and fuel pumps. Conventional wisdom has become owning a turbo BMW out of warranty is too much of a risk.

Taken together it may explain why there is some resistance to consider buying a 60k 4cyl turbo 5 series.
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      10-30-2011, 12:14 PM   #55
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ceb View Post
This thread exemplifies how we've become victims of our prejudices.

Who cares about the number of cylinders in an engine? If a one cylinder can accelerate as well as a 12 cylinder but get much better mileage without sacrificing NVH, then where is the downside? Bragging rights for a big engne?

BMW has had small 4 cylinder engines in their cars for eons in other markets. The US market is one of the few that is convinced that size matters.

I'm coming from a 335 and I'm getting a 528 intentionally because I don't need or use that excess power and don't mind the extra mileage.

I don't see a downside.

Downside is
1. lack of balance in 4 cyl vs 6 cyl, althought I don't know what this means exactly, I'm just going with what others say
2. lack of noise in turbo vs NA
3. power delivery of turbo, it comes all at once at a low rev point, reducing the ability to rev for fun
4. reliability issues with turbos, esp. BMW ones

Coming From a N54/N55, the only difference is 4 vs. 6 cylinders, so you lose some balance but save on the weight, may even get similar performance given how lightlty tuned the 6 cyl is and how highly tuned the 4 cyl is.

I would say the N20 is very much a baby N55, the difference in feel and enjoyment is much greater if you compare with the NA N52/53.

But you are completely right if you won't rev above 3k, so it depends what you want your 528 to do, econo cruiser with good torque, or atypical underpowered F1 2tonne boat.
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      10-30-2011, 10:19 PM   #56
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Cool Just drove one

Gang,

This past Saturday I drove a new 2012 528 and I was quite impressed.... As you can see we currently drive a 2011 528. This new 2012 528 is very quick for what it is and just as fast as mine is. We don't drive a 528 as a second class BMW as some of you have stated since its not a 535 or a 550. We drive it for what it is. A first class Luxury car.... I am almost 70 years old and have had the muscle cars of the 60's when they were new. I have a very fast Drag Racing car. I have had Street Rods and I have had other luxury cars in the past. What I am trying to say is not everyone wants or needs a hot rod for a daily driver. I certainly do not. At my age I want the Gas mileage, the ride and the luxury


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      10-31-2011, 09:47 AM   #57
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Quote:
Originally Posted by grimlock View Post
Downside is
1. lack of balance in 4 cyl vs 6 cyl, althought I don't know what this means exactly, I'm just going with what others say
2. lack of noise in turbo vs NA That is only bad if you're below 16 years old
3. power delivery of turbo, it comes all at once at a low rev point, reducing the ability to rev for fun No
4. reliability issues with turbos, esp. BMW ones I'll grant you that - but - the argument is that a 4 cyl is bad because it is a 4 cylinder - and that is just plain wrong

Coming From a N54/N55, the only difference is 4 vs. 6 cylinders, so you lose some balance but save on the weight, may even get similar performance given how lightlty tuned the 6 cyl is and how highly tuned the 4 cyl is.

I would say the N20 is very much a baby N55, the difference in feel and enjoyment is much greater if you compare with the NA N52/53.

But you are completely right if you won't rev above 3k, so it depends what you want your 528 to do, econo cruiser with good torque, or atypical underpowered F1 2tonne boat.
What did I say about our prejudices coloring our thoughts?
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      10-31-2011, 12:38 PM   #58
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Inherent balance in the 6cyl vs the 4cyl is not prejudice, its an observable fact. By "I'm just going by what others say", i'm saying I do not completely understand technically how it works, but that is not 'prejudice'. Prejudice would be saying 6cyl>4cyl because it is 'more' or a similar superficial reason, which contains no merit at its core. Inherent balance does not fit this, unless you can explain to me how there is no such thing in the 6cyl. I'm all ears.

A 4 cyl. is not 'bad' inherently, it's just inferior to the 6cyl for the above mentioned reason. You're getting less /or worse for the same price, the replacement of displacement/cyl. with turbos, that's the complaint basically. We're not out to deny all 4 cyl. the right to exist, we're just resistant to taking away our NA I6 and giving us a I4-T.
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