[nal13]

In the next month or so I am going to lease my wife either a 528 x-drive or 535 x-drive. I plan on test driving both in the upcoming weeks but I am concerned about the 4 cylinder engine in a 4000 pound car. If this car was for me I would be going 550, but my wife cares more about comfort and tech then performance. So I guess my questions is if the performance is not a big deal, then is the 528 sufficient as a comfortable daily driver? Thanks in advance for all of your responses.

[bkM3]

i just got a 528xi and i can assure you that it has enough power for daily driving. i was very surprised at the pick up that it has. the beautiful thing about these engines is that all that torque is available so low in the RPM range that it feels much more powerful than the 240hp might indicate.

[pillpusher84]

I had a 2013 528xi when my 535 was in for service, and I was pleasantly surprised about how decent the engine was in such a large heavy car. Personally my lease is up and just ordered a 550xi M-Sport with all almost every package ... however as a daily driver, unless she is into the performance of a 6 or 8 cylinder engine ... the 528 should more than suffice.

[JNoSol]

The 528 has plenty of power to pull the F10. Fill it with 4 adults, it's another story. Just have more skinny friends.

[COBodom]

It prolly depends on what your wife is driving now or what she is used to driving. I came out of B8 S4, my current 528xi is definitely NOT an S4 kinda ride but given that (just like you) I also drive in NYC; the N20 delivers more pickup than I ever need in NYC traffic.

[Atombyte]

We drove both (not the X-drive) and went with the 535. Power delivery was smoother, less "thrashy", and didn't have that diesel idle sound that was somewhat unbecoming of a $65k+ car. Drive both and make up your own mind if the 535 is worth the premium over the 528. Is was to us.

[The X Men]

nal13, the 528i definitely has enough power for someone who is just looking for a daily driver. The 4 cylinder engine is a bit less refine compare to the 6 cylinder as far as noise and smoothness. If your wife does not mind those minor short comings of the 528i, then the 4 cylinder is the right car for her.

[nal13]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I'm going to try to get to the dealer to test drive both this weekend.

[curv etr]

Originally Posted by Atombyte

We drove both (not the X-drive) and went with the 535. Power delivery was smoother, less "thrashy", and didn't have that diesel idle sound that was somewhat unbecoming of a $65k+ car. Drive both and make up your own mind if the 535 is worth the premium over the 528. Is was to us.

Similar to these comments, just bought a 535 for the wife. The 528 was fine for me, but for my wife, who spent her whole life in NYC and is relatively new to driving, having that smoother take off from a stop was far more pleasant. The 528 is no doubt a fine car for someone with a heavy foot, but for her, the 535 power delivery felt more comforting.

The most important part is to drive them side by side. Good luck

[SonicEndeavor]

It depends on how tolerant she is of vibration. The 4 cylinder is impressive for sure, but it the idle is a little rough and there's considerable vibration whenever the transmission is in a higher gear than is optimal for the engine.
If those things don't bother her, then the 528i is a good choice, otherwise I'd go with the 535i. Another option is the 535d which has similar power to the 535i with more torque in the optimal rpm range, but gets very impressive gas mileage. The EPA hasn't rated it yet, but it should be in the high 30's city/highway combined.

[K-A]

To me, as impressive for a 4 cylinder that the N20 is, you've gotta go with the I6 or V8 to compliment the elegance and luxury of this car. The "rattley" 4 cylinder with its harsher inherent nature and more crude sound don't really fit well with the F10. The 535i is completely effortless, has a buttery smooth yet angrily growling sound that compliments the way the car looks (when you get the RPM's up, otherwise it's totally quiet) and never once will transmit any vibrations into the cabin, not at idle and not at redline, due to how well balanced it is.

[williamNJ]

No one ever said wow I wish I didn't have so much power....well maybe

[HighConcept]

535xDrive -- it makes the difference. My wife said she didn't care about power and all too, but then she loved the 535 > 528 and somehow seated in a 550 for the final purchase. Really is contingent upon her personal preferences. Have fun! Either ride is a quality one.

[COBodom]

Originally Posted by SonicEndeavor

It depends on how tolerant she is of vibration. The 4 cylinder is impressive for sure, but it the idle is a little rough and there's considerable vibration whenever the transmission is in a higher gear than is optimal for the engine.

Rough at idle ? considerable vibration ? What exactly vibrates considerably; the steering wheel, the chassis ? When the "transmission is in a higher gear than is optimal for the engine" the only thing I experience is extremely sluggish acceleration, but that never happens unless I purposely, manually up-shift at lower speed and floor it to see what happens. It doesn't vibrate, but it just doesn't go anywhere when you're in 7th gear going 30mph.

I mean, I am really trying hard to relate to your comments, but I cant. After 15 months in 528xi I am yet to share your experiences.

The only roughness that you may perhaps experience is when the car is on a particularly uneven surface and ASS engages. It may basically shake the car as it starts up just slightly too much for my taste. Now that's NOT the norm that's an anomaly that I rarely experience. No idea how I6 would behave.

[Zaman]

I am just echoing what others said. N20 is a very good engine and you will be amazed by its performance when you test drive it. As you said your wife is more into the tech and comfort, so put the extra cash in that front instead of the power that she might not even notice.

[SonicEndeavor]

Originally Posted by COBodom

Rough at idle ? considerable vibration ? What exactly vibrates considerably; the steering wheel, the chassis ? When the "transmission is in a higher gear than is optimal for the engine" the only thing I experience is extremely sluggish acceleration, but that never happens unless I purposely, manually up-shift at lower speed and floor it to see what happens. It doesn't vibrate, but it just doesn't go anywhere when you're in 7th gear going 30mph.

I mean, I am really trying hard to relate to your comments, but I cant. After 15 months in 528xi I am yet to share your experiences.

The only roughness that you may perhaps experience is when the car is on a particularly uneven surface and ASS engages. It may basically shake the car as it starts up just slightly too much for my taste. Now that's NOT the norm that's an anomaly that I rarely experience. No idea how I6 would behave.

I'm glad you're happy with the 528i as is my next door neighbor. As I mentioned, it all depends on how sensitive a person is about engine vibrations. If you don't feel it, then please don't start looking for it.
You can feel the rough idle through the brake pedal and the engine vibration through the gas pedal when it bogs down due to being in a higher than optimal gear (which is often in my experience) not through the steering wheel or suspension. I'm talking about being in one gear higher than optimal, not several gears.
Again, BMW has done a fine job with the N20. It's just doesn't fit with my expectations.

[K-A]

Originally Posted by SonicEndeavor

I'm glad you're happy with the 528i as is my next door neighbor. As I mentioned, it all depends on how sensitive a person is about engine vibrations. If you don't feel it, then please don't start looking for it.
You can feel the rough idle through the brake pedal and the engine vibration through the gas pedal when it bogs down due to being in a higher than optimal gear (which is often in my experience) not through the steering wheel or suspension. I'm talking about being in one gear higher than optimal, not several gears.
Again, BMW has done a fine job with the N20. It's just doesn't fit with my expectations.

Exactly. If you're sensitive to the nature of a 4 cylinder, you'll notice it on the N20, albeit less than most 4 cylinders. The sound, the flimsily clattering sound at idle, and the fact that you can "feel" the engine in the cabin at all. Larger motors always are "felt" less in cabin than smaller ones. Here we are at two extremes because a 4 cylinder is by nature the crudest of them, and an I6 is no V6, it's practically the only (aside from a Boxer 6) inherently balanced motor configurations out there, so you literally feel nothing but a smooth pull and operation in cabin, and the only feedback you get from the engine is the glorious sound at upper RPM's.

The F10 chassis is very well isolated and the N20 is a remarkable, in fact brilliant 4 cylinder motor, so most people will find it more than smooth enough.... it just depends on your level of "sensitivity" when it comes to how smooth and effortless you like your motors to sound and feel, not only in performance but speaking in terms of overall operation.

[bkM3]

im extremely surprised at how refined and smooth the N20 is. i do not feel any considerable vibration at all while driving. the only time i ever notice anything is when the windows are open and i start the car after its been sitting idle overnight. only then does it remind me that its a 4 cylinder. even the ASS has been pretty seamless for the most part.

[twelve535i]

The N20 engine has been dyno'd and it's underrated in terms of power. It makes somewhere in the range of 270 hp, rather than BMW claim of 240. If a 2011 Merc E350 can work with that much power, I don't see why the 528 can't.
With that being said, I can't speak of how the 528i feels, but the 535i's power is plentiful and delivered smoothly. You can barely feel the shifts, and sometimes it doesn't feel like you're going as quick as you are.

[JadeVetti]

What is she used to driving? What does she like the most about what she has now? What does she want in the next car that her current car has or doesn't?

You driving it won't help answer these questions, it will only tell you that one car has enough power, and the other more than enough. What she is looking for will fall upon the factors presented above. Because when you've already made up your mind about how a 4 cylinder 4000lb. vehicle performs, it has no chance against the 535 when you test drive them back to back.

[wrickem]

Wouldn't it be better to let your wife do the test drive and decide which one she wants?

[F11M-driver]

Originally Posted by wrickem

Wouldn't it be better to let your wife do the test drive and decide which one she wants?

If I was the wife I would go for a X5