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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 528i vs. 335i
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      02-21-2011, 04:55 PM   #1
bodonx
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528i vs. 335i

Hi,

I came from E46 world. It's been 7 great years with my 325i. My plan is to upgrade to 335i sedan.

When browsing around, I was surprised to find out that 528i has 22/32 mpg and 0-60 in 6.6 secs. The mpg and the decent performance enticed me to upgrade to 528i instead. What do you guys think?

I thought 528i has the same engine as 328i (19/28 mpg)? what makes the 528i has better mpg than 328i? Is it caused by 8-speed auto only?
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      02-21-2011, 05:05 PM   #2
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The F10 528i is using the same N52 engine as the one found in the 328i, but it has been tuned differently. It has 10 more hp, 30 more lb-ft of torque. And because of the very quick and efficient 8-speed auto, along with a few other "EfficientDynamics" technologies (electric steering, brake-energy regeneration, etc) it gets better MPG than a 328. But it's mainly that 8-speed from what I know.
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      02-21-2011, 06:50 PM   #3
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It's the tranny for the most part. The mpg is going to have a lot to do with the type of driving you do as well.
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      02-21-2011, 07:08 PM   #4
bodonx
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Thanks for the explanation, guys!

Anyone who come from 3-series E46/E90 to F10...

Does F10 really "kill" the fun-to-drive aspect?
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      02-21-2011, 07:23 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bodonx View Post
Thanks for the explanation, guys!

Anyone who come from 3-series E46/E90 to F10...

Does F10 really "kill" the fun-to-drive aspect?
It's very subjective. Coming from a E90, the car is absolutely massive comparatively speaking. When you go to park the car, it will become apparent. However, comfort, ride quality and refinement are different league. It just depends what you want. I'm used to big cars, so this car didn't phase me one bit. Others who have come from smaller cars have had a hard time with the weight and lack of agility.
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      02-21-2011, 09:04 PM   #6
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2011 F10 528i  [10.00]
I came from a E46 325ci cabrio to a F10 528i. Here are what I have to say:

- Acceleration: much better, even though have not break-in and revs mostly under 4k rpm. The F10's engine is very smooth with the 8-speed. The E46 is more rustic and raw.
- Handling: had a hard time coming from a smaller car, maneuvering and turning with more effort. Definitely need to drive more carefully especially on narrow driveways. I need to use the front sensor quite often.
- Body roll: substantially more due to higher center of gravity. On curvy roads it is less planted on the road compared to my old car. I will change to aftermarket lowering springs to see if they help.
- Fuel consumption: only has around 17-18mpg for now, all city driving, no highway. Don't know if it will improve after breaking-in.

But I have to say the F10 is a much better car than the E46 (though I still love it). You can't go wrong with the upgrade if you are looking for a more luxury car. It is less sporty than the 3ers therefore it depends what you are looking for. For me, I wanted a roomier and more comfortable car for my family and the sporty aspect could be scarified a bit.

Hope the above helps.
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      02-21-2011, 09:15 PM   #7
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528i Period.
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      02-21-2011, 09:27 PM   #8
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came from e92 coupe, I have no regrets.. 528i = different league of car, I got the sport package and sport auto... the combination to me is fine... when I make a comparison..
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      02-21-2011, 10:31 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RC3 View Post
I came from a E46 325ci cabrio to a F10 528i. Here are what I have to say:

- Acceleration: much better, even though have not break-in and revs mostly under 4k rpm. The F10's engine is very smooth with the 8-speed. The E46 is more rustic and raw.
- Handling: had a hard time coming from a smaller car, maneuvering and turning with more effort. Definitely need to drive more carefully especially on narrow driveways. I need to use the front sensor quite often.
- Body roll: substantially more due to higher center of gravity. On curvy roads it is less planted on the road compared to my old car. I will change to aftermarket lowering springs to see if they help.
- Fuel consumption: only has around 17-18mpg for now, all city driving, no highway. Don't know if it will improve after breaking-in.

But I have to say the F10 is a much better car than the E46 (though I still love it). You can't go wrong with the upgrade if you are looking for a more luxury car. It is less sporty than the 3ers therefore it depends what you are looking for. For me, I wanted a roomier and more comfortable car for my family and the sporty aspect could be scarified a bit.

Hope the above helps.
Thank you for the detailed feedback.

Really helpful!
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      02-22-2011, 11:03 AM   #10
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I only drove a E46 once so I can't compare the two but I can tell you about the 528i.

The engine is a blast when there is no one in the car, it's weak and sedate when you want to drive normally at 3k rpm and below, when you want to have fun, it'll really rip and surprise you with its wide rpm range and good, though not overwhelming power.

I don't know to what degree the US spec @240hp is detuned vs. ours @258hp, but stated torque is the same, any difference should not be too large.

The transmission is futuristic, with many fun configurations.. its perfect, a big advance over previous ones
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      02-25-2011, 09:44 AM   #11
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The 528i has a different engine than the 328i and it's not just a matter of it being tuned differently. It has direct injection and a 12.0:1 compression ratio as the major difference, as opposed to port injection and a lower 10.x:1 CR for the 328 engine. I'm not even sure it's an N52 anymore. It might be an N53 since it has direct injection? And yes a higher state of tune than the 328i version for sure. The extra power but especially the extra torque (30 lb-ft worth!) is what allows it to perform very well, and get better gas mileage since the extra torque will help it pull taller overdrive gears. I see it more as a return of the 530i than I do as a 528i.

Wife and I are gonna try to pick one of these up before they replace the 3.0NA engine with the turbo-4 at the beginning of the next model year. Not sure if we'll be able to do an ED or not, but if not we'll probably just get one off the lot.
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      02-25-2011, 10:04 AM   #12
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I came from a 2001 525ia to the 2011 528. Certainly bigger, but amazingly enough, I'm getting even better mpg - up to 30.2 highway. Certainly more bells and whistles and the NAV is a definite improvement.
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      02-25-2011, 11:45 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bodonx View Post
Hi,

I came from E46 world. It's been 7 great years with my 325i. My plan is to upgrade to 335i sedan.

When browsing around, I was surprised to find out that 528i has 22/32 mpg and 0-60 in 6.6 secs. The mpg and the decent performance enticed me to upgrade to 528i instead. What do you guys think?

I thought 528i has the same engine as 328i (19/28 mpg)? what makes the 528i has better mpg than 328i? Is it caused by 8-speed auto only?
Quote:
Originally Posted by bdardashti View Post
The F10 528i is using the same N52 engine as the one found in the 328i, but it has been tuned differently. It has 10 more hp, 30 more lb-ft of torque. And because of the very quick and efficient 8-speed auto, along with a few other "EfficientDynamics" technologies (electric steering, brake-energy regeneration, etc) it gets better MPG than a 328. But it's mainly that 8-speed from what I know.
I think they have different N52 engines. No?
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      02-27-2011, 05:31 PM   #14
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my 550i is currently at the dealer getting a few things taken care of (maintenance) and they gave me a 528i loaner car. By no means is it a "slow" car. It is plenty fast for the average joe and I averaged 31mpg driving @ 75mph! wow!
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      02-27-2011, 05:36 PM   #15
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I'm getting 27.7 city driving, in my e92 I was lucky to get that on the highway. with gas prices going up this makes me smile..
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