[TXPearl]

Can that be true? The 750i, which weighs just a few hundred pounds more only gets 15/22 mpg?

I hope so, but I'm skeptical. Typo?

[RichReg]

The 750 does NOT have the new 8 Speed....
....yet.

[TXPearl]

True.

But I'd be surprised if that's worth 2 mpg.

[Rudegar]

gearing and fewer pounds?

[TXPearl]

Originally Posted by Rudegar

gearing and fewer pounds?

Seems too easy, but I hope you're right. It'll be interesting to see what mileage a 535i gets.

[RichReg]

I believe the gearing IS different by default when comparing an 8 speed to a 6 speed, no?

2 mpg really isn't that much when you're talking averages. I think the changeover from standard 5 speeds to standard 6 speeds way back when had at least a 1 mpg difference. Other than the lower weight, there really isn't any other explanation.

[Rudegar]

Originally Posted by TXPearl

Seems too easy, but I hope you're right. It'll be interesting to see what mileage a 535i gets.

I believe the 535i is 20/29. Someone saw that in New York on the sticker I seem to recall.

[munna]

I went to the event today, and drove the same cars you probably did.

Loved the ride. Could definitely tell the difference between Sport+ and normal modes. I've never driven a car with active steering before and after the slalom runs i am sold. Made the car that much easier to maneuver vs the 5-series that didn't have it.

[radarguy]

At the New York Auto Show, the placard on the 535i indicated an EPA estimated 19/28 mpg for the manual and 20/29 mpg for the automatic. I did not read the 550i placard.

There is a very good article in the June Car and Driver magazine titled "Suck, Squeeze, Bang, Blow, Ad Infinitum". It summarizes ways to increase the efficiency of an internal combustion engine. It would seem that in the 535i that BMW has made excellent (and expensive) choices towards improving efficiency without sacrificing performance. Direct-Injection turbo plus variable valve timing and lift (VANOS) are important examples. The other stuff such as electric power steering, light engines and the eight-speed automatic also help to improve the numbers.

[AndreyATC]

OP,
Did you also notice that the same car (550i) with manual gets 15/22 vs 17/25 for auto
It's not a typo
This 8-speed tranny is THAT efficient

[funbob]

I will be interested to see what I can get for mileage when I really try with my 550i manual 6 speed. I bet I can get much more than 22mpg on the highway if I am trying to be efficient. I wouldn't be surprised if i got 26-28mpg's. I got 34mpg on a 400 mile trip with my 335i while being a hyper mile dork. I will do the same with the 550i and see what happens. Of course, I plan to get some really low mileage too.

[AndreyATC]

Originally Posted by funbob

I will be interested to see what I can get for mileage when I really try with my 550i manual 6 speed. I bet I can get much more than 22mpg on the highway if I am trying to be efficient. I wouldn't be surprised if i got 26-28mpg's. I got 34mpg on a 400 mile trip with my 335i while being a hyper mile dork. I will do the same with the 550i and see what happens. Of course, I plan to get some really low mileage too.

Very true
I can also get my MT 335i up to 33+mpg mark and it has only 26 EPA rating
So if you really try to get good mpg with MT, it's definetelly possible to squeeze 3-5mpg more than EPA

P.S. I bet 550i with 8-speed AT could get close to 28-30 if you drive it on 8th gear @ 50-55mph
It'll be almost on idle

Last gear is very tall

[TXPearl]

Originally Posted by AndreyATC

OP,
Did you also notice that the same car (550i) with manual gets 15/22 vs 17/25 for auto
It's not a typo
This 8-speed tranny is THAT efficient

That's a good point.

However, for the last decade or so, manuals have been rated lower in fuel efficiency versus the automatics, even before the 8-speed came out.

These figures suggest a 13+% improvement with the autobox. Pretty impressive. I'll wait for real-world data to be 100% convinced.