I cant help it, new car again - 3 series

Dandle · 11 Jan 2011 at 20:04

[TW]Fox;18203402 said:
The basic engine is the same - the E60 didn't get the new N57 did it? It's still an M57.

I got 32mpg test driving a 325d on an '08 though that involved some dual carriageway, and have used 120d and 320d on similar around town work and saw circa 30mpg.

It also makes sense from an ownership perspective to compare a car with the one it replaced.

Yeah same engine just a revised version M57N2, your comparing two totally different cars though and the LCI version of the E60 which also had extra MPG gains. Comparisons like that need to be done like for like, LCI 530i to LCI 530d not 10 yr old E39 530d to 3yr old E60 LCI 525i. Otherwise the data is meaningless.

[TW]Fox · 11 Jan 2011 at 20:07

I was comparing based on my experience. The last E60 530d I drove was a pre LCI back in 2006.

I notice you ignored the more recent experience in an identical engined 3 Series... if that wasn't doing 40mpg around town then I doubt a 530d will

Dandle · 11 Jan 2011 at 20:21

[TW]Fox;18203513 said:
I was comparing based on my experience. The last E60 530d I drove was a pre LCI back in 2006.

I notice you ignored the more recent experience in an identical engined 3 Series... if that wasn't doing 40mpg around town then I doubt a 530d will

I was mearly pointing out that diesels have moved on to and a lot of the reason for better mpg also comes down to the platforms the engines are fitted into. Your comparison was fairly biased with you trying to point out how good the petrols are these days (which they are) but the diesels have moved a lot in 10 yrs too.

[TW]Fox · 11 Jan 2011 at 20:22

The M57 has not 'moved on a lot' in 10 years, although a lot of that is because it was way ahead of its time when it was released in 1998. It went from 193bhp in 2000 to 231bhp by the time it was canned, and added about 4-5mpg. Thats not a lot.

The N57 is a step forward, mind...

mjt · 11 Jan 2011 at 20:22

Dandle said:
I was mearly pointing out that diesels have moved on to and a lot of the reason for better mpg also comes down to the platforms the engines are fitted into. Your comparison was fairly biased with you trying to point out how good the petrols are these days (which they are) but the diesels have moved a lot in 10 yrs too.

+1

However, with the price of diesel being as stupidly high in the UK as it is, they do make a lot less sense than in the rest of the world.
If diesel were cheaper than petrol then they'd be a no-brainer most of the time..

Dandle · 11 Jan 2011 at 20:27

[TW]Fox;18203715 said:
The M57 has not 'moved on a lot' in 10 years, although a lot of that is because it was way ahead of its time when it was released in 1998. It went from 193bhp in 2000 to 231bhp by the time it was canned, and added about 4-5mpg. Thats not a lot.

The N57 is a step forward, mind...

235bhp in single turbo form or 286 in twin turbo. Thats a fair amount of development and moving on from its beginnings IMO.

[TW]Fox · 11 Jan 2011 at 20:30

Dandle said:
235bhp in single turbo form or 286 in twin turbo. Thats a fair amount of development and moving on from its beginnings IMO.

Alpina had a twin turbo version pushing almost 250bhp in 1999.

Don't get me wrong, it is probably one of the greatest diesel engines ever made, but you are impyling it revolutionised itself over its life when in reality it underwent gentle evolution until 2008, when it was replaced.

Axeboy · 15 Nov 2011 at 20:00

Old thread I know. Taken a deposit today for the 335, so now on the hunt for something else. Lexus 450h is temptingly cheap.

No reason on selling the 335i, its just time