How different is the feel of a 530i to a 550i?
06-04-2009, 08:20 AM
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My Ride: 2002 BMW 530i - Silver
2008 BMW X5 xDrive 30d - Black
2007 Audi TT 3.2 Quattro - Silver
How different is the feel of a 3.0L straight 6 to a 4.8L V8? Does the 550i accelerate noticeably better than a 530i? I realized I can spend some more for a V8 model but is it worth it?
06-04-2009, 08:27 AM
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My Ride: 2008 550I LOADED, all options except HUD and NV
"Is it worth it?" Depends on you. I love the way my car accelerates, doing 90 in a heartbeat getting on the freeway. Keep in mind there is more than 100HP difference so of course the 550 is faster. But if you are at all concerned about fuel economy (like I am) then the V10 probably isn't the answer. I average 22.6 in mixed driving and fill up about every 2 weeks. I had a Jeep SRT-8 that I sold to get this car and WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!! The Jeep got about 11 mpg in mixed driving which meant filling twice a week!!
06-04-2009, 08:39 AM
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Originally Posted by pjinca' post='900786' date='Jun 4 2009, 09:27 AM
"Is it worth it?" Depends on you. I love the way my car accelerates, doing 90 in a heartbeat getting on the freeway. Keep in mind there is more than 100HP difference so of course the 550 is faster. But if you are at all concerned about fuel economy (like I am) then the V10 probably isn't the answer. I average 22.6 in mixed driving and fill up about every 2 weeks. I had a Jeep SRT-8 that I sold to get this car and WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!! The Jeep got about 11 mpg in mixed driving which meant filling twice a week!!
hmm.. i also get about 21-22mpg with my 545i.
06-04-2009, 08:39 AM
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My Ride: 2004 SMG 545i
silver grey metallic / bamboo anthracite / black leather
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Originally Posted by pjinca' post='900786' date='Jun 4 2009, 09:27 AM
"Is it worth it?" Depends on you. I love the way my car accelerates, doing 90 in a heartbeat getting on the freeway. Keep in mind there is more than 100HP difference so of course the 550 is faster. But if you are at all concerned about fuel economy (like I am) then the V10 probably isn't the answer. I average 22.6 in mixed driving and fill up about every 2 weeks. I had a Jeep SRT-8 that I sold to get this car and WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!! The Jeep got about 11 mpg in mixed driving which meant filling twice a week!!
That SRT8 had a 6.0L Hemi in it and was a SUV, so gas mileage like that should have been expected IMO.
5er_
I had an E36 M3, which had a 3.2L Inline 6 much like that of the 530i. Now I drive a 545 with a 4.4L V8.
Now I know the 545's and the 550's have different engines, but the feel of the V8 over the I6 is so much more fun. It pulls much harder in the lower RPM's because of the massive amount of torque both engines have.
And to touch on the gas mileage issue... In my 545 I'm averaging anywhere from 17-18mpg in town and 26-28 on the freeway. The 530 won't be much better than that, I can almost guarantee it.
06-04-2009, 09:06 AM
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For those who say "if you have to worry about gas, you shouldn't own a BMW" ...... well, I really don't know what to say to such a statement. What I can comment on is, while the 530 isn't as fast as the 550 in pick-up, they both have the same top end speed. The big difference is fuel economy in the end. Gas prices WILL, believe me, skyrocket again. Eventually, you will feel the pain of a 550 in your wallet.
06-04-2009, 09:08 AM
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My Ride: Titanium Gray 550i, Cold Weather Package, Premium Sound Package, Sport Package, Shadowline trim, Parking Distance Conrol, Xenon, Adaptive Headlight Control, Navigation System, Satellite
Originally Posted by 5er_ooomph' post='900780' date='Jun 4 2009, 12:20 PM
How different is the feel of a 3.0L straight 6 to a 4.8L V8? Does the 550i accelerate noticeably better than a 530i? I realized I can spend some more for a V8 model but is it worth it?
530i has 230 hp while the 550i has 360 hp. Average gas mileage for 530i is 23-24 and 550i is 20-21. I don't wanna sound biased, so I will now leave it up to you to answer your question, is it worth getting the 550i? 
06-04-2009, 09:17 AM
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Originally Posted by Frank5er' post='900827' date='Jun 4 2009, 10:08 AM
Musta pare! Definitely huge difference in the, as what your name implies, OOOmph! 530i has 230 hp while the 550i has 360 hp. Average gas mileage for 530i is 23-24 and 550i is 20-21. I don't wanna sound biased, so I will now leave it up to you to answer your question, is it worth getting the 550i?
530i has 230 hp while the 550i has 360 hp. Average gas mileage for 530i is 23-24 and 550i is 20-21. I don't wanna sound biased, so I will now leave it up to you to answer your question, is it worth getting the 550i? . Gas mileage isn't that different I average 23.8 MPG accoding to my car.
06-04-2009, 09:33 AM
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Originally Posted by 5er_ooomph' post='900780' date='Jun 4 2009, 12:20 PM
How different is the feel of a 3.0L straight 6 to a 4.8L V8? Does the 550i accelerate noticeably better than a 530i? I realized I can spend some more for a V8 model but is it worth it?