SKK

Ok did a back to back test of a 530i and a 530d today and wanted to share my thoughts.

Both cars were M Sport models and carried similar options. The petrol model was my own car, N52 engined, 2 months old, 1000 miles now on the clock and nearly run in. The diesel was an approved used car, 6 months old and had done 4000 miles (pre start/stop buttion car).

Drove my own car to the dealer (about a 25 mile journey), gave it a good run, parked the car and within 5 minutes both me and the missus were sitting in the 530d. Drove the 530d for about 12 miles (mainly on B roads) had a coffee or two and then headed back home in my own car with my new 172m style wheels fitted .

Compared to the petrol, the diesel engine was simply loud and unrefined. Cold started it and it was noisy, clattery and just a lot lot louder. It got better as the engine warmed up but it was massively poor in comparison to the petrol. Noise levels inside the car were significantly higher as a result. This was even the case in the last few miles of the journey, so I couldnt blame it on a cold engine. It was cold day today and all the windows were rolled up. From the outside it sounded even worse. My wife thought that there was something wrong with the car........it was just so unrefined. I simply could not live with that sound.

The diesel felt a lot slower off the mark but it was definately quicker in gear. It felt livelier on the move and you needed less accelerator to keep it going at a nice pace. Not sure how much the "livelier" aspect was due to the noiser engine but it definately had the more usable performance. In gear acceleration (without resorting to kicking down a gear) was definately a touch better.

Now here is the crunch. I found out later that the diesel car had the old 3 litre diesel engine. Given this, it was remarkable that I found its performance to be so usable. I can only imagine what a 535d feels like down a good country lane. The new diesel 3 litre diesel engine is also supposed to be a more refined. It has to be in my opinion as the noise levels in the car I drove were simply unacceptable in a luxury saloon.

The next car in my house is likely to be a diesel (new X5 for the wife), simply because the economy is so much better and the wife drives a lot more miles than I do. I just hope that the newer engines have been thoroughly sorted noise wise by then. Will do the test drive when the model comes out.

Just my two pennies. No one please get upset....

dude_in_germany

And keep in mind that the 535d engine has 2 turbos, one for each row, its a V8!. Its said to run a lot smoother, also the turbo-hole is not that exposed anymore.

SKK

It's not a V8.

535D Sport

[s]WTF is a turbo hole and why is it no longer that exposed ?

BetterMakeWay

He ment, i bealive, that the 2 turbos make the 3 liter diesel act as a v8.
Turbo-hole is another term used to describe turbo-lag.
So is it no longer exposed? I can certify that turbo lag is gone.

dude_in_germany

excuse me, of course its not a V8, my mind was somewhere else.

what I meant is that due to the 2 turbos it should run smoother, the turbo hole (or what you call it) is just those rpm?s until it kicks in, I dunno in the 530d around 1500 rpm or something. Do you not feel this "turbo hole", the "less power" until it suddenly kicks in? Maybe I just cant explain what I mean.

Sorry.

535D Sport

I understand you now you mean turbo lag. With the twin it eliminates any turbo lag that you get with a single turbo.

Ricracing

I test drover the same car (older 530d) some time ago (with the same winter tires I have),
and I have to admit the the sound from the outside is strange but the noice inside was as
soundless as it is in my car.

Also I liked the diesel torque, acceleration from 60 km up.

With my yearly 15.000 km the 530i would be my car but it could be also the new E92 330Ci...
In 2007 or '08 that is.

SKK

Not in my experience (including the 525d and the 530d I drove today). In terms of noise inside the car with the windows closed and the engine warm, there is still a big difference in refinement and smoothness between the diesels and the petrol. No doubt about it.

colejl

Not in my experience (including the 525d and the 530d I drove today). In terms of noise inside the car with the windows closed and the engine warm, there is still a big difference in refinement and smoothness between the diesels and the petrol. No doubt about it.
[/quote]
Absolutely! Some people can 'live' with, others can't... Personally, I love the meaty sound Slight vibration at idle is annoying but I don't tend to be stationary too long

When you're cruising over 45mph you definitely can't tell it's a diesel... (Apart from the 50mpg )

I want a 535d next but I must admit the 540i interested me until I saw the residuals! (540i is the worst!!!)