V6? Hmmmmm.... You're not referring to bimmers then???

 

When I was looking for a replacement for my 525i, I decided to go for the greater economy if desel, I thought this would be a step down in performance terms but after taking delivery of my 530d I have revised my thinking, I am realy enjoying the instant push in the back at low revs and the overall performance of this car. Last weekend I made a 150 mile round trip of mixed motorway A and B roads and returned 41.5 MPG (Imperial galls) which is about 12 mpg better than my old 525i on the same trip under very similar conditions and speeds. So I am now entierly convinced that deisel is for me. My only regret is that I did'nt go for the 535d. Although I can appreciate the cravings for the M5s screaming V10, our UK roads and traffic would make it difficult to make real use of the M5's potential. However for me the fuel consumption with petrol at or near ?1 per litre the M5 would be too expensive for me to run, so the argument for the M5 is academic to me, but it doesn'nt mean that I do'nt appriciate the M5, I do, and will surely drool when I hear that V10 at full chat
I sure hope BMW will continue to develop deisel for performance cars, it seems to me that they are doing a cracking job so far.
Lawman ( E60 530d sport)

 

Can someone please explain the difference as far as performance, feel etc between the two. I understand the difference in gas mileage. I wonder with the price of gas in the US skyrocketing, whether they will start importing diesels.

 

I prefer gas engine

 

I prefer the power and delivery of a diesel but the sound of a petrol wins and nudges it ahead, just!

 

I prefere for all that's non M the diesel (or maybe i find this 535d to be faboulous). If i would have to target an M car, i'd say forget the diesel, if you already want a tune and a song (not to mention performance) from a petrol why won't you aim for an m5?! I mean clearly most of the 550i owners could afford the m5...That's the strange bit for me.

 

That's the bit I don't get either.

 

My heart says petrol power, but .....

I'd rather have a 530d than a 530i in performance terms

and ....

I'd rather have a 535d than a 540i

and ....

the 550i is just too extreme for a 25K a year mileage in the UK given the cost of fuel.

As to the choice of 550i vs M5 - in the UK the M5 is ?63.5K and the 550i is ?44K

That difference is nearly as much as I paid for my car

.... so not surprisingly - I voted HEAVY OIL

 

On an international forum, this is not a good poll... In Europe, the situation is surely different.

 

I agree with the 530d over a 530i and a 535d over a 545i, but I thought the poll was what would you have if money was no object? not what did you buy and why?

I am the same as you and went diesel for financial reasons, but if I didn't have to worry about the fuel costs and the depreciation on an M5, Alpina B5 touring or RS4 avant I would probably be in one of those.
At 30k miles a year the fuel cost me around ?400 a month in the diesel, in an M5 or an RS4 it would be costing ?800 a month, also the depreciation on the 535d is around ?600 a month, in the M5 it would be around ?1200 a month, so around ?1000 more a month to have the petrol, not worth it for an M5, I would rather buy and Aston for that sort of money!