girmis

Do you even understand when somebody is being sarcastic?

I think it is totally useless to discuss in this thread.... yours 530i at 1500rpm torque is ~150, x35i engine ~300 lb.ft. (with procede it ~360) Now this is what matters in everyday driving - in order for me to accelerate I do not have to redline my car every time I want to accelerate - it pulls like a freight train from very low rpm (same with 550i). I am not saying that 530i is slow, it is still a fast car, but dynamics are different. Turbo vs NA. Torque monster at a very low rpm vs balanced NA... BMW's never been the cars which are compared by 0-60 numbers - if you want 0-60 car, go buy STI or Evo.

In general, I love bmw NA engines, I had 330Ci before my 535i. But to say it was as fast as 535i I would not dare... in a way it can be compared if it is beeing redlined and pushed, but in normal everyday driving turbo engine rocks.

tuffluck

of course i know he is being sarcastic, hence the

that is a good point though about around town driving. most people probably drive in a lower rpm range, so the more torque then the more acceleration that particular car probably experiences on an average in-town drive. i guess that's the same concept as grandma driving vs. someone with a lead foot too, hence i was trying to provide more of a generalization than a per-event/per-user scenario testing. still a valid point you make though.

JohnC

I have had quite a few fast cars in my time, and I did not buy my 5er based on it's acceleration. I only have a 215hp 525xi. If I floored the car from every light or stop sign, I would look like a jackass. That means it has more than enough power for everyday driving. I have never had issues with pulling into traffic or entering highways. Yes more power can be fun at times, but how often do you that have it actually use it? My car would get beat in a drag race by most cars on the road today, but it's overall driving dynamics are better than most. That is why I bought my car. It drives and handles well, it is comfortable, and it gets pretty good gas mileage. I have upgraded my tires from the crappy Goodyear RS-A's to Micheling Pilot Sport A/S Plus which made a huge difference in ride and handling. Would I prefer a 550? at times yes, but most of the time I would just be taking the hit in MPG and not using the extra power. I see more of the benefit in the looks of the 550i and the standard list of items not on my 525. The power isn't always a plus and you should either just move on or go and get youself a 535 or 550 and be done with it.

Bad Debt

Can't we all just get along?

wolfgang0524

Something else to consider is the transmission. My car feels night and day different between when I run in regular auto mode, "manual" auto mode, and sports auto mode. I had a 335xi coupe loaner and it felt pretty uninspiring in full auto mode. It was much more fun in "manual" auto mode, but it couldn't compare to my car in sports auto mode. The shifting is so much quicker and the car just takes off after each shift.

I had a manual 2001 330xi for a short while. I loved that car and it was a ton of fun. It was 200-300lbs less with 225hp. It felt fast, but definitely did not have the throw you back in your seat acceleration of the 535. Perhaps if I were a better shifter, the car would have seemed faster.

jmsod

... and it's not just about the TQ but how low in the RPM range you can tap into that TQ. Not my intent to start a battle, but this is the reason why a 535 can beat a 545 and 550 off the line. All the TQ of the 535 is available almost immediately where the 545 and 550 really have to get up in RPM to tap into the bulk of the TQ.

tuffluck

you're right. really any difference in driving habits as i mentioned earlier would change the outcome of acceleration on any of the various cars mentioned regardless of a change in total power. for instance, if you put an aftermarket torque converter with a 3500 stall on a 530i, it surely would jump on the 535i off the line. my first car was a camaro v6 and i put a 3200 stall on it and i consistently had 60' times on the track at 1.9s. with my v8 camaro and considerably more hp/torque, i only managed a 2.2s 60' best. it was a manual and i drove it well, but still was no comparison on the first half a second acceleration front with the v6 and a torque converter.

of course obviously, that isn't stock for stock. still, it's changing variables unassociated with power, too. so the guy that floors his car off of every line would probably beat the 535i owner that likes his 1k-3.5k rpm band off the line at a stop light, even if the other guy drives a miata (maybe not really a miata, but you get my point ).