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      01-11-2018, 01:53 PM   #1
babaikram
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G30 520d to 530d Transition: Not Worth it

I hope people are not offended.

I test drove G30 530D today expecting a massive difference in real world acceleration and shove in the back compared to my 520d etc. To be sincere I was disappointed.

The car felt heavier than mine, 'I did not feel' the acceleration, it was not significantly different in real life compared to my 520d. In fact I felt the shove in the back was more in my G30 520d, maybe because the car was heavier with 20' wheel compared to my 18' wheel.

Prior to the test drive I had been consistently driving my G30 520d M Sport Individual and I test drove 530d M Sport in the same setting as well as in comfort mode

I quickly decided that it was not worth taking the financial penalty of trading in a one year old 520d.

Contrary to the popular opinion here, a highly optioned 520d may be worthier than a poverty Spec 530d M Sport

Last edited by babaikram; 01-11-2018 at 04:13 PM..
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      01-11-2018, 03:01 PM   #2
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I went 540i M Sport Xdrive for this coming March, performance is well above the 520D and 530D, however if go is not that important then why change?.
Personally I would not entertain a 520D free.
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      01-11-2018, 03:04 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by babaikram View Post
I hope people are not offended.

I test drove G30 530D today expecting a massive difference in real world acceleration and shove in the back compared to my 520d etc. To be sincere I was disappointed.

The car felt heavier than mine, 'I did not feel' the acceleration was not significantly different in real life compared to my 520d. In fact I felt the shove in the back was more in my G30 520d, maybe because the car was heavier with 20' wheel compared to my 18' wheel.

Prior to the test drive I had been consistently driving my G30 520d M Sport Individual and I test drove 530d M Sport in the same setting as well as in comfort mode

I quickly decided that it was not worth taking the financial penalty of trading in a one year old 520d.

Contrary to the popular opinion here, a highly optioned 520d may be worthier than a poverty Spec 530d M Sport
I doubt anyone would take offence - we all know the 20d is a really good engine with lots of power (where a 30d would have been a few generations back). Im with you on the "kick in the back" point - compared to a smaller car the 5 flattens the shove from the 6 cylinder and the sound insulation just means it doesnt feel that fast. That being said when i had my test drives i took out a 20d, 30e and 30d, all were lovely cars but the easy, relaxed effortless nature of the 30d really won me over, and having had the car past run-in and giving it the beans it really is a rocket ship, license losing speeds are far too easily achievable - once you get to "know" the engine its an absolute peach and an absolute hoot to use.

Interestigly sport mode in the g30 seems to make things much more fun, whereas in my old f30 it just made it over-sensitive..
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      01-11-2018, 03:38 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim-Bow View Post
................. the easy, relaxed effortless nature of the 30d ...................
In this what seems like timeless debate about 20d.vs.30d which spreads itself across many BMW forums, these words above are what sums its up for me. The B47 4-cylinder diesel engine is a bloody good engine - arguably the best of the current crop of 2.0l 4-cylinder diesels (although Volvo's new 4-cylinder twin-turbo D5 is another promising engine). But you have to work the 20d engine hard to get the most out of it. But if people are satisfied with what the 20d engine delivers, then that's really all that matters.

We're currently looking at moving from an F25 X3 to a G31 5 Series wagon. We already have the 520d (and 530i) wagon available in the Australian market but are deliberately putting the decision off until later in 2018 when the 530d wagon is expected to join the local lineup.

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      01-11-2018, 04:00 PM   #5
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The old feeling of being "pushed back by the acceleration" of a car is something that seems to have disappeared in modern cars. I'm not saying it isn't there, but its something that car manufacturers have been able to limit with very clever gear boxes that make gear changes imperceptible and engine mapping that gives linear power delivery. Better cabin insulation also really helps mask the actual speed of the car.

In 'the old days', good old turbo lag and 6 speed boxes made you really FEEL the acceleration, not any more.

Even my F10 535d, did not give you a massive feeling of "wow I'm going fast".

Obviously, the 530d is quicker to any given speed than the 520d, but I am not surprised that you did not feel that extra speed. Manufacturers are getting really good at making cars feel so smooth that we are struggling to feel the speed of them. 100mph feels as effortless as 60mph these days.

Having said that, I have no doubt that if you spent a week with a 530d, you would become accustomed to its power and delivery and then getting back in a 520d it would feel slower. There would be certain situations where the extra power would show itself like coming off an island onto a dual carriageway, or having to accelerate quickly from an already decent speed, and you would think "the 520d didn't do that". But a test drive generally doesn't let you experience those occasions. Its much harder to notice an upgrade than it is a down grade for some reason.
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      01-11-2018, 04:13 PM   #6
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530d felt considerably heavier than 520d. That was my immediate impression on driving 530d and then on coming back to 520d.

It is almost the kind of feeling I had when I moved from E90 to F10.
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      01-11-2018, 04:21 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by babaikram View Post
530d felt considerably heavier than 520d. That was my immediate impression on driving 530d and then on coming back to 520d.

It is almost the kind of feeling I had when I moved from E90 to F10.
Are yours and the test car both X drive? There is only 75kg extra in the 530dx v 520dx. There will be more between a 520d non-x and a 530dx.

Although more than likely, you are feeling the weight of the larger wheels more than the weight of the car - the effect of the extra wheel weight is multiplied because of the fact that the extra mass is rotating. When I changed my F10 wheels and lost about 5kg per wheel, the car felt like it had a remap and power steering boost!
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      01-11-2018, 04:57 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by babaikram View Post
530d felt considerably heavier than 520d. That was my immediate impression on driving 530d and then on coming back to 520d.

It is almost the kind of feeling I had when I moved from E90 to F10.
That doesnt tally with my experience - but there are so many variables - wheels, tyres, suspension, and as jo mentioned xdrive. Whats the spec of your 520d out of interest?
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      01-11-2018, 05:04 PM   #9
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520d MSport
Alpine White/Cognac interior
18'' wheel
Technology package
Visibility package
Apple CarPlay
Reversing Camera
Auto folding mirror
Steering wheel heated
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      01-11-2018, 05:26 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by babaikram View Post
520d MSport
Alpine White/Cognac interior
18'' wheel
Technology package
Visibility package
Apple CarPlay
Reversing Camera
Auto folding mirror
Steering wheel heated
Rwd?
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      01-11-2018, 05:30 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim-Bow View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by babaikram View Post
520d MSport
Alpine White/Cognac interior
18'' wheel
Technology package
Visibility package
Apple CarPlay
Reversing Camera
Auto folding mirror
Steering wheel heated
Rwd?
Yes RWD
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      01-11-2018, 05:36 PM   #12
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I was coming from a 430d M Sport. So I test drove both 520d and 530d as I was worried about the difference. I'm glad I went with the 530d as I feel it's nearly on par with the 430d despite being heavier. There was a noticeable difference vs 520d. This probably explains what MobileJo's point. It's what you have been used to and what you are comparing against.
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      01-11-2018, 05:37 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by babaikram View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim-Bow View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by babaikram View Post
520d MSport
Alpine White/Cognac interior
18'' wheel
Technology package
Visibility package
Apple CarPlay
Reversing Camera
Auto folding mirror
Steering wheel heated
Rwd?
Yes RWD
If the 30d you test drove was xdrive then there will be a noticeable difference in weight between the two - less nimble perhaps, but also a bit more surefooted with the weight.

I really struggled with xdrive vs sdrive - pricewise there wasnt much in it (£11 a month) but ended up choosing heart over head (rwd only)

Im pretty sure we all love our cars though - first world problems and then some!...
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      01-11-2018, 08:19 PM   #14
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Buy the car for yourself and if the 4 pot chooses your fancy then so be it. I have said this before, if it were up to this forum, the 4 pot engine would be banned no doubt.
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      01-12-2018, 02:36 AM   #15
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I had an F10 520d for 8 or 9 months after a botched 428GC order, and it sold me on the 5-series. I ended up buying a used 535d, and it took a while to feel that the bigger engine was worthwhile.

The biggest negative (and perhaps the second biggest surprise with the 5-series, after the size of the boot!) was how much more nimble the front end of a large car felt in the 520d. Swapping the 4-cyl for the 6-cyl makes a huge difference, I felt, to that ability to move the nose of the car quickly and accurately.

I have equal respect for both models, and could make a solid case for choosing either - the extra performance is nice, but so is the lack of weight over the front wheels! I'd also argue there's something of the Lotus Elise effect with the 4-cyl; it's clearly lower-powered, but perhaps that just means you're more involved getting the performance you want from it!

Last edited by DavidI; 01-12-2018 at 02:54 AM..
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      01-12-2018, 05:02 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by babaikram View Post
I hope people are not offended.

I test drove G30 530D today expecting a massive difference in real world acceleration and shove in the back compared to my 520d etc. To be sincere I was disappointed.

The car felt heavier than mine, 'I did not feel' the acceleration, it was not significantly different in real life compared to my 520d. In fact I felt the shove in the back was more in my G30 520d, maybe because the car was heavier with 20' wheel compared to my 18' wheel.

Prior to the test drive I had been consistently driving my G30 520d M Sport Individual and I test drove 530d M Sport in the same setting as well as in comfort mode

I quickly decided that it was not worth taking the financial penalty of trading in a one year old 520d.

Contrary to the popular opinion here, a highly optioned 520d may be worthier than a poverty Spec 530d M Sport

You will soon tire of the moans and groans of a 4pot, these are heavy cars and need the extra bhp / torque of a larger displacement

it were my money I would always opt for a 6 over a 4 pot and if funds didnt allow id buy an older 6 pot

Real world running costs are much the same in my view and residuals are way stronger on the 6 pots, just look at good e90/92 330/5ds they are fetching silly money even at 7-10 yrs of age
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      01-12-2018, 07:21 AM   #17
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Interesting topic, and one I've often considered before buying cars.

I was going to move to an F31 328i, after my E91 330d. Both for the better dynamics of the lighter front axle weight, and 'sufficient' power for my typical driving. After trying a 535i there was no more looking at 328i models.

But I come from years of loving I6 engines, from the time even 2.0 litres was common as I6, in many marques and models. Even for the same power output, the NVH and delivery is just so much better, much better than a well balanced I4 engine.

A V8 is even better, the I6 makes a good compromise for relaxed delivery, both as petrol and diesel.

2.0d 5-series, no interest in the model range with the 4-pot diesel, to me just nothing going for it at all, other than comfortable transport. Same in the 3-series, the 320d models leave me cold. For me, a 3.0d is in a different league all together.

540i, now that does have an attraction after having a 535i. It is not simply the performance, we have to be honest and say "we don't need it for speeds up to our legal limits in the UK". For me, an engine is much more than how fast it propels you along. It is the difference between enjoying the driving experience, to it just being a mundane function.
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      01-12-2018, 08:16 AM   #18
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My opinion .
For me, it has to be a i6 as there is something about the sound a i4 makes when it revs highly.
A diesel i4 sounds a bit "tractor like" to my ears whereas a diesel with 6 or even 8 cylinders makes a nicer noise. In the petrol world where I am back now, it's the smoothness I like particularly on those occasion when the revs are high where it doesn't feel course.

Each to their own of course.
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      01-12-2018, 11:39 AM   #19
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B57 4 pot diesel engine does not produce tractor like sounds unlike earlier 4 pot diesel engines.
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      01-12-2018, 12:02 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by babaikram View Post
B57 4 pot diesel engine does not produce tractor like sounds unlike earlier 4 pot diesel engines.
Will depend on the installation. I had a 2.0d Gran Tourer with the B47 engine the other week, that was a bit of a rattle at low revs, very thrashy when revved.
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      01-12-2018, 12:59 PM   #21
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The 530i might be an interesting choice as it weighs 1715kg compared to 1735kg for the 520d and 1825kg for the 530d, however it has 185kw which means it has a better power to weight ratio than the 530d.

4 cylinder petrol engines are going to be comparable to a 6 cylinder diesel for NVH too I think.
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      01-12-2018, 06:12 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by babaikram View Post
I hope people are not offended.

I test drove G30 530D today expecting a massive difference in real world acceleration and shove in the back compared to my 520d etc. To be sincere I was disappointed.

The car felt heavier than mine, 'I did not feel' the acceleration, it was not significantly different in real life compared to my 520d. In fact I felt the shove in the back was more in my G30 520d, maybe because the car was heavier with 20' wheel compared to my 18' wheel.

Prior to the test drive I had been consistently driving my G30 520d M Sport Individual and I test drove 530d M Sport in the same setting as well as in comfort mode

I quickly decided that it was not worth taking the financial penalty of trading in a one year old 520d.

Contrary to the popular opinion here, a highly optioned 520d may be worthier than a poverty Spec 530d M Sport

If you are not a high mileage guy, just go for the 540i. Bring a smile to your face for the next few years, you only live once!
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