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Car Forum / BMW Cars / December 2006

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Fuel Economy

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Richard Wilkinson - 25 Nov 2006 18:36 GMT
Hi,

I'm considering replacing my 1996 Land Rover Discovery for a 1998 BMW525tds.

Can anyone tell me roughly what fuel economy I can expect from it (as I can
no longer afford a car that does 25mpg!!)

Thanks!
Jim Pineau - 26 Nov 2006 05:34 GMT
Then don't buy a BMW. My '89 525i 2.5l averages 20-25 in town and a little
better on the highway.

Jim

> Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Thanks!
John Burns - 26 Nov 2006 10:54 GMT
> Then don't buy a BMW. My '89 525i 2.5l averages 20-25 in town and a little
> better on the highway.

Is that the 12 valve engine? The 24 usually manages more than that. I
average over 30 (imperial) from my E36 328i and have had 40mpg on a long
run with cruise control.

The original poster was talking about the diesel, I've heard of folk
managing 45 with a light foot but I imagine the average is nearer 35.
It's a heck of a powerful engine, most owners will rave about it :-)

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Floyd Rogers - 27 Nov 2006 23:15 GMT
>> Then don't buy a BMW. My '89 525i 2.5l averages 20-25 in town and a
>> little
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> average over 30 (imperial) from my E36 328i and have had 40mpg on a long
> run with cruise control.

That's a typical US mileage for the M20 or M50 engine.
However, you and the OP are talking UK/Imperial, which he probably
didn't notice.

FloydR
Jack - 28 Nov 2006 02:41 GMT
For many years I drove an '84 e30 318i which I replaced with a '91 e30 318is
last year.  I've driven the 16 valve engine long enough to be very sure that
it gets about 10% better mileage than the 8 valve engine.  I've always
attributed the improved fuel economy to the updated fuel injection system on
the newer car  because I couldn't think of any reason that more valves
should increase mileage.  It's very clear that more valves should increase
the horsepower available from the same displacement but I can't think of any
reason for the increased mileage.  These two cars and engines are very
nearly identical except for these two items.  Anyone have an explanation or
similar experience to share??

>> Then don't buy a BMW. My '89 525i 2.5l averages 20-25 in town and a
>> little
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> managing 45 with a light foot but I imagine the average is nearer 35.
> It's a heck of a powerful engine, most owners will rave about it :-)
Floyd Rogers - 28 Nov 2006 04:39 GMT
> For many years I drove an '84 e30 318i which I replaced with a '91 e30
> 318is last year.  I've driven the 16 valve engine long enough to be very
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> are very nearly identical except for these two items.  Anyone have an
> explanation or similar experience to share??

There are so many things that affect fuel economy that the difference
between
a 2-valve and 4-valve engine is insignificant.  For instance, the 4-valve
engine
makes more power, so that allows minor but very significant changes to the
rest of the drivetrain, like a lower numerical differential that allows
lower
rpm at cruise, revised gear ratios in the transmission.  Don't forget that
a cleaner burn due to 4 valves allows the engine to run closer to
stoichometric
lean conditions.

It's true that the M50 engined cars had lower mileage than their earlier M20
brothers, but they put the gains into power and performance rather than
mileage.

FloydR
adder1969 - 28 Nov 2006 11:20 GMT
> For many years I drove an '84 e30 318i which I replaced with a '91 e30 318is
> last year.  I've driven the 16 valve engine long enough to be very sure that
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> nearly identical except for these two items.  Anyone have an explanation or
> similar experience to share??

In general greater efficiency of the engine either results in greater
power and/or greater mileage althoguh one could argue whether a 16v
engine is always more efficient than an 8v one.

As far as advances in engine management goes, I get the same mileage
out of my '96 4.4 740 as my dad used to from his '86 2.0 Saab 900i
hsg@h-gee.co.uk - 29 Nov 2006 19:21 GMT
>For many years I drove an '84 e30 318i which I replaced with a '91 e30 318is
>last year.  I've driven the 16 valve engine long enough to be very sure that
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>the horsepower available from the same displacement but I can't think of any
>reason for the increased mileage.

You JUST said it - more power = less throttle for the same power as the 8 valve
engine therefore less fuel.

Power = fuel burnt  More power = more fuel but if you don't use the more power
you use less fuel.

Boom Boom

Hugh

>  These two cars and engines are very
>nearly identical except for these two items.  Anyone have an explanation or
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>> managing 45 with a light foot but I imagine the average is nearer 35.
>> It's a heck of a powerful engine, most owners will rave about it :-)

Sir Hugh of Bognor

The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys.

Intelligence is not knowing the answer but knowing where and how to find it!

Hugh Gundersen
hsg@h-gee.co.uk
Bognor Regis, W.Sussex, England, UK
hsg@h-gee.co.uk - 26 Nov 2006 16:13 GMT
>Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
>Thanks!

Smart car seems Ok for you or even a diesel Nissan Micra.  25MPG and you want
MORE!

Sir Hugh of Bognor

The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys.

Intelligence is not knowing the answer but knowing where and how to find it!

Hugh Gundersen
hsg@h-gee.co.uk
Bognor Regis, W.Sussex, England, UK
Mick - 26 Nov 2006 17:27 GMT
> I'm considering replacing my 1996 Land Rover Discovery for a 1998
> BMW525tds.
>
> Can anyone tell me roughly what fuel economy I can expect from it (as I
> can no longer afford a car that does 25mpg!!)

The BMW UK website gives the following figures:

Urban 30.7
Extra Urban 53.3
Combined 42.2

But that is for the manul version.
Jeff Strickland - 26 Nov 2006 18:03 GMT
I can't help but wonder how you can afford a '98 BMW if you can't afford
25mpg.

> Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Thanks!
Richard Wilkinson - 26 Nov 2006 18:34 GMT
>I can't help but wonder how you can afford a '98 BMW if you can't afford
>25mpg.

Quite simply...

Discovery worth £5000 and does 25mpg
Purchase BMW for £5500 and does 40mpg

600 miles week @ 25mpg = £100 / week fuel

or

600 miles week @ 40mpg = £65 / week fuel

So the BMW would have paid for itself after 3 months and I'd be £35/week
better off

I'm guessing maths isn't your strong point...
Steve - 26 Nov 2006 19:02 GMT
On 26/11/06 18:34, in article 4569de20$0$1490$db0fefd9@news.zen.co.uk,

> Quite simply...
>
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> I'm guessing maths isn't your strong point...

To get 40mpg you're going to need a 530d not a 525d - and you'll need to
double your budget or settle for one with over 100k and pay for
suspension,bushes,discs etc as they will come up for replacement before
long. They are out there within your budget however.
Much more fun to get an M535 for 2-3k and spend the rest of the money of
fuel though......

Steve

Signature

1985 M535i

E28 Guy© - 27 Nov 2006 22:49 GMT
> On 26/11/06 18:34, in article 4569de20$0$1490$db0fefd9@news.zen.co.uk,

> Much more fun to get an M535 for 2-3k and spend the rest of the money of
> fuel though......
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> --
> 1985 M535i

Don't I know that ... =;^)
--
C.R. Krieger
1988 535is (pretty much US-equivalent to your M535i)
MW de Jager - 04 Dec 2006 06:59 GMT
Steve you hit the nail right on the head.

I went shopping for a new car for my wife the other day.  I could buy a new
small car for x amount of money.  This would probably have power steering,
but nothing else in the luxury catagory.

In the end we bought a 2nd hand 316i for less than half of the price of an
entry level new car.  Full service history and after spending a little money
it is now spotless.  Fuel consumption is not even 20% worse than that of the
really small entry level car.  And it has all the luxuries, AC, PS, EW, SR
leather seats, alloy wheels.

She does less than 1000km per month, so it will take her for ever to use the
difference in cost due to fuel consumption...

MW

> On 26/11/06 18:34, in article 4569de20$0$1490$db0fefd9@news.zen.co.uk,
>
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
>
> Steve
hsg@h-gee.co.uk - 29 Nov 2006 19:18 GMT
>>I can't help but wonder how you can afford a '98 BMW if you can't afford
>>25mpg.
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
>
>I'm guessing maths isn't your strong point...

I do 300+ and it costs me about £65 but then I do have a nice high speed road
with NO cameras and very little traffic and can average over 60 per to work and
back often over the 100 faster if the bloody transits get out of the outside
lane!

Sir Hugh of Bognor

The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys.

Intelligence is not knowing the answer but knowing where and how to find it!

Hugh Gundersen
hsg@h-gee.co.uk
Bognor Regis, W.Sussex, England, UK
Fred W - 27 Nov 2006 18:44 GMT
Gotta remembver Jeff, they have big expensive gallons over there.

-Fred

> I can't help but wonder how you can afford a '98 BMW if you can't afford
> 25mpg.
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>>
>> Thanks!
Mike G - 27 Nov 2006 17:28 GMT
> Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Thanks!

From the  E39 Owners Handbook.
Imp mpg figures.

Manual box
Town 26.4 mpg
Country 48.7 mpg
Total 37.2 mpg

Auto box
Town 22.8 mpg
Country 42.2 mpg
Total 32.5 mpg
Mike.
 
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