Topic: Test Drive: 2012 BMW 528i xDrive

[Autos_Editor]

BMW's new turbocharged four-cylinder engine is a fine fit in the 5 Series, but its start-stop function lacks refinement.

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[5 Wheel Drive]

Love the color combo on your tester!

A little disappointed to read about the roughness of the 4 cyl at lower revs.  I was surprised to hear the auto stop/start is rough too.  But, at least it can be turned off.  It would be a tough call between this an Infiniti M for me.

[redman]

There is something about a inherently balanced engine of which only the inline 6 and  v12's carry that will be missed. Unfortunately BMW has lost it's aggressive unique visual edge and now sadly it's venerable I6 to boot. 
Cry me a river but if you can afford a 70K car you can afford the minor fuel costs associated with a two more cylinders.

[greengs]

There is something about a inherently balanced engine of which only the inline 6 and  v12's carry that will be missed. Unfortunately BMW has lost it's aggressive unique visual edge and now sadly it's venerable I6 to boot. 
Cry me a river but if you can afford a 70K car you can afford the minor fuel costs associated with a two more cylinders.

It's due to CAFE regs they going to smaller engines isn't it.

[tpl]

There is something about a inherently balanced engine of which only the inline 6 and  v12's carry that will be missed. Unfortunately BMW has lost it's aggressive unique visual edge and now sadly it's venerable I6 to boot. 
Cry me a river but if you can afford a 70K car you can afford the minor fuel costs associated with a two more cylinders.

It's due to CAFE regs they going to smaller engines isn't it.

They could solve that one with their existing small diesels that are in all the cars.  Especially as the Euro diesel emission spec V5 or V6 whichever is just about to arrive is pretty close to the EPA spec.

[5 Wheel Drive]

I just built a 535 x Drive on BMW's website.  Similarly equipped (same color combo too!) and it came to $76k and change.  Roughly a $4k difference to get the excellent I6 (with hydraulic steering instead of the 528's electric).  Should I ever find myself in the tax bracket where I could afford it, I know which way I'd go...

[redman]

I just built a 535 x Drive on BMW's website.  Similarly equipped (same color combo too!) and it came to $76k and change.  Roughly a $4k difference to get the excellent I6 (with hydraulic steering instead of the 528's electric).  Should I ever find myself in the tax bracket where I could afford it, I know which way I'd go...

Giddy Up  !!

[wing]

Genesis? LOL

[mlin32]

I haven't driven the 5er. I've driven a 328i 6MT and was just fine with the engine at idle and at the upper reaches of the rev band- not sure why people care so much about how an engine sounds at idle from the outside. The Auto Start-Stop function on that car was just fine, but then again I've driven a 118i in Europe back in 2008 which had the same feature, so it worked just as I remembered it. However, this isn't the first review of the 5er that's mentioned a less-than-smooth implementation of the same feature, one that I really like. I've been manually stop-starting the engine on my X3 for years when appropriate without ill effect.

[Vanstar]

I'd wager that BMW will stocks lots of these cars on their lots to get their CAFE numbers up at that 90% of the customers who buy them won't notice the difference between the four-banger and the six, or V-8 for that matter. More important for these buyers will be suitable places to put the Hello Kitty accessories.

A Lexus GS350 AWD with Ultra Premium package is $62,000, a full $10,000 less than the four-banger Bimmer. The reviews are very good and one could safely assume resale value would also be good. No coarseness with the Lexus V-6, either. That is where I would put my money.

As an addition, the 306 hp AWD Lexus is rated at 11.1L/100km in the city, while on this test the 241 hp four-banger Bimmer returned 10.1, while the Lexus is 130 lbs lighter.

[vdk]

I haven't driven the 5er. I've driven a 328i 6MT and was just fine with the engine at idle and at the upper reaches of the rev band- not sure why people care so much about how an engine sounds at idle from the outside. The Auto Start-Stop function on that car was just fine, but then again I've driven a 118i in Europe back in 2008 which had the same feature, so it worked just as I remembered it. However, this isn't the first review of the 5er that's mentioned a less-than-smooth implementation of the same feature, one that I really like. I've been manually stop-starting the engine on my X3 for years when appropriate without ill effect.

How much is a starter for the X3? 

[quadzilla]

Cry me a river but if you can afford a 70K car you can afford the minor fuel costs associated with a two more cylinders.

I've never understood this. What does the price of the car have to do with fuel efficiency or cylinder count?

[tpl]

Cry me a river but if you can afford a 70K car you can afford the minor fuel costs associated with a two more cylinders.

I've never understood this. What does the price of the car have to do with fuel efficiency or cylinder count?

It is that old fashioned NA idea that small cars are cheap and nasty and cars must get bigger and more powerful( aka more cylinders)  as they get more expensive.  This reached its pinnacle for cars in the late '60s early '70s.  Died off for a bit and then came back in the SUV era.   One hopes it has gone for good now.

[jyarkony]

I haven't driven the 5er. I've driven a 328i 6MT and was just fine with the engine at idle and at the upper reaches of the rev band- not sure why people care so much about how an engine sounds at idle from the outside. The Auto Start-Stop function on that car was just fine, but then again I've driven a 118i in Europe back in 2008 which had the same feature, so it worked just as I remembered it. However, this isn't the first review of the 5er that's mentioned a less-than-smooth implementation of the same feature, one that I really like. I've been manually stop-starting the engine on my X3 for years when appropriate without ill effect.

I drove the 328i MT the week following, and the start-stop coarseness was slightly better overall, but still noticeable, and perhaps more pronounced through the shifter as it restarts when you slide it into gear... it's something you don't get on a Prius, so at twice the price (okay not all trims are twice the price of the Prius V i drove), I'd expect them to do a little better. And perhaps expectations play into it as well – i expected this engine, in this car, to only make nice, happy noises when i caned it... instead i got grumbles at every stop light and vibrations at every stop and start... within a year or two, I expect they'll sort this out and we'll be back to fawning over everything with a BMW badge...

[jyarkony]

I'd wager that BMW will stocks lots of these cars on their lots to get their CAFE numbers up at that 90% of the customers who buy them won't notice the difference between the four-banger and the six, or V-8 for that matter. More important for these buyers will be suitable places to put the Hello Kitty accessories.

A Lexus GS350 AWD with Ultra Premium package is $62,000, a full $10,000 less than the four-banger Bimmer. The reviews are very good and one could safely assume resale value would also be good. No coarseness with the Lexus V-6, either. That is where I would put my money.

As an addition, the 306 hp AWD Lexus is rated at 11.1L/100km in the city, while on this test the 241 hp four-banger Bimmer returned 10.1, while the Lexus is 130 lbs lighter.

Hey, don't knock Hello Kitty... My daughter loves Hello Kitty, and so do I! I'm not ashamed...

I have to wait over 2 months before I get in the GS 350, but after the Motor Trend comparison (http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1206_six_cylinder_midsize_luxury_sedans/viewall.html), I wish I'd booked it sooner... sounds like they nailed it and, I love the look of that interior...

[Fobroader]

I still dont like the idea of this stop/start system, how hard would it be on the starter and timing belt/chain of the vehicle. Im all for being "green", but starting and stopping your vehicle countless times a day would be horrible for it.

[sacrat]

Genesis? LOL

I was just wondering when the thread would "leak over" from the Genesis article. Wing, you've got a sadistic streak 

[rrocket]

I still dont like the idea of this stop/start system, how hard would it be on the starter and timing belt/chain of the vehicle. Im all for being "green", but starting and stopping your vehicle countless times a day would be horrible for it.

Except that it's not.  Old wives tale.  Modern engineering and materials make this possible.  I read one study where the automaker did the start/stop engineering research a minimum of ONE MILLION times, with no ill effects. And you'd have to do TONS of stop/go traffic over many years to do one million start/stops.

Your argument was valid...in the 1970s.....

[nsmyhte]

I think this engine is fine for the 3 series but I don't think its befit of a 5 series.  BWM should just give us a real diesel (as opposed to a gas engine that sounds like a diesel) as the fuel efficient drivetrain option.

I would rather get a 335i for the price of a 528i.

[dirtyjeffer]

this looks like a really nice car (which i am sure it is), but $72,345?!?!...ouch, that's a lot of money for a 528...i know buyers of this car are unlikely to cross shop it against the Genesis, but the Genesis can't be that much "worse" for $20k less?