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525 Dan 
Newbie
Joined: 11-April-2006
Status: Offline
Points: 13
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 Topic: MPG
Posted: 22-April-2006 at 13:54 |
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Ive now been driving my 525 touring for a week and the car has averaged a miserable 24 mpg to a tank full that included a long motorway trip,is this normal or have i got a problem,it feels sluggish at low revs,any suggestions?
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e34-520iSE
Really Senior Member I
Joined: 22-December-2003
Location: Gateshead, UK
Status: Offline
Points: 453
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Posted: 22-April-2006 at 14:22 |
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Sounds about right, both in mpg and low rev power.
HTH,
Shaun
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Self confessed madman
1990 Brilliantrot 2 ltr M20.
Air force definition of explosives: A loud noise followed by the sudden going away of what was once there a second ago.
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Stone-IslandV8
Really Senior Member II
Joined: 31-January-2003
Location: North Somerset
Status: Offline
Points: 3015
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Posted: 22-April-2006 at 14:46 |
Try running a V8, the tow bar comes in handy for pulling your own private fuel supply!!! 
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e34-520iSE
Really Senior Member I
Joined: 22-December-2003
Location: Gateshead, UK
Status: Offline
Points: 453
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Posted: 22-April-2006 at 15:10 |
Nice one! 
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Self confessed madman
1990 Brilliantrot 2 ltr M20.
Air force definition of explosives: A loud noise followed by the sudden going away of what was once there a second ago.
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Exharper
Really Senior Member I
Dont let the misses drive it!!
Joined: 19-January-2005
Location: Sawley, Long Eaton
Status: Offline
Points: 444
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Posted: 22-April-2006 at 15:17 |
hum, sounds like you have not got used to the loud pedel
On a motorway drive at 80 mph i get 35+ mpg!!! at least 400 miles to a tank...
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Beemer dan 523i SE 1997 (184K) Canyon Rot Red, auto. 330 CI Msport Convertible, blue 51K.
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martin528
Groupie
Joined: 27-September-2005
Location: Hinckley
Status: Offline
Points: 67
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Posted: 22-April-2006 at 15:18 |
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Is it an auto? They usually do a bit less mpg than manuals. My 1998 528
steptronic feels sluggish at low revs, but it quick once the kickdown
gets used! I can get 30mpg on the motorway, and about 22 just making
short trips.
Martin
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Triumph Speed Triple 2006, and E39 528i SE...not bad for a 26 year old!
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Exharper
Really Senior Member I
Dont let the misses drive it!!
Joined: 19-January-2005
Location: Sawley, Long Eaton
Status: Offline
Points: 444
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Posted: 22-April-2006 at 15:22 |
what sort of average speed do you do on the motorway Martin...i would be upset if i got 30 mpg....
mine is auto but its a 523 (5)...
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Beemer dan 523i SE 1997 (184K) Canyon Rot Red, auto. 330 CI Msport Convertible, blue 51K.
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fingerman
Really Senior Member II
Joined: 31-May-2005
Location: Stockport
Status: Offline
Points: 564
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Posted: 22-April-2006 at 15:45 |
My old e39 averaged about 30mpg when careful It's all about driving carefully and not around town to much ! - although we can't help that unless you live in the country Last month my 530 (straight 6) was empty when I was up in Livingston (just outside Edinburgh - if you don't no) and I only had £29 on me so I put that in at the local Morrisons - at 89.9p a litre and it got me home !!! - that's 240 miles off £29 quid ! - about 35ish litres I think that's pretty impressive for a 3 litre - 15 year old car  - and it's auto I was careful and probably averaged around 70mph When I first got the 530 I was getting about 350 miles out of a tank and it was costing me £65 to fill it up which I thought was shocking - maybe it was just experimenting was the 3 litre could do 
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Current: E34 1996 525tds 113-125k
Previous: 9xE34s, 5xE30s, 2xE39s, 1xE32, 1xE36.... phew!
My Ebay bits: http://search.ebay.co.uk/_W0QQsassZseany69ukQQhtZ-1
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523 iAN
Really Senior Member II
Joined: 17-September-2005
Location: close to Loch Lomond
Status: Offline
Points: 1258
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Posted: 22-April-2006 at 17:11 |
think i average 23-25 mpg in my 2000, E39, 523 (2.5)
 the only time ive looked at the fuel side of thing's was when i first bought it, then once i'd driven it about for a while ............. all thought's of MPG go away 
mpg is something my wife worries about "and she don't even drive"
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2003-530i SE
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525 Dan
Newbie
Joined: 11-April-2006
Status: Offline
Points: 13
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Posted: 22-April-2006 at 18:10 |
The car is a manual and I was only doing 70 on the motorway,I have to admit its had some hammer round town and they are heavy so looks like it could be about right.Its worse than the 2.5 mondeo estate it replaced,but its a great drivers car wish id bought one years ago 
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525 Dan
Newbie
Joined: 11-April-2006
Status: Offline
Points: 13
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Posted: 22-April-2006 at 18:19 |
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Ill just add that ive also got a 5.9 v8 american muscle car on a four barrel carb which drinks petrol beyond belief,so i have some idea what you v8 people feel like
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Stone-IslandV8
Really Senior Member II
Joined: 31-January-2003
Location: North Somerset
Status: Offline
Points: 3015
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Posted: 23-April-2006 at 03:13 |
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I just bought shares in BP lets put it that way.!!
3.5l V8 plus 20 mile trip to work down twisty windy up & down country lanes doesnt help either.Get better return in mpg in manual or sports mode.
John
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523 iAN
Really Senior Member II
Joined: 17-September-2005
Location: close to Loch Lomond
Status: Offline
Points: 1258
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Posted: 23-April-2006 at 04:12 |
 Stone-IslandV8 wrote:
.Get better return in mpg in manual or sports mode.
John |
(one for Auto-owner's)
this is something i often wonder about, does anyone find a diffrence with fuel when using triptronic shift about town and on twisty + hilly road's rather than just leaving it in "D"?  better or worse fuel use?
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2003-530i SE
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Stone-IslandV8
Really Senior Member II
Joined: 31-January-2003
Location: North Somerset
Status: Offline
Points: 3015
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Posted: 23-April-2006 at 04:16 |
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Yes,better.
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523 iAN
Really Senior Member II
Joined: 17-September-2005
Location: close to Loch Lomond
Status: Offline
Points: 1258
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Posted: 23-April-2006 at 04:25 |
Thank's Stone-IslandV8, i'll have to give it a try.... well once i know how much fuel i'm using in "D" mode??
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2003-530i SE
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Stone-IslandV8
Really Senior Member II
Joined: 31-January-2003
Location: North Somerset
Status: Offline
Points: 3015
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Posted: 23-April-2006 at 04:40 |
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Where you start to lose it is that its too easy to start using the tip/.manual rather than just keeping it in S.
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525 Dan
Newbie
Joined: 11-April-2006
Status: Offline
Points: 13
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Posted: 23-April-2006 at 05:20 |
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The yank does single figures round town,but its very fast and loud
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Stone-IslandV8
Really Senior Member II
Joined: 31-January-2003
Location: North Somerset
Status: Offline
Points: 3015
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Posted: 23-April-2006 at 05:43 |
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Ouch....never any real way to work it out but to gauge for yourself.
I estimated 22mpg using 'D' on my country work route, this seems to have gone to about 24 using 'S' with the odd manual foot-to-floor overtaking manoevour.
To give a comp I worked out the old 520 manual did 360 miles to about £65 of fuel so that gave circa 26mpg!!
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525 Dan
Newbie
Joined: 11-April-2006
Status: Offline
Points: 13
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Posted: 23-April-2006 at 06:00 |
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I was going to buy a v8 touring but I dont think my wallet could handle a v8 daily driver,I heard the six cylinder cars were good on fuel which made me sway towards one.I once had a 2.9 4x4 sierra which only did 15 round town during winter and it was slower than the bmw
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AndyS
Really Senior Member II
The Last of the Few
Joined: 21-August-2003
Location: 55 � North
Status: Offline
Points: 1365
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Posted: 23-April-2006 at 06:17 |
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Autocar test of a 525i SE manual Touring in April 1992 recorded 20.8mpg overall on test with a best of 25.8mpg.
Govt tests claimed 20.9 urban, 37.7 @56mph & 30.7 @75mph.
They also noted that it lacked bottom end punch although this would have been a pre-vanos engine so later cars would be a little better.
My E30 316 Touring (manual) is similarly thirsty for it's size & power. Around 28mpg commuting with 33mpg @75mph on a motorway isn't very good for a 1600 but it is a heavy car so requires low gearing to cope. It's surprisingly spritely to drive & with restraint I've had nearly 37mpg out of it.
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AndyS Live each day as if it's your last - one day it will be. 
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MPG