E39 real world economy

We have a e39 528 (99) model. We have had as much as 37MPG driving very carefully at around 50-70 on the motorway. We have had 26mpg as the worst we have ever achieved and generally get between 29-31mpg with a mixed driving of town and motorway. When we first got it we drove to Barcelona in August crusing at around the ton mark for 16 hours and achieved 33mpg 5 up with the air con on.

Best info i can give you i'm afraid

The E39 is lighter and is possibly (certainly looks it!) more aerodynamic than the E34, so I would expect it to better the E34's fuel economy based on that alone.  Secondly, the larger sixes seem to give higher MPGs than the smaller ones so that too will contribute to better fuel economy.  I know that if the time comes that I replace my E34 with an E39, I wouldn't want anything less than a 528.  

Only had mine for 5 days, 'sactly the same as yours Stone ( although mine has 17" alloys with 235 tyres ) and having covered all of 200 miles, the computer that I reset the day I bought the E39 it says 20.9mpg

Side note: friend of mine has a 523se auto '99, he replaced all 4 contis with fulda extremo's, claims to have lost 4-5mpg average :/ (thats me out of the round at the pub, I recommended them, I had them on my Passat at the time )

Ill post more when Ive done a few more miles Stone :) My 5 has 130k on the clock to

hoping to get a few more pics soon, that is the one that tempted me to my car lol, ( the autotrader advert pic )

im getting ave. of 23 also now, but on a 50 mile run recently, it was ave. around 42 at a steady 70-90, cant argue with that, due service to soon :o/

are your tyres an aquatred type? ( v pattern as oppsed to lots of lines around tyre :))) friend of mine with a 523 99 just changed all 4 to rain pattern/ aquatread affairs, lost about 4mpg he reckons ( thought id explain the situ there a little better :)))

good run does em loads of good Stone, find an excuse, take offa while

Still not done a long blast yet but after adjusting pressures and another 40 miles I'm getting 22. something on the same run! That's no better than my old 525i with the same tyres. Oh well.

Current tyres are all P6000's. Some marketing waffle and a picture can be found here:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Pirelli&tireModel=P6000

Anyone got any other suggestions for tyres with reasonable performance and economy?

Good to hear Ian's getting over 30mpg but I'm too attached to the 528's pulling power to give it up

Stone

 

Had my 528 Glacier green manual, for two years now, running on bf goodrich 225 60 15  tyres and getting 34 on a run or 24 around town.  Upgrading to 17 m5 wheels this week.  My rear tyres are only lasting about 8k ( heavy left foot ).  Anyone interested in clear lenses upgrade German and Sweedish £175 & VAT.   Hope that this helps ?

Eamo - reckon you're right there. But, most pumps tell you how many litres they deliver so I don't need to worry about going back to the same garage. Unless, unless you're suggesting UK fuel quality varies more than it should?!

Petrol gauge seems to sink pretty quick so I suspect the mpg readout isn't far wrong.

Stone

Agreed, but I'm interested in miles per gallon, and as I can get the number of litres from the pump readouts, the price isn't such a worry.

Cheers

Stone

Spike

You must be driving down 35 mile long hills.  I couldn't get 40 mpg if I was on the back of a RAC lorry

Just bought a pair of 540 sport alloys with toyo tyres so I wonder if my mpg will go down 255 on the back !!

 

In my experience the computer can be a little bit optomistic when it comes to fuel consumpsion. It is on my car anyway, generally between 2 and 3 mpg better than actual.