14 Months of ownership but it's still not a Mercedes

The Pan Man

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2004
Messages
1,254
Reaction score
0
Location
Warwickshire
Your Mercedes
2008 E 500 A/G Classic colour combination.
I don't post very much these days but I still lurk in the background once a week or so. I would like to air my views on the BMW 530i that I bought in November 2010.

Where to start, well the BMW as a car has no faults with the 3 litre straight 6 engine it never gets stretched or stressed the box 6 Speed changes without fault the interior is crisp and clean and comfortable, so what am I saying. It's not a Mercedes thats what I'm saying. I do hope this makes some sense to some of you. Nothing wrong with the car at all but there is just something missing.
 

Alex M Grieve

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2008
Messages
9,388
Reaction score
60
Location
Broom, Warwickshire
Your Mercedes
B Class d200 Sport Premium Plus (66)
I don't post very much these days but I still lurk in the background once a week or so. I would like to air my views on the BMW 530i that I bought in November 2010.

Where to start, well the BMW as a car has no faults with the 3 litre straight 6 engine it never gets stretched or stressed the box 6 Speed changes without fault the interior is crisp and clean and comfortable, so what am I saying. It's not a Mercedes thats what I'm saying. I do hope this makes some sense to some of you. Nothing wrong with the car at all but there is just something missing.

One of our neighbours had a 530i, and I travelled to France with him in it to "collect" some fine wines.

Super car - quiet and very quick IIRC. He was always very reluctant to comment on fuel consumption though.

Given that you moved from a W211 diesel, to the 5 series petrol, can you comment on the difference that has made in performance v fuel consumption?
 
OP
The Pan Man

The Pan Man

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2004
Messages
1,254
Reaction score
0
Location
Warwickshire
Your Mercedes
2008 E 500 A/G Classic colour combination.
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #4
Alex, I was going to add that, In just over 10,000 miles it has averaged 26.6 mpg I also now do mostly very short trips, so what ever I decide to run I doubt that it will make a lot of difference. The performance is as you would expect from a 3 litre straight six in D or Sport or manual i.e. tiptronic as we all know it, it just touches the red line when you are in a hurry before changing up, Comment Sport mode holds about 200 - 300 more rpm before the up change, pulls all the way till it needs another gear. A petrol 280 or 320 could well be on the cards. e.g. of short trips Previous golf run was 30+ miles now it's just under 8 that's twice a week in the winter and 3 or 4 times in the summer. Stratford to ASDA at Leamington once a month up to Halesowen twice a month and down to Devon 4 or 5 times a year + 1 Cumbria trip if it's my year to drive. On the long runs keeping just under the new motorway limit of 80mph it will return 35 / 36 mpg which is OK IMO.
 
OP
The Pan Man

The Pan Man

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2004
Messages
1,254
Reaction score
0
Location
Warwickshire
Your Mercedes
2008 E 500 A/G Classic colour combination.
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #5
One for Alex, Do you know Naked wins dot com? Have found them very good, and much to my astonishment some countries other than France do make very drinkable reds, I would never have known that or believed it up until relitavely recently.
 

Alex M Grieve

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2008
Messages
9,388
Reaction score
60
Location
Broom, Warwickshire
Your Mercedes
B Class d200 Sport Premium Plus (66)
Alex, I was going to add that, In just over 10,000 miles it has averaged 26.6 mpg I also now do mostly very short trips, so what ever I decide to run I doubt that it will make a lot of difference. The performance is as you would expect from a 3 litre straight six in D or Sport or manual i.e. tiptronic as we all know it, it just touches the red line when you are in a hurry before changing up, Comment Sport mode holds about 200 - 300 more rpm before the up change, pulls all the way till it needs another gear. A petrol 280 or 320 could well be on the cards. e.g. of short trips Previous golf run was 30+ miles now it's just under 8 that's twice a week in the winter and 3 or 4 times in the summer. Stratford to ASDA at Leamington once a month up to Halesowen twice a month and down to Devon 4 or 5 times a year + 1 Cumbria trip if it's my year to drive. On the long runs keeping just under the new motorway limit of 80mph it will return 35 / 36 mpg which is OK IMO.

much the same average fuel economy I got from a 124 series 280TE some years ago - although your car is much quicker. I think 27 from a large powerful car is really acceptable.
 

Alex M Grieve

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2008
Messages
9,388
Reaction score
60
Location
Broom, Warwickshire
Your Mercedes
B Class d200 Sport Premium Plus (66)
One for Alex, Do you know Naked wins dot com? Have found them very good, and much to my astonishment some countries other than France do make very drinkable reds, I would never have known that or believed it up until relitavely recently.

I have not come across them. Can you buy it locally?
 

st4

Banned
Joined
Apr 6, 2008
Messages
8,624
Reaction score
13
Location
Sunny Scotland
Website
1-stephen-taylor.artistwebsites.com
Your Mercedes
Disqualified driver
Rust and unreliability?

I know a specialist that works on both marques.

BMW has better body work and rust prevention end of.

There is a myth about Mercedes lasting longer mechanically. The reasons BMW don't is that the servicing regime of 2 years 20k miles pleased fleet buyers, not the cars.

Owners of BMWs are reluctant apparently to spend £45 on a filter for the Turbo at the inspection 2 service. Replacing that is paramount for the life of the Turbo. The smaller BMW diesels he says are dreadful with the swirl flaps coming off and into the engine, lunching it. However for £300 you can buy a modified manifold that does without these.

He did say the best overall small diesel is the 220cdi but he's much less impressed with the V6CDi. If I were buying again, I would look at a 330d or 335d, I don't like the E60 5 series, I would also look at the F10 5 series. I'd also look at the 220cdi C class and 220cdi 211. I doubt I would go for a V6CDi again given all the inlet port shut off motor issues and that I do not like 7g.
 
OP
The Pan Man

The Pan Man

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2004
Messages
1,254
Reaction score
0
Location
Warwickshire
Your Mercedes
2008 E 500 A/G Classic colour combination.
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #9
Alex they are online only.
 

Xtractorfan

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2007
Messages
6,085
Reaction score
159
Your Mercedes
S class
Have to agree with St4 about the BMWs.. The turbo filter or crankcase filter or oil seperator ..its call lots of things.. I always replace. But there is a cheaper insert filter available also from BMW..
To my mind the best petrol BMW is the 535i...The best diesel is the 525d..
The 5351 petrol V8 is more economical and torquier than the straight6 3 lt
The 525d doesnt have the swirl flaps or the turbo and manifold problems of the 530d
 

st4

Banned
Joined
Apr 6, 2008
Messages
8,624
Reaction score
13
Location
Sunny Scotland
Website
1-stephen-taylor.artistwebsites.com
Your Mercedes
Disqualified driver
The 525d doesnt have the swirl flaps or the turbo and manifold problems of the 530d

Nice bit of info?

How come though. I thought the 25d was a 3000cc just detuned. Ala 320cdi and 280cdi. Now I am very tempted to get a 325d (not an E60 fan) in a couple of years when I will probably "want" another car.

In saying that, do we have any cases of 280cdi cars with manifold/inlet port shut off motor/linkage issues?

Always seems to be 320cdi owners that post, but that car is more common?
 

umblecumbuz

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2010
Messages
4,431
Reaction score
1,875
Location
Wales and Gozo
Your Mercedes
S204 and CLC 204 cdi, MX5, Kia Soul
Er ... have I just logged on to the wrong forum?

Baz
 

jberks

Senior Member
Joined
May 12, 2004
Messages
11,153
Reaction score
41
Location
M1, Outside lane, somewhere between Leeds and Lond
Your Mercedes
Jaguar XF 3.0 S, LR Freelander 2, Fiat 500 & Fiat Panda
I know exactly what you mean. I took out a new 330i a few years back. Compared to my 5 year old w202 220 it was sharper, massively faster & better in every measurable way. Did I place an order? No. Got back in my c and had all I could think was - my car is SO nice!
 

prm

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2009
Messages
231
Reaction score
0
Location
Braintree Essex
Your Mercedes
Ml350 bluetec sport 13 plate
Nice bit of info?

How come though. I thought the 25d was a 3000cc just detuned. Ala 320cdi and 280cdi. Now I am very tempted to get a 325d (not an E60 fan) in a couple of years when I will probably "want" another car.

In saying that, do we have any cases of 280cdi cars with manifold/inlet port shut off motor/linkage issues?

Always seems to be 320cdi owners that post, but that car is more common?

Hope not Steve;)
 

st4

Banned
Joined
Apr 6, 2008
Messages
8,624
Reaction score
13
Location
Sunny Scotland
Website
1-stephen-taylor.artistwebsites.com
Your Mercedes
Disqualified driver
Hope not Steve;)


I'll be very interested to hear about 280cdi's.

It seems that its the more powerful engine that seems to end up with this fault. From the forums its all been 320cdi E and C classes.

Does anyone know what parts are different on a 280cdi? I believe from Mactech on the otherside the only different is the injectors and the engine mapping.
 


Comand (Europe) Ltd are the leading specialists in supplying and fitting Comand, Linguatronic, Media interface kits, UHI phone, IPod interfaces and much more.
Top Bottom