525 vs 530

[dogkiller]

Hello all,

I have a 525 touring that I've had for a while now. It is starting to get a little tired and I have the opportunity to pick up a clean well maintained 530.

Can you advise on what to expect from owning a 530 versus a 525 in terms of maintaining and performance?

Thanks!

[cochise325]

A 525i with a manual transmission is faster than a 530 with an automatic transmission. It is also lighter and gets better fuel economy. The 525i is easier and less expensive to maintain. And the inline 6 (with iron block) will probably outlast the aluminum block in the V8.

[dogkiller]

Thanks but I am not overly concerned about faster. It's a touring! But with that logic the 530 with a five speed would be faster as well.

I am really just waiting to know if getting into a well maintained 530 is going to be a practical car. In comparison to a 525.

I have owned many 6 cylinder BMW's and know the ins and outs of keeping one and maintaining it.

V8's on the other hand I have no experience. I know the 6's are an easier car to own. Just looking for some first experience to chime in.

[rex cars]

530 has the power of a 525 and the fuel economy of a 540. It may be a v8, but it is a tiny one. The ubiquitous Chevy v8 is 350 cubic inches, the 530 v8 is close to half that at 183 cubic inches.

[priler]

Hello all,

I have a 525 touring that I've had for a while now. It is starting to get a little tired and I have the opportunity to pick up a clean well maintained 530.

Can you advise on what to expect from owning a 530 versus a 525 in terms of maintaining and performance?

Thanks!

basically,as far as maintenance,the M60B30 (compared to M50B25) will have a few more gaskets,spark plugs(duh!),etc. and a little bit less room to work under the hood but the difference is not huge. it's small differences here and there but not a big deal,depending.

on the other hand,if you ever happen to have need to work on certain specific problems,you may kick yourself for your choice. ...but this applies to both. for example,if you need to rebuild or update(seal) the VANOS on a M50B25TU,you may feel intimidated by that if you've never done it before. it's the same as the intake gaskets on the V8s if you've never done that.

basically,like I said,a few more little parts here and there because of 2 banks of cylinders and a little less room(depending on what your working on). the plus side is that the V8(3.0L) will have more power(pick up in traffic) with a better performing ZF 5 speed auto transmission(6 cyl. got the GM 4 speed here in USA). the V8s also came automatically fully loaded(options),although i'm not sure if that applied to the Touring.

i'm thinking that if you've had the 6 for a long time and have worked on it before/are very familiar with it,that would/might be something to consider as well. it's always easier to work on something you already know. make sure you make your choice based on your own knowledge and research,not opinions and non-facts.

I would suggest that you read all of the DIY section and put some thought into it. what is known is V8s over many miles will probably need intake gaskets and valley pan done eventually and the oil pump bolts tend to work themselves loose(really easy fix). you're probably familiar with the 6 cyl. issues.


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iron block M50B25 weights---non VANOS=about 427.7 lbs. Vanos=about 436.5 lbs.

aluminum block M60B40. one source gives 448 lbs. another source gives 463 lbs. either way not much difference in weight. i'm not sure about the 3.0L version.

way before i ever even wanted an E34,actually when i was just a kid,i had already learned/knew that these V8 engine that replaced the old 3.5 6 cylinder was only about 20 lbs. more. i have released heavier amounts of bodily fluids in one "session" than that.(lol).

[cochise325]

I have the product literature from the 1995 model year.

The weights: 525i Sedan (5 speed manual) = 3561; 525i Touring = 3760; 530 Touring = 3881. So the V8 adds 121 pounds.

The Touring cars were offered only with automatics.

The 0-60 times (seconds): 525i Sedan (5 speed manual) = 8.6; 525i Touring = 9.7; 530 Touring = 9.1.

Fuel economy (city/highway mpg): 525i Sedan (5 speed manual) = 19/28; 525i Touring = 18/25; 530 Touring = 17/26.

So a 530i Touring weighs 320 pounds more than a 525i Sedan. It takes half a second longer to get to 60 mph. And it uses 10% more fuel.

Heavier, slower, less efficient. This might explain why people put manual transmissions in their 525i Touring cars.