2012 BMW 528i - Car and Driver
We’ve been skeptical since the beginning of claims that direct injection and turbochargers could replace displacement while returning sky-high fuel economy. Our observed mileage with many such engines has suggested that potential fuel savings are being overstated, but in fairness, making maximum horsepower takes fuel regardless of the displacement. But few small direct-injection engines will have to overcome as much skepticism as BMW’s new turbo four, which replaces one of our favorite engines. Like IHOP with pancakes, BMW does inline-sixes right, and we’re going to miss the naturally aspirated 3. 0-liter that this turbo 2. 0 supersedes. At 240, its horsepower rating matches that of last year’s six, but the four out-torques the six 260 lb-ft to 230. The six was peaky, too, and the four’s torque maximum occurs at a lower rpm (1250 versus 2600). We first encountered the quad-pot in... Few things reveal an engine’s flaws as reliably as increasing its burden, and the 528i is about 700 pounds heavier than the four-cylinder Z4. (Speaking of weight, BMW says the four-cylinder 528 is 22 pounds heavier than the previous model with the... But in the 5, the engine starts to nod off above 5200 or so rpm—although in fairness, it’s hardly noticeable at speeds lower than 70 mph. Source: www.caranddriver.com
