First Drive: 2012 BMW 528i - MotorTrend Magazine
In the somewhat controversial decision to equip the latest 528i with a turbocharged four-cylinder rather than a conventional six-cylinder engine, BMW asks a similar question of its buyers. The way BMW breaks it down, it's simple math. More importantly, it produces 30 more lb-ft of torque that comes on 1500 RPM lower, down to 1200 RPM according to BMW. The clincher is that the new engine returns 23 mpg city and 34 mpg highway, 1 mpg more city and 2 mpg more highway than the outgoing car. On top of that, BMW's xDrive all-wheel-drive system is now available on the new 528i and returns 22 mpg city and 32 mpg highway, same as last year's rear-wheel-drive-only six-cylinder car. It's all even more impressive considering the six-cylinder 2011 528i was a one-year car that already improved over its last-generation, 2010-model predecessor, which offered 230 horsepower and 200 lb-ft of torque, and returned only 18 mpg city and... The 2012 car does pick up one new trick, though, and it's an important one: automatic engine start/stop. Now fitted to nearly all new BMWs, auto start/stop turns off the engine when you're sitting. Source: www.motortrend.com
