Saying goodbye to the M20 525... and hello TDS!

[StuartB]

'lo!

Saw an absolute belter of a car the other day, and seeing as the 525i is on the peaky side with beaten up bodywork and knackered paint, I thought I'd go the extra mile and nab it... it was either that or a pug 406:



Money going down in the next few days, then it's all mine Here's the specs:

Aircon
Auto
Full BMW service history
1994/5 post facelift model
Bodywork is absolutely perfect
72k miles
all for £3495! Mebbe a bit expensive, but worth it given the age, milage, and rarity of these things round here

[Fred Tyler]

Looks very nice, in Australia it would be about $10,000 or so! also like the colour.
mine is dark blue.
enjoy

[SharkmanBMW]

I wonder why?!!!

[jplacson]

How do the turbo diesel versions perform? I know the new BMW diesels can out perform their petrol counterparts in both the 0-60, and passing acceleration speeds.... how does the 525tds compare to the 525i?

[Interceptor]

How do the turbo diesel versions perform? I know the new BMW diesels can out perform their petrol counterparts in both the 0-60, and passing acceleration speeds.... how does the 525tds compare to the 525i?

Well, there is a "slight" difference in horsepower - around 50 HP, in favour of 525i M21/M51 is pretty sluggish. Newer common-rail diesels outperform them easily.

[Jon K]

Well, there is a "slight" difference in horsepower - around 50 HP, in favour of 525i M21/M51 is pretty sluggish. Newer common-rail diesels outperform them easily.

The torque is amazing though.

[Interceptor]

The torque is amazing though.

I agree. 525tds is an excellent car for relaxed cruising together with all the luxury E34 has, at a substantially lower price per kilometer/mile. But, I must admit that I don't feel very secure when overtaking cars at higher speeds - diesels are just not good for it due to their power distribution characteristics.

[jplacson]

but what about start-stop traffic sprints? Wouldn't the diesel's low-end torque be more useful for city sprints, over the 525i?

[Interceptor]

but what about start-stop traffic sprints? Wouldn't the diesel's low-end torque be more useful for city sprints, over the 525i?

Actually - no. Diesel engines have heavier moving parts thus making them lazy and sluggish on start. That's why diesels are used in heavy trucks that require a lot of pulling power. You don't see a race/rally car use a diesel, do you?

[jplacson]

That's actually what I was wondering. Always wondered why with so much low-end torque, diesels don't make good GT cars.

So only the new common-rail ones have any chance of beating their petrol counterparts in terms of performance?