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-   -   BMW 5-Series M-Sport : 30d or 30i dilemma (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/luxury-imports-niche/207842-bmw-5-series-m-sport-30d-30i-dilemma.html)

Coming from a remapped Jetta, the 320d didn't seem that much of an upgrade although completely different driving dynamics.

Now the 320d's done 20,000 kms and shes just been with me for just over a year but with the G20 round the corner I was getting a feeling that it would be the best time to go in for an upgrade depending on what kind of exchange offer I could get on my car, and to make matters easier there were sweet deals going on on the G30 530d (2018).

Now there are just a couple of cars left of 2018 but some dealers are giving good discounts on the 2019 530d as well (Price difference is not more than 2 lacs).

I'm completely confused which one to go for since I was just informed that they have started bookings for the 530i M-Sport with lesser features than the 530d. The 530i sportline feels a bit shortchanged on the features but with the M-sport that aspect has changed.

My driving is about 20k a year but there is a good enough price difference for me to consider a petrol as well.

There are no petrol cars available for test drives though.

What do you guys think? 30d or 30i?

You need to consider two aspects while choosing between 30d and 30i - Features and Drivetrain

Features:

Feature wise, following is the comparision between 30d M Sport and 30i M Sport.

Heads up display present in 30d vs. absent in 30i
4 zone air conditioning vs. 2 zone air conditioning
Comfort seats with lumbar support in 30d vs. sports seats in 30i
Napa leather in 30d vs. dakota leather in 30i
Fine wood trim in 30d
Instrument panel in sensatec in 30d

Feature wise, my choice would be the 30d, just for the Heads up display and 4 zone air conditioning.

Drivetrain:

This is definitely a difficult choice to make but will depend on what you prefer. Both the 30i and 30d have their own strengths. 30d is a torque monster while the 30i is a highly refined, sweet high revving petrol.

When you combine the enhanced feature set and the 3 liter, 6 cylinder engine, I would definitely recommend the 530d over 530i.

However, if the price difference between the 530d and 530i is significant and you do not care about the heads up display and 4 zone AC, then 530i is a very good choice as well. The 30i is super refined and the engine note when you rev it to redline is just exhilarating. Check out the 530i ownership review by 84.Monsoon below.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...-530i-g30.html

In summary, you can't go wrong with either of the options. Choose according to your budget and feature preference.

A 6 cylinder is a 6 cylinder. The 530i will be great, but the 30d will be far more enjoyable with all the torque. If the price difference is within 3-4l I would definitely go for the 530d. If for some reason there is a large price difference, the 530i would be a good choice too. The heads up is the only big negative I see with the 30i in terms of features.

BTW why not consider the 330i M sport. Infinity in Mumbai had one for 36l ex showroom, and at that price its definitely worth considering. Not to mention the smaller 3 series chassis is great fun as you know, the 4 cylinder motor feels faster in the 3.

Edit - The f30 resale values have already gone for a bit of a toss. Why not just remap your 320d and hang on to it for a couple years. Then buy the G20. A 5 series will never be as much fun as a 3.

Jetta/ Laura / Octavia class of cars are difficult to upgrade from. It is quite common to see people skip a segment (C/3/A4) and go for the next segment i.e. 5/E / crossovers like XC 60/X3/GLC. Jetta to 330i would have been a better upgrade :). Anyway, now that you've had the 320d for just over a year, you would loose a lot selling or exchanging it so soon.

The 530d /530i are good cars but I don't see any sense in letting go of a 320d in less than a year! Unless you badly need the bigger car in terms of space and luxury, the 5 doesn't really warrant the additional 20 to 25 lakh outgo at this point. In terms of driving pleasure I am sure your 320d trumps the 5 whether its the 30d or the 30i.

If you want to quell that feeling of making a mistake with the 320d and want to get it over with, then it all depends on your usage. Only if your usage is predominantly highway I would recommend the 530d. 530i is the nicer car to live with on a daily basis and is no slouch either.

530d, any day week or month of the year! What is the price difference, better you tell us that for better advice. I would say pick the 2018 530d to bridge the gap but get the 6 cylinder for sure! It will feel like a worth upgrade from the 320d, the 530i will feel like a minor upgrade in power hence you will be left feeling pretty much as you did when you upgraded from the Jetta.
This week would be the right time to get a 2018 530d, bargain hard and bite the bullet or you will be back here next year feeling your 530i doesn’t feel much of an upgrade :p

20k km a year definitely makes the case for a diesel. Plus, that 6-cylinder & ZF 8-speed combination is among the best worldwide. It is simply spectacular. The 530d will always leave you :D.

That said, even as a 530d owner & lover, I do miss high-revving a petrol & satiate that thirst with all the press cars that keep coming in. What's important is what you like more. Hence, do take a test-drive. If the 530i isn't available for a test, take a spin in the 330i that Akshay referenced above so you get a feel of the engine.

Decide after you drive. And do share an ownership report with us :thumbs up.

The 530d wins on most counts when compared to the 530i. It depends on the price difference. If its not too much then I would go with the 530d. The sensatec dash on the 530d will make the car feel a notch better than the 530i. I also believe the Nappa leather is way better than the Dakota leather but the Dakota leather is easier to maintain and lasts longer.

Drive them both, you should get your answer.
Highly personal choice. Some people like diesels others hate it.
Feature set is another factor to consider. I detest this trend of not offering top variant on both engines.
You will find some low end lag in the 30i and it is also a bit less ooomph with 4 people. 30d doesn't have this problem, but the diesel smell, noise, and lack of fun redlining is why I'm off diesels.
30i will perform best with 97/99 fuel, which might be a hassle if no pump nearby stocks it.
I love the 28i in the 3er. Did not like the 30d in the x5.

I am looking for an upgrade from my F30 320d soon as well. I noticed that you guys keep mentioning the juicy discounts on the 530d.

Can anyone help me figure out a ball park figure of how much discount I can push currently?

There is no diesel smell, except at the petrol pump. And you'll have to bear it even if you are filling up your petrol car as there will be other diesel cars at the pump.

BMW's inline-6 diesel actually sounds amazing at high revs.

Redlining = Absolutely agreed. That's what I miss the most as both my previous cars were 7,100 rpm-friendly Honda Vtecs! That said, the 530d does revv to ~5,400 rpm which is pretty good for a diesel. I can't think of any that revs higher.

Another advantage of diesel Europeans = fill them up anywhere with regular diesel, even on highways (as long as it's pure).

If the price difference is okay with you then get the 30d. In addition to that sweet 6 cylinder engine you get good-to-have features like HUD.

Also, if most of that 20k kms running is on highway then diesel makes sense as its better for cruising compared to 30i.

My recommendation still would be the 530D for the 6 cylinder 3 liter engine and all the extra features that the 530D gets.

However, when it comes to cruising in the highways, the 30i is also equally good. While cruising at 100kph, the RPM is about 1200. And due to the super refined engine, if the roads are smooth, it almost feels like driving an electric car :)

Just to make matters more tough. BMW has launched the 530i in MSport edition. :D
Now the 530d & 530i are both in the right category of comparison. Except for a few features there is not much difference now.
Let us know what you decided.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...port-trim.html

530i MSport.pdf

I was comparing 530d and 530i on highway. Can imagine 330i on highway to be much better than 320d but I felt noticeable difference between 30d and 30i in 5 series on highways.

30d was super effortless even with fully loaded car (4+ luggage).
I may be wrong though as I drove 530i only for a short distance on highway compared to 500+ kms on 30d.

Agree with your observation. The 530d will definitely trump the 530i with the 620Nm vs. 350Nm torque. So, the 530d should definitely be a better highway cruiser.

My comment on the 30i engine was with my experience with my GT. So, it definitely would be inaccurate when applied to the 530i. Apologies.