Quote:
Originally Posted by Efthreeoh
So where I see all of this high-MPG Government-mandated requirements crap going is to expensive cars with high maintenance costs and really to no good benefit for the owner. The N20 in the F30 will get a bit better fuel mileage than the N52. Maybe a 3 or 4 MPG increase. Using my real MPG data (27) and adding 3 MPG to get to 30 MPG average and using my average fuel price per gallon, which is $3.24. The N20 would have saved me $2,300. I'd bet anything that by 200,000 miles, I'd need to replace the turbo(s) at some point, which would easily be a $2,300 repair bill, so there is no net gain. Yeah, okay, you can make the argument that the N20 would be a half second quicker to 60 MPH, big deal. I need reliability and longevity. Throw in that the N20 is probably more expensive to produce than the N52 and would raise the base price of the car by a few thousand dollars, there is no benefit at all.
|
As much I don't like the N20, I also think that a turbo will easily last 200000 miles, given your specific drive (mostly highway and in 6 years).
BTW, the same 3-4mpg gain you are talking about, probably may have been done adding direct injection to the I6. That's what happened to the GLK that gained suddely 3mpg overall for 2013.
I also took the risk of keeping my car longer than usual. So far at 75K miles, it is ok, but each visit at the shop makes me nervous. Next Wednesday, I am going to the dealer for a leak on head cover - it is the second time (it has been done on warranty in 03/2011). I won't be surprised if it costs me 1500$ (including a rental, a brake oil change and 15% taxes). So far, I haven't been successful finding a specialized indy shop in my area. I tried one and wasn't impressed.