[Trialskings]

It's a good job the 335d is so fantastic in every other area, filling up every day at the moment! Why on Earth didn't they fit a tank more appropriate to its strengths as a long distance cruiser?

5 days in & 1500 miles passed now.

God I love this car.

[JD6]

Agree completely. The F10 has a 70 litre tank rather than 57 litres. Those extra 13 litres provide not just an extra 20% range since most of us fill up some time before empty, so in effect it is more like 25-30% extra range.

I wonder if the tank has to be say half full for the official fuel economy tests, thereby encouraging smaller tanks? Surely it would make more sense for the test to specify a set volume of fuel to avoid this.

At the very least, they should offer a larger tank option.

[NISFAN]

Yep, the curb weight which all tests go by stipulate a 90% fuel load, so a smaller tank is of benefit. The 5 series carries a 13kg penalty over the 3 series because of this.

[JD6]

Originally Posted by NISFAN

Yep, the curb weight which all tests go by stipulate a 90% fuel load, so a smaller tank is of benefit. The 5 series carries a 13kg penalty over the 3 series because of this.

Cheers.

It is very annoying that they don't consider this sort of unintended consequence when designing these tests. I think I read that Merc had fitted an insanely small 41 litre tank to their C Class as standard, which must be a result of this. I believe that UK models have a larger tank though.

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by JD6

Cheers.

It is very annoying that they don't consider this sort of unintended consequence when designing these tests. I think I read that Merc had fitted an insanely small 41 litre tank to their C Class as standard, which must be a result of this. I believe that UK models have a larger tank though.

I agree. I guess when they started the testing rules, they wanted to 'normalise' the car weights. The Curb weight also includes a theoretical person and a suitcase. Although the person is only 68kg's and the suitcase is 7kg's. Don't know about you, but I haven't weighed 68kg's since I was 14.

90% fuel load does seem inappropriate, especially as they have used a woman's weight as 'the driver', and we all know women never 'fill up' they only put a tenner in at a time.

[SkyJawa]

Yeah smaller tank and thus range compared to my E92 330d, its a bit of a niggle I must admit, the car is much bigger, but has a smaller tank!

That said it costs me no more than around 80 quid max to fill up, and compared to other people I speak to too whose cars have bigger tanks and cost way north of 100 quid theres something nice about it not being so high lol!

[jusdorange]

Does anyone know how much say 50kg costs to transport?

Just if you wanted max mpg, would you be best to do 1/2 tanks?

I filled up ONCE, rest of time £10 sometimes £6 (I don't go very far)

[....,,,,..,,..]

Originally Posted by jusdorange

Does anyone know how much say 50kg costs to transport?

Just if you wanted max mpg, would you be best to do 1/2 tanks?

I filled up ONCE, rest of time £10 sometimes £6 (I don't go very far)

Not having correct tyre pressures and air temp has a greater impact than 50kg.

[Apl440i or 335d?]

This used to drive me mad too!

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by jusdorange

Does anyone know how much say 50kg costs to transport?

Just if you wanted max mpg, would you be best to do 1/2 tanks?

I filled up ONCE, rest of time £10 sometimes £6 (I don't go very far)

If you only put £10 in I would think your best bet would be a G-Whizz

[jusdorange]

Originally Posted by NISFAN

If you only put £10 in I would think your best bet would be a G-Whizz

My average journey is less than 10 miles, so pointless filling up a tank.

I think a long range fuel tank as an option would be good though for those that like to trek

[teaston]

I thought they made it smaller because the mpg has increased!?

I got 500 miles before filling up in my E90 320d, and i still get 500 miles in my F30 330d! Obviously the figures compared to an E90 330d would be even more favourable!

[Trialskings]

Originally Posted by jusdorange

My average journey is less than 10 miles, so pointless filling up a tank.

I think a long range fuel tank as an option would be good though for those that like to trek

I could probably blu-tac a spare tank somewhere

[SkyJawa]

I get about 450-480 to a tank and previously got 480-500.

[JustChris]

Try a 52L in an M235i, quite the regular at the pumps now!

[Tengocity]

I've averaged 386 miles per tank since new, which perhaps says more about my driving than the fuel tank size, but I really wish it was larger, mainly as I regularly drive from home to my parents in Scotland and it's 440 miles, so right on the limit of being doable on 1 tank if I drive fast... Which means I end of up getting fleeced by having to use to fill up at motorway service stations.

And my OCD only allows me to fill up completely, otherwise it messes up my fuel spreadsheet!

So 70 litres would be ideal for me.

[jusdorange]

^^ surely at some point in that journey you can go through a sleepy village with cheap fuel and half fill up

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by jusdorange

^^ surely at some point in that journey you can go through a sleepy village with cheap fuel and half fill up

From Herts to Perth is Motorway all the way so not without coming off, which is a faff. And as mentioned, I don't do half fill ups!

[HighlandPete]

We really have a decent range on tanks these days, whatever the moans.

Go back a few years and many cars didn't have much more than a 200 mile range, totally normal.

My first car, I'd put in 6 gallons and it was full, 200 miles later and another 6 gallons... Even my first BMW 5-series (E12) had a 70 litre tank, but 20mpg was a good return, to get over 280 miles before refilling was a good run.

To be fair with increased mpg these days why do we need to carry the weight around when we still get a decent range?

Don't forget even 535d owners get over 50mpg.

HighlandPete

[jusdorange]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

From Herts to Perth is Motorway all the way so not without coming off, which is a faff. And as mentioned, I don't do half fill ups!

It wasn't clear if you meant, you fill it up to the brim or full to empty to full

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by jusdorange

It wasn't clear if you meant, you fill it up to the brim or full to empty to full

I mean that if I am putting fuel in my tank then it is always to fill it up completely, otherwise you can't do a proper measure of your fuel consumption.

[DTP1980]

Originally Posted by Trialskings

It's a good job the 335d is so fantastic in every other area, filling up every day at the moment! Why on Earth didn't they fit a tank more appropriate to its strengths as a long distance cruiser?

5 days in & 1500 miles passed now.

God I love this car.

Also bear in mind that a bigger tank could mean greater offset of weight distribution towards the rear. BMW talk of 50:50 distribution and this wouldn't be possible with a significantly bigger tank in the 3er. The F10 is bigger and heavier and can swallow the extra fuel volume without creating an 'imbalance'

And anyway, my S4 had the same fuel capacity as my 335, and did 200 miles between fill ups. Now that's worth moaning about - the 335 does more than double, and is nicer, quicker faster etc etc...!