financeman1

As I got on the interstate tonight, I notice a 02 525i bmw in the far left lane. My fiance and I remarked how just last night we were talking about the new 5 series vs the last gen. She prefers the 02's smoother lines while i LOVE the 07 550. Anway, I accelerated fairly quickly and was going about 75 in a 60 about 150 yards behind the bmw. well, i start accelerating and quickly am closing in on the bimmer. i move to the far right lane and pass it and the car in the middle lane. It notices my driving and starts to accelerate also. We prob increase to about 85, but he is always behind me. I move around some cars again and start to slow down. I get down to 80 and before I know it he is right in front of me to the left lane. I then say screw this and take off- then I look down and Im going a notch over 100 and the bimmer is some distance behind! My fiance and I were both like Whoa and slow down becuase my exit is nearing. He then passes me going pretty damn fast. The moral is that it felt good to know that the bimmer could not pass no matter how hard it tried. I never downshifted or prob didnt push the car as hard as I could have. Then i realised how my car has 15 more hp, 10 less ftlb torque, and weighs about 300 less pounds + alot less miles- i shouldnt be surprised.

treez35

if you werent surpirsed, why did you post

PWPTSX

WHAT??? how do u know the bimmer even tried to catch up......or not........

Mokos23

Dang isn't our TSX fast?

eegrad

Two months ago I sold my '04 TSX and bought (leased) an '07 525i. I would say that in city driving the BMW feels as fast if not a bit slower than the TSX, but on the highway I do feel that the BMW can outperform the TSX, but not by a whole lot.

The 525i is still a blast to drive. I wish I would have had the extra money to get the 530i, 550i, or M5 of course (any of those would obviously smoke the TSX and 525i on a head to head race).

The biggest difference between the TSX and the 525i is on the way the car feels on the road. The BMW is super quiet at any speed and on any road. When you push the engine you get an awesome deep throtle tune. The other difference is on how the BMW grabs the road. It is almost impossible to make the tires spin or skid.

Can't really compare the two cars. All I can tell you is that the TSX sets the bar real high for a car under $30K, however, as you would expect, you do get a much more refined driving experience on the BMW.

aaronng

I don't think he was trying.

financeman1

He definately started switching lanes to catch up, when before he was just in the far left lane going fast. It doesnt matter, but it was fun to not notice I was going fast.

gdcwatt

Modded Civic vs Porsche 930 and a couple of 2nd gen M3's are better kills; I like Shannonville Motorsport Park, even though I'm not that good. The trade-off between a $10,000 Civic which I could live with destroying (if I made a mistake) and all that expensive European technology (which I guess some people didn't want to risk) is thought provoking.

shmork53

The 525 is not a fast car. They are nice and smooth, but not really any type of competition for the TSX. Now If you where next to a 325 or a 328 it might of been a fare fight. But yes I do agree that being able to go faster then a car much more expensive then ours is nice.

cuteguy1414

iTrader: (1)

Nice run against the bimmer

financeman1

If it was a 330 I definately wouldnt have been so cocky. Bimmer's have great torque, but the 525 is just so heavy for a small 6 cyl. I think the hids and fog attract a lot more attention from other drivers. People move out of the way if they are going slower or try to speed up, which is what i think the bmw did. It stayed in the left lane with other traffic till I got behind then passed it up in the right lane. It was fun, my fiance was joking about it again today not noticing how fast we were going. Unfortuantly, any of the v8 X5s would destroy me, and that makes me sad.

chuson

Not sure about the last gen 525i, but our last summer dyno meet has 7 TSX joined along w/ a 06 525i and a TC 240. The 06 stock 525i has 182whp/ 182wtq, where one of our member MT TSX w/ Comptech Header, UR Pulleys, ICE-box has recorded 185whp/140ish wtq.

I think the 525i will keep it up head to head on straight due to its torque.

CarbonGray Earl

525s aren't fast. But once in awhile, you get an snooty bimmer driver who thinks that their 525 IS fast...and they race you, or follow closely so as if to say they can keep up with whatever you throw at 'em. This sounds like what happened to you financeman.

Anyways, I always think, "sorry dude, it ain't a 550, and you and I know it" as I put distance between the bimmer and my rear bumper....

financeman1

They increased the engine size of the 06 to 3.0 liters. The same motor as the 530, but detuned somewhat. It increased in HP significantly over the 02 and has a small increase in TQ. I love edmunds. com. This car was not fast at all

dom

Maybe, but the story is very plausible.

184 HP
175 lb-ft
with a curb weight of 3450.

The TSX should have won the race.

Mokos23

That's it for a 02 BMW 525i? That's definately not the ultimate driving machine.

dom

I'm sure its still a great car, just not all that quick.

Black_6spd

I just don't get it with all these posts about losing to a minivan or a 525i "not trying"...

Heck, my brother has a 225 horsepower 530i and I think I have a pretty good chance of taking him from a dig. While his car certainly is no burner, it behaves itself VERY well from a steering response/cornering standpoint. You feel much more attached compared to a heavy/loose-feeling TL.

financeman1

We all know the BMW has the image the Acura will never have. Plus, near 50/50 weight distribution, even though the TSX handles better. However, The bmw is definitely smoother inside- better ride, more comforting seats... Thats not why I bought the TSX though. I bought it because of its sporty nature while still being unassuming in appearance- people I deal with for work would look at me differently if I drove a bimmer, and I dont want that image...yet. Back to the story, I would love to race the 525 from a stop because I could tell it couldnt do anything on the interstate. But im beating a dead horse