Has BMW Found The Diesel Solution With The 335d?

diesel's are great, but imo they are only useful if you drive a lot of miles and plan to keep it for a very long time. Unless you do these 2 things, the price of the car and the extra $$ that comes out of your pocket at each fill up don't really make it worth while

— RaulT (View Profile)

Posted on 11/21/2008 3:30:40 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 4   

You couldn't give me a diesel.

— autopro (View Profile)

Posted on 11/21/2008 3:31:09 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -17   

Don't worry. There are plenty of people in line to take your place.

— ironlungz (View Profile)

Posted on 11/21/2008 3:33:30 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 11   

Agreed, they should have brought over the 320d. Save the twin turbo diesel for the X5 and the 7 series.

I will say, however, that the mileage numbers on the 335i are BS. I drive very conservatively and am averaging 21mpg. That's sad considering I averaged 19 on my old X5.

— GreenPlease (View Profile)

Posted on 11/21/2008 4:22:42 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

You make a good point. It is hard to argue. However, BMW appears to be looking at it as a money issue -- they want to make as much of it as possible.

— gooch (View Profile)

Posted on 11/21/2008 4:24:35 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

I'm averaging 19.6mpg with my 535xi in pretty aggressive driving. Averaging 10.5mpg more in a 335d would be pretty impressive, that's a 54% improvement. The EPA economy estimates for 3's and 5's are the same, so even with the 1-2mpg added back for the lack of AWD it's a pretty enormous improvement at 37-43%. That'd be a perfect highway cruiser for someone who drives a lot of miles and doesn't live in the snowbelt, especially if gas and diesel get closer in price again (and traditionally they have been).

Either way the 335d isn't the car I'm most interested in. That would be the X5 xDrive35d. Performance is similar to the X5 4.8i but combined fuel economy is expected to be 44% better. That means even in the worst case scenario the economy savings offset the higher cost of diesel (and again if/when gas and diesel are priced more similarly, like they normally are, that will push the needle significantly towards the diesel), and the diesel vehicle itself costs about $5000 less than the X5 4.8i, and it qualifies for a $1550 tax credit. As far as I'm concerned that makes the X5 xDrive35d the most interesting vehicle in the segment.

— JRobUSC (View Profile)

Posted on 11/21/2008 4:48:10 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

I have a 2008 535i and am averaging 23.6 mpg ... On long trips have routinely received about 28 mpg. Most of my driving is highway driving. I am interested in the X5d to replace my 535 when the lease ends ...

— BMW4me4ever (View Profile)

Posted on 11/21/2008 4:59:39 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

You're wrong. A lot of us would love to see an affordable 123d over there in the US as soon as possible. We have been asking for the 123d for a few years now.

— investor27 (View Profile)

Posted on 11/21/2008 7:27:54 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

Sailor, might I point out that the 3 Series was primarily four-cylinder until the 325e (E30)? And after that, they brought back the four with the 318is (E30)? That car sold very well. I think America would love a four-cylinder BMW, especially a torquey diesel.

— gooch (View Profile)

Posted on 11/24/2008 7:55:01 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Agreed, GreenPlease, on the 320d.

I'd really have liked to see the 123d as well.

— Janizary (View Profile)

Posted on 11/21/2008 4:29:51 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 7   

you fellas are right, 320d would have been a smart choice. I think BMWs mentality is that Americans will shun smaller engines

— RaulT (View Profile)

Posted on 11/21/2008 4:53:14 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

In UK, don;t they encourage you to fill up on the premium diesel, so won't it be more expensve still.. it defeats the purpose.

— mpls (View Profile)

Posted on 11/21/2008 7:30:54 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

To get the benefits of the BMW mileage and other claims... fixed service costs etc.. it all adds up...

— mpls (View Profile)

Posted on 11/21/2008 7:33:50 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

This car will sell out in the US.
There are diesel fans who understand the benefits of a diesel (costs, performance, and resale) even though most posters on this site still remain clueless.
Yes, I will get de-boosted for that, but I'm tired of the idiots spouting off on something they know nothing about.

6-cylinder diesel == V8 performance with 4-cyl. economy

And why are you letting the oil companies continue to gouge diesel customers at the pumps? I live 6 miles from the US border and buy diesel at Chevron and Shell, and it costs less than gas here in Canada. Its criminal how they are subsidizing gas prices on the backs of diesel customers. The oil companies are doing everything to keep you from buying a "green car" that will blow the doors off most muscle cars!

— DieselRules (View Profile)

Posted on 11/22/2008 2:32:44 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 6   

A 320d would make sense to me, since its got a manual and reviews from europe love it.

— Htay7500 (View Profile)

Posted on 11/22/2008 8:24:32 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

you're forgetting, that diesel damand is much higher in Europe than USA/Canada, trunks and diesel generators, heating demand etc.. there is only so much diesel that can be extracted from the same amount of crude oil released onto the mrket by mainly OPEC, Russia, USA, China etc.

— mpls (View Profile)

Posted on 11/24/2008 5:39:26 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1