BMW's 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged diesel straight-6 has earned much critical acclaim in Europe, and now the company will really and truly offer it in the U.S. Show up at your BMW dealer in December and you'll be able to buy both the 2009 BMW 335d and 2009 BMW X5 xDrive35d. And that's it in all 50 states. Both meet the BIN 5 standard using a pair of AdBlue urea tanks.
AdBlue injection systems aren't cheap, of course, so we're not surprised the $44,725 335d costs about $4 grand more than a manual-shift 335i while offering similar performance -- BMW's 0-60 claim for the diesel 3 Series is 6 seconds flat. EPA stats are 23/36. That's all with a six-speed automatic, the only transmission available on the 335d.
The 2009 X5 xDrive35d, er, diesel X5, comes in at $52,025, but since the base X5 lacks the company's twin-turbo gasoline inline-6, the price jump is easier to swallow. BMW says the diesel X5 will hit 60 mph in 6.8 seconds -- as quick as the V8 X5. Rated at 19 city/26 highway, it's vastly more efficient than any other BMW X5 past or present. Additionally, as Auto Observer reported last week, both diesels qualify for a tax credit.
Save for a couple guys diving under the X5's hood to spot the AdBlue tanks, the cutely electric Mini E and redesigned 7 Series got most of the attention at the BMW booth. But we're much more interested in the diesel Bimmers. Like BMW's gasoline twin-turbo six, the 2,993cc engine in these cars uses both a small and a large turbocharger to create a vast spread of torque, peaking at 425 lb-ft from 1,750-2,250 rpm.
Now that it's 50-state-certified, the remaining question mark is sales volume. As the quickest (probably) and most efficient member of the X5 family, the X5 xDrive35d is an easy sell. But given how good the 335i is, the pricier 335d might not be.
Erin Riches, Senior Editor
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I sure would like that 335d but for that money I can get a 335i sport 6MT will all the options I want....well, need.
Just when you through a 3 Series couldn't get any more expensive...
I think this premium pricing will backfire.
They say it performs like the 335i but not really. In fact in C&D the 0-60 for the 335d was identical to the lesser 328i.
So we're talking about a huge leap in price, more than $4 grand.
The pricing is not much higher than the current 335i, take into consideration the automatic transmission is included in the price of the diesel, a $1320 option on the 335i and you have a $900 tax credit the difference is only about $2k. Not to mention the 335d gets 23cty/36hwy mpg.
Do none of these companies get it? Why bring this car in, economy is marginally better than 335i. Same with MB, only VW get it. New Jetta has good power and torque and economy. What we want from BMW is the 320d and 520d. What we want from MB is the C220d. What we need from FORD is the Mondeo GLTD.
Do none of these companies get it? Why bring this car in, economy is marginally better than 335i. Same with MB, only VW get it. New Jetta has good power and torque and economy. What we want from BMW is the 320d and 520d. What we want from MB is the C220d. What we need from FORD is the Mondeo GLTD.
335i is 17/25 vs 335d 23-36 not marginally. also don't forget about the 425 tq.