BMW is no stranger to diesel cars like the 335d; they've sold countless diesels back home in Europe. But bringing a diesel-powered 3-series to the United States poses a unique challenge: Not only do Americans have a low opinion of diesels, they have high expectations from any vehicle wearing a BMW badge. Can BMW's carefully-honed image survive on a diet of diesel fuel? Read on.
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- Powerful and frugal -- a rare combination
- Great fun to drive
- Practical and family friendly
- 4 years/50,000 miles free maintenance
- High price
- Not available with a manual transmission
- Diesel-powered version of BMW's legendary 3-series
- Uses refillable AdBlue (urea) tank for emissions control; refill required every 10,000 miles or so
- Price range: $44,725 - $60,070
- Model tested/price: 335d, $51,975
- EPA fuel economy estimates: 23 MPG city, 36 MPG highway
- Best rivals: Nothing sold in this country
As a die-hard diesel fan, I've been looking forward to the arrival of the BMW 335d for some time -- but now that I've driven it, I'm a little afraid of it. If the Germans ever decide to try taking over the world again, the BMW 335d is going to lead the charge.
The 335d is powered by a 3-liter twin-turbocharged six-cylinder weapon of mass destruction. Don't let the mild 265 horsepower rating fool you -- flooring the 335d's accelerator pedal is like getting hit in the small of the back with an office building. That's because of the 335d's torque rating -- it peaks at 425 lb-ft, which is more than a Dodge Challenger SRT8. Between 1,100 and 4,200 RPM, the 335d's engine can summon up 340 lb-ft -- 45 more than BMW's mighty M3. If diesel wasn't being pushed as the Next Green Thing, the 335d would go down in the books as one of the greatest performance cars of our time, albeit one that sounds like a transit bus at full tilt.
But fuel economy is the 335d's mission, and it delivers with traditional Germanic efficiency. I took a long trip up the coast on the saw-tooth 101 freeway, drove like a jerk, and averaged 36.7 MPG. Then I hypermiled my way home through the flatlands and averaged 42.7. Around town it was high 20s no matter how I drove. Smell? None -- I let Jason Fogelson try the 335d, and in my vain attempt to keep up with him, I never got one whiff of diesel fumes.
The 335d is a 3-series through-and-through: It has the same great handling that BMW owners have come to expect as their God-given right, and it's amazingly family-friendly to boot. Cost-wise, it's about $2300 more than a comparably-equipped 335i -- $45k for starters and you can option it up as high as your fourth mortgage will allow. Bottom line: The 335d is proof that diesel cars can do anything. Just try not to make it mad. -- Aaron Gold
