Wednesday, August 19, 2009

BMW 335 Diesel

And on the eighth day, God said, “Let there be turbochargers that provide copious amounts of power.” And God saw that it was good. BMW has added a new engine to its sales leading 3 series model, the 3-liter, 6-cylinder twin turbocharged diesel. BMW has offered a gasoline-based twin turbo 6-cylinder since 2007. It received worldwide acclaim and is probably the greatest mass-market engine to be developed in the last decade. The diesel 335 will stick out from its gasoline counterpart by adding a ‘d’ to the model distinction, resulting in 335d. Don’t expect to hear the cling-clanging you would expect from a normal diesel. BMW has done a wonderful job in the noise department and it is indistinguishable from the gasoline iterations of the car.

The diesel model is rated at 265hp and an intoxicating 425 lb-ft of torque that propels the car to a very quick 6.0 second 0-60 time. The other benefit of the diesel is the fantastic gas mileage  23/36 versus 17/26 for the gasoline version. I drove from Kingwood to Clear Lake and used a single gallon of diesel. That’s definitely impressive. Expect a range above 600 miles on a tank while cruising. The sedan handled wonderfully like most BMWs and provided a sporty feel. My car was also equipped with the sports group which provided 18-inch wheels and some lovely seats that grab at you during turns.

Upsides: Wonderful power. Wonderful gas mileage. Wonderful car.

Downsides: The cost is a touch high, but you get what you pay for.

Price: Base 335d starts at $43,900. $48,800 as tested.

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