BMW 330d review

BillK said:

Nice car. I don't know how the paper mags stay in business. I like to have some bathroom reading but this is free.

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BMW announced pricing for its all-new 2009 diesel models during a live webcast today. Fitted under the hood of the 335d and X5 xDrive35d will be a 3.0-liter twin-turbo diesel rated at 265 hp and 425 lb-ft of torque (BMW's own flagship 6.0-liter gasoline V12 barely tops it with 444 lb-ft). The torque precludes BMW from fitting a 6-speed manual to the engine, so both models will arrive with a 6-speed Steptronic automatic. The sedan will sprint to 60 mph in just over six seconds with the SAV adding about a second to the time. Base MSRP for the BMW 335d will be $44,725 (the price includes destination fees), while the base MSRP for the X5 xDrive 35d will be $52,025 (including fees). Both vehicles will qualify for the IRS Alternative Motor Vehicle Tax Credit, though the exact amount has yet to be determined. For comparison's sake, the 2009 VW Jetta TDI gets a tax credit of $1,300 while the Mercedes-Benz GL320 BLUETEC gets $1,800. The first shipment of vehicles will arrive at dealers before the end of the year

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BMW just concluded a webcast press conference announcing details on the new 335d and X5 xDrive35d diesels that are going on sale shortly. These will be the first BMW diesels on the US market since the 524td of the mid-eighties. Like the new diesels from Mercedes-Benz and Audi and Volkswagen (apart from the Jetta), these will use a particulate filter and a urea injection system to clean up the soot and NOx emissions. The output numbers are unchanged from last January when the cars were first announced. The dual turbocharged 3.0L inline six cylinder is rated 265 hp and 425 lb-ft of torque. Both vehicles are only available with an automatic transmission. When asked why, Tom Baloga VP Engineering explained that this engine isn't available with a manual transmission in Europe either because BMW hasn't developed a gearbox with sufficient torque capacity.

The urea tanks hold 5.5 gallons of fluid which should be enough to last about 15,000 miles. The urea will be replenished at the regular 10,000 mile service intervals which BMW provides free of charge (at least any additional charge on top of the price of the car) for the first four years or 50,000 miles. At the pump, the 335d will be rated at 23/36 mpg city/highway with a range of about 560 miles. The X5's 22 gallon tank should take it at least 585 miles on its 19/26 mpg ratings. The 335d will be priced at $44,725, less a $900 federal tax credit, while the X5 will consume $52,025 from your bank account. The feds will send back $1,550 to help pave the way. We'll be driving the 335d next week and we'll let you know what we think.

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