BMW’s Diesel Marketing Charms the Funny Bone

Oil-burners make up 50 percent of car sales in Europe. In the United States, diesels account for three percent of the market. If diesels are so efficient, why aren’t Americans consuming them like Walmart shoppers gobbling up free McRibs?

It’s still a matter of cost. Marking the “diesel” box on the spec sheet squeezes $2,000 to $4,000 more from your pocketbook. Diesel fuel retails for about the same as premium unleaded. Weigh those price hikes against your efficiency gains, and it can take four to eight years to recoup your money. In Europe, diesel is cheaper than unleaded, so the diesel efficiency payback only takes about two years.

Still, diesels are less expensive upfront than comparable hybrids — factor that with BMWs new marketing efforts toward their diesel range, and it appears more diesel BMWs will be rolling off showroom floors in the future.

There is more to diesel than reduced running costs, though. A diesel engine’s low-end torque is as addictive as a piña colada on a warm Sunday. In the 5 Series Diesel ad below, BMW humorously touts the emotional side of diesel.

Volkswagen and Audi make up a significant majority of diesel sales here in the United States. With ads like these, BMW is headed toward becoming another key player in the U.S. diesel market.

via [brandchannel and BMW]