Tommy

Was in Michigan, USA last 2 weeks and when I was filling up my rental car, I instantly found the reason why diesel cars are not popular in the US of A:

Diesel : 3.12 USD/gallon
Premium : 2.99 USD/gallon

yes, a diesel engine is less of a gasguzzler, but still the difference is marginal

(I only spotted diesel engines on the big trucks - yes those incredible big 6 litre pick-ups )

Is that the way you guys on the other side of the pont think?

aybeesea

Well diesel is very popular here in the UK and Diesel is up to 5% more expensive than unleaded.

ABC

Heiss5

I pay $3.15 for premium in Washington so $3.12 for diesel in Michigan is still a good deal in my book.

ronald_adi

Diesel is quite a bit cheaper in holland than Petrol (Premium). But even if it were slightly more expensive like in the UK or the US,... Diesel cars are up to twice as economical as their Petrol counterparts. A full tank in a 520d can do 1400km's and in my 535d with 272HP, can even do 1000km's if i am gentle on the throttle (800km's on normal driving).

i hear an M5 does like 180km's on a full tank and a 550i? no terribly much more than that i imagine.

And hey,.. there's always the torque. For everyday driving in the city and for overtaking, there's nothing like a torqey diesel.

TexaZ3

1400 Km on one tank? - 900 US miles on one tank - I don't believe it!

Heiss5

I bet you probably could if you were easy on it and it was all freeway. I can get 600 US miles with my 530i on a full tank if it's all freeway.

jchuan8338

Believe it! If BMW offered an E60 Diesel in the US, I'd get one!

swajames

Not always easy to get apples to apples comparisons (for example US mpg numbers are around 20% less than they would be if measured per the imperial gallon) but the *range* is what it is and after a fill up my 550's range is usually showing between 300 and 350 miles and often quite a bit higher. I'm sure an M5 could turn in a 180km range - but only if it was being driven at top speed at redline for the entire tankful!

ronald_adi

The 520d does 47.9mpg on normal driving - do the math . 18.5 gallon tank * 47.9miles is 886.15 miles on the full tank = 1417.84 kilometers.

check this link for the fuel consumption

- http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-a...0d-1004084.html

tachyon

The average price in the U.S. last week for a gallon of diesel fuel was $3.027. Premium gasoline in "reformulalted" areas (such as here in Chicago) was at $3.168. So diesel is typically a few cents lower for us.

Bring on the diesels BMW, please.

EDIT: Read this too American Consumers Wake Up To Diesels

EDIT#2: Retail sales of ultra low sulfur diesel (15 parts per million) are required to begin soon here in the U.S. (September 1 for CA and October 15 for the rest of the U.S.?). And there is something in the regulations about 2007 model year cars needing to use this fuel. But I'm not sure how many manufacturers (MB?) have diesel models ready for this.