PoleApart

Here in Poland prices are almost equal. I'm still amazed at the insides of my exhaust tips - indeed clean as a whistle - much cleaner than on any petrol car I've ever driven. These engines are also very sensitive to impurities in the fuel - it's easy to foul those microdiameter injectors.

The rattle on start up is still there though (218 hp car). When idling it also sounds and feels very busy compared to a smooth petrol six although the rev counter is showing something like 600 rpm. In my 4 cylinder petrol Accord you couldn't hear the engine at idle - I believe this is the case with a 6 cylinder petrol beemer.

I always liked to rev my cars close to the redline and the driving style in a turbodiesel is completely different - it just pulls like a railway engine from 1500 revs and there's no real point in revving it beyond 3500. Coupled with an automatic I'm still not convinced or haven't adapted as it tends to change down unnecessarily too often. On highway driving I prefer to go to manual shift and just flick it between 5th and 6th gear rather than have the auto changing down to 4th or 3rd when I floor it for overtaking but this is my first ever diesel and first ever auto transmission so maybe I just need to adapt. Probably depends on driving style and conditions. In Poland we don't really have too many highways only crap roads where all the time you have to overtake traffic moving at 40-70 mph and slip into the opposite lane where people driving from the opposite direction are doing the same. So - you need to time your overtaking really well and then the grunt to get you moving from 50 mph to say 90-100 is the key safety component. Being in the right gear before you start the manouver is critical and the last thing you want is a torque converter getting in a fuss about whether to change down or not when you're on the wrong side of the road and the Russian semi with 40 tonnes of potatoes on board is quickly growing in front of you.

On balance I like it but it hasn't made me a diesel (or automatic transmission) convert yet. For me it's not better just different.

luxembourg

For Luxembourg - the least expensive diesel here (520d / 163 KM) is cheaper 1400 EUR (1680 USD) than the cheapest petrol (523i / 177KM), which in my opinion makes it quite a good deal and it is actually one of reasons why for the first time in my life I decided to buy a new diesel over a petrol, of course aside from torque, acceleration and mileage

And FYI: did you know that at least half of the current BMW X5 sales in the USA are DIESELS due to the very high demand on the US market?????
(Seriously - it is a quoted info directly from my dealer trying to justificate why if I'd choose 3.0d X5 over 520d E60 now, there's 13 months waiting period for its delivery!!! And when I mentioned that as far as I'm aware there are no current diesel engine sales in the US at all (at least BMW cars), he replied that I probably know very little about US car-market.... Funnny, huh?
Well, I didn't feel like getting into argument there, and given that I spent few good years of my life in Michigan, Colorado and South CA, well.... what do I know, right?

just my 2 (euro)cents

Nohedes

All E60s have particulate filters, but I don't think nearly all diesels do, e.g. 320d (E90) doesn't come with a particulate filter as standard (?400ish option), and nor do a lot of comparable Euro IV diesels (A4, Passat, Mondeo, Vectra etc).

Euro IV regs do not require a particulate filter, although I have heard that the forthcoming Euro V rules may do.

The UK government also took away the 3% tax break on Euro IV diesels in Jan 2006 (for newly registered cars) :thumbsdown:

HTH

needforspeed

Diesels used to be a bit of a joke - tractors / buses / lorries - all applications where fuel economy is more important than performance and where the high torque characteristics of diesel are important - TOWING.

Then you got turbo diesels, then common rail, then twin turbo, then piezzo electric ignition, then aluminum cylinder blocks ....

Then the UK government changed the company car tax rules to a CO2 emission based system.

LOTS of people realised that they could save money by switching to diesel. Manufacturers realised that there was a huge market there, so they set about making diesel cars that were as fast (or faster) than petrol, much more economical and just as refined.

BMW are at the cutting edge of this and for me the diesels are the best choice under 3.0litres - primarily on the basis of fuel costs - but also partly on the basis of performance.

With a lazy driving style and an automatic box a 530d is going to feel a lot quicker than a 530i.

If you drove a debadged 530d - the only way you would know it was a diesel would be the low rev range and the low range punch when you accelerate.

Take out the rev counter and you probably would'nt guess.

Take the roof off - and then you'd know.

olli_535d

Didn't say that. (or at least didn't mean that) Said nearly all have. (don't care about Vectra, Mondeo etc. anyway ) The 320d Manual does not have a particulate filter, they can reach the emissions differently, also by using different engine oil. Would be a different story on the Auto, I think that's why they don't offer an Auto.
With forcing I meant, they are forced to use one, if they cannot reach it otherwise.

Nevertheless, the re invention of the 3% diesel surcharge is a joke. Newly registered diesel cars during 2005 adhering to EuroIV got the 3% rebate and as soon they all have to be that anyway, cleanliness is not the reason anymore, but only revenue. Annoying to say the least, same as being about the only country in Europe, where Diesel costs more than more highly refined juice.

Nohedes

No offence meant olli_535d.

IIRC you can get an auto on the 320d (?1490 option) and there doesn't appear to be a requirement to add the particulate filter if you go for that option.

Totally agree with the 3% tax issue too

swajames

Emissions are still an issue over here, unfortunately no BMW diesel can currently meet the California emissions requirements. Looks like there is some testing in progress, however, as there have been recent 535d sightings in California and a couple of other US states.

300TTto545

Emissions is the problem. Either because of different fuels or stricter (than EU) environmental regulations in CA/NY and other northeastern states - diesels will not fly. BMW has made the decision to not bring diesels in despite the rest of the country where they could sell them. MB has decided differently. I can go down the street and buy a E class diesel. In BMW's defense, I suspect that CA/NY/Mass et al represent a little over 50% of the US market.

I suspect that at $3 a gallon, E class sales will climb in the US and BMW will change their mind. Obviously when low sulfur fuels are widely available, it will be a no brainer.

In the irony category ... CA has decided that local smog is worse than CO2 emissions and global warming (hence the regulations that prevent diesels). They are also (I believe) the only state to pass a Kyoto type of legislation. Can't really make up their mind.

Kyoto in the US would be easy if we changed to all diesel.

aybeesea

And the exhaust pipes?

Or if you're talking about the driving experience then no need to "debadge"... :'(

ABC

Ricracing

The main problem is that there is not distribution network for diesel fuel,
for new high-tech diesel engines, in US.
It's not the same diesel as for the large trucks.
I guess you do not either have refinerys for producing hi-tech diesel fuel.

Also in US the fuel prices are so low (or have been) that there has not been
a need for high milage/low polluting modern diesels.

Also your attitude has a lot to do with the lack of diesels.

But since a barrel is now up to $75 I hope the thinking will start over there, too.

The diesel engines are really strong, a 530d (voted as the best buy BMW) has 230 hp
and a torgue of 500 Nm, the torgue is superior the a 550i.

The new 535d will have about 300 hp and a torgue of near 600 Nm!

Modern diesels also come with a particle filter so they not only more fuel efficent
but are also very clean.

PS. US government did shit on the Kyoto legislation. US is the worlds leading polluter,
and by far, producing about half of the whole worlds vaste!
You have a poplation of about 280 million, thats about 10% of the worlds population!
This CA car emission restriction is a small, very small step, to the right direction.
A diesel car pollutes much less than any midsize gas car.

PPS. I personally do not give a s**t about this problem, but if you guys have children,
think hard about this issue and do something.