DerekShiekhi

The Los Angeles Times was recently in the mood for the "d", and it got it three different ways. I'm talking about diesel. What did you think I was talking about? It tested oil-burning sedans from Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi.

Although the first-place BMW 535d didn't have a backup camera or parking sensors, even with a sticker price north of $66,000, it did receive high marks for its powertrain. "There's no rough idle or vibration during acceleration, and the car has more than enough power to validate BMW's performance credentials."

The turbocharged 3.0L I6 created 255 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque, figures which soundly trounced those of the four-cylinder in the E250 BlueTec from the three-pointed star. Audi's A6 TDI had a 15 lb-ft advantage over the Bimmer.

The Benz came with the highest EPA ratings of the trio: 28 in the city and 42 on the highway; however, the trade-off was a lack of engine refinement. BMW's diesel sedan had 26/38 figures, and was good for 28 in the newspaper's testing.

It also won praise for its passenger space. "The 2014 refresh tweaked an already plush interior, and this cabin was easily the classiest and most comfortable of the three sedans tested. Highlights included a massive panoramic moonroof, a 10.2-inch navigation screen and updated iDrive controller with a new touch pad built into it."

Read the rest on the 5Series.net homepage.