swajames

BMW made a massive marketing error here, focusing almost exclusively on the MPG messaging when they should have talked up the performance aspects of these fine engines. A fast, clean car with a few hundred lb/ft of tree-stump pulling torque is a good marketing story that BMW failed to promote. The mileage story they chose to lead with would have played well a year ago, but right now with gas back to pre-crisis levels it's missing the mark by a mile at this point.

DRANGED

Bwahaha!! Damn right it will.

DRANGED

+1

-Mike-

I took the X5 diesel for the day last week. I was really impressed with the performance of this car! Off the line, I felt this thing could go through a 5 foot thick concrete wall. Like someone mentioned early in this thread, it was optioned very poorly. The seats were pleather. Idrive had no options, etc. But I really enjoyed it. My only complaint was that at stops, I thought I could smell diesel exhaust inside the cabin. I only drove it to and from work, and 90% of the drive was highway, so not enough time to be certain. It very well could have been the pleather. Also, idrive only reported a 20MPG overall for 3500 miles. Probably will get better with age? Overall, I liked it. Wouldn't go trading in the e60 at a 50k price point though.

Westcoast M5

i have seen a couple of 335ds around here. I haven't driven one, but it sounded okay, didn't sound "diesely" at all.
I think people in North America have a perception of diesels being noisy, stinky, etc. Companies need to educate people what the new diesels are all about.

KCHNG

lol do diesels smell? i never noticed

sdg1871

I agree that BMW's marketing of the 335d has been less than stellar. There is very little awareness of it in the general (non-BMW fanatics like the members of this board including me). A solid commercial touting the car's performance might do the trick. Most people think that diesels are slow, dirty and noisy, none of which apply to the 335d.

ENstig8or

I think the sales of diesels will be slow here in the states for a few reasons. The lack of experience with them is one big problem. People remember them as loud, smokey and slow. They do not realize how much quieter, cleaner and powerful they have become. When gas prices spiked here last summer, the price of diesel fuel hit about $5 a gallon. The mpg increase is eaten up by the $1 per gallon price difference. The other issue in some areas is the lack of gas stations that sell diesel. To my knowledge, there are not any stations in my town that sell diesel fuel. I would have to drive into a neighboring town to fuel up and that would be a hassle.