By the end of the year, BMW will be able to claim yet another accolade – North America’s Best Diesel Car.
December 2008 sees the arrival on these shores of the new BMW 335d, a car so good it could even be the best diesel in the world!

OK, these are bold claims for an oil-burning sedan but its combination of frugality, practicality and outright performance make it an almost impossible combination to beat.
At the heart of the machine is BMW’s award-winning 3.0 twin-turbo six-cylinder diesel motor. Using a small turbo at low engine speeds, and a larger one as revs increase, the sophisticated electronics provide a seamless wave of torque that peaks at a neck-snapping 425 lb-ft.
With 265hp – about 20hp less than the European version ¬– the 335d will accelerate to 60mph in an astonishing 6.0 seconds and on to an autobahn-verified and electronically limited 130mph.
The reason US cars claim less power is the sophisticated emissions equipment onboard. Required by US regulations, the motor combines a diesel particulate filter with EGR and SCR systems.
It’s the SCR that’s unique to North American cars and consists of a 20 liter tank of urea. This is injected ahead of the car’s second catalytic converter specifically to eradicate nitrous oxide emission – a gas that’s less regulated in Europe.
Reducing NOx output by as much as 90%, the tank is claimed to easily last between 15000 mile service intervals and will be filled by the dealer, free of charge, during your regular, free servicing.
If, however, you’re heavy footed and empty the urea reservoir before the service interval (something BMW claims is highly unlikely), you can’t simply pull over and pee in the tank. Once the dashboard light illuminates to warn you of an empty tank, you are given a small number of engine starts before the car will refuse to start again. This is stipulated by regulations and designed to prevent these turbo-diesels running around without the NOx-killing urea onboard.
Interestingly, VW’s recently launched Jetta TDI is able to operate without the SCR system, thanks to a smaller 140hp 2.0 motor.
Now while your impression of diesels may be based on the smokey tragedies of yesteryear, European manufactures like BMW, VW, Audi and Mercedes are hoping you’ve been able to sample their new technology while vacationing in Europe. If not, then you’re in for a shock. Not only are these new diesels smoke-free, they possess the kind of performance that will require a mind recalibration.
In the 335d, with its impeccable six-speed Steptronic automatic transmission, you simply mash the pedal and wave goodbye to everybody at the traffic lights. And on the freeway, the ridiculous levels of torque endow it with some of the fastest in-gear acceleration times in the business.
And all the while, you’ll be grinning as the dashboard display records 23mpg city and 36mpg highway.
In our experience, we were easily able to exceed these figures during our mix of city and autobahn driving. And a diversion onto twisting alpine roads revealed this BMW hasn’t sacrificied any of its legendary handling prowess in the search for economy. The silken gear changes (with manual override) and abundant torque had us powering uphill and wheelspinning out of hairpin corners.
This 335d is as entertaining as anything in the 3-Series line-up (M3 excepted). It certainly offers a thoughtful alternative to the 335i, but with prices (yet to be announced) in the low $40s, its technology does attract a premium. However, that extra cost should be returned at the fuel pumps over the life of the vehicle. And with the price of low-sulfur diesel dropping at the gas stations to the equivalent of premium gas, a car such as this will appear even more attractive to long distance commuters and high mileage drivers.
Supported by incredible sports seats, enjoying music from the onboard hard-drive and following instruction form the new 8.8” navigation screen, this facelifted 3-Series retains its welcoming cabin.
From the outside, the new cars are easily identified by a dramatically sculpted hood, sharper character lines, reprofiled front spoiler and L-shape LED tail lights. Overall, the car appears slightly softer but more distinctive than before, and new interior finishes enhance its legendary quality feel.
With diesels accounting for 60-90% of 3-Series sales in BMW’s European markets, the company is an acknowledged leader in the field. And while the US was previously thought to be hostile to diesel technology, recent increases in the cost of fuel mean BMW has decided to send us its very best turbo-diesel from a line-up of five engines available in Europe. Only time will tell if this was the correct decision, but we’ve certainly been given the very best of what’s on offer.
The same 3.0 twin-turbo will also be available in the BMW X5 xDrive 35d, on sale in December. And BMW representatives certainly didn’t close the door to the suggestion of more diesel models to follow if these cars prove successful.
If you’re a BMW fan or diesel-curious, we advise you to get down to your BMW dealer and check out this fascinating addition to BMW’s legendary line-up.