CAR GAZING
Diesel 3-Series is clean, mean, green
BMW 335d delivers efficiency, performance, luxury
By Derek Price
I think BMW may have just created the perfect car.
Of course, "perfect" can be so many things in the automotive world – the fastest sports car, the poshest luxury car, the toughest pickup truck – but in this case, BMW has created a vehicle that's perfect for just about everyone. No matter who you are, there's something about this car that will appeal to you immensely.
I'm writing, oddly enough, about a diesel. It's called the 335d, and let's run down the list of people who could fall in love with it:
– First off, there are the people like me, those crazy individuals who have so few brain cells that we actually get giddy about driving fun cars. Like all 3-Series BMWs, this one is a blast to drive, with power going to the rear wheels and handling that makes you want to squeal with delight.
Unlike other 3-Series cars, though, this one has gobs of torque.
Stomp the gas pedal, and the car slams you into the back of your seat like a Corvette. It doesn't continue pinning you back like the 'Vette does – the diesel's power is lumped together down at the low end of the rev range – but it does give you the kind of kick-in-the-pants acceleration that's impressive by BMW standards and downright ridiculous for normal cars.
– There are people like my dad, the folks who judge cars not by how beautiful or powerful they are, but by how little gas they consume.
Those people would be pleased by the 335d. Despite the tire-spinning torque, BMW has somehow managed to squeeze amazing efficiency out of this diesel engine, which is rated for 36 miles per gallon on the highway. Drive it thoughtfully, and you could easily push it past 40 mpg.
Considering how the 3-Series has grown into a true mid-size car, that's jaw-dropping mileage. It has monster BMW power, a heavy German chassis and a roomy cabin, yet still it gets better mileage than the Toyota Corolla.
Stunning. Simply stunning.
– Some people, like my wife, don't care much at all about cars, so long as they're comfortable. And those people will love the 3.
Today's 3-Series has become a true luxury car, no longer an entry-level sports sedan. It's fitted with all kinds of gadgets like automatic windshield wipers and dynamic cruise control, and options like front and rear sensors that help you park and a world-class navigation system that puts others to shame.
The front seats are spacious and comfortable, easily adjustable in a million different ways. Even the back seats are surprisingly roomy.
Grandma would love this car.
– Finally (and I won't name names), there are people who just want to drive a status symbol. And this car delivers in two ways.
First, it's a BMW. It oozes snob appeal from every bolt.
But more importantly, the diesel 3 also delivers some serious green cred. Not only does it consume far less fuel than similar cars, but it produces 20 percent less carbon dioxide than gas-powered cars. At least, that's what BMW proudly printed on the side of my test vehicle, along with a huge sticker that said "efficient dynamics."
Hollywood starlets would lose no standing among the tree-hugger crowd by driving this car.
Unfortunately, there's one glaring downside to this perfect car, and that's the price. It starts at a whopping $43,900, or about $10,000 more than the base 3-Series with a gasoline engine.
Granted, you're buying one of the world's most appealing vehicles that's packed with the world's best engineering. You're buying a miracle engine that burns diesel but still remains surgically clean and extraordinarily quiet. You're buying a car that wins some bragging rights at Greenpeace get-togethers but doesn't sacrifice luxury. And you're buying the ego-boosting right to say, "I drive a new BMW."
Yes, I do think they've created the perfect car.
(Derek Price is a newspaper editor and freelance writer living in Texas.)
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