ROAD TEST – BMW 335d

Dec - 18 | By: RPM Canada | one comment.

Filed under : 2010 Reviews, 6. September 2009

Diesel Equals Performance

Review and Photos by Gerry Frechette

Can a diesel car be a performance car, too? That is not a question that has been posed very often, at least not in North America. Somewhere like Europe, where two-thirds of the fleet of cars are diesels, and speed is a way of life, oil-burners are pushed to perform every day.

Here, though, the few diesels we have ever seen have all been positioned as economical cars or towing trucks. But is there anything keeping a diesel from powering a performance car? BMW doesn’t think so, and the proof is in the 335d.

Certainly, the 3-Series needs little introduction, having been the gold standard of sport sedans for decades. So, there was a certain risk involved with mating a diesel engine to the car most responsible for BMW’s performance image. It would obviously be different from a gasoline-fueled 3-Series, but would have to be no less satisfying and dynamic to appeal to the brand’s fans.

At this, BMW has succeeded, and one can honestly say that the 335d is a real performance car in every measure – including one or two that even the 335i can’t claim.

Actually, the two have the same engine description, a 3.0-litre DOHC straight-six with twin sequential turbochargers. In diesel trim, it puts out 265 hp at 4,200 rpm, which of course is a lot lower rpm than a gas engine. On the other hand, torque is rated at 425 lb-ft at 1,750 rpm, with 80 percent of it available as low as 1,100 rpm! We can’t overstate the effect this has on drivability and acceleration, as this thing is a locomotive from rest right up to extra-legal speed. Zero-to-legal speed (100 km/h) takes about six seconds, so the 335d is no slouch.

Unlike most other BMWs, the only transmission available is an automatic, a six-speed with paddle shifters. Now, there is hardly any reason to have to downshift this torque monster out on the open road, but the optional paddles do make it more fun to play when the going gets twisty.

Any regular 3-Series is probably the dynamic equal of most of the other “Sport” sedans out there, but when you add the Sport Package to one, you get a four-door with very high limits. Included were great-looking 18-inch wheels and performance summer tires, lowered sport suspension, sport seats that adjust in all directions, leather sport steering wheel with the paddles, and a couple of trim items. Needless to say, this package is mandatory for the enthusiast, and at $2,400, is a relative bargain.

Interior The 335d itself is no more or less of a bargain than any other 3-Series, as you do pay a premium for a BMW. Its base price is $49,700; most of the desirable features you’d want are available in packages, and our tester had all of them, pushing the price to $61,400. Of note, there are no cloth seats available, which are the ones I’d want. The choices are “leatherette” (okay, vinyl), or leather, part of the $2,800 Premium Package.

So, how is the 335d to drive? We were happy to be able to get it out onto the open road, specifically the Coquihalla Highway in B.C., which, for those not familiar with it, is about the hilliest, most limited-access four-lane highway in the country. Very early on a Sunday morning, we found ourselves alone out there, able to explore the capabilities of the car a bit. Needless to say, it was rock solid on the long, fast corners of the Coke, and it would happily pull fifth or even sixth gear up the long climbs at 110 klicks – or accelerate up them. Torque is an intoxicating thing.

So, on the run from Chilliwack to Kelowna and back, and not particularly driving for economy all the time (nudge, nudge), the 335d consumed 45 litres to go 670 kms. That, folks, is a consumption figure of 6.7L/100 km, or for you metrically challenged types, 42 mpg. Transport Canada says it can pull 5.3L/100 km, and at a steady 100 km/h on level road, we’d believe it.

And then, it came time to fill the tank. We hadn’t filled a diesel vehicle in some time, and therefore were pleasantly surprised to find that diesel was about 10 cents cheaper per litre than regular gas. What a bonus.

So, the 335d answered our initial question in every way – YES. It’s quick and fast, handles great, has all the 3-Series features you’d want, and gets the fuel economy of a gas-fed sub-compact, with none of the downsides previously expected with diesels, now that low-sulfur fuel has joined with the latest engine and emission technology to produce eminently clean and civilized vehicles.

I don’t know about you, but I’d be willing to trade the high-revving horsepower of a gasoline engine such as in the 335i, for one with mega-torque and lower consumption of lower-cost (or even same-cost) fuel, and no other compromises. Diesel does indeed equal performance, and BMW proves it with the 335d.

Specifications:

MSRP: —————————————————————–$49,700
Price as tested: —————————————————– $61,400
Vehicle Layout: —–Front-engine, rear-wheel drive, 4-door sedan
Engine: ————————————— 3.0L DOHC I6 turbo-diesel
Transmission: ————————————————— 6-spd auto.
Horsepower: —————————————————————265
Torque: —————————————————————-425 lb-ft
Brakes: ——————————————-4-wheel disc, ABS, EBD
Curb Weight: ——————————————————–1,735 kg
Fuel Economy:—————————–(L/100 km, city/hwy) 8.5/5.3[PSGallery=13qml10287h]