2009 BMW 335d. Click image to enlarge

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Review and photos by Jil McIntosh

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2009 BMW 3 Series

Oshawa, Ontario – Long a staple in Europe, diesel engines are slowly trying to make their appearance in the mainstream North American market. North American and Japanese automakers offer diesel-powered cars in overseas markets, but here, it’s strictly Teutonic right now: the Volkswagen Jetta TDI, Mercedes-Benz E320 BlueTec, and my tester this time around, the BMW 335d sedan.

There’s a bit more selection in the SUV market, and of course among heavy-duty trucks, but that’s it for now when it comes to cars, at least until the new VW Golf is released. In Europe, there’s a wide range of small-displacement diesel engines, in some very small-footprint vehicles, but the Canadian strategy is currently toward larger and more upscale ones, including the 335d’s 3.0-litre turbodiesel.

2009 BMW 335d. Click image to enlarge

The 335d is based on BMW’s lightly restyled 3 Series, all of which carry inline six-cylinder engines: the 2.5-litre 323i, 3.0-litre 328i, and twin-turbo gasoline 3.0-litre 335i. While the 328i and 335i can also be ordered with all-wheel drive, the 335d is strictly rear-wheel. The premium for the diesel is $800: the 335i starts at $48,900, while the 335d’s tag begins at $49,700. Those two models are similarly equipped, especially since the six-speed automatic that’s the only choice in the 335d can be added as a no-charge option to the 335i right now (BMW says it’s a $1,600 value). The only differences are in some trim items: the 335i has real leather upholstery, while the 335d has “leatherette” chairs, and the 335i has standard Bluetooth and BMW Assist as standard features. All three can be added to the 335d at extra charge.

The 335d’s 3.0-litre straight-six has twin turbochargers, like the 335i, but the gasoline model differs in that each turbo feeds three cylinders. On the diesel, a small turbo comes into play at lower engine speeds, while a larger one starts spinning as the engine revs increase. The result is linear power, without any hint of lag. At 265 horsepower, the 335d sits midway between the 328i’s 230 horses, and the 300 ponies produced by the 335i. But this is an oil burner, and that means torque: a massive 425 lb-ft, which comes in at 1,750 rpm. By comparison, the 328i produces 200 lb-ft, while the 335i builds 300 lb-ft.

2009 BMW 335d. Click image to enlarge

I love torque, and I love this engine. Acceleration is awesome, with seemingly endless pull away from a stop (BMW says it takes just 6.3 seconds to get to 100 km/h), and impressive performance en route to lose-your-license speeds. It’s slightly noisier than a gasoline engine, especially during start-up when it’s really cold outside, but it’s more of an attractive, meaty growl, rather than a diesel clatter. As with most modern diesels, there’s no waiting time to start it; there are glow plugs, but they’re only used to pre-warm the engine when it’s below minus 20C outside.

The other reason for a diesel, aside from the power, is the fuel economy. I averaged a very respectable 8.2 L/100 km, against the published rate of 9.0 city, and 5.4 highway, with my foot well into it for much of the time. For official published comparisons, the 335i is rated at 11.8 and 7.6 with an automatic transmission. It’s been a while since I’ve driven other 3 Series sedans, but by comparison, I took out the smaller and lighter 2008 1 Series, which carries the same gasoline engines as the 3 Series, and got an average of 10.4 L/100 km in the 128i, and 11.0 L/100 km in the 135i. The nasty spike that diesel prices took last year has come back down to earth, as well, and if you haven’t fuelled one up in a few years, the low-sulphur diesel that’s been mandated in Canada since 2006 doesn’t stink like the old stuff does. For me, though, it isn’t so much about the fuel economy; I’d buy this model just because I love the way the engine performs.

The clean diesel system uses liquid urea that’s injected into the exhaust, where it’s turned into ammonia to convert nitrogen oxides into nitrogen and water vapour. Environmental regulations stipulate that the engine won’t run without it, and to that end, the replenishment rate is timed to regularly scheduled maintenance, so that the servicing dealer refills the tank when necessary (which is part of BMW’s no-charge maintenance, for four years or 80,000 km). If that doesn’t happen, the message centre flashes a warning at 1,600 km before the tank empties. Ignore it and run the tank dry, and while the car will continue to run, it won’t restart once the key is turned off. The engine will accept B5 biodiesel, if you can find it, but no higher a rating than that.

2009 BMW 335d. Click image to enlarge

The 3 Series has always been one of my favourite cars to drive, and this torque-happy version is no exception. Tuned to manage the diesel’s heavier weight, it handles with the model’s usual blend of front-to-rear balance, quick and accurate steering response, great brakes, good feedback, and commanding stance. Lacking the optional “Comfort Access” – BMW’s name for a proximity key – my tester used the standard and rather silly two-stage process that requires you to insert the key into the dash, and then press a starter button. I also didn’t like the rain-sensing wipers (which failed the drizzle test), cupholders that flip out of the dash and hold cups directly over the passenger’s legs, and the six-speed automatic’s manual-shift paddles. They’re set in from the edges of the wheel, and it was tough for me to reach them with my small hands. They both perform the same function: press from the front with your thumbs, or pull with your fingers from the back. I suppose more time with the car would improve my technique, but I couldn’t get the hang of press and pull. I much prefer doing one or the other, and with one hand for upshift, the other for downshift.

2009 BMW 335d. Click image to enlarge

The 3 Series isn’t a big vehicle, and it’s a close-coupled interior, but I find that “driver emphasis” to be part of its appeal. Even so, while you won’t mistake rear-seat space for a 7 Series, there’s enough legroom for most passengers, especially since the front seats have indentations that provide a little more knee space. The optional sport seats in my car proved very comfortable, with a manual pull-out front cushion for extra thigh support. The dual-zone automatic climate control uses dials to set the temperature, along with simple buttons for manually controlling the mode; the stereo could be a little more intuitive, although I’ve muddled my way through worse. Without the optional navigation system, my vehicle was missing iDrive, the joystick-style controller that lets you page through various functions of the car’s computer. Let’s just say that my car was missing iDrive, but I definitely wasn’t.

Styling changes are minor, mostly to the lights and fascia. It’s a handsome car, but I do remember exterior panel fit being a bit more precise on models from past years. The trunk offers a cargo space that’s 99 cm long, and the rear seats fold almost completely flat to 165 cm. There’s also a pass-through for long, thin items such as skis.

Diesel faces an uphill battle in North America, where it’s generally considered the territory of heavy-duty work trucks, or conjures up memories of sooty imports and misguided domestic versions. While it is limited by its upscale price, the 335d should go a long way toward improving all of that. This engine also appears in the BMW X5 xDrive35d, but I’d sure love to see the company drop it into the 1 Series. If that little model could handle the torque, I sure could, too.

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