BMW 335d 12-Month Report and Review by The Diesel Driver

The Diesel Driver takes the 2010 BMW 335d for a 12-month review. Spending this much time behind the wheel of the vehicle is enough to present an accurate report and review. Here is an excerpt from their review, which reveals everything that you need to know about this vehicle:

“Having now spent 12 months behind the wheel, I have found the 335d to be a unique offering, one that combines certain traits that typically aren’t found all in the same vehicle. These are sports car-like acceleration and handling, superb fuel economy, excellent ergonomics and passenger comfort, and Teutonic attention to detail.

The 425 pound-feet of torque propel the car forward like a rocket ship; indeed, there’s simply no other way to describe the feeling of the raw power this car has. It handles as if it’s on rails, whether at 250 km/h (155 mph) on the Autobahn or at a slower tempo on a winding mountain road.

Fuel economy has been exemplary. For highway driving, the car has consistently averaged 6.2 l/100 km (37.9 mpg). As contributing editor Paul Riegler noted on an 800 km (498 mile) drive from New York to Washington and back, “No need to stop for refueling.”The best sustained fuel economy we’ve recorded was 40 mpg (5.9 l/100 km), although we’ve seen as high as 42 mpg (5.6 l/100 km) for brief periods of time.

On a recent drive to New England, the 335d used only 6.4 l/10 km (36.8 mpg) in mostly highway driving with an average speed of 99.3 km/h (62 mph). The return trip, at the slightly faster speed of 100.7 km/h (63 mph) used only 6.3 l/100 km. In total, the 335d consumed a mere 25.27 liters (6.68 gallons) of diesel fuel, making the total cost of fuel for the journey under $20.

Earlier in the year, it used 6.0 l/100 km (39.2 mpg) on a drive from Philadelphia to New York at an average speed of 105 km/h (65 mph). Driving conditions such as traffic can greatly impact average fuel economy and the drive from New York to Philly saw fuel usage of 6.8 l/100 km at an average speed of 106 km/h (66 mph).

Driving from Munich to Lindau to Berchtesgaden to Roßfeld to Graz and back to Munich, the 335d used 6.3 l/100 km (37 mpg)

In the city, fuel usage has been roughly 9.5 l/100 km (24.75 mpg). The EPA rated the 335d at 23 mpg (10.2 l/100 km) for city driving and 36 mpg (6.5 l/100 km) on the highway.

By means of comparison, a similarly equipped BMW 335i (petrol version) is rated at 17 mpg (13.8 l/100 km) in the city and 28 mpg (8.4 l/100 km) on the highway. It’s worth noting that these numbers make the BMW 335d the most fuel efficient car ever sold by BMW NA.”

Source: The Diesel Driver