535d?

[dfortier]

Can anyone comment on the possibility of a 5-Series Diesel in the US? I've seen several threads with conjecture regarding said Diesel, but there is still no official announcement :cry:. I don't understand why BMW isn't aggressively competing with the E350D :dunno:. My lease comes due in less than 18 months and I would seriously consider purchasing a 5-Series Diesel. Am I the only one in the US who's interested in a 535d :rofl:?

[BMWFAN275]

Can anyone comment on the possibility of a 5-Series Diesel in the US? I've seen several threads with conjecture regarding said Diesel, but there is still no official announcement :cry:. I don't understand why BMW isn't aggressively competing with the E350D :dunno:. My lease comes due in less than 18 months and I would seriously consider purchasing a 5-Series Diesel. Am I the only one in the US who's interested in a 535d :rofl:?

I would also be very interested, but I am wondering if the diesel would be a very low volume engine for the 5. Not sure they'll make the investment to go x-drive with the diesel. Subtract out the high performance units (turbos and V-8s), subtract all the x-drives and then take out the lower cost 528s, how many left to go diesel? It comes down to comparing the performance/cost of either the 535i or 528i to the diesel. So far, its a much longer payback than most of us will own the car.

[jsimon7777]

Gimme a 523d that costs the same a 528i. The purpose of diesel is economy, not performance, so a 535d will flop like the 335d did before the huge price cut.

[babak02]

I agree with jsimon7777. I would choose an economical diesel 520d-525d e60 if they were available. If I could get a 520d e60 MT in US I would buy it today!
335d is an example of marketing idiocy. It makes absolutely no sense.

[babak02]

I would also be very interested, but I am wondering if the diesel would be a very low volume engine for the 5. Not sure they'll make the investment to go x-drive with the diesel. Subtract out the high performance units (turbos and V-8s), subtract all the x-drives and then take out the lower cost 528s, how many left to go diesel? It comes down to comparing the performance/cost of either the 535i or 528i to the diesel. So far, its a much longer payback than most of us will own the car.

I don't see diesel only as a means of saving money. It is a different mentality, kind of like Apple computers if you like this analogy.
We are both from New England, right? How many people driving 535s, 545s and 550s in our region can really state that they take full adantage of their vehicle's capabilities? Or that a less potent engine would not suffice? Sometimes when I'm in a rush, and I start driving A BIT more aggressively (not even 50% of what a 530i can do) I see oeple around stare at me like I'm a madman :eek: what about people going at speed-limit in the left lane and not willing to move to the right?
Honestly, where in the US can one drive a V8 BMW?? It's all in people's minds IMHO, it's marketing. Feels good to have such a powerful car that COULD do 0-60 in whatever seconds. Only to be stuck behind a soccer mom's Tahoe in the left lane, or behind a Prius on a nice windy road :mad:
That is why I think a relatively underpowered diesel would be the best option for most BMW consumers (not forum enthusiasts, of course). You get all the advantages: handling, build quality, looks, perceived prestige (for the soccer moms :D) + great efficiency and autonomy and you don't feel like you have a tiger for a pet.

[CLG]

I'll be in the market for a 5er diesel in just about 2 more years... Let's keep our fingers crossed that SOMETHING makes the trip across the Atlantic in the form of a compression ignition motor in the 5er... turbo 4 or turbo 6, I do not care! All I care about is low end torque in massive quantities :)

CLG

[Bigbadbull]

Don't count on it till the F10 and not at the release... like +1-2 years after launch at the earliest.

[BMWFAN275]

I don't see diesel only as a means of saving money. It is a different mentality, kind of like Apple computers if you like this analogy.
We are both from New England, right? How many people driving 535s, 545s and 550s in our region can really state that they take full adantage of their vehicle's capabilities? Or that a less potent engine would not suffice? Sometimes when I'm in a rush, and I start driving A BIT more aggressively (not even 50% of what a 530i can do) I see oeple around stare at me like I'm a madman :eek: what about people going at speed-limit in the left lane and not willing to move to the right?
Honestly, where in the US can one drive a V8 BMW?? It's all in people's minds IMHO, it's marketing. Feels good to have such a powerful car that COULD do 0-60 in whatever seconds. Only to be stuck behind a soccer mom's Tahoe in the left lane, or behind a Prius on a nice windy road :mad:
That is why I think a relatively underpowered diesel would be the best option for most BMW consumers (not forum enthusiasts, of course). You get all the advantages: handling, build quality, looks, perceived prestige (for the soccer moms :D) + great efficiency and autonomy and you don't feel like you have a tiger for a pet.

Yes, agreed, diesel is very much a mentality, but for now economics still rule the sales charts. Like the Prius, many buy it to make a point, but if you do the calculations of cost versus benefit, the Corolla makes more sense.
Agreed also, BMWs are so capable, its amazing how slow everyone else drives. My '07 530xi (just returned) was almost too much car for the road, and my 535i sport is overkill, not to say I don't just love that. I always run out of road before the pedal gets pushed too far.
I dont agree that underpowered and BMW go together, any diesel would have to at least exceed the 528 in performance. It would take a different type of BMW driver to embrace a low performance diesel, (think Mercedes 300D types). :eeps:

[steveo90290]

the 335d engine is a beast, with more torque than my 545, I really don't thinks it's is a power issue. Not offering a 5 series diesel in the US has to be a engineering(application), or marketing(price point, or stigma) problem.