Hi Again:
That Toureg V10 diesel is the only other diesel I can think of that was brought to the U.S. market to make the diesel the high performance option, but that vehicle got pretty abysmal fuel economy from what I recall. So it seems that the 335d is the first performance oriented diesel that also offers really impressive fuel economy.
My third vehicle is a 2006 Mercedes-Benz R500. I purchased that as a relatively high performance and highly functional SUV alternative. Since I did not need off-road utility, I did not want to end up with a vehicle that was heavier and sat higher than necessary, and I also wanted adult sized space in all three rows of seats. I don't think the R-class is a beauty contest winner, but it sure is a nice vehicle for its intended purpose. Like you mentioned, I am quite happy having the large wagon/SUV/crossover/minivan/touring vehicle (whatever the R-class is) for when I need to haul people or large items, while having the BMW as a daily driver. And since I snagged one of the rare 5.0L V8 models, the Mercedes has extremely good power for such a large, heavy vehicle (especially combined with the seven-speed transmission), but it feels so slow and wallowing compared to the BMW, and the BMW burns exactly half the fuel.
Matt
That Toureg V10 diesel is the only other diesel I can think of that was brought to the U.S. market to make the diesel the high performance option, but that vehicle got pretty abysmal fuel economy from what I recall. So it seems that the 335d is the first performance oriented diesel that also offers really impressive fuel economy.
My third vehicle is a 2006 Mercedes-Benz R500. I purchased that as a relatively high performance and highly functional SUV alternative. Since I did not need off-road utility, I did not want to end up with a vehicle that was heavier and sat higher than necessary, and I also wanted adult sized space in all three rows of seats. I don't think the R-class is a beauty contest winner, but it sure is a nice vehicle for its intended purpose. Like you mentioned, I am quite happy having the large wagon/SUV/crossover/minivan/touring vehicle (whatever the R-class is) for when I need to haul people or large items, while having the BMW as a daily driver. And since I snagged one of the rare 5.0L V8 models, the Mercedes has extremely good power for such a large, heavy vehicle (especially combined with the seven-speed transmission), but it feels so slow and wallowing compared to the BMW, and the BMW burns exactly half the fuel.
Matt