Having never done so I test drove a new 328d with sport package and a base 535d today and want to share my impressions.
For context, I currently drive a 2011 335d Msport equipped with Michelin PSS's and H&R sways but without tunes or LSD. My driving style can best be characterized as "spirited", featuring fast launches, fast freeway driving, high-speed turns, and quick moves (I definitely know what the term "drifting" means).
First I drove the base model 535d. In both suburban and California freeway settings I found it to be a very nice car all around. Plush inside, mushier in the handling department than my tastes would allow, but exceptionally quiet for a car that has essentially the same motor as the 335d. Lots of room inside but not feeling all that big on the outside. Acceleration was surprisingly good from a start or on the highway, though it took some pedal play in Sport mode to find a powerband sweet spot. Lane changes were precise, braking ok but not great, and cornering and ride soft but within my expectations for the model and the build. If I had to routinely drive back and forth to Vegas the 535d would be the perfect car ***8211; plenty of power, plenty of comfort, no noise to speak of, with enough drivability to get into and out of most everyday driving situations.
Next I drove a 328d with sports package over the same curcuit. I was very surprised by how well it handled, both in contrast to the more sedate steering of the 535 and in comparison to my tarted-up 335d. The steering was tight and precise, providing excellent feedback. Body roll was slight in merges and around corners and the ride firm but composed. I didn't feel every pebble in the road but I also felt connected to it. Handling prowess notwithstanding, the 328d's powerplant is an outright dog totally compromising what could have been a fun driving car however. Frumpy, rattly, and underpowered, it has enough oomph to stay with traffic in the 0-50 mph band, but lacks power in the >50 mph range and has no reserve for getting the better of anyone under any circumstances, which comports with the moderate torque and below-average horsepower. Freeway merging was a chore and, though the 328d maintained speed well, quick acceleration and lane cuts seemed utterly out of the question. Efficient though it may be, the 328d is not the ulimate driving machine if acceleration and reserve power requirements are in question.
And a word to efficiency. I re-set the mpg computer on the 328d at the start of our drive (sorry ***8211; forgot to do it on the 535d) and over about 15 miles of driving with two passengers and the A/C on I averaged a dispiriting 20.1 mpg. Extending the freeway driving would of course have raised that number quite a bit. Still. Figuring that I made an error or got a "bad" car I checked www.fuelly.com for other 328d's and found that while the mean efficiency is 37 mpg combined, there's a pretty wide distribution, with plenty of folks reporting numbers down into the lower 20's and some folks here on Bimmerfest also expressing much lower efficiency numbers. My guess is that as like most cars the 328d has an efficiency sweet spot; stray from that spot with hard driving and efficiency plunges, as it likely did during my brief, demanding test drive. If I were commuting long distances in stable traffic environments, the 328d would probably hit its stride and be a good car. On the other hand, my two 335d's have achieved a lifetime combined average of mostly suburban driving of 26.7 mpg, an average road-trip efficiency of 37 mpg, and a free high of 42 mpg. If I were to drive like a human instead of a freaking lunatic ***8211; I have gone through four sets of tires in just over 72k total driving ***8211; I could probably better those numbers for the 335d still.
So, how would I rate these new diesels? From this driving enthusiast's narrow point of view, the 535d has plenty of power but rides too plushly while the 328d sport is wildly underpowered but handles and rides great. Throw on a sports suspension and the 535d might be a worthy replacement for the 335d, particularly for those who drive less aggressively than they once did and are willing to trade a measure of sharp handling for comfort and sonic isolation and to choke up another 20k. The 328d is an entirely different animal however and certainly cannot be recommended to anyone who prizes quickness and a hefty power reserve. I'm going to throw right down here and say that my wife's Prius, with the "Green Button" depressed, has at least as much power to the wheels as the 328d and, though it is louder and not nearly as much fun to fling around, would be my choice if I had to pick between the two and could pocket the 15k price difference. I was pretty disappointed in the new 328i, which I found to be unrefined, but the motor in the 328d is just so much more disappointing that even great steering cannot compensate. Oh BMW, what have you wrought?
For context, I currently drive a 2011 335d Msport equipped with Michelin PSS's and H&R sways but without tunes or LSD. My driving style can best be characterized as "spirited", featuring fast launches, fast freeway driving, high-speed turns, and quick moves (I definitely know what the term "drifting" means).
First I drove the base model 535d. In both suburban and California freeway settings I found it to be a very nice car all around. Plush inside, mushier in the handling department than my tastes would allow, but exceptionally quiet for a car that has essentially the same motor as the 335d. Lots of room inside but not feeling all that big on the outside. Acceleration was surprisingly good from a start or on the highway, though it took some pedal play in Sport mode to find a powerband sweet spot. Lane changes were precise, braking ok but not great, and cornering and ride soft but within my expectations for the model and the build. If I had to routinely drive back and forth to Vegas the 535d would be the perfect car ***8211; plenty of power, plenty of comfort, no noise to speak of, with enough drivability to get into and out of most everyday driving situations.
Next I drove a 328d with sports package over the same curcuit. I was very surprised by how well it handled, both in contrast to the more sedate steering of the 535 and in comparison to my tarted-up 335d. The steering was tight and precise, providing excellent feedback. Body roll was slight in merges and around corners and the ride firm but composed. I didn't feel every pebble in the road but I also felt connected to it. Handling prowess notwithstanding, the 328d's powerplant is an outright dog totally compromising what could have been a fun driving car however. Frumpy, rattly, and underpowered, it has enough oomph to stay with traffic in the 0-50 mph band, but lacks power in the >50 mph range and has no reserve for getting the better of anyone under any circumstances, which comports with the moderate torque and below-average horsepower. Freeway merging was a chore and, though the 328d maintained speed well, quick acceleration and lane cuts seemed utterly out of the question. Efficient though it may be, the 328d is not the ulimate driving machine if acceleration and reserve power requirements are in question.
And a word to efficiency. I re-set the mpg computer on the 328d at the start of our drive (sorry ***8211; forgot to do it on the 535d) and over about 15 miles of driving with two passengers and the A/C on I averaged a dispiriting 20.1 mpg. Extending the freeway driving would of course have raised that number quite a bit. Still. Figuring that I made an error or got a "bad" car I checked www.fuelly.com for other 328d's and found that while the mean efficiency is 37 mpg combined, there's a pretty wide distribution, with plenty of folks reporting numbers down into the lower 20's and some folks here on Bimmerfest also expressing much lower efficiency numbers. My guess is that as like most cars the 328d has an efficiency sweet spot; stray from that spot with hard driving and efficiency plunges, as it likely did during my brief, demanding test drive. If I were commuting long distances in stable traffic environments, the 328d would probably hit its stride and be a good car. On the other hand, my two 335d's have achieved a lifetime combined average of mostly suburban driving of 26.7 mpg, an average road-trip efficiency of 37 mpg, and a free high of 42 mpg. If I were to drive like a human instead of a freaking lunatic ***8211; I have gone through four sets of tires in just over 72k total driving ***8211; I could probably better those numbers for the 335d still.
So, how would I rate these new diesels? From this driving enthusiast's narrow point of view, the 535d has plenty of power but rides too plushly while the 328d sport is wildly underpowered but handles and rides great. Throw on a sports suspension and the 535d might be a worthy replacement for the 335d, particularly for those who drive less aggressively than they once did and are willing to trade a measure of sharp handling for comfort and sonic isolation and to choke up another 20k. The 328d is an entirely different animal however and certainly cannot be recommended to anyone who prizes quickness and a hefty power reserve. I'm going to throw right down here and say that my wife's Prius, with the "Green Button" depressed, has at least as much power to the wheels as the 328d and, though it is louder and not nearly as much fun to fling around, would be my choice if I had to pick between the two and could pocket the 15k price difference. I was pretty disappointed in the new 328i, which I found to be unrefined, but the motor in the 328d is just so much more disappointing that even great steering cannot compensate. Oh BMW, what have you wrought?