[Desertnate]

I currently live in the UK, and driving home from work Friday I followed a Saphire Black '02 330iT with sport package. It looked sweet! I am not a fan of the type 72 wheels, but they looked really good on the wagon. Here in the UK, the SP also includes the M front spoiler, so the new headlight design was really enhanced by the agressive spoiler.

I thought it was a custom badging job, so I went to the BMW UK website, and sure enough there it was...

Yesterday, when scheduling a service appt at the dealer, they were prepping a 530 Touring for delivery.

Ahh...to only get one or the other in the US:banghead: For me either would be the perfect family-mobile. The 540 is way out of my tax bracket and I yearn for a little more hp then what the 2.5L delivers.

I realize that in the US one would steal sales from the other, but I would think that there would be a real interest for at least the 530 Touring, esp if they used it to replace the 525 Touring.

 

[Patrick]

Better yet, how about a 330d Touring!



Patrick

 

[·clyde·]

Better yet, how about a 330d Touring!



Patrick

Even better...an engine option other than the 2.5L in the US

 

[JST]

Even better...an engine option other than the 2.5L in the US

318Ti?

 

[·clyde·]

318Ti?

DOH!
:banghead:

 

[Desertnate]

Better yet, how about a 330d Touring!



Patrick

That wouldn't be half bad either. I would like the mileage you could get with the diesel engine.

I drove a 320d sedan as a loaner and it wasn't too bad. The only way I knew it was diesel was the little glow plug light on the dash that lit up when I started the engine. The engine was VERY smooth and didn't have the stereotypical knocking sound. Overall hp wasn't that great, but the low end tourque made acceleration liveable.

 

[Mr. The Edge]

I'm still waiting for that 545iT in 2004.

 

[nate]

I'm still waiting for that 545iT in 2004.

I wonder if there will be a 545iT/6

Though, SMG woudn't be bad

 

[Patrick]

I drove a 320d sedan as a loaner and it wasn't too bad. The only way I knew it was diesel was the little glow plug light on the dash that lit up when I started the engine. The engine was VERY smooth and didn't have the stereotypical knocking sound. Overall hp wasn't that great, but the low end tourque made acceleration liveable.

I hope that you waited for the glow plug light to go OFF before you started the engine!! Replacing those plugs is not so cheap ...

I am very happy with my 320d: fuel economy is excellent and like you mention, it does drive just like a gasoline powered 3er.

BTW, fuel economy of the 3.0 liter diesel is not that much better than 2.5 liter gasoline engine.

Patrick

 

[Patrick]

318Ti?

LOL.

We do have the 316i over here - but the engine is actually 1.9 liter capacity. VANOS as well, I believe.

Patrick

 

[Patrick]

Oh yeah.

 

[·clyde·]

Oh yeah.

Why does this make me want to rebadge my wagon?

 

[Patrick]

Why does this make me want to rebadge my wagon?

I can get you a 330d badge ...

Patrick

 

[·clyde·]

I can get you a 330d badge ...

Patrick

hehe...can I put an //M in front of it?

 

[Patrick]

hehe...can I put an //M in front of it?

That doesn't add any HP with the diesel models, but it does decrease fuel economy by as much as 1.5 liters/100km ...

Patrick

 

[Mystikal]

I wonder if there will be a 545iT/6

Though, SMG woudn't be bad

LOL, yeah, so 10 out of the 700 sold annually will be 6-speed. :lmao:

I hate North Americans. :banghead:

 

[Nick325xiT 5spd]

Given that more 530s than 525s are sold here in this country, I suspect that a 530iT would sell better than the 525iT.

I'm sure the 325iT cannibalizes sales from the 5'er. The 525 is a bit big to be so underpowered. BMW should consign the low end wagon market to the 325s and move up a bit with a 530iT.

 

[Mr Paddle.Shift]

Guess what is this then?

 

[Desertnate]

That can't be in the US...or is it? IS there hope for the diesels in the US. I was under the impression that the high sulphur content in the US diesels was bad for the European engines.

While the 3.0d is a good engine, I still would prefer the 3.0 petrol engine for the extra hp.

 

[Patrick]

Guess what is this then?

Very kewl!

There is BTW, a BMW 4.0 liter diesel found in the E38 740d ... :yikes:

Patrick