"actually the 128 and 328 will easily get in the 30+ mpg range on freeway trips. The EPA listings are wildly conservative."
That's good to know. Still wondering if they could pull 36+mpg like our old 323i. Still, that is no where near the 50+mpg of the 1.8d and 2.0d. We have a few more years before we consider replacing her car so we'll see what materializes by then.
Just got an email from one of the San Diego BMW dealers. He says he has the X5 diesel ready for a test drive. When I checked last week at the dealer nearest me he said it would be January. I need to get going before they all sell out.
“Actually, I'd like to add a different spin. If BMW wanted to introduce a diesel to the US, I think they should have wrapped a 5 series around it” I surely agree with your opinions and appreciate your saying. I like the diesel-like low end torque that comes off Inline 6 tt, so I bought the 335xi (with one inch more of ground clearance than 335i), but the bumpy ride of the 3er bumped me out off the car in less than 3 months, now I drive the 535xi instead. I am a typical diesel nut and I am wondering if the 335d would be a good choice for me, beside, the 3825 lb curb weight on 335d and 5225 in X5xDrive35d make me pondering if Bimmer is good in making lighter weight vehicles.
" I bought the 335xi (with one inch more of ground clearance than 335i)...I am wondering if the 335d would be a good choice for me"
I'm guessing it's not since it's RWD only - no extra ground clearance.
"pondering if Bimmer is good in making lighter weight vehicles."
BMW does make lighter vehicles, you're just not looking at them. The twin turbo engine (especially the diesel) and all-wheel-drive add a lot of weight. Why not consider the 328i? It weighs 3340 lbs - 500 lbs less than the 335d!
Has anyone of you guys actually driven one of these 335d's? Nothing is going to go down unless someone drives it. The 3850 lbs would stop me in my tracks right away. Cars are getting too heavy these days with too much content IMHO. What happened to the 32-3300 lbs 3's? They were light on their feet and were fun. Oh yeah:got to have nav (in case you get lost in your neighborhood and on your way to work). Havent you heard of a map? Men? How about heated seats,electric everything. All this sh... weighs hundreds of pounds which do nothing to the driving experience except make it worse. I tried to buy a "stripped" lightweight 335 in Atlanta and the dealer drones thought I had lost my mind!
Order the stripped 335i. Dealers still allow ordering. Do ED and really enjoy it. Pick up your car in munich, storm the autobahn and then bring it home 12-15% off MSRP, along with stories for life.
My dealer took a 2005 E46 M3 in trade that was equipped almost exactly the way I would have ordered it. The only options were Xenons and the H-K audio "upgrade". No hole in the roof, manual seats. Sad to say, at the time I wasn't in a position to buy it... :mad: :mad: :mad:
I went to the local dealer today with the intention of driving a 135i and a 335i. They had neither with manual transmission, and after sitting in a 128i with my head brushing the roof, it was clear that the 1 series proposition would go no further.
I did, however, drive a 335i and 335d back to back, both automatics with base suspension, and surprised myself by preferring the latter. I didn't think that the 335i was strong enough for an auto -- too little grunt right at the bottom, but the 335d worked well -- it felt a lot more like an OHV V8 of old, with bags of effortless torque. And you can hear the engine -- it's always there, noisier than I expected, and it feels big and bad when you step into it.
I still want to drive a 335i with manual and sports suspension, but I enjoyed the 335i with base susp and auto less than my '06 325i with manual and ZSP. I think I'll be keeping mine a while longer.
(I then drove a CTS with direct injection -- very nice car but came back to the dealer smoking from the left front side -- nasty electrical smell. Then on to a VW GTi with manual, which was the best drive of the day. Lovely car, but would it fall apart like my Mk 4 did? And better to wait for the Mk 6.)
In this month's Roundel, that I got yesterday, there was a long list of letters from people complaining about how when they took their 335i in for unrelated service, the BMW dealer did a firmware upgrade that made the engine gutless below 3,000 rpm. One owner speculated that BMW did this because of longevity problems with turbocharger components (wastegate failures). Formerly, the engines had been seemless in power delivery from about 1400 rpm. After the upgrade, they suffered from severe turbo lag. BMW admits that they did this (introduced turbo lag), but they claim it was to deal with noise issues (right), not compenent longevity issues. They promise a new firmware upgrade for January 2009 to unfix the fix. Supposedly, the firmware upgrade that people complained about was applied on N54 TT 3-series cars built up to March, 2008. I guess 1-Series owners with same engine do not care about noise.
That was an idiotic Jeremy Clarksen stunt that made zero sense. They drove a Prius flat out around a race track while the M3 drafted it with the engine barely above idle. Who drives cars purpose-built for stop/go city driving around race tracks flat out? Why only Dr. Clarksen, of course. The school where he got his doctorate in engineering must be deeply ashamed.
He did not bother to repeat the test with the M3 driven full out around the track, nor with both cars driven through city traffic... or at normal cruise speeds on a motorway The Prius fuel mileage numbers would have beaten the M3's severely about the head and shoulders in either case, of course, and that is the wrong answer for Jeremy. Better to stage a senseless stunt. I guess the adults in charge at Top Gear were off that day. I am surprised that his two buds did not call him on this one, though, as they often do seem to show more sense than Jeremy.
This is, after all, TELEVISION, where shame has been banished. You remember when someone suggested that they launch Geraldo Rivera into space so they could test the effect of weightlessness on weightlessness?
Jeremy Clarkson likes to have a bit of fun overstating his case, but the point is a valid one. A lot of the Priuses (what's the plural of Prius? Prii?) around here do not appear to be driven very gently, and they are very basic car, dynamically, for the money. The manufacturing process is more energy intensive than that of a normal car. I'd take the torque of a high output diesel in a sophisticated, competent package.
Re the sunroof -- I just checked the BMW site -- it's included as standard on both the 128i and the 135i. Darn.
Re the VW -- I did notice the black plastic false and real air inlet panels at bumper height -- I think one encounter with a misplaced wheel barrow handle or snow bank would put paid to that.
Re the 335d -- don't be misled about magazine stories about the quietness and refinement of modern diesels. The former, no, the latter, yes, but this car is not like the gasoline version at all. The difference is apparent as soon as you start the engine. The engine is there at cruise, but it's not an unpleasant sound. It just feels big, strong and bottomless. It tails off a bit between 4k and 5k, as you'd expect.
The car did make me want to try a 330d with manual and sport suspension -- I'm sure it's as great as it's claimed to be by the press.
No, but I belive that Europeans can get a Manual 330d. The only oil burner that I covet is the Alpina D3:
It's a twin turbo four banger that knocks out the 0-60 dash in the mid to high sixes. It also has a manual tranny and pulls down @42 miles per US gallon in the EU combined driving cycle.
No manual tranny for the 335d -- I think I remember reading that the available transmission could not handle the torque. We're certainly fortunate in the US from the pricing perspective.
Please don't shoot the messenger, but the Prius, for all its shortcomings, is not really a "basic" car. In terms of seat comfort and interior room, a BMW 3 series should be so lucky. What a Prius isn't, is fun to drive, which a 3 series definitely is, so there you go.
In the old days, when I worked on cars and dinosaurs roamed the earth, the joke was about Volvos rather than Priuses---that "it's a car for people who hate cars".
I drove a Prius 1250 miles in 2 days (SF to Denver) and it was very comfortable.
"I did, however, drive a 335i and 335d back to back, both automatics with base suspension, and surprised myself by preferring the latter. I didn't think that the 335i was strong enough for an auto -- too little grunt right at the bottom, but the 335d worked well -- it felt a lot more like an OHV V8 of old, with bags of effortless torque. And you can hear the engine -- it's always there, noisier than I expected, and it feels big and bad when you step into it. "
I'd like to drag us back on-topic for a minute, but I did the same test-drive as nkeen, and I too was shocked.
That I-6TT diesel is a fantastic engine. So much torque, it un-does most of the weight of the ever-porking 3-series.
The transmission did an equally amazing job of shifting all that torque under boost imperceptibly smoothly. Perhaps because it had less rev range to deal with. But I too preferred the action over the 335i automatic.
But the end result of the combination of truckloads of torque and seamless shifts is that it felt nothing like any car I've driven. It was more like accelerating down the highway in your own private jet. Sounds similar too, as the greatest noise under accel is the turbo whine. No abrupt jerkiness, just a constant forcing you into the seat.
Hard to describe, I suggest those curious go try it.
The torque is so available that it would make the 3-series a better daily driver. It won't search for gears in traffic, slowing down for lights, going over hills, etc. But when you get on it, its as strong as the gas version. Speeding up takes less effort, especially when you want to get home stress-free.
But I notice that this thread is mostly based on the economics of diesel. If cost is the only downside... there's far more to it than that. This engine is more luxurious and versatile IMO.
Well my comments were in response to the comment that the Prius was a "basic" car, which might be, could be, interpreted like it was a Rent a Car Daewoo in Hawaii or something---which it is not.
Sure I'd rather have taken the trip in a 335d, but I didn't suffer the agonies of a martyr driving the Prius 1250 miles. It was amazingly easy. It's like driving mom's sofa. How hard is that?
I haven't sat in a 335d, so I can't comment or compare in any detail. The last 3 series I was in was a 2006, and I wouldn't have wanted to take that cross country. The car is too small for my size is all.
I feel sick when I drive my mother-in-law's Prius The lack of roadfeel makes me get car sick while driving. Happens with most rentals for me. They seem to float and I get a disconnected feeling that causes all sorts of brain crazy.
I drove my 2006 330i 1500 miles in Europe. It wasn't taxing at all and at times I was doing 150. I averaged about 110 on most freeway driving.
I have trouble with my calf hitting the console on the 3 cars and also the angle of my foot on the gas pedal. But I agree the firm ride makes for a more relaxing trip, ironically. In a floaty-boaty car, your back and leg muscles are always working to stabilize you, and it can be tiring. Fortunately, for desert driving you just point and shoot so mom's sofa was okay! In the mountains,though---UGH!
The 335D has to be a dream to drive through the high mountain roads. That torque pulling in the hills is pure pleasure. Of course my choice would be the much more comfortable X5 with that same engine. Still gets to 60 in 6.5 seconds which is more than adequate for my needs. Then when the snow starts to build in those mountain passes you got a better chance of getting home or to the lodge.
His point, he claimed, was "it's not what you drive, it's how you drive it". The part about your mileage being impacted by how you drive it is valid and true...duh! That would be best made by driving either car moderately through a course and then flogging it through the same course. He did not do that. The entire point, however, is simply wrong unless you set up hugely artificial conditions, such as he did, and even then the Prius lost by just a little.
Is he trying to tell us that ANYONE would buy a V8 M3 and then drive it gently to try to get the best mileage possable? Is he trying to tell us that ANYONE would buy a Prius to flog it on a track?
The episode would be amusing if he left out the sermon at the end. The sermon, itself, was utter nonsense.
The 335D has to be a dream to drive through the high mountain roads. That torque pulling in the hills is pure pleasure.
I use to drive through high mountain roads at least every other week-end. I anticipate those week-ends not only for the pleasure of skiing, my favorite sport, but also for the joy of driving from the see level up to 5,000 feet and back. Then I have to restrain myself from overtaking other cars in the winding roads because the car acceleration is so impressive that I can feel everything as possible, and way much possible—only to realize the bent is there asking for a lot of braking. Even so, the drive is always precise and easy.
The 335D had come to the all local dealers here in South Jersey and Eastern Pa. about two weeks ago; the funny thing is every dealership got only one, and all the ones are black in color, all of them are poorly equipped with basic option like heated seat. As a diesel nut (or rather a Bimmer nut in this past two years) I did test drive the black one with a salesman on my side at DeSimone BMW of Mt. Laurel. Here are the feelings in my mind: 1) it felt the 335D is a little faster than the 335Xi or 535Xi for that matter. 2) With same manner of driving of my 535Xi, the 335D actually jump off in a smooth way that you don’t get on the 535Xi. 3) If you push 335Xi or 535Xi hard, you get no hesitation smooth acceleration, but, the diesel gives you a push faster feeling (if I push the 750Li hard, the car give you a jerk, before it takes off). So, I asked Christian Frank who sat on my side why the 535Xi is quicker on the paper, and he said, “May be the horse power”. And I think BMW should test the car again for real number. I wish the D would be under the hoods of 5er or 7er.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I would love to see that engine in a 5er. If you could get a manual tranny behind it, I'd be looking for spare relatives to sell in order to get it.
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
No, but have in the rain. Stable up to 90 mph then we ran out of expressway. :P . Judging by the oem tires, snow/ice would probably be tricky at best. I would swag performance winter tires would be the order of the season.
You need not worry as long as you have traction control (I believe it is standard) and snow tires. They don't even have to be expensive snow tires. I drive a '92 LS400 through Michigan winters using Kumho snow tires from Discount Tire. Bought them a few years back for like $300, total, installed. Never had any trouble with them...never stuck...and I drive daily. This winter has been very tough...no problems even after third winter. I'm glad I skipped the Michelins or Bridgestones for many $ more.
Forget about it with all-seasons. They will be marginal when new and dangerous when worn on a RWD car.
I dunno about that. I hope you aren't including suspension bushings :P But yes, good rigid chassis, like all German cars. But no German company makes an engine like a BMW.
I can't help it. I love straight 6s for their smoothness, sound and power band.
By "good rigid chassis, like all German cars"...you mean like the Porsche 911 drop top that Car & Driver once described as a "Flexible Flyer"?
But that's not really fair, pretty much all German convertibles suffer from some cowl shudder on bumping roads. You want a really strong convertible structure, you need something designed that way...like a Corvette.
By "no German company makes an engine like a BMW" do you mean like the the E46 M3 engines that were basically on their death beds as soon as their owners got them due to poor construction, or the famous disintegrating plastic water pumps of the E36's that caused owners plenty of trouble and $, or the VANOS feature that eliminates any sense of smoothness when it starts to "go" (like I currently experience on my 30,000 miles E46 zhp), or the current 335 gas engine that BMW just "upgraded" the firmware to to introduce turbo lag because without it the engines were failing too soon and costing warranty bucks, or the same engines that were first sold to customers w/o an oil cooler which it desperately needs to make the turbos last?
If you mean no other German company makes a straight six, anymore, you are probably right. Heck, BMW is moving away from them, too. What do they put in the M3? The other guys (Merc) went away from the straight six for packaging reasons and I'll bet BMW will eventually, too. Great design choice, but quite bulky for its displacement.
Part of the devil and the deep blue sea "door choices" is to dodge each oem's issues. BMW is probably no exception.
The I 6 is bullet proof . It has been for literally decades if not generations. One can even label this old school/tech. If BMW has taken advantage of this (I6 design) with the diesel, and stayed within its known design parameters, it certainly has a hit with 265 hp and 425 # ft.!! Maximum torque comes on at relatively low RPMS. Another obvious issue would be the reliability of the twin turbos and compatibility with the I 6 diesel.
Whether or not the I 6 twin turbo diesel in the BMW 335 D navigated correctly, remains to be seen, ie, time, miles, history. It is a not brainer out to 60,000 miles, due to being maintenance free and covered under warranty for those miles.
I think you might be, if you will pardon my putting words in your mouth, confusing "rigid" with "durable" when you compare a German cabriolet to a Corvette. Rigid is easy, durable is difficult. Take an old Porsche cabriolet or old 325 cab for a ride....nary a squeak to be heard.
Sure you are right, older M3 engines had their issues, but then, people drive them a bit differently than a Buick.
I've had BMWs, and mercilessly driven the living crap out of them, and barring the exceptional, those engines don't break.
Now you show me a little German black box stuffed with electronics, and I might agree with you about "problems".
I may not be ga-ga over a luxury diesel BMW with a substantial price tag, but I have full confidence in the engine and chassis of the 335d.
..."Sure you are right, older M3 engines had their issues, but then, people drive them a bit differently than a Buick. "...
Well that is true, but I am thinking that takes the focus off the true scenario. It was really a series of engine design decisions, that they packed, for example the 2001 BMW M3 with performance features, increasing the likihood of it exploding / grenading. It is very unlikely the BWM M3 was made or marketed for the over 55 years old set, to get them to switch from their perfectly fine Buicks.
Ah well like Sterling Moss is said to have said: "The perfect race car is the one that destroys itself right after crossing first over the finish line".
Every car is a compromise about something. The phenomenon you refer to is I think called "narrow engineering", wherein the manufacturer engineers the car to excel in one or two ranges of things while leaving the rest merely adequate at best.
I'm sure the 335d is a combination of compromises. Exactly what they are, I don't know, I haven't driven the car.
I think the truly "great" cars we remember did not do everything well, but rather did a few things brilliantly.
Very odd or maybe I have been away too long from pricing BMW's, but $500. for heated seats....(BMW 335 D.)???? But I as well as you live in a globally warmed area. Now if they put those massage chair FEATURES you can try at Brookstone's..... :surprise: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
Ah yes the German Options List--a series of financial olympic jumps that the buyer goes through to ever increasing heights. :P BMWs option list is bold, Porsche's is shameless.
Comments
The 335d is sold in the UK and Europe, only with more horsepower but auto only, as in the US -- 286 bhp: 0-62 mph in 6.0, 42.2 combined cycle.
That's good to know. Still wondering if they could pull 36+mpg like our old 323i. Still, that is no where near the 50+mpg of the 1.8d and 2.0d. We have a few more years before we consider replacing her car so we'll see what materializes by then.
I surely agree with your opinions and appreciate your saying. I like the diesel-like low end torque that comes off Inline 6 tt, so I bought the 335xi (with one inch more of ground clearance than 335i), but the bumpy ride of the 3er bumped me out off the car in less than 3 months, now I drive the 535xi instead. I am a typical diesel nut and I am wondering if the 335d would be a good choice for me, beside, the 3825 lb curb weight on 335d and 5225 in X5xDrive35d make me pondering if Bimmer is good in making lighter weight vehicles.
I'm guessing it's not since it's RWD only - no extra ground clearance.
"pondering if Bimmer is good in making lighter weight vehicles."
BMW does make lighter vehicles, you're just not looking at them. The twin turbo engine (especially the diesel) and all-wheel-drive add a lot of weight. Why not consider the 328i? It weighs 3340 lbs - 500 lbs less than the 335d!
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-2021 Sahara 4xe-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I did, however, drive a 335i and 335d back to back, both automatics with base suspension, and surprised myself by preferring the latter. I didn't think that the 335i was strong enough for an auto -- too little grunt right at the bottom, but the 335d worked well -- it felt a lot more like an OHV V8 of old, with bags of effortless torque. And you can hear the engine -- it's always there, noisier than I expected, and it feels big and bad when you step into it.
I still want to drive a 335i with manual and sports suspension, but I enjoyed the 335i with base susp and auto less than my '06 325i with manual and ZSP. I think I'll be keeping mine a while longer.
(I then drove a CTS with direct injection -- very nice car but came back to the dealer smoking from the left front side -- nasty electrical smell. Then on to a VW GTi with manual, which was the best drive of the day. Lovely car, but would it fall apart like my Mk 4 did? And better to wait for the Mk 6.)
You're asking if a VW will fall apart? (biting my tongue, breathing hard.....)
He did not bother to repeat the test with the M3 driven full out around the track, nor with both cars driven through city traffic... or at normal cruise speeds on a motorway The Prius fuel mileage numbers would have beaten the M3's severely about the head and shoulders in either case, of course, and that is the wrong answer for Jeremy. Better to stage a senseless stunt. I guess the adults in charge at Top Gear were off that day. I am surprised that his two buds did not call him on this one, though, as they often do seem to show more sense than Jeremy.
Re the VW -- I did notice the black plastic false and real air inlet panels at bumper height -- I think one encounter with a misplaced wheel barrow handle or snow bank would put paid to that.
Re the 335d -- don't be misled about magazine stories about the quietness and refinement of modern diesels. The former, no, the latter, yes, but this car is not like the gasoline version at all. The difference is apparent as soon as you start the engine. The engine is there at cruise, but it's not an unpleasant sound. It just feels big, strong and bottomless. It tails off a bit between 4k and 5k, as you'd expect.
The car did make me want to try a 330d with manual and sport suspension -- I'm sure it's as great as it's claimed to be by the press.
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It's a twin turbo four banger that knocks out the 0-60 dash in the mid to high sixes. It also has a manual tranny and pulls down @42 miles per US gallon in the EU combined driving cycle.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-2021 Sahara 4xe-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
http://www.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/pricesandspecifications/0,,1156___bs-Mw%3D%3D%40bb-TE- - - kwOA%3D%3D%40sit-bmwuk,00.html
No manual tranny for the 335d -- I think I remember reading that the available transmission could not handle the torque. We're certainly fortunate in the US from the pricing perspective.
In the old days, when I worked on cars and dinosaurs roamed the earth, the joke was about Volvos rather than Priuses---that "it's a car for people who hate cars".
I drove a Prius 1250 miles in 2 days (SF to Denver) and it was very comfortable.
Exactly! If we didn't have the Prius and its ilk, what would dorky eco-weenies drive?
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-2021 Sahara 4xe-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
You should take the same trip in a Jetta TDI and a BMW 335D and give us your comparison.
PS
I cannot imagine driving 600 miles a day in a Prius after my 15 minute ride in the 2009 model. I guess it is what you are used to.
I rather liked the test. It indicated that you are probably buying a car that meets your needs than buying a car other people think you should buy.
I'd like to drag us back on-topic for a minute, but I did the same test-drive as nkeen, and I too was shocked.
That I-6TT diesel is a fantastic engine. So much torque, it un-does most of the weight of the ever-porking 3-series.
The transmission did an equally amazing job of shifting all that torque under boost imperceptibly smoothly. Perhaps because it had less rev range to deal with. But I too preferred the action over the 335i automatic.
But the end result of the combination of truckloads of torque and seamless shifts is that it felt nothing like any car I've driven. It was more like accelerating down the highway in your own private jet. Sounds similar too, as the greatest noise under accel is the turbo whine. No abrupt jerkiness, just a constant forcing you into the seat.
Hard to describe, I suggest those curious go try it.
The torque is so available that it would make the 3-series a better daily driver. It won't search for gears in traffic, slowing down for lights, going over hills, etc. But when you get on it, its as strong as the gas version. Speeding up takes less effort, especially when you want to get home stress-free.
But I notice that this thread is mostly based on the economics of diesel. If cost is the only downside... there's far more to it than that. This engine is more luxurious and versatile IMO.
Sure I'd rather have taken the trip in a 335d, but I didn't suffer the agonies of a martyr driving the Prius 1250 miles. It was amazingly easy. It's like driving mom's sofa. How hard is that?
I haven't sat in a 335d, so I can't comment or compare in any detail. The last 3 series I was in was a 2006, and I wouldn't have wanted to take that cross country. The car is too small for my size is all.
I drove my 2006 330i 1500 miles in Europe. It wasn't taxing at all and at times I was doing 150. I averaged about 110 on most freeway driving.
Regards,
OW
Really if you can name one thing BMW excels at, it is engines.
Is he trying to tell us that ANYONE would buy a V8 M3 and then drive it gently to try to get the best mileage possable? Is he trying to tell us that ANYONE would buy a Prius to flog it on a track?
The episode would be amusing if he left out the sermon at the end. The sermon, itself, was utter nonsense.
Regards,
Jose
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
Forget about it with all-seasons. They will be marginal when new and dangerous when worn on a RWD car.
Regards,
OW
I can't help it. I love straight 6s for their smoothness, sound and power band.
But that's not really fair, pretty much all German convertibles suffer from some cowl shudder on bumping roads. You want a really strong convertible structure, you need something designed that way...like a Corvette.
By "no German company makes an engine like a BMW" do you mean like the the E46 M3 engines that were basically on their death beds as soon as their owners got them due to poor construction, or the famous disintegrating plastic water pumps of the E36's that caused owners plenty of trouble and $, or the VANOS feature that eliminates any sense of smoothness when it starts to "go" (like I currently experience on my 30,000 miles E46 zhp), or the current 335 gas engine that BMW just "upgraded" the firmware to to introduce turbo lag because without it the engines were failing too soon and costing warranty bucks, or the same engines that were first sold to customers w/o an oil cooler which it desperately needs to make the turbos last?
If you mean no other German company makes a straight six, anymore, you are probably right. Heck, BMW is moving away from them, too. What do they put in the M3? The other guys (Merc) went away from the straight six for packaging reasons and I'll bet BMW will eventually, too. Great design choice, but quite bulky for its displacement.
The I 6 is bullet proof . It has been for literally decades if not generations. One can even label this old school/tech. If BMW has taken advantage of this (I6 design) with the diesel, and stayed within its known design parameters, it certainly has a hit with 265 hp and 425 # ft.!! Maximum torque comes on at relatively low RPMS. Another obvious issue would be the reliability of the twin turbos and compatibility with the I 6 diesel.
Whether or not the I 6 twin turbo diesel in the BMW 335 D navigated correctly, remains to be seen, ie, time, miles, history. It is a not brainer out to 60,000 miles, due to being maintenance free and covered under warranty for those miles.
Sure you are right, older M3 engines had their issues, but then, people drive them a bit differently than a Buick.
I've had BMWs, and mercilessly driven the living crap out of them, and barring the exceptional, those engines don't break.
Now you show me a little German black box stuffed with electronics, and I might agree with you about "problems".
I may not be ga-ga over a luxury diesel BMW with a substantial price tag, but I have full confidence in the engine and chassis of the 335d.
Well that is true, but I am thinking that takes the focus off the true scenario. It was really a series of engine design decisions, that they packed, for example the 2001 BMW M3 with performance features, increasing the likihood of it exploding / grenading. It is very unlikely the BWM M3 was made or marketed for the over 55 years old set, to get them to switch from their perfectly fine Buicks.
Every car is a compromise about something. The phenomenon you refer to is I think called "narrow engineering", wherein the manufacturer engineers the car to excel in one or two ranges of things while leaving the rest merely adequate at best.
I'm sure the 335d is a combination of compromises. Exactly what they are, I don't know, I haven't driven the car.
I think the truly "great" cars we remember did not do everything well, but rather did a few things brilliantly.
I think BMW engines were/are brilliant.