I prefer gasoline engines, due to the driving experience. I like revs. And smooth quiet engines. Diesels have gotten much better, but they still are "pretty smooth for a diesel," not "as smooth as a gasoline engine." Now that we have readily available turbocharged direct injection gasoline engines, I can get high torque at low rpms as well. Once you are at that technology level, I find that the economy of a diesel is not much of a difference, and as we often have expensive diesel where I live (at least six months of the year, due to the seasonal home heating oil market), diesels don't have a pay back until the 100,000 km range. That is a long time to just get to break even. The used market figured it out as well here. Diesel X5s commanded a $4500 premium when new here several years ago (we never had government subsidies to promote diesels), and in the used market they are now not commanding a price premium, so they depreciated faster.

I have had two diesels, a Passat 1.9 red badge (A6 engine in the UK at the time) and a Landrover Discovery, and I drove many different company cars with diesels. It made sense in the UK due to the tax structure on diesel fuel. I also worked in the heavy duty diesel industry for 26 years, so I figured I probably ought to have a diesel.

We were thinking about a new X5 a while back, and we eventually decided to wait a year. But we drove one. We picked the colour and major options. Then we were discussing 35d vs 35i. My wife requested that we eliminate the diesel from the list, as she would be driving (and refueling) it as well. She remembered refuelling the Passat and Discovery. She checked local fuel availability. It is available, but not as readily available as gasoline. She just didn't want the hassle.

If I wanted a very fuel efficient car I would consider a diesel. But with a BMW, I buy it for the driving experience, and I just find the diesel driving experience to be not as engaging. If I wanted an engine that just wasn't as smooth, that didn't like to rev as much, that didn't make me smile as easily, I could buy something cheaper than a BMW for the same effect.

I think that if BMW had introduced a 320d several years ago, instead of a 335d, they would have done much better in the North American market with their diesel launch. They tried to sell diesel as "almost as good performance as gasoline" and it wasn't worth it. But if they had sold "the handling of a BMW with the economy of an efficient diesel" they could have carved out a niche, IMO. The fuel mileage would have made a better headline than "almost as good as a 335i"

Anyway, my thoughts on a diesel. If I have to, OK, but not while there are still better alternatives. And we are paying $1.6 per litre at the moment, which is $7.26 per gallon, and is over $6 even for the smaller US gallon. But I'd take a 35i over a 35d.

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2007 X3 3.0si, 6 MT, Premium, White

Retired:
2008 535i, 6 MT, M Sport, Premium, Space Grey
2003 X5 3.0 Steptronic, Premium, Titanium Silver
2002 325xi 5 MT, Steel Grey
2004 Z4 3.0 Premium, Sport, SMG, Maldives Blue