Agree that there is torque/usable power in abundance in a diesel, and the green reasons to go there, but I would miss a petrol burner in a sports car....now, in the X5 that's a whole other story.

I drove a good few higher end TD's in Europe and I always missed that sports car 'feeling'. Definitely more useable torque lower at lower rpm in a diesel but I missed that rising bhp/rpm experience. Mebbe I need to give the 335d a test drive...

Anyway, different strokes for different folks, and not to hikack the OP thread on a topic that has probbaly been flogged to death several times over..