Photo: Car and Driver
The world has changed, compared to 20 years ago, as it was supposed to. Back in the 90s, whenever someone said 'diesel' the faces of those around him/her would turn to an ugly grimace. Nowadays, in Europe, most executive cars are diesel. Talk about a change!
In this similar way, Americans too are starting to change. Most major manufacturers are starting to introduce more and more diesels on the US market, in an attempt to make them more popular and get people to understand that the efficiency they bring is most important.
BMW introduced with the LCI 5 Series one diesel, dubbed 535d. This model was taken out for a quick test by the guys from Car and Driver, long time diesel fans. The 535d, otherwise known as 530d in Europe, has a 3-liter diesel engine with a lot of new tech bits in it, that makes 258 HP and 416 lb-ft (560 Nm) of torque.
Most importantly, it's a lot smoother and quieter than on the pre-facelift model. It's barely noticeable, even at start-up and will take the car up to 60 mph from a standstill in just 5.6 seconds, really close to its petrol brother, the 535i.
As for fuel efficiency, the 535d returns an average consumption of 32 mpg, 2 more than what the EPA estimated. On the track the guys had at their disposal, all numbers came out impressive, even the braking test showed mental results, the car reaching a stand still in 154 feet from 70 mph, really close to numbers exhibited by proper sport cars like Porsches and Corvettes, not to mention the 4,100 lbs weight.
Even the options list and prices are convenient, the car they tested being valued at USD66,000 and having everything you could possibly need onboard.
Full test at Car and Driver
BMW introduced with the LCI 5 Series one diesel, dubbed 535d. This model was taken out for a quick test by the guys from Car and Driver, long time diesel fans. The 535d, otherwise known as 530d in Europe, has a 3-liter diesel engine with a lot of new tech bits in it, that makes 258 HP and 416 lb-ft (560 Nm) of torque.
Most importantly, it's a lot smoother and quieter than on the pre-facelift model. It's barely noticeable, even at start-up and will take the car up to 60 mph from a standstill in just 5.6 seconds, really close to its petrol brother, the 535i.
As for fuel efficiency, the 535d returns an average consumption of 32 mpg, 2 more than what the EPA estimated. On the track the guys had at their disposal, all numbers came out impressive, even the braking test showed mental results, the car reaching a stand still in 154 feet from 70 mph, really close to numbers exhibited by proper sport cars like Porsches and Corvettes, not to mention the 4,100 lbs weight.
Even the options list and prices are convenient, the car they tested being valued at USD66,000 and having everything you could possibly need onboard.
Full test at Car and Driver
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