2009 BMW 335d - Performance and Fuel Economy - First Drive

An afternoon storming up and over the 6800-ft, switchback-laden, Jaufenpass from Austria into Italy, frequently rerunning sections for video, gassing it hard out of the turns, and waiting for photo ops with the engine idling took its toll -- after 203.5 miles, we topped the 335d up with 8.633 gal of diesel, for an average consumption of 23.6 mpg, impressive under the circumstances. On U.S. Interstates, cruising at a lazy 70-80 mph, we figure 36 mpg is easily achievable. With the 335d's 16.2-gal tank, that means at least 550 miles between fuel stops.

While there's a lot that feels 3 Series-familiar -- the taut, tied-down chassis, the crisp steering, the agility -- the 335d is a totally different kind of drive. Forget the silken rush of power and the marvelous top-end bite you've always gotten from a BMW inline-six -- the 335d's twin-turbo diesel growls like Tom Waits gargling Irish Cream and produces a tidal wave of torque from just over 1000 rpm. Squeeze the pedal, and the 335d makes an elastic lunge for the horizon, the transmission shifting early to surf the torque. It doesn't sound like you're going fast. But you are.

You're always aware of a slight vibe through the pedals and a distant basso rumble around town, but at freeway-cruising speeds the diesel is smooth and inaudible. Nailing a gap in the traffic is achieved with a gentle squeeze of your right foot on the go pedal -- as often as not, there's so much torque on tap the transmission never even shifts out of top gear.

On the mountain passes, simply flick the shifter into sport mode and use the paddle shifters. The trick is to remember to shift early -- although the tach is redlined at 5000, the party's pretty much over the moment engine reaches its 4220-rpm power peak. We barely used more than 3500 rpm, luxuriating in the sort of grunt out of corners only 425 lb-ft -- more torque than a Dodge Challenger SRT8's 6.1L Hemi pumps out -- can provide.