It’s BMW’s most efficient 3 series yet, which means it’s a brand-killer stateside Not to worry though, the new M5 will have 600hp. We’ll get that. Anyway, the two liter BMW oil burner gets 62.8mpg (52 miles per US gallon, non-EPA testing) and emits fewer than 120 grams of carbon per kilometer. Too bad it still starts at about $38K (in the UK). And takes 10.9 seconds to reach 62 mph. And since we’re in the realm of Euro-diesel fantasy, wouldn’t you just as soon cough up $40-42K for a 123d five-door? It may only get 50 mpg (41 US, etc), but it’s the first diesel to produce 100 hp per liter, and “a gem of an engine,” according to Autocar. Back in the stark reality of the American market though, that new M5 is going to have a twin-turbo V10. And in case that’s not enough, it will also boast a boost button based on the F1 KERS system. Good times.
KERS keeps you off the podium in F1, and is promoting a crisis of rules that could break the league (which would monumentally suck).
I wonder how it would go down in a more prosaic application like a passenger car? Interesting question. Too bad there is no apples-to-apples comparison with the outgoing M5, though. Both the increase in fuel consumption and performance of the new one can be attributed to the windmills they are bolting onto that V10. Who knows if the KERS system makes a positive difference or not? Interesting problem for a car-tester to figure out.
But in F1, KERS sucks.
UPDATE! Max Mosley got canned as F1A president this morning…Hooray! Nothing drags a sport down like a Nazi pervert running it. Good move F1A!
Umm; those sound like miles per Imperial gallon.
And 120 grams CO is 20% more than a Prius.
Anyone know a good way of converting EU/UK mileage ratings to US/EPA? They’re amazingly out of whack, even when considering the Imperial gallons thing.
Count me as one of the many TTACers who say they’d buy a diesel if it were available, though I’m firmly in the 123d camp over this.
As interesting at the 335d is, something in between that and this is where I would like to see BMW come in for the U.S. market.
Oh, and I can’t help but note that BMW Sauber has stopped using KERS this season, and the FOTA teams have agreed to not use it next season… I’m a believer in racing improving the breed, but I’d prefer to just see the successful racing technologies make it over. Not that I’m in the market for the new M5 anyway :)
Too bad it still starts at about $38k (in the UK).
So it would sell for about $28k in the US after doing the currency and VAT adjustments? I think it would sell like hotcakes.
hurls, It’s not only that the Imperial gallon is larger, its also that the testing cycle in Europe is more optimistic than the US EPA cycle; its more like the EPA numbers before they were adjusted downwards a couple of years ago. The Euro cycle numbers just don’t reflect typical real-world consumption.
imperial gal = 4.54 litre
us gal = 3.78 litre
if i divide 4.54 by 3.78 = 1.2
imp is 20% more than US.
Correct me if wong.
“wouldn’t you just as soon cough up $40-42k for a 123d five-door?”
I’ve had enough of car websites directly converting euros to dollars. For reasons other posters have cited, the two cannot be directly translated.
arctic,
I know – they always forget about the 20% VAT.
@Paul Niedermeyer:
well I think they’re even more unrealistic than the old EPA numbers. Trying to do an apples to apples with a manual mini cooper, you get take the 52 MPG (imperial)/1.2 = 43.3 MPG. The EPA rating (combined) for the same car is 32 MPG.
If we took this BMW and converted 60 to 50 MPG (imperial to US) and then applied the same conversion factor (.75 — obviously a WAG based on that one data point of the Mini), we get down to 37.5 MPG .
Which is still, no doubt, awesome, given the car, but doesn’t sound quite so impressive as 60 MPG.
Of course I’m leaving out entirely the whole liters/100 km thing that makes it easy to compare cars consumption :)
Ok so UK costs 20% more and gets 20% more MPG. The facts in the article are 20% better than they seem. (but still 100% good…)
All I retained from that was M5 600 hp.
“Nein danke” to the 316d but “Ja bitte” to the 123d 5 door or even a 323d. I had a 120d 5 door rental last time I was in Germany and it was fun, frugal and very practical – unlike the 128 coupe sold here.
As for US vs UK MPGs – while you can do a numeric conversion that will allow for the larger imperial gallon, the comparison is somewhat meaningless as the underlying tests to obtain these numbers are totally different.
Thanks for the reminders, text amended.
And takes 10.9 seconds to reach 62 mph.
———————————————
Might as well just drive a Prius!
Anyone know a good way of converting EU/UK mileage ratings to US/EPA? They’re amazingly out of whack, even when considering the Imperial gallons thing.
Compare the European numbers car that’s sold in Europe and North America as a reference point (eg, the 2.0T Audis or VWs, most upper-trim gas-powered BMWs and Benzes, the 1.5L Yaris, the Prius). It’s the only way to “get a feel” for how those numbers can be compared.
so it’s a retune of the 320d?
less power/torque for higher mpg
CarnotCycle. Why is it good that Max Mosley has been canned?
Because he is a “Nazi”? Citation needed.
Because he is a “pervert”? How do you define “pervert”?
My favorite “duo infernale” Mosley/Ecclestone, will soon be replaced by brainless, faceless idiots appointed by amorphous, idiotic shareholder communities (think GM). They will burn money in big style and will never understand anything. Main thing, they won’t get caught smoking or farking in public, because they simply don’t do this at all.
Of course, these are magic moments both for motor sport and freedom of press (because if you can spend some money on whores and “journalists” to can someone in, you will be rewarded).
Enjoy those happy day.
Does the optimism of the EU/UK mileage numbers allow equally optimistic numbers for CO2 emissions, or do they monitor actual tailpipe emissions of same?
If its done by calculation from optimistic test cycle mileage, er, L/100km, numbers, what do you suppose that does to their claims of Kyoto compliance?
The reason I ask is that there is some suspicion that the Kyoto Treaty is “more honor’d in the breach than in the observance” by most of the EU. Overall the recession has been great for reducing CO2. The Brits have North Sea NG instead of coal and the Germans no longer have as much Ossie heavy industrial pollution, so +2. But the rest…
123d? Meh, make mine a Mini Cooper S/D (or shrink the 1 series down to the size of the Z3 hatchback).
We A-muricans forget that a lot of the world had very complicated registration schemes and tax in ways we don’t think. For example, an automatic box in France is quite expensive, unless it is attached to a diesel. Likewise, the 1 Series BMW fits under some nation’s length for tax purposes, but is just short here.
There’s no selling point for a slow BMW diesel here. Our tax system does not care, and the cost of a BMW here is much less than other places.
We need a gas four with manual and base interior, but the diesel won’t sell.
Un minuten bitte.
It says 118 Grams/KM. not mile.
chuckR – I would bet money that your assertion is spot on. Let’s review the motivations here: both the car maker and the government have something to gain by unrealistically low CO2 estimates so why would it be any other way?
wsn :
June 25th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
And takes 10.9 seconds to reach 62 mph.
Might as well just drive a Prius!
________________________________________
Sure if you are into that sort of thing. Prius’ get their best gas mileage in the city where the electric engine is able to help propel the vehicle, on the highway you have the 1.5L engine powering the vehicle on its on and you can expect typical small 4cyl mileage. I’m assuming the 316d would offer a manual transmission. It’s sort of Apples to Oranges; if you do a lot of city driving you might as well get the Prius like you said. If you do more highway driving (as I do) and enjoy the act of driving maybe you might prefer the BMW.
The TDI Jetta does the 0-60 sprint in 8.4 seconds, faster than the BMW, similar gas mileage. Between the TDI Jetta and the 316d the 316d could probably steal some prospective owners if competitively priced; if the 316d costs considerably more I don’t see anybody buying it.
One car won’t appeal to every person, that’s why there are many makes and many models of cars.
“might as well just drive a Prius”
RWD + manual transmission? Its just that easy.
I’ve been wanting the 120d’s in the US for a long time… the 123 is even more incredible. I just can’t understand the lack of effort to bring those here.
I work for a BMW Motorrad shop and have spent some idle minutes browsing the 120d fische… they’ve tightened up their supply chain, but not long ago, if I had ~$200k, I could’ve ostensibly ordered the car in here part by part.
Kyoto is measured by simply measuring the volume of gas and diesel sold. Much easier and reliabler than CO2 measured at the tailpipe.
About tax: VAT is kind of sales tax but it is included in the price instead of being told later to add x% for the final price. european way is more honest.
comparing this to a prius…
i would much rather drive a world class 50/50 rwd package sitting on 260Nm torque with a smart 6 spd manual
you are comparing car that has ‘the ultimate driving machine’ in its veins vs. a ‘the ultimate washing machine’
i’d rather look like a cock in a BMW than randy marsh or al gore in a prius
jconli1
if I had ~$200k, I could’ve ostensibly ordered the car in here part by part.
Why not start with 128i and change engine, computer, etc.? I think it would cost less then 200K.
Also, where could I find a price list for Motorrad equipment?
Screw the diesels, I’m trying to think who I know that will be first in line to buy the new M5. Then I’ll be second in line with them, as we say in Australia “Mmmaaate!, lets go for a ride”.
“Kyoto is measured by simply measuring the volume of gas and diesel sold. Much easier and reliabler than CO2 measured at the tailpipe.”
Doh! Certainly the sensible way to do it. Which leaves the suspect L/100km figures only as a neat dodge to meet the individual auto manufacturer’s max CO2 gr/km requirement?
Not that the EPA would ever do anything like that, or have a carve out for light trucks and minivans.
TonyJZX :
June 25th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
comparing this to a prius…
i would much rather drive a world class 50/50 rwd package sitting on 260Nm torque with a smart 6 spd manual
you are comparing car that has ‘the ultimate driving machine’ in its veins vs. a ‘the ultimate washing machine’
A BMW is no more “the ultimate driving machine” than a Prius is “the ultimate washing machine”.
But moving on past the marketing hoopla – each of the two has a different focus. Just because you wouldn’t enjoy driving a Prius doesn’t mean someone else doesn’t.
DarkSpork :
June 25th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
Prius’ get their best gas mileage in the city where the electric engine is able to help propel the vehicle, on the highway you have the 1.5L engine powering the vehicle on its on and you can expect typical small 4cyl mileage.
This is a popular misconception that still pops up on TTAC no matter how often it’s pointed out to be wrong. A Prius can still get its best mileage on the open road because the hybrid system reduces the inefficiency of stop-start motoring, but doesn’t eliminate it. The electricity in the battery isn’t free – it still comes from the fuel in the tank. Also, the electric motor is not irrelevant on the highway, it consistently provides a small amount of “boost” to maintain momentum. The work done by each motor is determined by the controlling electronics, which I assume are programed to maximise efficiency (subject to necessary limitations – such as the need to prolong NiMH battery life).
What is typical small 4cyl mileage on the highway? In a Prius it is not difficult to get about 55mpg at 55-60mph on the open road. Average mileage (city + suburban + open road) depends on many things (such as; average trip length, ambient temperature, geography, driving style) but 47mpg is also not difficult to get.
ghillie :
June 26th, 2009 at 9:53 am
What is typical small 4cyl mileage on the highway? In a Prius it is not difficult to get about 55mpg at 55-60mph on the open road. Average mileage (city + suburban + open road) depends on many things (such as; average trip length, ambient temperature, geography, driving style) but 47mpg is also not difficult to get.
Well, saying “small” 4 cyl I mean 1.6L or less (I understand that there aren’t many still being sold new in the US outside of the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris, but the older examples are generally better anyways). A friend of mine has a Yaris, and he has the receipts to prove that he averages 50mpg commuting. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the same from a Honda Fit. My mother has a Pontiac Vibe (1.8L 1zzge engine used in Corollas), I managed 40mpg doing an average of 75mph on a trip to Canada in it (I understand this falls short of the 47mpg number.
Under the old estimates the new civics were rated at 39mpg highway, which should not be difficult to exceed. The older HX/VX civics were rated at 44mpg highway, anybody remember the old Tercels? They got 39 highway (again, not hard to exceed).
Here’s a pretty good example: 1995 Honda Civic HB VX 47 city, 56 highway. Ford Aspire of the same vintage, 42 highway. The 1.9L Saturns were rated at 28 city 40 highway, I knew somebody who used it to commute in and averaged 45mpg (until the transmission gave up).
I’m sure that the Prius bests some of these numbers by a little bit on long road trips by at least a little but I doubt enough to justify a 20k price tag. A friend rented one to take on a 800 mile trip and averaged 37 (not bad considering he had to drive through some hills). My point was that the Prius is a really environmentally conscientious buy for people who actually have to sit in traffic or do a lot of city driving, otherwise the idea of putting small engines in small cars for good fuel economy is not really a new idea. I’m not knocking its as an economy car, I’m just saying its not for everybody; personally I would rather have the 95′ Civic hatchback VX I mentioned earlier in the post.
The “gem of an engine” Autocar is referring to is the twin turbo version of this engine. Just like a 325d, a 330d and 335d have the same engine (with the 325 being the lowest stressed), this 316 has the same engine block as the 123d. But in terms of character they can’t be further apart. You cannot quote this low stressed 316 in the same sentence as that in a 123d, just as you will never ever compare a 325d with a 335d.
So in future please compare apples with apples before you throw powerful quotes like that around.
Alright guys (DarkSpork), let me tell you the truth about the Prius. Yes, in city driving you will average a fantastic 50mpg, but on highway driving, let me tell you, you’ll get a horrible 50mpg. So where does this leave you at the end of the day? Regardless of what kind of driving you do, you’ll usually end up with a 50mpg tank.
There really isn’t any conventional engine car you can buy today that will get you 50mpg on the freeway. Sure there’s the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris, but you’ve got to drive them fancy to get 50mpg out of them. Though I’ll admit they probably are cheaper in the long run compares to a Prius.
And if your daily commute is “mostly highway”, that still means there’s city driving and probably stop and go driving mixed in. So most people will get something between the combined and highway rating for their cars then.
You can’t really trust everyones numbers either. I caught a fish that was 12 inches big is what billy bob says, but actually it was barely 6 inches. We all know people lie about things to make themselves sound better. The truth is that most people either average the EPA combined rating, or up to 10% better. Driving slower and anticipating stops is required to do better than that.