BMW News

    As gas prices head for $4 a gallon—okay, they're already past that in California—every automaker is on a quest for fuel economy. BMW brought the 328d to the New York Auto Show with an impressive 45-mpg (highway) claim.

    Think about that for a minute. That's Toyota Prius mileage in a real car, not some goofy-looking hybrid. And yes, such capabilities have been available in Europe for some years—but it's nice to see them come Stateside at last. The new two-liter BMW turbodiesel isn’t short on power, with a respectable 180 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque on tap.
     
    As we said, that 45-mpg figure is on the highway; BMW is keeping the city rating quiet for now. But high 30s seems likely, anyway.

    Of course all that really matters is how it performs, and the BMW 328d should be fun to drive, with 0–60 mph in around 7.2 seconds. That may not be screaming fast today, but it would have been a few years ago. Besides, with a turbodiesel, there will be bags of torque down low, and there's always the possibility of a M-diesel. BMW is already planning other diesel sedan (check out the European catalog)  including a 5 Series sedan powered by a turbodiesel six.

    Back to the 328d: The only available transmission is an eight-speed automatic, and the diesel engine will carry a $7,000 premium over a base BMW 3 Series. But with about a 30% improvement in gas mileage, it shouldn't take that  long to make up the difference; all you have to do is drive.––Paul Duchene