Quote:
Originally Posted by lbjgh
I'd love to hear your impressions of the 3.0d (powertrain). Rumours are that diesels are coming to NA in 2012 and a diesel is what I'd like to purchase.
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So far so good. I have driven relatively powerful diesels (180hp+) for the last 8 years (MBs and Volvos). The key for me to a good diesel is largely in the gearbox and the BMW 8 speed is very good at working the engine. Diesels have such a narrow power band that they need a good box.
Second to the gearbox is the internal soundproofing - the X3 seems to be very good - comparable with a MB E280 that I drove about 5 years ago.
Thirdly, external sound, my wife used to say she could hear my Volvo D5 taxi from 200yds away. Not any more. It is not a petrol but it is not unpleasant.
In the UK diesels make great sense for company cars because they are taxed on the basis of the list price and the CO2 emissions. Diesel fuel in the UK has about a 7% premium over petrol (currently about £1.40 per litre).