It's a simple law of physics: The more things weigh, the more power needed to move them.
This explains why automakers long shied away from gas-electric hybrids. If you want to use less fuel, why add weight with an electric motor, a slew of batteries and miles of connectors and wires?
There's a simpler solution: the diesel engine.
I can hear you object. "Diesel? Not in my Oldsmobile-driving life."
Indeed, most North Americans remember the Oldsmobile diesel engine of the late 1970s and 1980s when they think of diesels. The engine's unreliable nature and lack of power doomed diesels on this side of the pond. Today's diesels are a different breed.
Don't believe me?
Head to your nearest BMW dealer and take the 335d out for a spin. The 335 is the sports sedan that defines sports sedans, but adding that "d" -- for "diesel" -- transforms its character.
The 335d possesses the sublime characteristics that make 3-Series cars so much fun to drive. Its suspension is firm, holding the body in check through corners. A tenacious grip keeps the car on its intended course. The steering communicates to the driver, providing feedback that makes performance driving not only possible but rewarding.
The diesel engine is no laggard off the line, thanks to its twin turbochargers. There are few of the slow takeoffs one historically associates with this type of engine.
That said, the 335d doesn't have the high-revving nature you might expect in a BMW. Instead, the engine rumbles with a deep well of torque, ready to push the car through its paces with tremendous force.
"That's all well and good," you say. "But what the bleep is torque?"
Torque is the force that pushes the car, and it's more important than horsepower. In the case of the 335d, the horsepower is 265, about the same as a Nissan Altima with a V6. But the BMW's torque is a generous 425-foot-pounds, about the same as a Chevrolet Corvette. That torque can be felt when you stomp on the 335d's accelerator. It's breathtaking. Reaching 100 KmH takes just 6.3 seconds.
The best part? All of that power can be had with decent fuel economy. The 335d has a Transport Canada rating of 9.0 L/100km city and 5.4 highway, significantly better than its gasoline counterpart, the 335i automatic, at 12.3 city and 7.6 highway. Otherwise, the 335d is a stock 3-Series, with compact dimensions, good room up-front and adequate room in the rear.
The car starts at $49,900. The test car included such options as a navigation system, satellite radio, iPod/usb adapter, Cold Weather Package and Premium Package.
The 335d allows fans of ultimate driving machines to do their part for the environment while enjoying the dynamics that make a BMW so pleasurable to drive.
THE SPECS
Type: rear-wheel-drive 4-door luxury diesel sedan
Engine: Twin-turbocharged 3-liter DOHC six-cylinder
Power: 265 hp @ 4,500 rpm; 425 lb.-ft. of torque @ 1,750 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Wheelbase: 2.76 m
Length: 4.54 m
Weight: 3,825 pounds
Cargo space: 15.9 cubic feet
Tansport Canada fuel economy rating (L/100km): 9.0 city, 5.4 highway
Base price: $49,900
Price as tested: $53,350
