BMW Struggling to Sell Diesels While Volkswagen Expects More TDI Models

Making your diesel your top-of-the-line model doesn't help much for sales. I imagine there are also more 328's being sold than 335's.

@wiley: Exactly! If they wanted mass adoption of diesels, BMW should not have made it the range topping 3-series model. As for the X5, the diesel is still too expensive an option.

^that, and the fact that there has been ZERO advertising of the BMW diesels, at least none that I have seen. I think what they need to do is get people to drive one. The dealers should really push the diesel too. Once people see how refined and powerful a diesel can be, many will be wiling to buy one.

BMW should've brought the 4-cyl diesel from the 123d over -- a 4 cyl with more torque than most 6's -- priced it appropriately and sold them like hotcakes. Instead, it brought over a 6-cyl diesel, priced it ABOVE its 6-cyls, and is wondering why they aren't selling!

BMW should've brought the 4-cyl diesel from the 123d over -- a 4 cyl with more torque than most 6's -- priced it appropriately and sold them like hotcakes. Instead, it brought over a 6-cyl diesel, priced it ABOVE its 6-cyls, and is wondering why they aren't selling!

kind of strange that VW is having success with their diesels knowing that they are priced much higher than the average Jetta; as is with BMW and their 3 series, with the 335 being a top level model. Maybe BMW drivers don't want a quirky diesel, and dubbers are all about the quirks.

kind of strange that VW is having success with their diesels knowing that they are priced much higher than the average Jetta; as is with BMW and their 3 series, with the 335 being a top level model. Maybe BMW drivers don't want a quirky diesel, and dubbers are all about the quirks.

BMW = performance. Diesel engines doesn't equate with performance to Americans. It's more identified with Semi trucks, farm trucks pulling a five horse trailer, and the classic 1978 Cadillac Seville diesel. And BMW wants us to pay extra for that?!

altimadude00

Everyone I know equates diesel cars with VW, not some old Cadillac that few have ever heard of.

I think the problem is BMW = Image to most Americans and the diesel image is not what you average BMW buyer wants.

VW buyers are not so shallow.

Firstwagon -- I'd also like to add that VW has some diesel history in America, so we are more used to VW having diesels than BMW.

You are right in that American's are more image-conscious and a clanking diesel behind a BMW badge is not an image most Americans would want to project.

Then again, MB sold a lot of diesels over here in the 70s/80s. I'm too young to remember how MB sold them. Maybe it is in the marketing.

I'm not too young, and I don't remember MB doing much in the way of advertising for the SD's although I remember seeing lots of turbo diesel wagons on the road.

The Jetta diesel might be much more than the non-diesel, but it's overall price point is still well below that of the BMW.

If you are spending $50k on a car do you really give a crap about gas mileage? The diesel really doesn't enahance the driving experience and most BMW buyers at this price point don't care much about economy. Plus they are well aware of the higher price of diesel, which eats up much of the savings from higher MPG.

Diesel is still more expensive then gas where you are?

When I filled up in Vancouver yesterday, diesel was 14 cents a litre less then regular. That's more then 50 cents gallon cheaper.

Diesel has been cheaper than regular gasoline in Canada the last month or so. Don't know the situation in the states.
Diesel was cheaper than regular gas in the U.S. for the majority of the time in the last ten years.
I agree with some of the posters, the BMW 3 series buyers paying at the 335d or X5 price points are not concerned with fuel economy advantages.
It would be interesting to see how Mercedes is doing with their diesel options for the 300, ML, GL series as a percentage of total sales, though the typical Mercedes buyer is less performance oriented than the typical BMW buyer. And the 300 is less of a performance car than the 3 series (I'm not talking about the AMG version).
I remember reading in another publication that when BMW decided to go with the 6 cylinder turbo diesel the economy had not yet gotten into recession. BMW managers reportedly said that if they had anticipated the recession they would have introduced the 4 cylinder diesel from the 123d instead. That would have been a better fit with those having fuel economy as a purchasing criterion.

On the contrary, I think diesel does much to enhance the driving experience, as the low end torque is what most Americans associate with power and performance. The overall performance of the diesel is quite close to the gasoline version (335i), with even better fuel mileage.

I really want BMW to be successful with its diesel sales here, because they'll likely then bring more of them over and we'll have more variety. BMW is said to have some of the most refined, and un-diesel like diesels, and if American buyers were more aware of that, sales would catch on quickly. It's just that potential buyers don't associate BMW with diesels, since they haven't sold any here for 20 years. Volkswagen, on the other hand, has nearly always had diesels for sale here.

I think there are (2) problems BMW is having with the 335d and X35d. The first is pricing on the 3 series diesel and the second being the application of the engine in the larger X5.

I know that the reason for the larger/more expensive engine is due the the sharing with the X5. Personally, the X5 would not have been my choice of SUV for the implementation of the diesel engine. The existing and upcoming X3 would have been the smarter choice as it's a lighter SUV to begin with, therefore the payoff (MPG) would be greater thus presenting a better business case for use of either of the two smaller diesels.

From a volume standpoint, BMW would have been best served making the diesel an entry level 3 Series model [320d 4cyl 177hp/258 lb ft.] or [325d 6cyl 197hp/384 lb ft]. Pricing would be considerably lower while achieving the better results (higher MPG). If they could have brought over the either model over with a starting price in the area of 27k-30k - they would have NO problem moving them.

I am a HUGE fan of modern diesels and and of BMW. Once my MINI is paid off next spring, I'm considering the Jetta TDI because it is much easier on the wallet at an as built price of 27.1k. I simply can not afford the as built 51.3k admission price of the 335d.

Too bad Honda didn't stick with their diesel plans as an Accord or Acura TSX diesel would have been worth a look.

I think there are (2) problems BMW is having with the 335d and X35d. The first is pricing on the 3 series diesel and the second being the application of the engine in the larger X5.

I know that the reason for the larger/more expensive engine is due the the sharing with the X5. Personally the X5 would not have been my choice of SUV for the implementation of the diesel engine. The existing and upcoming X3 would have been the smarter choice as it's a lighter SUV to begin with, therefore the payoff (MPG) would be greater, in turn presenting a better business case to use either of the two smaller diesels.

From a volume standpoint, BMW would have been best served making the diesel an entry level 3 Series model [320d 4cyl 177hp/258 lb ft.] or [325d 6cyl 197hp/384 lb ft]. Pricing would be considerably lower while achieving better results (higher MPG). If they could have brought over either model with a starting price in the area of 27k-30k - they would have NO problem moving them.

I am a HUGE fan of modern diesels and and of BMW. Once my MINI is paid off next spring, I'm considering the Jetta TDI because it is much easier on the wallet at an as built price of 27.1k. I simply can not afford the as built 51.3k admission price of the 335d.

Too bad Honda didn't stick with their diesel plans as an Accord or Acura TSX diesel would have been worth a look.

BMW would sell every diesel if they'd shipped the 330d here instead of the worthless 335d. The 330d would be cheaper than the 335i and offer better economy by far than the 328/335. But BMW had to offer a diesel with too much power and not enough economy...morons.

VW has it right and for that reason the TDIs are selling. The GTI/GLI are still the most expensive Golf variants while the TDI slots around the same price as the generic 2.0T models. That makes the TDIs a tasty option compared to the gutless 2.5 models or the high powered GTI/GLI versions.