We recently learned that, despite the growing negativity surrounding diesels and the current global push for electric mobility, BMW still sells an incredible amount of diesel-powered cars. In fact, the majority of BMW vehicles sold in many European countries are powered by diesel engines, due to their low emissions ratings which lower taxes and congestion charges on vehicles.
So the diesel engine is still very much part of BMW’s plans moving forward, despite its efforts into alternative fuel technology.
So it’s no secret that BMW takes its diesel engines very seriously and tries to make them as good as possible. These aren’t just built to be volume sellers, but to be actual desirable cars with great engines, and it shows. On this side of the Atlantic, in the US, we don’t see many of BMW’s diesel engines, only getting two different engines in only a handful of cars, so we aren’t really aware of how good they can be. Plus, no one really buys them over here. But in Europe, people love BMW’s diesel engines. They’re smooth, punchy, quiet and extremely efficient. They even offer comparable performance to their gasoline counterparts, so there’s not much of a sacrifice in speed and performance but a huge gain in efficiency and affordability.
Car Buyer UK, a publication built around providing good consumer car buying advice, has just recently released a video ranking the 10 best diesel cars on the market. The typical cars pop up during this review; your average Volkswagen Golfs, Puegeots and Seats. But the Car Buyer UK number one best diesel goes to the BMW 320d.
It makes perfect sense if you think about it, BMW taking the top spot. The BMW 320d is a remarkable car, one that has all of the fun to drive dynamics of the gasoline 3 Series, all of the interior comforts and technologies and even most of the performance while gaining more torque, better efficiency and more affordable ownership. Due to its excellent efficiency, the BMW 320d is in a very low tax bracket in the UK and yet is still a fun to drive BMW. It’s truly a win win car.
Another BMW placement on the list is the Mini Cooper D, placing tenth. Being that the Mini uses a BMW engine, that’s technically another victory for the Bavarians. With BMW having two diesel engines on the Car Buyer UK top ten list, it may not be a stretch to imagine that BMW makes the best diesel engines in the world. They’re always being praised for their power delivery, torque and silky smoothness. Now they’re also being praised for their efficiency and affordability. What more can you want from an engine?
