Opting for a diesel vehicle has given many people the driving experience they’re looking for. It’s not necessarily the best choice for everyone, but these days there are enough options out there to fit all kinds of drivers. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons and what BMW has to offer.

Advantages

One of the primary reasons to switch to diesel is fuel economy. Exact efficiency depends on your vehicle, but drivers often see an improvement by as much as 30% over gasoline. It can also offer an improved lifespan for your engine. The fuel is self-ignited through a compression-ignition process rather than spark plugs, which avoids electrical failure and can give you more time between servicings or repairs. If you’re looking for an enhancement in torque as well, you’ll find that diesel certainly delivers. This is due to a higher compression ratio than gasoline engines, greater density (and therefore higher energy transfer) of diesel fuel, and other factors.

Drawbacks

As for potential disadvantages, basically any diesel vehicle will carry a higher upfront price tag than the corresponding base model. A significant contributing factor to this is the cost of manufacturing, which is to be expected of anything that is a bit more heavy-duty and durable than its standard counterpart. This is due to reinforcement and other engineering considerations demanded by the high compression ratios of diesel combustion. Meanwhile, the cost of diesel fuel is often higher than that of gasoline, and depending on where you happen to be driving, it may be a bit trickier to find a gas station offering it.

Diesel BMW Models

Not all of BMW’s diesel vehicles are offered in North America, as they tend to sell more in Europe, but you can easily identify a diesel model by the lowercase “d” in the model number. A 320d, for instance, can offer you the timeless reliability and accessibility of the 3 Series with the added advantage of diesel power and efficiency. A 730d, meanwhile, is proof that the combination of diesel ruggedness and full-size luxury sedan stylishness is tough to beat. It’s even the vehicle of choice for BMW CEO Harald Krueger, so it must be good.

Whether or not your BMW runs on diesel, it will only give you its best performance if you seek out the best maintenance and repairs. If you want your vehicle taken care of by a highly experienced BMW certified technician, give the Motorwerkes team a call at (403) 768-3163 today!