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2009 BMW 335d photos

BMW's new diesel 3 Series features amazing torque that leads to drastically different vehicle dynamics than the gasoline version's. A new version of iDrive improves the cabin tech greatly.

Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Wayne Cunningham
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1 of 16 Corinne Schulze/CNET
BMW brings diesel to the U.S. with its 335d, a 3 Series using a twin-turbo, inline, six-cylinder engine.
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2 of 16 Corinne Schulze/CNET
Many high-tech touches are employed around the car, such as these LED turn signals.
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3 of 16 Corinne Schulze/CNET
Although it uses a diesel engine, the car looks the same as a standard 3-Series sedan.
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4 of 16 Corinne Schulze/CNET
The engine has a configuration similar to that of the 3-liter, twin-turbo, gas engine, but uses common rail injection for the diesel fuel. It makes 265 horsepower and 425 pound-feet of torque.
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5 of 16 Corinne Schulze/CNET
Our review car was wrapped in BMW's Efficient Dynamics slogan.
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6 of 16 Corinne Schulze/CNET
This car wasn't equipped with the Sport package, meaning no sport-tuned suspension. As a result, it didn't perform as well in the corners as other BMWs we've tested.
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7 of 16 Corinne Schulze/CNET
The emissions technology keeps the tailpipe fairly clean. Here, the engine is idling but there is not a trace of black smoke.
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8 of 16 Corinne Schulze/CNET
In the cabin of the 335d, there's very little to indicate that this car is powered by diesel.
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9 of 16 Corinne Schulze/CNET
The multifunction steering wheel is standard, with buttons for voice command and audio.
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10 of 16 Corinne Schulze/CNET
With the diesel engine, the redline is at 5,000 rpm. BMW also includes an instant economy gauge, which used to be a standard feature.
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11 of 16 Corinne Schulze/CNET
The six-speed automatic has a good sport program, making appropriate downshifts before corners. There is also a manual mode.
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12 of 16 Corinne Schulze/CNET
The new iDrive controller is similar to the old one, although its joystick operation is restricted to four directions.
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13 of 16 Corinne Schulze/CNET
The navigation system, as before, includes live traffic information and automatic rerouting.
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14 of 16 Corinne Schulze/CNET
The 335d has optional iPod integration, which works very well, and also includes a simple USB interface.
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15 of 16 Corinne Schulze/CNET
Bluetooth phone support is excellent in the 335d, letting you dial with this interface or selecting names from your cell phone's contact database.
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16 of 16 Corinne Schulze/CNET
A sonar-parking system shows how close the car is to objects fore and aft.

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