Audi vs. BMW: Who Has The Better Diesel Lineup
Whether or not you’re thinking about diesel technician training, you might be considering a luxury diesel car. Or, maybe you just want to learn more about how these innovative vehicles work.
Today’s clean diesel models, including Audi and BMW, offer better gas mileage than any gasoline-powered vehicle on the road. The reason: diesel offers 15% more efficiency than its equivalent in gasoline.
Audi clean diesels employ Turbo Direct Injection (TDI) technology, while BMW uses TwinPower Turbo diesel engines. Let’s take a look at models in both lines and see how they compare in terms of fuel efficiency, engine power, and features that affect performance.
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Audi Clean Diesel Vehicles
The Audi website boasts that you can drive 12 hours with a TDI vehicle. That equals a trip from New York to Chicago (at least, with no traffic) on one tank of fuel. This translates into a combined 42 mpg, with 12% lower CO2 emissions than gasoline.
The TDI line includes: the A6, A7, Q5, and the A8 L, Audi’s top-of-the-line luxury sedan. A TDI after the model name distinguishes it from the gasoline model of the same style and trim package. All four vehicles bear the same engine: a single turbo 3.0-liter V6, offering 240 hp and 428 lb-ft of torque. All four vehicles can make 60 mph in less than six seconds.
BMW TwinPower Turbo Diesels
BMW makes a number of modifications to its TwinPower Turbo engine cars, all in the name of the company’s patented EfficientDynamics. This produces greater fuel efficiency, to the tune of about 37 mpg combined city and highway miles. The 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six engines behave like larger, aspirated engines by using lightweight aluminum construction and variable turbine geometry for more efficient use of exhaust heat energy. A powerful control unit and injection nozzles reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
BMW offers the engine in its 740LD xDrive, the company’s flagship, long wheelbase luxury sedan, as well as the 328d sedan and wagon, 535d sedan, X5 xDrive35d crossover, and the revamped 2015 X3 xDrive28d which was debuted at the Chicago Auto Show this year.
The BMW 740LD xDrive is reported to deliver 255 hp and 413 lb-ft of torque, helping the sedan reach 60 mph in just over six seconds during testing.
Audi v. BMW
The Audi TDI engine wins in out-of-the-gate acceleration, as well as fuel efficiency, but the BMW’s performance and efficiency is certainly still respectable. If you’re looking for more choices in body styles, the BMW, provides more options with a wagon and a crossover.
When it comes down to buying a new clean diesel vehicle, whatever you choose, you’ll know you’re doing something positive for the environment. It also doesn’t hurt that you’re adding convenience to long drives, and selecting a powerful car that’s sure to turn heads on the road and at the gas pumps – on those rare occasions you have to stop, that is.
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