The Age-Old Debate: Petrol vs Diesel in BMW 3 Series

When it comes to choosing between petrol and diesel engines in the BMW 3 Series, the answer is not as straightforward as one might expect. The BMW M3, with its twin-turbo petrol power, takes center stage in this debate, while its diesel-powered counterpart, the Alpena D3, provides a contrasting perspective. In this article, we'll delve into the world of these two vehicles and explore their respective strengths and weaknesses.

Test 1: Straight Line Showdown

The battle begins with a straight-line test to see which car can reach 100 mph first. Both cars are turned off, and the traction control systems are disabled, allowing us to compare their raw power. The D3 takes an early lead, thanks to its softer suspension, but the M3 ultimately pulls ahead in a close contest. This sets the stage for further testing, as we'll see which car can handle the brakes better.

Test 2: Braking Performance

In the second test, we focus on braking performance by hitting the brakes from 100 mph as hard as possible. The D3 takes the lead here, pulling back in front of the M3 by a whisker. This highlights the D3's ability to control its speed and stability, even under heavy acceleration.

Test 3: Noise Levels

In this test, we compare the noise levels of both cars when driven wide open in third and fourth gear. The choice is yours – which one sounds better? The M3's exhaust notes are unmistakable, with a louder and more aggressive tone that's sure to turn heads. However, its refinement is compromised by this increased noise.

Test 4: Handling

The handling test takes us to the track, where both cars are timed through our signature course. We strip away the traction control systems, allowing us to feel each car's dynamics firsthand. Surprisingly, the D3 proves to be the quicker and more refined of the two, with a smoother ride and better handling.

Test 5: Driver Experience

In this final test, we focus on how each car feels behind the wheel. We spend time in both cars, exploring their unique characteristics and features. The Alpena D3's cabin is a masterclass in refinement, with luxurious materials and attention to detail that sets it apart from its 3 Series brethren. The M3, on the other hand, feels more sporty, with a stiffer suspension and more pronounced engine noise.

One of the most striking aspects of the D3 is its ability to evoke a sense of calm and relaxation behind the wheel. Its powertrain is remarkably smooth, with almost no noise or vibration to speak of – even at high speeds. This is particularly notable when compared to the M3's more aggressive engine sound and less refined cabin.

The M3, however, has its own unique charms. Its seats provide more support and a more sporty feel, while its steering wheel and dials have a more pronounced presence. The paddle shifters on the M3's gearbox are also noteworthy, working seamlessly with the car's performance-oriented design. However, even here, there's an element of "less is more" – the M3's noise levels can be off-putting at times.

A closer look at the technical specifications reveals that the D3 has a number of advantages over its petrol-powered counterpart. Its optional differential and standard M differential both contribute to its impressive performance and agility, making it a formidable opponent on the track. The M3, however, relies on its aggressive torque delivery and mechanical differential for its handling prowess.

Ultimately, the choice between the BMW 3 Series with a petrol engine and one with a diesel engine comes down to personal preference and priorities. If you're looking for a more exciting, high-performance driving experience – albeit at the cost of greater fuel efficiency – then the M3 is undoubtedly the better choice. On the other hand, if you prioritize economy and refinement above all else, the Alpena D3 is an excellent option.

In conclusion, both the BMW 3 Series with petrol power and diesel engine offer unique strengths and weaknesses that cater to different driving styles and preferences. Whether you opt for the more exciting but less refined M3 or the more understated yet fuel-efficient D3, either car is sure to deliver a memorable driving experience – provided you're willing to make some compromises along the way.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enso here is one simple question to which the answer is anything but straight forwards in a fast BMW 3 Series which is best petrol or diesel in the blue Corner putting the case for the twin turbo petrol power we have the inevitable an insatiable new BMW M3 and in the black Corner appropriately enough is the diesel powered Alpena D3 the M3 has more power the D3 more torque the M3 weighs slightly less but the D3 is cheaper and blows a lot less carbon into the atmosphere in theory the debate could go on forever but the physical battle starts right here with test one being a straight fight to see which can get to 100 mph the fastest in both cars we turned the traction control systems off and simply left them in drive and nailed it the D3 got off the line better thanks to its softer suspension perhaps and for most of the way to 100 mph they were pretty much Inseparable but in the end the M3 niit it just so after the go test we did the stop test hitting the brakes in both cars from 100 mph as hard as possible and this time as you can see the D3 pulled one back beating the M3 by a whisker test three noise which one sounds the best from the outside with both cars wide open in third then fourth gear we'll let you make your own minds up in this one test four handling we didn't think we'd take two rear wheeel drive BMWs to our favorite test track without ruining some rubber in the name of science after that however we got the stopwatch out and basically just timed them both through our handling course I did one run in each car with the traction control turned off mainly to see a which one was quickest and B which one felt the best the D3 was a peach the M3 on the other hand was a bit of a handful quite frankly as you can see result completely against our expectations the D3 was a teeny bit quicker and it felt tidier and a fair bit less manic near the limit as well test five how do they make you feel behind the wheel so inside the D3 inside its cabin it it's a it's a very nice mix actually CU it feels initially much like a you know a regular 3 Series but the more kind of time you spend looking at the detail and at the steering wheel and the stitching and the headlining and stuff like that you just think no no no this this is no normal three series this is this is actually a very different car from a 3 Series and it's lovely actually it's beautifully refined the quality of the leather is about 10 notches higher than you get in most BMWs and because basically what Alpena do when they get a three series into their workshops is they completely take it to bits they strip it down to pretty much a bare interior and then rebuild it with nicer bits nice parts and it and it feels like it it feels expensive and luxuriant and and yet very refined and very comfortable in here it really is one of the strong points I think of the D3 and that is just how calm and sort of relaxed it makes you feel behind the wheel very very nice cabin inside this car the other thing you notice about the D3 particularly hav being climbed out of the M3 is just how soothing and smooth the powertrain is I mean there's almost no noise at all that comes from the engine which I mean that's Full Throttle fourth gear fifth gear 115 M hour and yet you hardly have to raise your voice it feels like a just the most rapid limousine that you can possibly think of and you can change the personalities of the D3 by using this button down here you can go to sport you can go to comfort you can go to Eco Pro just you just as you can with other BMWs and then the other side of the coin you can go to Sport Plus and that stiffens the dampers and makes everything you know gear boox throttle response much more urgent so it's there's one car in the Alpena D3 but there are there are many many subtleties and there are many actual different cars under one roof the M3 definitely feels more sporting than the D3 as soon as you climb inside it it seats you know they just they just got that much more support the steering wheel is actually a little bit bigger than the d3s but has this much chunkier more sporty feeling Rim the dials are a bit more kind of Mony and the other thing you notice immediately in the M3 is that there's just more noise there's more tire noise a little bit more exhaust noise a little bit more engine noise and as a result it doesn't feel anywhere near as calm or refined or is expensive and the faster you drive the M3 as you can tell because I'm having to raise my voice the louder it gets the trouble is the noise it makes isn't that lovely it's just kind of sort of graph it's purposeful and definitely more sporting but it's not a lovely noise so therefore it's not sort of that great that there's more of it the paddles for the gearbox definitely feel bigger the standard gearbox is the manual but this one's obviously got the paddle shifter in it it works really well but I'm not sure about the noise I'm really not sure about the noise the one thing that the M3 does do rather beautifully of course is that kind of thing but even then I'm not so sure that I prefer doing that in the M3 than in the D3 the D3 is got an optional diff the M3 has a standard M diff but the combination of the way the m 3's torque comes in which is very very aggressive and the mechanical way in which the diff Works which is also very very aggressive means you can get these great big gobs of over steer as you probably saw back then some of which I didn't want H I'm beginning to like the D3 more and more and so that's it D3 versus M3 which wins the M3 is quicker just but it's also more of a handful and less comfortable the D3 is more economical by Miles and is less layy on the edge but then it neither sounds nor steers just as sweetly as the M3 the more exciting car is the M3 no question but then the more relevant car you could say is the D3 and if you have 50 Grand to spend on either of them then you will not be remotely disappointed personally I'd go for the D3 and if any of you disagreed with me then I'd be the first to understand why\n"