BMW beats Prius in MPGs

[jwight]

http://www.goodcleantech.com/2008/03...us_in_mpgs.php

Of course, the BMW 520td is not available in the USA; who's gonna buy a 2 liter diesel BMW in this country?

It looks like that is exactly what happened on a 545-mile London-Geneva run, when a diesel-powered BMW 5-series posted better MPG stats than a petrol-based Toyota Prius hybrid. The BMW 520d with a 2.0-liter diesel engine and regenerative braking posted an impressive 41.9 mpg - about 0.9 mpg better than a full hybrid Prius. The difference may not seem huge. But given that the Prius weighs about 500 lb less, BMW's fuel economy lead was significant enough to raise new questions about which drivetrain technologies are more environmentally viable and should become the future mainstream of sustainable transport.

[curtis]

you see the price of diesel lately? What I think is funny, back in 1984 Honda CRX's were getting nearly the same MPG's, that was almost 25 years ago and all gas engine.

[jwight]

Yes they were; smaller, weighed less, primitive safety equipment, etc. That was then, this is now.

I think the point of the test was to see if a conventional drivetrain could deliver the same mileage as a hybrid drivetrain, which in this case it did.

[curtis]

Also, was this on HWY or city, the Prius gets better mpg's in town..

[jwight]

"545-mile London-Geneva run"

Probably highway.

[GHammerly]

The BMW had a hybrid drivetrain (diesel+regenerative braking), still impressive, you do realize this is a 5 series, they have grown to enormus proportions.