German Car Zone

I will be shopping for a new car in about a year from now. I think Mercedes will update the C about 6 months before the new gen BMW 3er . It will be exciting to compare both of them side by side. I'm sure they both will have diesel engines to offer. But in your opinions which one of them have a more reliable diesel engine? Mercedes seems to be a better bet , since they have diesels in their trucks and buses. I just don't know more about BMW diesels.Merc1 , you seem to know alot about the refresh 2011 C , please keep us posted. Thanks.
dtd

For efficiency, these engines are great, especially the CDI. But when will the V6 get the same treatment?

That would surprise me since the ML doesn't get 4-cylinder engines even in Europe.

A 4-banger in the ML would KILL it's gas mileage. That truck is heavy and a 4 just can't do the job.

I agree. You can get a V6 diesel for the ML if you want to save gas. It probably takes a while for people in California to catch on with diesel. If the cost of the diesel engine is less than $2K over the gas engine, then more people would consider.
dtd

That diesel issue has more to do with CARB's stringent rules than anything else. Diesels have gotten a really bad rep over the past few decades due the the "black smoke" thing and "Killing the world" arguments. I do agree though, if the diesel were a little cheaper or on the same price level as their petrol counterparts, then they would have a fair shot.