Recently we’ve seen a trend in BMW vehicles holding the M-sport name plate. It started out with the M550d sedan, then the M135i Hatchback was introduced, and now the M550d Sport Wagon is here. Tri turbo chargers, yes 3 turbos power the 3-liter inline six cylinder diesel engine. Two small turbos give the engine initial boost at the lower rev range, while a bigger turbo kicks in at higher RPMs. Result, 376 hp and a monstrous 545 lb-ft (740 N-m) of torque starting out at a low 2000 RPM.
M550d MUST be mighty good to compare with the 4-liter twin turbo v8 powered Audi S6. Smoothness as well as the instant response is what a gasoline engine of that caliber is all about. Even though credit must be given to the improvement to diesels in recent years. Dynamically speaking, the Audi S6 Avant out shines the BMW M550d Sport Wagon on the twisty roads. That comes as a surprise knowing the reputation of dynamic feel in most BMW vehicles. Let alone an M-badged car claiming a partial connection to the famous M-brand. Greater portion of the issue lays in the diesel response vs that of the petrol engine given drivers a lack of feedback as compared to a gasoline powered counterpart.
The Audi S6 is 0.2 seconds faster to 60mph (100 km/h) than the BMW M55od. The BMW is no slouch power wise, as it delivers power smoothly bringing triple digit speeds in a flash. Bottom line, diesels still have a ways to go, although we cannot deny the huge leap forward BMW has created with the M550d. They’ve engineered a performance oriented, oil burning station wagon, leaving a greener footprint behind from the fuel savings it provides. Still want more performance from a luxury 4 door vehicle? Order an F10 M5 and forget about this whole discussion.
Check out the video below from AutoWeek. A German language magazine put both cars to the test. Tip: For English subtitles, turn Closed Captioning (CC) on when watching the video.
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