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2014 BMW 328d rated at 32/45 mpg

BMW still hasn't released official fuel economy numbers for its diesel-powered 2014 328d, but now, those mileage ratings have been posted on the EPA's FuelEconomy.gov website. As expected, the 328d is quite an efficient little machine, with the rear-wheel-drive sedan good for 32 miles per gallon in the city and 45 mpg highway. That even bests the 30/42 mpg of the smaller Volkswagen Jetta TDI.
The last time BMW offered a diesel 3 Series in our market, it was the six-cylinder 335d, which - while mighty quick and excellent to drive - was only offered as a rear-wheel-drive sedan and was rated at 23 mpg city and 36 mpg highway. For 2014, BMW will offer the 328d with optional xDrive all-wheel drive, though that reduces the fuel economy numbers to 31/43 mpg. Beyond that, the BMW will even sell you a 328d xDrive wagon, which nets the same 31/43 mpg rating, according to FuelEconomy.gov.
Look for the 2014 BMW 328d to hit dealerships this fall, and when it launches, it will be the only diesel offering in its class (until the next Mercedes-Benz C-Class arrives, anyway). Lexus and Infiniti will offer hybrid versions of the IS and Q50, respectively, but we've always had a taste for torque, and the 328d's 2.0-liter engine with 180 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of twist shouldn't disappoint.

BMW's Quandt family in hot water over Merkel campaign contributions

The mysterious and elusive Quandt family is in hot water again, nearly two years after its Nazi connections during World War II were exposed. The German family's patriarch, Herbert Quandt, nearly single-handedly saved BMW from being bought out by Daimler-Benz in 1959. Now, three living family members own nearly half of the German brand, and stand accused of buying votes with donations to the party of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, mere days ahead of a European Union vote that would cap vehicle emissions.
Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union accepted three donations, one from each shareholding member of the Quandt family.
Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union accepted three donations, one from each shareholding member of the Quandt family, totaling 690,000 euros ($935,000), on October 9. The CDU, for what it's worth, claim the donations weren't related to any political decisions and that the family have been donors for years. A Quandt family spokesperson, meanwhile, said that the family had been waiting for Germany's September 22 elections to pass before making a large contribution to the CDU.

BMW i3 wait list grows to six months

This could make one real expensive decision a little easier to make. The latest official word is that BMW remains undecided if or when it will expand its sub-brand of i plug-in vehicles beyond the i3 and i8, but the i3 city EV has certainly struck a chord in Europe. Citing BMW executive Ian Robertson, Automotive News Europe reports that the German automaker is running a six-month wait list for the i3, which started sales in Europe in November. Bimmer has taken about 11,000 orders globally, and about 1,200 of those are from the US, where the car will debut in May. BMW executive Harald Krueger recently said that the German automaker will hold off on making plans to broaden the i sub-brand until more sales results come in. That said, BMW has trademarked all of the single-digit "i" names from i1 through i9, so should these EVs remain popular, BMW has room to grow. We won't be surprised if we do see more vehicles, since BMW North America chief Ludwig Willisch is already on record as saying the US demand for the i3 will likely exceed supply this year. For a taste of why, check out our first drive here. Featured Gallery 2014 BMW i3 View 107 Photos News Source: Automotive News - sub. req. Green BMW Electric ev sales wait list