:blab: :fencelook: :roflol:
LOL, this is going to go on for a long time still!
I think the problem is that in the case of the 330i and the 330d they are a bit too similar in performance figures. For instance, the 320i simply does not stand a chance with the 320d - the larger engined siblings are a lot more closely matched. The diesel has the advantage of a turbo charger which is also a necessity to achieve the power and torque figures that would give the petrol a fair run for its money. Also to compare these cars sensibly one should remove the aspect of chipping and mods - fair enough I reckon more can be extracted from the diesel, but how will this realistically influence the life of the engine, and each tuning mod can vastly differ from another.
I own a 330i so of course I am going to be biased towards the engine it has - if I specifically wanted to go for a BMW diesel then I would've. So in my case it comes down to personal taste - I wanted the glorious sound and character of a BMW 6I petrol. And since I was buying a used car I felt a lot more confident buying a used petrol than a used turbo diesel.
To be honest, I am a huge fan of the diesel engine and its capabilities, and the BMW engines certainly show this in big helpings. There have been other debates like this in the past - I will repeat an important observation of mine that one has to consider. Namely, the petrol engine is more power curve whereas the diesel is more torque curve. So for most petrols you need to use the upper range of the somewhat wider rev range to get the most out of it. With most diesels you have a healthy lump of torque from low revs that gives you fantastic tractability and acceleration - and to a degree a perceived feeling of being very fast. Problem is that you run out of revs sooner than the petrol. So ultimately, and this is my opinion based on general experience with petrols and diesels that I have driven up till now, a diesel is going to be better for most everyday driving thanks to its flexibility and "available" grunt at lower revs, while on a track the petrol is still mostly going to have the edge. Economy is great on a diesel, but I think I am fair in saying that we buy these cars for their economy as much as for their performance, safety, luxury and features etc.
Another way to look at it and also based on personal taste, while I can only see myself opting for a petrol engine BMW "car", I would never opt for a petrol powered bakkie - the Isuzu that we have has a humble low output turbo diesel engine but it is so well suited to the vehicle and is actually quite handy in most traffic situations. In the BMW X ranges diesel engines make a lot of sense for their off-road potential.
Conclusion: Only way to settle this is to have one of each of these cars of the same year (2007 as per the title) and run them against each other. Run them in a straight line as well as on a track of sorts. Also to put things into perspective this would need to be done both at the coast and the highveld.