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Doubtful any savings will be found for a buyer of a luxury marque due to AMT. (cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?p=185310)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2009_BMW_335d_and_X5d.jpgWayne Gerdes – CleanMPG (cleanmpg.com) – Feb. 4, 2009

Purchasers of $45,000 335d Sedan and $52,000 X5 xDrive35d qualify for a $900 and $1,800 tax credit respectively.

Woodcliff Lake, NJ - BMW confirmed today that both of its EfficientDynamics based Advanced Diesel models have qualified for an IRS - Advanced Lean Burn Technology Motor Vehicle Tax Credit. In choosing vehicles that achieve higher fuel economy than similar vehicles within their respective size class, purchasers of the 335d Sedan and X5d will qualify for a tax credit. Unusual for vehicles within their respective price brackets but somewhat fuel efficient nonetheless.

"Qualification for these tax credits is further recognition of the remarkable efficiency of our new BMW Advanced Diesel models," said Jim O'Donnell, President of BMW of North America.

Both BMW Advanced Diesel models keep their BMW heritage alive while delivering class leading fuel efficiency. With the 3.0L twin-turbo diesel engines supplying 265 HP and 425 lb-ft of torque, the 335d is capable of accelerating from 0 - 60 mph is six seconds flat while the X5 xDrive35d will do the same in just 6.9 seconds. In spite of this performance, the 335d Sedan delivers 23/36 mpg city/highway and is capable of 600 miles on a single tank of fuel.

Besides AMT surely eliminating any chance of a tax credit for either of the two vehicles, the second question comes about from the X5d’s 22 mpgUS combined rating. Does anything that has a 22 mpgUS combined rating deserve anything in the form of a US government supplied tax credit? Performance not withstanding, 22 mpgUS is dismal by comparison to any number of far more practical and far less expensive automobiles.

The 335d Sedan and X5d are now available in BMW centers across all 50 states.

I think I heard somewhere that the AMT might be reduced this year???

People who have the money to buy a BMW are generally the ones who are hit with the AMT. So the fact those cars get a tax rebate is rather moot.

I think it is messed up that there is ANY tax credit at all on a vehicle that goes for 45-55k dollars. What about the single mother or student who can only afford a 15k regular corolla or civic that gets the same or much better gas mileage when compared to the bmw suv for 55k? Its even more messed up that the suv gets a bigger tax break than the significantly more efficient 335d sedan if I read that correctly.

I just don’t know what to say. Folks spend as much for a vehicle as I paid for a house on 1.5 acres and get a tax credit. I buy a small existing home I can afford, no tax credit or incentive of any kind. A fuel efficient vehicle I can afford and not even a “Way to go, Woody, great choice to help us cut oil consumption” from my Uncle Sam. I’m not looking for handouts for making sound financial and environmental decisions. I’m just asking to not be humiliated by these kind of handouts or incentives. Sure, these vehicles get more mpg than their counterparts but their mileage is comparable to mine. How do they see fit to pick a BMW over a Yaris when deciding what kind of mileage is worthy of a tax credit?

And what do you suppose the chances are that buyers of these cars are going to learn how to hypermile? . . . . didn't think so . . . .

I would LOVE to see an incentive like this based purely on performance. MPG performance, that is. Let the market decide how to get there. The market is smarter than the government. A Yaris would get a bonus, while an Yukon hybrid or a BMW would not.

As much as it might ire and provoke the members around here please face the reality: Nothing short of outright legalization against or $20 gas is going to get many people out of their X5, 328xi, RX330, G37, (insert lux car/SUV)

If a tax incentive is moving you from a 20 mpg sedan into a 30 mpg sedan then that's a good thing.

I know that many people here HATE the idea of just being satisfied with going from one guzzler to a lightly lesser guzzler but you have to realize no amount of whining is going to get soccer mom RX330 driver into a Matrix.


**And as a side note a bigger tax incentive makes sense for higher priced vehicles. If you can afford a 55K SUV chances are a bigger tax credit will be more appealing to you since your probably paying more in taxes than the teacher in her 15K Corolla.

at 50,000 cad its just too expensive.... ONE CAN DREAM!

Oh, now that there's a tax credit I am definitely going to get a BMW to replace the Prius.

[/sarcasm]

Oh, now that there's a tax credit I am definitely going to get a BMW to replace the Prius.

[/sarcasm]

Just sarcasm?

I hope so.

Obviously BMW is not marketing for people to go from Prius -> BMW. The tax credit is to get people from G37 -> 335d

Tax credits for the wealthy don't give as much leverage for the $$ as the same amount of money given as credits to the less-wealthy. Because the wealthy have more money, plus ostentatious consumption is a way of showing that.

I agree it'd be great to move the wealthy from 20mpg FSP's to 30mpg vehicles; I'd just rather not see my tax money spent to accomplish that because I think it's a poor use of tax money.

If anything, I'd rather see the money spent to lever poor people out of their old FSP's and into something in the 40mpg range.