well i think the wagon really only weighs about 150 pounds more than equivalent sedan.
but yeah the badging thing is ridiculous. though they probably have to do it to justify how much more it costs to build a diesel car so that they can market it to the type of people who just want that badge number being higher. i've known people who bought say a C350 over a C300 just for the badge even though theres barely any difference.....
the US 328d will probably be about as fast as a 320i and cost a little more than a 328i. i'm thinking the fwy milage will probably only be in the 40 range. with the wagon premium of another $2000 i think it'll be a hard one to justify for most. offering a wagon diesel im amazed they are doing. maybe they want the CAFE credit too who knows.
but yeah having driven a friends 335d a few times i dont think i'd want one unless it has tons of rebates again. just doesnt save enough money on gas (like it would in say europe where gas is $9 a gallon) to make up for the less fun driving and less speed and more upfront cost.
Yeah, the sedan isn't going to be much better then the touring, think .2-.3 better in 0-60, it's still in the low 7s. It's 300+ pounds more then the F20 1er.
I'm not so sure about it costing that much more to bring to the US, they already have the N47 EU6 compliant, but it's a 995 Euro/Pound option depending on which country you're buying it in. In Europe even with that option on the 320d, you're still 1k less then an equivalent 328i, when here it will be selling for a premium. With a decently spec'd F31 328i going for the mid 40s, the xDrive diesel is going to be high 40s to low 50s most likely, going to be really hard to justify that price premium. Hopefully I'm wrong.