Tuesday 12th July 2011

The Only Way Is Down... Used 6-Series Bargains

Out for a six? Or would sir prefer something a bit more sexy?

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I was chatting to Riggers last week about the new BMW 640i he drove recently in Germany, and before long we had the good old CAP and Glass's books out and were scouring the classifieds to see if the imminent influx of F12 6-series cars has opened up the opportunity for some good used E63 bargains on the secondhand market.

It's a bit of a tough task, because of course the new 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight six is just that - new - so a direct comparison isn't possible. The 316bhp of the new 630i compares closely to the 329bhp of the old 645i, but BMW stopped making those in 2005 so the next best comparison is with the 367bhp 650i.

This BMW 650i is at a dealer in Swindon and is showing a very low mileage of just 17,001. At £31,949 it's above the recommended CAP/Glass retail guide price, but the dealer could always argue that the low mileage could account for this. Besides, having spoken to them I reckon that an actual sale price of sub-30k is realistic. If you did land this one for under 30k you'd be getting a main-dealer-serviced 650i for half of the retail cost of a new 640i. Of course, the 640i is the new F12 model, but a 50 per cent discount after two years and 17,000 miles for an E63 650i isn't too shabby...

It's also come to my attention that various BMW Approved Used dealers are offering (additional) 1-year BMW warranties with their cars for limited periods, so there's also a good chance that you could get one thrown-in for good measure.

Mind you, I still wouldn't rule out the possibility of a good deal on a new 640i. According to CAP and Glass's, new retail sales are poor right now with franchise dealers said to be focusing on not losing too much money rather than outright profit.

Also, take into account the fact that the cars which lease and rental companies move into the used market appear to be getting younger and younger, and the scope could be widening for a brand new bargain. Although having said that BMW aren't exactly famous for their generosity on new stuff... (and you'll have to wait until Mid-October before the car goes on sale anyway - Riggers).

Of course, the 650i isn't to everybody's taste. So how about this 2005 Aston Martin V8 Vantage for an alternative used coupe? I know this isn't a direct comparison, and you'd need to find just a few grand more, but an angel weeping on your shoulder would be a less pleasant sound than the noise that these things make, and this one is a one-owner, 44,000-mile car with full history...and in black with an 'Iron Ore Red' interior. Tempting, isn't it?

[vintageracer01]

Forget the bloody Bimmer but I am in for the Aston Martin V8.

What a wonderful car with the most elegant interior! I love it.

Great colour combo, too.

[silversixx]

vintageracer01 said:

Forget the bloody Bimmer but I am in for the Aston Martin V8.

What a wonderful car with the most elegant interior! I love it.

Great colour combo, too.

I have to agree there - I'd find the extra couple of grand and go for the Aston. How good does it look in black with that interior?!

[michaelbell11]

As a former BMW Salseman I would like to add my bit in here, If a Main dealer is selling a used 6 Series for £31995 and they are willing to drop their pants to sub £30k then they are trying very hard to lift you leg in the first place. Secondly all used BMW's from a main dealer have to come with a minimum 12m warranty and breakdown assistance as this is part of BMW dealer standards set ot by BMW (dealers will get financial penalties if they do not adhere to this).
P.S the best way to buy any new 5,6,7 Series is to contract hire/Lease as you pay less (multiply the amount of payments against the expectated PX price a couple of years down the line and you'll see what I mean.

[fastgerman]

Definitely prefer the old 650i compared to the new 640.

The red example above with what looks like 335 wheels looks very odd...

This is more like it

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2959231.htm

or

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2987559.htm

for 650'ing at under £20k. Very nice car. Cousin has a 630i but missing their old E46 M3, which is why I haven't tried one yet. I'll just wait until an E92 is under £20k - maybe a year or 2 longer :-)

[silversixx]

michaelbell11 said:

As a former BMW Salseman I would like to add my bit in here, If a Main dealer is selling a used 6 Series for £31995 and they are willing to drop their pants to sub £30k then they are trying very hard to lift you leg in the first place. Secondly all used BMW's from a main dealer have to come with a minimum 12m warranty and breakdown assistance as this is part of BMW dealer standards set ot by BMW (dealers will get financial penalties if they do not adhere to this).
P.S the best way to buy any new 5,6,7 Series is to contract hire/Lease as you pay less (multiply the amount of payments against the expectated PX price a couple of years down the line and you'll see what I mean.

That's interesting. When I spoke to them they claimed that the warranty was only available for a limited time. Do you reckon they might be saying that to gee-up punters..?

[Goodfella 555]

This article is possibly a wasted opportunity - i've seen lots of 6 series between £10k - £20k that are absolute bargains. Going back to the article however, there does seem to be some incredible cars available for £30k-£40k I know a property developer who at the height of the recession was offered £30k for his Gallardo, unfortunately at the time i didn't have the cash (still haven't annoyingly!), and no-one wanted to go halves. £30k seems to be a massive jump in quality from £25k and there seems to be a world of difference (especially with Porsches) between £20k and £15k too.

[Kong]

To be fair they are comparing a bottom of the market Aston to a relatively expensive 6er. Even the biggest BMW fan would find it hard to choose the German car for similar cash.

I'm certainly considering an older 6 series. I would go for the 630i or the 650i, the former being very reasonable on petrol yet is far from slow, the latter goes like stink.

I wouldn't get the 635d because there is such a huge premium.

[TTwiggy]

silversixx said:

michaelbell11 said:

As a former BMW Salseman I would like to add my bit in here, If a Main dealer is selling a used 6 Series for £31995 and they are willing to drop their pants to sub £30k then they are trying very hard to lift you leg in the first place. Secondly all used BMW's from a main dealer have to come with a minimum 12m warranty and breakdown assistance as this is part of BMW dealer standards set ot by BMW (dealers will get financial penalties if they do not adhere to this).
P.S the best way to buy any new 5,6,7 Series is to contract hire/Lease as you pay less (multiply the amount of payments against the expectated PX price a couple of years down the line and you'll see what I mean.

That's interesting. When I spoke to them they claimed that the warranty was only available for a limited time. Do you reckon they might be saying that to gee-up punters..?

You might be waiting a while for a reply - that was his one and only post in 26 months! Serious lurking there

[W4NTED]

How about this facelift 2008 650i Coupe silver with red leather and a decent spec....jeez what a price drop in 3 years from new

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2970777.htm

I'd have that over a 3 series coupe anytime

[W4NTED]

silversixx said:

michaelbell11 said:

As a former BMW Salseman I would like to add my bit in here, If a Main dealer is selling a used 6 Series for £31995 and they are willing to drop their pants to sub £30k then they are trying very hard to lift you leg in the first place. Secondly all used BMW's from a main dealer have to come with a minimum 12m warranty and breakdown assistance as this is part of BMW dealer standards set ot by BMW (dealers will get financial penalties if they do not adhere to this).
P.S the best way to buy any new 5,6,7 Series is to contract hire/Lease as you pay less (multiply the amount of payments against the expectated PX price a couple of years down the line and you'll see what I mean.

That's interesting. When I spoke to them they claimed that the warranty was only available for a limited time. Do you reckon they might be saying that to gee-up punters..?

I think you are getting confused...some BMW dealers recently had an offer where they were offering an extra 12 months of BMW AUC warranty i.e 24 months in total. All AUC cars come with 12 months as standard

[tinyh98]

W4NTED said:

How about this facelift 2008 650i Coupe silver with red leather and a decent spec....jeez what a price drop in 3 years from new

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2970777.htm

I'd have that over a 3 series coupe anytime

Massive want on that one!

[M666 EVO]

silversixx said:

vintageracer01 said:

Forget the bloody Bimmer but I am in for the Aston Martin V8.

What a wonderful car with the most elegant interior! I love it.

Great colour combo, too.

I have to agree there - I'd find the extra couple of grand and go for the Aston. How good does it look in black with that interior?!

Its a no brainer surely?

[Luca Brasi]

N/A V8>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Turbocharged straight 6

No comparison.

[silversixx]

W4NTED said:

I think you are getting confused...some BMW dealers recently had an offer where they were offering an extra 12 months of BMW AUC warranty i.e 24 months in total. All AUC cars come with 12 months as standard

Ahaaa, sounds like Chinese-whispering may have clouded the message there. Of course you get the first year included, so you'll be haggling for an extra 12 months. Thanks for straightening that one out

[Stew2000]

My local garage has a 2004 645Ci Convertible going for £14,695.

[Ozzie Osmond]

Problem with the 6-series IMO is it's much the same as a 3-series but twice the price. Hence an almost complete absence of demand in the used market.

I've often thought "I should buy one of those, they're an absolute bargain".

But then realised the next question is, "Why on earth would I want one?"

[silversixx]

Goodfella 555 said:

This article is possibly a wasted opportunity - i've seen lots of 6 series between £10k - £20k that are absolute bargains. Going back to the article however, there does seem to be some incredible cars available for £30k-£40k I know a property developer who at the height of the recession was offered £30k for his Gallardo, unfortunately at the time i didn't have the cash (still haven't annoyingly!), and no-one wanted to go halves. £30k seems to be a massive jump in quality from £25k and there seems to be a world of difference (especially with Porsches) between £20k and £15k too.

There are some incredible 6-Series buys to be had. I've seen some rather dog-eared cars at auction, but there's plenty of quality stuff out there for under 20 grand. The red 650i is a late-model E63 alternative to the new F12 630i...and just couldn't resist the Aston as a cheeky alternative to the alternative

So was the developer actually considering the offer for the Lambo?

[anonymous-user]

"The 316bhp of the new 630i compares closely to the 329bhp of the old 645i..."

I think you mean the 316bhp of the new 640i?

[silversixx]

DR10 said:

"The 316bhp of the new 630i compares closely to the 329bhp of the old 645i..."

I think you mean the 316bhp of the new 640i?

[Kong]

With the price of petrol and the new 6 series out I can see these cars depreciating relentlessly into the ground, most big coupes do. Particularly when they start falling into the hands of the 'Bradford set'.