6 series coupe from Z4 coupe

[flight147z]

Hi All

I am thinking of replacing my 2007 Z4 coupe (E86) with a 2011 onwards 6 series coupe (F13). My main reasons for wanting to do this are as below

• Z4 is starting to feel a little old and I fancy something a bit newer
• More practicality (most of the time it will be only me using the car)
• Better fuel economy (appreciate in practice this may be marginal. Not too bothered about this really)
• Better match to the driving that I do (90% motorway, mid length journeys)
• Better ride quality on poor quality surfaces, easier to drive over speed bumps
• I just fancy a change!

I keep my cars for quite a long time (I’ve had the Z4 for 3.5 years) and I would expect to keep this car for at least a similar amount of time.

One thing I am unsure about is whether I can get my road bike in the back of the 6. I can get it in the boot of the Z4 with both wheels off and the bars removed however this is a bit of a pain. I had originally assumed that this would be easier in an F13, but looking online it seems the boot is actually pretty small and the seats don’t fold flat. I understand that they do in the Gran Coupe (F06) but at the moment I am keener on the F13 based on the looks (and marginal difference in size making the F13 a little easier to park).

It would be good to know whether anyone has any experience of this, or any thoughts on moving from a similar car into a 6 series. Also keen to pick up any tips on what to look for when I start looking for a car

Thanks for your help

Edited by flight147z on Monday 24th February 13:19

[mmm-five]

I know what you mean, but my Z4MC is over 13 years old now (over 11 with me) - and I keep looking at 640D coupes for my long commutes (but the 330D Touring is more practical at the moment).

The F13 is the coupe, the F12 is the roadster/cabrio. The Gran Coupe is the F06.

The boot looks much deeper than a non-M e86 boot, but the access isn't as large (boot lid vs full hatch). Stats say the E86 has 260 litres vs the 460 of the F13, so it's probably a bit wider/deeper/taller.

Edited by mmm-five on Monday 24th February 13:05

[flight147z]

mmm-five said:

I know what you mean, but my Z4MC is over 13 years old now (over 11 with me) - and I keep looking at 640D coupes for my long commutes (but the 330D Touring is more practical at the moment).

The F13 is the coupe, the F12 is the roadster/cabrio. The Gran Coupe is the F06.

The boot looks much deeper than a non-M e86 boot, but the access isn't as large (boot lid vs full hatch). Stats say the E86 has 260 litres vs the 460 of the F13, so it's probably a bit wider/deeper/taller.

Edited by mmm-five on Monday 24th February 13:05

Thanks - I have corrected the model references throughout - I made a bit of a mess with those!!

11 years is impressive, but there isn't much else like a Z4MC so I can understand why you have kept hold of it

I feel like the best way to get the bike in would be lying it flat (rather than at an angle like in the Z4, picture below) but it would be annoying if I bought one and then realised that this didn't work...

In the pic the seat is out, I can actually get it in the car with the seat and post still on and would prefer to be able to do that in the 6 too

[Ninja59]

The big issue with the 6 is the sharp angle of approach and some items whilst they fit in theory in practice they dont because you simply cannot get them in the car due to the narrow angle.

In regards to tips:

If you are looking at the 640D check the EGR cooler has been changed (it likely has been), that the timing chain is not rattling on start up from cold (which is when it is mostly like to rattle (in my experience though with the N57 there is always "some" of level chain noise, just not a rattling or flapping sound! and the longer into the interval it gets the more noise they make due to the oil breaking down), some N57 twin turbos are known as well to take out the main bearings so check for any awful noises above 2k.

The smaller turbo can be a weakness as well.

Quite a lot are getting remapped rightly or wrongly, but the gearbox does not have "much" margin as standard they stick out 650Nm, the safe limit is 700Nm and you will rarely see a remapped sticking below this limit, sadly.

The infamous yellow grommet which allows water in from where the LHD steering column would be has drains linking to that area and an acoustic cover that blocks the escape with general build up of silt and debris. It is worth checking this as otherwise the rear of the car will be soaked owing to the fact there is less insulation but from front to back will be wet.

There is the odd seat rail issue as well where it begins to move around and the repair kit is available but pricey to be sorted.

M sport steering wheels from the more recent cars are getting stolen regularly so be aware!

The 20" inch wheels tend to suffer with buckling, and many places seem incapable of balancing properly causing vibrations between 60 - 75mph usually. Other vibrations at higher speeds are a common complaint but that could be a multitude of things.

Erm I think that is it!

Edited by Ninja59 on Monday 24th February 13:38

[mmm-five]

The F13 boot dimensions are:

RIDC.org.uk said:

Length of boot floor - back row of seats upright
961mm

Vertical height of boot opening
486mm

Boot sill height to floor of car
229mm

Boot sill height to ground
739mm

Width of boot floor at narrowest point
834mm

Width of boot opening - bottom
961mm

The closest photo I can find is the 4-series coupe, which is slightly smaller than the 6-series (other than 2cm longer):

RIDC.org.uk said:

Length of boot floor - back row of seats upright
980mm

Vertical height of boot opening
480mm

Boot sill height to floor of car
159mm

Boot sill height to ground
668mm

Width of boot floor at narrowest point
760mm

Width of boot opening - bottom
897mm

Bike in 4-series...


Can't find the same details on the same website to compare the e86, but you can simply measure your's, mine are below for something I did years ago (not all measurements available).

a previous post from me said:

Length of boot floor - back row of seats upright
660mm

Vertical height of boot opening
???mm

Boot sill height to floor of car
???mm

Boot sill height to ground
???mm

Width of boot floor at narrowest point
760mm

Width of boot opening - bottom
???mm

So even smaller than a 4-series with the back seats up.

[flight147z]

mmm-five said:

The F13 boot dimensions are:

RIDC.org.uk said:

Length of boot floor - back row of seats upright
961mm

Vertical height of boot opening
486mm

Boot sill height to floor of car
229mm

Boot sill height to ground
739mm

Width of boot floor at narrowest point
834mm

Width of boot opening - bottom
961mm

Thanks for this - this is really helpful

I have done some research on my own car online and the key measurements when compared against the 6 are as below

Measurement	E86	F13
Length of boot floor	680mm	961mm
Width of boot floor at narrowest point	890mm	834mm
Width of boot floor at widest point	1090mm	>961mm

Based on this and looking at the picture of my bike in my own car above and the boot on the F13 the main concern is probably the way the boot in the F13 narrows towards the back (as it gets thinner than in the Z4) however I think compared to the Z this happens further back, which means I could probably get my bike in the same way but lying down a little flatter



Probably sensible to measure my bike properly either way and I need to do some research on the F13 before I go any further anyway

I'd love a petrol but the diesels seem better value so in reality I'm more likely to end up with one of those. Other "must have's" at the moment are the larger wheels (20"?) and the M Sport package. Are there any essential options that I should look for?

[parabolica]

I went from a ‘12 640i coupe to ‘03 3.0 Z4; if you’re after any resemblance of sportiness then forget it. I loved my 6 series (had a 645 prior to it); it was big, quiet, Comfy, plenty fast enough but only on a roads. It’s a super wide car and not really dynamic on the twisties.

The boot of the coupe should take your bike without issue but in the same manner your z4 took it. FWIW I would heavily recommend seeking out the petrol 3.0 over the diesel 3.0; smoother and more responsive.

[flight147z]

parabolica said:

I went from a ‘12 640i coupe to ‘03 3.0 Z4; if you’re after any resemblance of sportiness then forget it. I loved my 6 series (had a 645 prior to it); it was big, quiet, Comfy, plenty fast enough but only on a roads. It’s a super wide car and not really dynamic on the twisties.

The boot of the coupe should take your bike without issue but in the same manner your z4 took it. FWIW I would heavily recommend seeking out the petrol 3.0 over the diesel 3.0; smoother and more responsive.

Would prefer a petrol but ultimately my budget of ~£16.5k means I won't be able to get one

I'm fine with the loss of sportiness. To be honest I rarely take the Z out on B roads for that kind of driving so the 6 is probably more suited to what I generally do anyway

[flight147z]

flight147z said:

parabolica said:

I went from a ‘12 640i coupe to ‘03 3.0 Z4; if you’re after any resemblance of sportiness then forget it. I loved my 6 series (had a 645 prior to it); it was big, quiet, Comfy, plenty fast enough but only on a roads. It’s a super wide car and not really dynamic on the twisties.

The boot of the coupe should take your bike without issue but in the same manner your z4 took it. FWIW I would heavily recommend seeking out the petrol 3.0 over the diesel 3.0; smoother and more responsive.

Would prefer a petrol but ultimately my budget of ~£16.5k means I won't be able to get one

I'm fine with the loss of sportiness. To be honest I rarely take the Z out on B roads for that kind of driving so the 6 is probably more suited to what I generally do anyway

So I have spent some time looking through the cars that are on the market (and the original brochures) this week to sense check how much I need to get what I want and what is out there with some comments below. It would be good to hear from someone that has bought a 6 series recently who can perhaps provide some advice on the market

• All of the cars in my price range are diesel, therefore I think the 640i isn't going to be an option
• I'm only interested in an M Sport and I'm not keen on picking up anything with more than 50,000 miles
• I think if I get a car that doesn't have the 20" wheels I'll regret it, therefore for now I am ruling out anything without those
• I am not fussy regarding any of the other options as I think the base spec has the essentials that I need (cruise, heated seats, decent lights, parking sensors) which is to be expected given the nature of the car!
• I'd prefer to get something without a black interior but it's not a deal breaker. Almost all of the cars on the market are black/white/grey with a black interior though
• Not fussed on colours (but love the red). I don't really want grey as my last 2 cars have both been grey

I think to get what I want I am looking at £16.5k - £17k before any negotiation - does that sound reasonable? I assume these hang around for a while before selling too so I would expect I could get a decent amount knocked off with some negotiation - does that sound realistic?

I don't have to sell the Z4 to buy a 6, so I'm planning on running both cars in the short term

Thanks for your help

[AutoAndy]

Just a point to note...don't worry about getting a diesel as it will be fine...if you go for the 640D you will be getting a 6 cylinder BMW diesel...they are smooth and you will hardly notice any difference in the car. You will still get over 300HP and a mountain of torque giving you a 0-60 in less than 5.5 seconds but in real world driving you should still get around 40mpg (As an accountant, you should appreciate that).

...and unless you normally drive at the limit all the time, it wont be "less sporty", just massively more comfortable than a Z....a cross you will have to bare...

[parabolica]

flight147z said:

So I have spent some time looking through the cars that are on the market (and the original brochures) this week to sense check how much I need to get what I want and what is out there with some comments below. It would be good to hear from someone that has bought a 6 series recently who can perhaps provide some advice on the market

• All of the cars in my price range are diesel, therefore I think the 640i isn't going to be an option
• I'm only interested in an M Sport and I'm not keen on picking up anything with more than 50,000 miles
• I think if I get a car that doesn't have the 20" wheels I'll regret it, therefore for now I am ruling out anything without those
• I am not fussy regarding any of the other options as I think the base spec has the essentials that I need (cruise, heated seats, decent lights, parking sensors) which is to be expected given the nature of the car!
• I'd prefer to get something without a black interior but it's not a deal breaker. Almost all of the cars on the market are black/white/grey with a black interior though
• Not fussed on colours (but love the red). I don't really want grey as my last 2 cars have both been grey

I think to get what I want I am looking at £16.5k - £17k before any negotiation - does that sound reasonable? I assume these hang around for a while before selling too so I would expect I could get a decent amount knocked off with some negotiation - does that sound realistic?

I don't have to sell the Z4 to buy a 6, so I'm planning on running both cars in the short term

Thanks for your help

I think you’ll easily find what you’re looking for without too much hassle. Would recommend test driving a car with the 19s and another with the 20s. I did and for me personally the 20s ruined the ride and comfort - really thumped over broken surfaces whereas the 19s, even with run flats, was silky smooth.

Edited by parabolica on Friday 28th February 14:40

[river_rat]

Bear in mind the older diesels (pre 2015 I think) are not ULEZ compliant, which is probably hitting the values of these (and obv worth considering if you intend to use it in or near London)

[flight147z]

river_rat said:

Bear in mind the older diesels (pre 2015 I think) are not ULEZ compliant, which is probably hitting the values of these (and obv worth considering if you intend to use it in or near London)

Won't be driving anywhere near London for the forseeable future, when I am there I will take the train, but thanks for pointing this out as I expect it could affect resale to an extent as it would be harder to sell to someone impacted by this. Assume the performance is indifferent between the older and newer cars (but based on that how did it become compliant from 2015?)

parabolica said:

I think you’ll easily find what you’re looking for without too much hassle. Would recommend test driving a car with the 19s and another with the 20s. I did and for me personally the 20s ruined the ride and comfort - really thumped over broken surfaces whereas the 19s, even with run flats, was silky smooth.

Edited by parabolica on Friday 28th February 14:40

The Z is on 18s and is lowered so it's brutal on rough roads. Anything will be more comfortable compared to that! If I find both options locally though I will try them both, thanks

AutoAndy said:

Just a point to note...don't worry about getting a diesel as it will be fine...if you go for the 640D you will be getting a 6 cylinder BMW diesel...they are smooth and you will hardly notice any difference in the car. You will still get over 300HP and a mountain of torque giving you a 0-60 in less than 5.5 seconds but in real world driving you should still get around 40mpg (As an accountant, you should appreciate that).

...and unless you normally drive at the limit all the time, it wont be "less sporty", just massively more comfortable than a Z....a cross you will have to bare...

Happy enough with a diesel. Although the sound will obviously not be as nice the short ratio gears won't be a problem as it's automatic and I definitely don't expect to be disappointed with the performance

[cerb4.5lee]

parabolica said:

I think you’ll easily find what you’re looking for without too much hassle. Would recommend test driving a car with the 19s and another with the 20s. I did and for me personally the 20s ruined the ride and comfort - really thumped over broken surfaces whereas the 19s, even with run flats, was silky smooth.

I've had a few rough riding cars and the worst two for me were the Z4M on 18" wheels, and a Audi TTS on 19" wheels. But the 640d on 20" wheels(runflats) was the worse of the lot for me for sure.

I loved the F13 640d and did 70k miles in it, the shape and the performance/economy mix was brilliant. I even swapped the runflats to normal tyres(it made a big difference in fairness), but because of the elastic band sidewalls I suffered 3 punctures over a short period. So if I went for another I'd definitely go for the 19" wheels.

[flight147z]

cerb4.5lee said:

I've had a few rough riding cars and the worst two for me were the Z4M on 18" wheels, and a Audi TTS on 19" wheels. But the 640d on 20" wheels(runflats) was the worse of the lot for me for sure.

I loved the F13 640d and did 70k miles in it, the shape and the performance/economy mix was brilliant. I even swapped the runflats to normal tyres(it made a big difference in fairness), but because of the elastic band sidewalls I suffered 3 punctures over a short period. So if I went for another I'd definitely go for the 19" wheels.

Thanks for this. I assume the tyres aren't cheap either (I'll go away and check this)

My current car doesn't have RFTs (it is supposed to) as I understand that they are significantly worse comfort wise than standard tyres. I assume within RFTs in a 6 I would be stranded if I did get a puncture? I do have breakdown cover

[cerb4.5lee]

flight147z said:

Thanks for this. I assume the tyres aren't cheap either (I'll go away and check this)

My current car doesn't have RFTs (it is supposed to) as I understand that they are significantly worse comfort wise than standard tyres. I assume within RFTs in a 6 I would be stranded if I did get a puncture? I do have breakdown cover

No worries.

The AA had to come out twice to me and once I was lucky and I noticed the tyre was flat on my drive so I took it off and took it to the tyre fitter. The normal tyres are a fair bit cheaper than the runflats Iirc.

I did notice that they do a space saver for the 6 series on eBay, and I was tempted to throw that in the boot to save the hassle of the recovery. I did have a compressor and some goo but by the time the low pressure indicator come on the tyre was shot.

With hindsight now I wished I'd just stuck with the runflats, because at least with those you can limp home or to a garage. The normal tyres do improve the ride/steering a fair bit though, and the 20" wheels do look great.

[river_rat]

Tyres are not cheap for sure, but my first set lasted 20K (rears) and a bit longer for the fronts and that's not driving it like Miss Daisy either.

Mines on 20's with run flats and I find the ride fine. Guess it depends what you are used to - I came from an E92 M3 and had 911's prior to that, so this is fine in comparison.

As a daily it's a great car, I've had mine over 2 years and would usually be looking to change by now - but the mix of performance and running costs are making it hard to know what to change it for.

[cerb4.5lee]

river_rat said:

Mines on 20's with run flats and I find the ride fine. Guess it depends what you are used to - I came from an E92 M3 and had 911's prior to that, so this is fine in comparison.

Whereas for me my E92 M3 with EDC(electronic damper control) was one of the best riding cars I've ever had. I believe the VDC(adjustable dampers) option on the 6 series is a very worthwhile option. Have you got that on your 6 series then?

Don't get me wrong the 20" wheels with runflats on the 640d still feel fine on smooth tarmac, it is just on broken tarmac and over pot holes where it becomes unbearable for me.

[river_rat]

Just standard suspension on mine, no VDC (wasn't aware that was an option to be honest).

I agree regarding potholes though - even a small one crashes through the car and feels like a wheel has fallen off!

[flight147z]

I think this is my favourite of the ones available right now - any thoughts?

6 series