6 series - which one?
Discussion
I've always liked the 6 series and am thinking of getting one (2003 onwards version). I've driven two E63s a while ago, a petrol manual and a diesel auto, enjoying both.
My current everyday car is a 2011 330d coupe auto. I have two other cars which I need to sell and replace with one. I'm not struck on convertibles.
I can p/ex the 330d for a more recent 6 series, which will probably be a diesel. Or keep the 330d and get a petrol 6 series for fun driving.
I'm not convinced that diesel and fun car go together, though the 330d does go pretty darn well up the road.
The 2008 onwards model with the newer gearbox and paddles is appealing, unless in practice it's more problematic.
The panoramic roof also appeals.
Open for discussion, it'll be good to hear opinions and experiences.
My current everyday car is a 2011 330d coupe auto. I have two other cars which I need to sell and replace with one. I'm not struck on convertibles.
I can p/ex the 330d for a more recent 6 series, which will probably be a diesel. Or keep the 330d and get a petrol 6 series for fun driving.
I'm not convinced that diesel and fun car go together, though the 330d does go pretty darn well up the road.
The 2008 onwards model with the newer gearbox and paddles is appealing, unless in practice it's more problematic.
The panoramic roof also appeals.
Open for discussion, it'll be good to hear opinions and experiences.
Lotusgone said:
I've always liked the 6 series and am thinking of getting one (2003 onwards version). I've driven two E63s a while ago, a petrol manual and a diesel auto, enjoying both.
My current everyday car is a 2011 330d coupe auto. I have two other cars which I need to sell and replace with one. I'm not struck on convertibles.
I can p/ex the 330d for a more recent 6 series, which will probably be a diesel. Or keep the 330d and get a petrol 6 series for fun driving.
I'm not convinced that diesel and fun car go together, though the 330d does go pretty darn well up the road.
The 2008 onwards model with the newer gearbox and paddles is appealing, unless in practice it's more problematic.
The panoramic roof also appeals.
Open for discussion, it'll be good to hear opinions and experiences.
Seek out 'Fastbikes' threads; his 630i one is here:My current everyday car is a 2011 330d coupe auto. I have two other cars which I need to sell and replace with one. I'm not struck on convertibles.
I can p/ex the 330d for a more recent 6 series, which will probably be a diesel. Or keep the 330d and get a petrol 6 series for fun driving.
I'm not convinced that diesel and fun car go together, though the 330d does go pretty darn well up the road.
The 2008 onwards model with the newer gearbox and paddles is appealing, unless in practice it's more problematic.
The panoramic roof also appeals.
Open for discussion, it'll be good to hear opinions and experiences.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Before I bought a previous E65 730D; I test drove a few 'local'ish' 650i & 630i E63s and they were superb cars; but I like to have 4 doors and back seats that can be used by non-midgets, so at that time the E63 got ruled out. It may be visited again though myself sometime in the near future
My views were:
The 650i sounds like thunder and is a great car; superb engine (as long as it's been looked after & maintained), but it does have the oil leak issues (stem oil seals) and it's not a cheap job to have done, so keep that in mind and see if you can find a car that's had the work done & it's documented etc
The 630i is a great car; great engine and handles superbly, it's lighter and IMO you can tell the difference. I found the drive in the 630i more engaging down windy, rough country roads and stretches of the A59 local to me and overall it felt a better driving car. The 650i does feel heavy
But, I'd personally own either and I do want a V8 at sometime and the 650i would tick a lot of boxes for me. But I personally wouldn't buy one with out having the above mentioned work done etc
Other than that; the suspension is relatively cheap to maintain, parts aren't hard to access. You do need to make sure all electrics work though, properly and ideally have a decent code reader to check for any old/current codes that may be stored in the ECU cache etc
650i in as best condition and spec that you can find. The oil seal issue isn't as common on the 650 as it was on the 645 (which is what I had) but you still want to thoroughly check out the engine and if there is any blue smoke once it's up to temperature, esp if the car is near 100k miles. Nothing wrong with the 3.0 straight six in the 630, but nothing beats a 4.8 V8 for sound or sense of occasion. 630 will be cheaper in every aspect though.
I followed my 645 with the F-series 640i which was a lovely car, but quite anaemic. You can find a few petrol F13-series coupes, but they are rare as most petrol models of that gen are the 650i convertibles.
I followed my 645 with the F-series 640i which was a lovely car, but quite anaemic. You can find a few petrol F13-series coupes, but they are rare as most petrol models of that gen are the 650i convertibles.
parabolica said:
650i in as best condition and spec that you can find. The oil seal issue isn't as common on the 650 as it was on the 645 (which is what I had) but you still want to thoroughly check out the engine and if there is any blue smoke once it's up to temperature, esp if the car is near 100k miles.
They're the same parts between the two, I suspect it's just the relative rarity of the 4.8 compared to the 4.4... You've also got the valley pipe, alternator seal, cam cover seals etc. Apparently some of the leak incidences are lessened because there's better oil cooling in the 4.8.Tricky choice - as I can twirl my own spanners I'd be tempted to a V8 then splash the time on giving it a really good going over, do the valley pipe, stem seals, VANOS etc etc etc all in one hit, but the cost doing it professionally would be enormous.
Echo the above.
650i: As mentioned, the N62 can be problematic. Budget for valve stem seals every 100k. One of the important things in maintaining them is regular oil changes so do check the history. Regardless, they can still leak elsewhere (both oil and coolant). Unfortunately to sort those leaks can be labour intensive (=£££)
630i: early ones (like mine) have the N52 engine. Fairly reliable with no 'major' issues. Electric waterpump is expensive though. Later ones will have the N53 which has the known issues of coils, injectors and high pressure fuel pumps.
They are nice cars and quite uncommon on the road. I've only ever had positive words said about it. I think they've aged fantastically. Put a private plate on it, and no one will ever believe its 15 years old. They are big though (wide and long). It'll overhang a normal supermarket space (if you're thinking of putting it in the garage, look out for one with the electric folding mirrors).
Spec is generally pretty decent on them (certainly better than equivalent E60s). Xenons, climate and leather is standard. There's an upgraded 'Pearl leather' which is fancier Pro Nav with the wider screen was a cost option but 99% of the ones out there have that feature. Heated seats (option) essential IMO. HUD (option) is a cool feature. Pano roof (option) also v nice (but can leak). Do keep anear eye out for one with the Pro HiFi option, it's actually really good. Adaptive Lights (turn into the corner) really do make a difference. Active Steering (electric motor makes it light at low speeds) and Dynamic Drive (active ARBs) are other options but not very common. The less said about the cup holder situation the better... 
Worth also checking out this thread which has a lot of decent info in it: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Also check out Timm's BMW Repairs and Information on YouTube. He runs a 650i and produces a lot of very useful and informative videos.
By coincidence, mine (Stratus Grey) has just come back from the bodyshop.
Cream Beige Pearl leather + Dark Birch trim.
[/shameless photowhoring]
650i: As mentioned, the N62 can be problematic. Budget for valve stem seals every 100k. One of the important things in maintaining them is regular oil changes so do check the history. Regardless, they can still leak elsewhere (both oil and coolant). Unfortunately to sort those leaks can be labour intensive (=£££)
630i: early ones (like mine) have the N52 engine. Fairly reliable with no 'major' issues. Electric waterpump is expensive though. Later ones will have the N53 which has the known issues of coils, injectors and high pressure fuel pumps.
They are nice cars and quite uncommon on the road. I've only ever had positive words said about it. I think they've aged fantastically. Put a private plate on it, and no one will ever believe its 15 years old. They are big though (wide and long). It'll overhang a normal supermarket space (if you're thinking of putting it in the garage, look out for one with the electric folding mirrors).
Spec is generally pretty decent on them (certainly better than equivalent E60s). Xenons, climate and leather is standard. There's an upgraded 'Pearl leather' which is fancier Pro Nav with the wider screen was a cost option but 99% of the ones out there have that feature. Heated seats (option) essential IMO. HUD (option) is a cool feature. Pano roof (option) also v nice (but can leak). Do keep an
Worth also checking out this thread which has a lot of decent info in it: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Also check out Timm's BMW Repairs and Information on YouTube. He runs a 650i and produces a lot of very useful and informative videos.
By coincidence, mine (Stratus Grey) has just come back from the bodyshop.
Cream Beige Pearl leather + Dark Birch trim.
[/shameless photowhoring]
Edited by g3org3y on Wednesday 10th March 16:31
Although my experience is with newer version I thought this might help.
I went from a 330d F31 Touring to a 640d Gran Coupe.
The size difference is the main thing particularly in car parks. I regularly park away from my preferred spot at the office to ensure it doesn't get damaged by careless people opening doors. The length means it overhangs with one or both ends of a parking space too.
Also don't expect to chuck a 6 series around like a 3 series. Big open roads yes but not the B roads. My 3 series had adaptive suspension and I miss not having this on my 640.
You will notice a massive step up in build quality and trim regardless of age of the car. The 6 is a lovely place to be in for long periods of time and that is what they are best at, long journeys.
I went from a 330d F31 Touring to a 640d Gran Coupe.
The size difference is the main thing particularly in car parks. I regularly park away from my preferred spot at the office to ensure it doesn't get damaged by careless people opening doors. The length means it overhangs with one or both ends of a parking space too.
Also don't expect to chuck a 6 series around like a 3 series. Big open roads yes but not the B roads. My 3 series had adaptive suspension and I miss not having this on my 640.
You will notice a massive step up in build quality and trim regardless of age of the car. The 6 is a lovely place to be in for long periods of time and that is what they are best at, long journeys.
I’ve had a few..
First a 2007 635d standard - did about 20k in it and loved it
Then a 2012 640d sport again standard - did 10k in it
The newer one was better on fuel, looked more expensive, the interior is one of the best I’ve been in apart from the seats. They are more comfortable on the early one
Gone back to a facelift 2010 635d with a dpf delete and remap.
I love it. It’s quick, does 33-38mpg depending on drive style.
Solid as an e39, similar old school feel too. And it’s prob at 340 or 350bhp which I’m happy with.
Had a early 645 for a month which was fun but the older model with old I drive etc, and a 630i which lacked power.
All in all great cars and really well put together
Have you seen the build video on YouTube?
First a 2007 635d standard - did about 20k in it and loved it
Then a 2012 640d sport again standard - did 10k in it
The newer one was better on fuel, looked more expensive, the interior is one of the best I’ve been in apart from the seats. They are more comfortable on the early one
Gone back to a facelift 2010 635d with a dpf delete and remap.
I love it. It’s quick, does 33-38mpg depending on drive style.
Solid as an e39, similar old school feel too. And it’s prob at 340 or 350bhp which I’m happy with.
Had a early 645 for a month which was fun but the older model with old I drive etc, and a 630i which lacked power.
All in all great cars and really well put together
Have you seen the build video on YouTube?
Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff