E63 6 Series - Bravepill for a daily or just madness?
Discussion
Idly browsing PH Classifieds recently for E91s and more recently E87s, I noticed the E63 6 Series is available for quite cheap (probably for a reason!?).
Early(ish) ones are around the 5-7k mark, both in 630i 6 cyl flavour but also the 645 and 650i V8.
As a daily, they certainly stand out among the sea of 1 and 3 Series but how problematic are they to use on a regular basis? I've seen the V8 can suffer quite expensive issues. The N52 6 cylinder is (water pump apart) considered quite reliable.
Are these cars going to be a case of constant electrical niggles and massive bills or could they practically be used as a daily?
Compared to equivalently priced 3 or 1 Series, they seem to have better spec: Xenon, cruise, leather etc. Pro Nav as well in some cases.
Is the 6 cylinder 630i a really poor relation and should one hold out for a V8? I understand it was 130kg lighter than the V8 and considered a better handler.
My work journey is probably 12 miles each way and perhaps of 3-4 mile journeys at lunch time.
This looks nice, FSH, good spec, inc Xenons, heated electric seats and pro nav but 132k.
Anyone who uses these regularly, would be v interested in your thoughts.
Early(ish) ones are around the 5-7k mark, both in 630i 6 cyl flavour but also the 645 and 650i V8.
As a daily, they certainly stand out among the sea of 1 and 3 Series but how problematic are they to use on a regular basis? I've seen the V8 can suffer quite expensive issues. The N52 6 cylinder is (water pump apart) considered quite reliable.
Are these cars going to be a case of constant electrical niggles and massive bills or could they practically be used as a daily?
Compared to equivalently priced 3 or 1 Series, they seem to have better spec: Xenon, cruise, leather etc. Pro Nav as well in some cases.
Is the 6 cylinder 630i a really poor relation and should one hold out for a V8? I understand it was 130kg lighter than the V8 and considered a better handler.
My work journey is probably 12 miles each way and perhaps of 3-4 mile journeys at lunch time.
This looks nice, FSH, good spec, inc Xenons, heated electric seats and pro nav but 132k.
Anyone who uses these regularly, would be v interested in your thoughts.
Full running costs of my old shape 650 are in my profile, over 4 years. Always ran it with BMW warranty, just in case something expensive broke... These days I’d probably have more than zero excess on the warranty, and just have it cover the really expensive stuff rather than everything.
I had a 330 with the N52 and it was really reliable in the three years that I had it. Aside from routine stuff, the only issue was a fault with the VANOS actuators which was £280 the sort. Fuel economy was low 20’s around town and low to mid 30’s on a half decent run.
It wasn’t a quick car by modern standards so will probably feel a bit slower given the extra herd of the 6. The autobox is fine, just a bit dim witted if you’ve spent much time with say the ZF8.
I’d definitely be tempted by a 6; they’re a nicer place to sit than the 3 and they’ve aged really well. If you go in with realistic expectations (I.e the odd niggle) I reckon they’d be a great car. That area of BMW seems much better made than the E39/46. My old 330 is still going strong when I checked the MOT history with no fails since I sold it three years ago.
It wasn’t a quick car by modern standards so will probably feel a bit slower given the extra herd of the 6. The autobox is fine, just a bit dim witted if you’ve spent much time with say the ZF8.
I’d definitely be tempted by a 6; they’re a nicer place to sit than the 3 and they’ve aged really well. If you go in with realistic expectations (I.e the odd niggle) I reckon they’d be a great car. That area of BMW seems much better made than the E39/46. My old 330 is still going strong when I checked the MOT history with no fails since I sold it three years ago.
I use N53 630i every day, bought at 49k, 3 years on at 93k. Just standard servicing so far, other than oil every 10k. Surprisingly good on tyres, reasonable fuel economy, fast enough. Not sure why you don’t think you could use one every day, it’s just a wider/fatter, slightly shorter 530i with 2 doors.
This must be quite rare - 650i vert with a manual box. Not sure about the blue on blue colour combo but looks a good'un (not one advisory on the MOT history).
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-650-4-8-2009MY-i-IN...
(no link to seller)
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-650-4-8-2009MY-i-IN...
(no link to seller)
Naldrett said:
This must be quite rare - 650i vert with a manual box. Not sure about the blue on blue colour combo but looks a good'un (not one advisory on the MOT history).
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-650-4-8-2009MY-i-IN...
(no link to seller)
And I thought my 335i manual was rare!https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-650-4-8-2009MY-i-IN...
(no link to seller)
I think I may be qualified to comment on this
I bought a Nov 2005 650 on 38k miles over 8 years ago. It clicked over 191k miles this morning.
It has never let me down. The big bills have been:
Wheel bearing at 80k miles £200
Valve stem seals @ 145k: £1500, although I think this can now be done for less than £1k. It does not use any oil between services.
Rear brake pipes £250 (very unusual seemingly).
Gearbox plastic sump cover warps and leaks (if not done, will need doing) and get the oil changed at the same tome £300.
Wear and tear biggies:
Tyres average about £220 each (Michelin Pilot sport 4s's or Goodyear AS2 or3 are best) and seem to last about 22 to 25k miles.
Various suspension bushes replaced as required.
Discs are expensive (£300 to £550 per axle for OEM which I used), I have replaced fronts at 100k and rears at 170k. Just went through it's MOT with no advisories.
Best options (IMHO):
Upgraded leather (smells lovely, soft and shows no signs of wear on the bolsters)
Head up display
Logic 7
pro sat nav
comfy access
Still drives lovely with no squeaks or rattles. Pre March 2006 ones are £320 to tax.
Sounds great and I think it has aged well. I cannot comment on fuel consumption, as I tend to do long journeys and long term average is about 27mpg.
Sports seats are supremely comfy for long journeys.
Around town I think you would struggle to get over 20.
I do believe some E63 parts like the headlights are very expensive.
HTH.
I bought a Nov 2005 650 on 38k miles over 8 years ago. It clicked over 191k miles this morning.
It has never let me down. The big bills have been:
Wheel bearing at 80k miles £200
Valve stem seals @ 145k: £1500, although I think this can now be done for less than £1k. It does not use any oil between services.
Rear brake pipes £250 (very unusual seemingly).
Gearbox plastic sump cover warps and leaks (if not done, will need doing) and get the oil changed at the same tome £300.
Wear and tear biggies:
Tyres average about £220 each (Michelin Pilot sport 4s's or Goodyear AS2 or3 are best) and seem to last about 22 to 25k miles.
Various suspension bushes replaced as required.
Discs are expensive (£300 to £550 per axle for OEM which I used), I have replaced fronts at 100k and rears at 170k. Just went through it's MOT with no advisories.
Best options (IMHO):
Upgraded leather (smells lovely, soft and shows no signs of wear on the bolsters)
Head up display
Logic 7
pro sat nav
comfy access
Still drives lovely with no squeaks or rattles. Pre March 2006 ones are £320 to tax.
Sounds great and I think it has aged well. I cannot comment on fuel consumption, as I tend to do long journeys and long term average is about 27mpg.
Sports seats are supremely comfy for long journeys.
Around town I think you would struggle to get over 20.
I do believe some E63 parts like the headlights are very expensive.
HTH.
OP the one you've posted a link to looks good, but being a 57 plate and emitting 226g of CO2 per km it's 2grammes into £555 a year road tax. 
I'd either look for pre-March 2006, or want a V8 if I was paying that amount.
My 325i with the N52 had done 139K when I sold it and still ran just fine. I've read of a few cases of N52s heading towards 200K miles with no real issues.
I'd imagine a 6 Series must be a comfortable way to waft about.
I'd either look for pre-March 2006, or want a V8 if I was paying that amount.
My 325i with the N52 had done 139K when I sold it and still ran just fine. I've read of a few cases of N52s heading towards 200K miles with no real issues.
I'd imagine a 6 Series must be a comfortable way to waft about.
Thanks for the replies, v helpful.
That's a bit steep! They didn't even cross my mind. Good spot!
I'd expect a BMW 6 cylinder to reach 200k with no issues. Perhaps I've been spoilt by the older M20/M50 and M52 which seem pretty solid.
t fit!
On a practical day to day POV, are they a bugger to park? Ok in a multi-storey?
I've looked about fitting a baby sear in the back. According to Maxi Cosi, you can fit one via seatbelt (not isofix). I bet it's a right bugger to get in and out in the coupe (probably easier with the convertible).
Mr Tidy said:
OP the one you've posted a link to looks good, but being a 57 plate and emitting 226g of CO2 per km it's 2grammes into £555 a year road tax.
I'd either look for pre-March 2006, or want a V8 if I was paying that amount.
My 325i with the N52 had done 139K when I sold it and still ran just fine. I've read of a few cases of N52s heading towards 200K miles with no real issues.
I'd imagine a 6 Series must be a comfortable way to waft about.
I'd either look for pre-March 2006, or want a V8 if I was paying that amount.
My 325i with the N52 had done 139K when I sold it and still ran just fine. I've read of a few cases of N52s heading towards 200K miles with no real issues.
I'd imagine a 6 Series must be a comfortable way to waft about.
That's a bit steep! They didn't even cross my mind. Good spot!I'd expect a BMW 6 cylinder to reach 200k with no issues. Perhaps I've been spoilt by the older M20/M50 and M52 which seem pretty solid.
Court_S said:
I’d definitely be tempted by a 6; they’re a nicer place to sit than the 3 and they’ve aged really well. If you go in with realistic expectations (I.e the odd niggle) I reckon they’d be a great car. That area of BMW seems much better made than the E39/46. My old 330 is still going strong when I checked the MOT history with no fails since I sold it three years ago.
That was my train of thought. I don't mind niggles but I am worried about ending up stuck somewhere because the car has thrown up an electrical st fit!Veesix75 said:
I use N53 630i every day, bought at 49k, 3 years on at 93k. Just standard servicing so far, other than oil every 10k. Surprisingly good on tyres, reasonable fuel economy, fast enough. Not sure why you don’t think you could use one every day, it’s just a wider/fatter, slightly shorter 530i with 2 doors.
So as per the E90, they replaced the N52 for the N53? (I think in the Z4 they kept the N52 for the entire duration of the model?)On a practical day to day POV, are they a bugger to park? Ok in a multi-storey?
I've looked about fitting a baby sear in the back. According to Maxi Cosi, you can fit one via seatbelt (not isofix). I bet it's a right bugger to get in and out in the coupe (probably easier with the convertible).
I seriously considered these last year; before I bought an E65 and then regretted buying a diesel haha
Test drove a 650i local to me; lovely car, really great drive and the engine sound was amazing. It was overpriced though and it's still for sale, at that price. Clearly the dealer cannot see the error of his ways...
I also test drove a 630i; again, great car, didn't feel as strong a drive as the 650i for obvious reasons, but the handling felt better, sharper almost and it was a lot more chuckable into the corners on tight B roads etc... It's very much a weight difference advantage for it
That had custom back boxes on and it sounded great for a straight 6 engine.
If you've got the budget and are fairly mechanically minded/technical savvy (ie. can do the basics yourself (brakes.oil changes/suspension work etc); I'd say the E63 would be a great daily car. It just wasn't for me as I really wanted to stay with 4 doors (although one as a weekend car would be great fun if I had the room)
Tyres don't need to be as expensive as mention; premium tyres will always carry those prices; but others such as the Uniroyal Rainsport 3s or Vredestein Ultrac Vorti's are a lot cheaper and IMO, just as good. But tyres are a very personal choice...
Test drove a 650i local to me; lovely car, really great drive and the engine sound was amazing. It was overpriced though and it's still for sale, at that price. Clearly the dealer cannot see the error of his ways...
I also test drove a 630i; again, great car, didn't feel as strong a drive as the 650i for obvious reasons, but the handling felt better, sharper almost and it was a lot more chuckable into the corners on tight B roads etc... It's very much a weight difference advantage for it
That had custom back boxes on and it sounded great for a straight 6 engine.
If you've got the budget and are fairly mechanically minded/technical savvy (ie. can do the basics yourself (brakes.oil changes/suspension work etc); I'd say the E63 would be a great daily car. It just wasn't for me as I really wanted to stay with 4 doors (although one as a weekend car would be great fun if I had the room)
Tyres don't need to be as expensive as mention; premium tyres will always carry those prices; but others such as the Uniroyal Rainsport 3s or Vredestein Ultrac Vorti's are a lot cheaper and IMO, just as good. But tyres are a very personal choice...
d_a_n1979 said:
and then regretted buying a diesel haha
Strangely I did the same with a 330d. 
A friend has one, and I've driven it. I like it, feels good to drive. I took his from Essex to Swindon and did 48 to the gallon on the OBC taking it easy. Plenty of power, and I like the ZF6. Its a nice mix between an old school sludge pumper and the ultra modern ZF8.
His is an N53 one, and has plenty of power. I didn't get out thinking it needed more, and it handled nicely. His is a 'sport' one, mind.
He's had to put an injector in it, and the gearbox has thrown up a couple of faults. Nothing mental, and not 6er specific.
I had a 645 as a daily, and overall it didn't live up to my expectations. I had wanted one for a while, so after a long search I found one with the spec I wanted (pro sat nav, logic 7, panoramic roof). Within the first month the gearbox failed and needed a rebuild (the dealer paid for this).
I enjoyed the car on most days, it was comfy and quick when you wanted it to be. On a run I could get 30+ mpg from it, though day to day driving it was 23-25 mpg, which is still pretty good for a V8. I have children, and the space in the back wasn't good enough for them, so if you need rear space, then you need a different car (this is what ultimately caused me to part with mine). Other faults I encountered were the parking sensors failing (not cheap), 3x alloys cracking, coolant leaks and a whole load of random warning lights which ended up being down to a failing battery (these are eye-wateringly expensive compared to your average car, and need to be programmed to the car too).
The V8 noise is somewhat muted too, as the car is refined. The standard failure of these are the valve stem seals, which someone above has mentioned. This seems to be linked to mileage (people state around the 100k mark), but probably also due to age as the seals perish. Ideally buy one where this has been done.
The automatic gearbox was something I never really got on with. My manual e46 330 I had before was more enjoyable really, and the manual e60 530 I have now is, in my eyes, a better all-round car (but I am including the rear space in that, so for me personally it is the better car).
I enjoyed the car on most days, it was comfy and quick when you wanted it to be. On a run I could get 30+ mpg from it, though day to day driving it was 23-25 mpg, which is still pretty good for a V8. I have children, and the space in the back wasn't good enough for them, so if you need rear space, then you need a different car (this is what ultimately caused me to part with mine). Other faults I encountered were the parking sensors failing (not cheap), 3x alloys cracking, coolant leaks and a whole load of random warning lights which ended up being down to a failing battery (these are eye-wateringly expensive compared to your average car, and need to be programmed to the car too).
The V8 noise is somewhat muted too, as the car is refined. The standard failure of these are the valve stem seals, which someone above has mentioned. This seems to be linked to mileage (people state around the 100k mark), but probably also due to age as the seals perish. Ideally buy one where this has been done.
The automatic gearbox was something I never really got on with. My manual e46 330 I had before was more enjoyable really, and the manual e60 530 I have now is, in my eyes, a better all-round car (but I am including the rear space in that, so for me personally it is the better car).
I've had both engines in the 630i(330i N52) and 650i(X5 4.8 N62) and I recommend both for sure. Both are lovely and smooth and neither engine gave me any issue reliability wise(the V8 did have an oil leak but thats fairly common on them). I used both as a daily and they both enjoyed a drink!
I always thought the 630i - despite having less power - to be the better car.
Lower mileage example with a good history is probably fine for everyday use. They'll never be valuable or classic so I'd run one until it drops. The running gear is basically E60 so no great dramas. The Sport drives better and they're all good on fuel.
£5000 should buy this one:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Lower mileage example with a good history is probably fine for everyday use. They'll never be valuable or classic so I'd run one until it drops. The running gear is basically E60 so no great dramas. The Sport drives better and they're all good on fuel.
£5000 should buy this one:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Parking can be a pain due to its width. I rarely carry 4 people, usually myself and my 2 kids, 11 year old in the back. Child seat in the rear would be hard work.
N53 mostly on 2009’s I think, but some are earlier, tax is £240ish, newer gearbox is better I think than the older version in my previous 5 series.
I did have the rocker gasket replaced.
Tyres can be steep, but I fitted kumhos on the rear, 85 each from cam skill and they have been more than good enough. I’ve seen 28k on rear tyres, 40k on fronts, the kumhos look like they will do about 25k.
Mine has just about every option, Its an 09 and probably worth 7k max, probably less. You get a lot for your money. I may be getting close to needing fronts discs so that might be my first big bill.
They drive very nice, slow or high speed, and it has enough power overall. I was going to tow with mine, until I found out there isn’t a proper tow bar for it, I assume based on the 5 series chassis being shortened. Decent sized boot to get stuff in.
I was looking for a e60 530i originally to replace an old 535d, but went for the 630i based on driving alone 80% of the time commuting.
N53 mostly on 2009’s I think, but some are earlier, tax is £240ish, newer gearbox is better I think than the older version in my previous 5 series.
I did have the rocker gasket replaced.
Tyres can be steep, but I fitted kumhos on the rear, 85 each from cam skill and they have been more than good enough. I’ve seen 28k on rear tyres, 40k on fronts, the kumhos look like they will do about 25k.
Mine has just about every option, Its an 09 and probably worth 7k max, probably less. You get a lot for your money. I may be getting close to needing fronts discs so that might be my first big bill.
They drive very nice, slow or high speed, and it has enough power overall. I was going to tow with mine, until I found out there isn’t a proper tow bar for it, I assume based on the 5 series chassis being shortened. Decent sized boot to get stuff in.
I was looking for a e60 530i originally to replace an old 535d, but went for the 630i based on driving alone 80% of the time commuting.
Veesix75 said:
I may be getting close to needing fronts discs so that might be my first big bill.
Brembo discs, pads and a wear sensor - 150GBP all in. Easy job.https://www.autodoc.co.uk/brembo/1657462
https://www.autodoc.co.uk/brembo/1660861
https://www.autodoc.co.uk/brembo/7521651
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