Sizes and running costs of Gran Coupe vs Normal 640d F06

[AceCobra1]

Hi guys,

I am looking at some options for my next purchase. Basically decided between the Audi A7 or the 640d. I know many of you will say the audi is uglier but it is more practical and will be cheaper since it won't need snow tyres

Basically, the 2 things which is dissuading me from getting a 6 series is the boot size. I occasionally post large boxes away (61 x 61 x 61cm) which I can JUST fit in my rx8 as it has those suicide doors. I am just thinking would it fit in the boot of the 6 series (I would prefer to get the 2 door version) and if it doesn't, is it likely for it to be able to fit them through the rear doors? What is the "opening" size like for the boot?

I won't really be using those rear seats for passengers so the only reason I would be choosing the gran coupe over the 2 door is to ferry these boxes which is probably once every 6 weeks or so. - I assume they both handle similarly?

What are the running costs like for these cars? I know that the diesel will be very cheap on the fuel but how about servicing and general maintenance? I currently own an RX8 and it has had a lot of work done in the last few years which is one of the reasons I am letting it go.... As an example, it is recommended to have those spark plugs/ ignition coils changed every 15k miles or so and this will cost me about £350ish with me fitting those myself.

Finally, I am planning to buy a used one - a 2012 to 2013 car falls within budget. And looking to buy one that is around or under 50k miles. Are there any problems with these "earlier" models like rusts/ recalls etc.? Are there anything that I should avoid at all costs i.e. not looking at cars over XX mileages etc.?

Actually, I had a thought - I can buy a 2 door convertible which will allow me plenty of room to put those boxes! One thing I am concerned is would the roof get slashed easily? Don't want a massive repair bill because of some random jealous guy lol

Appreciated!

[NINJA59]

Another Mazda and BM owner here (albeit an MX5 NC so some relation to the RX8 bar the engine and a few other bits!)

Personally over the wheels thing, I would probably get winter boots and wheels anyway on any car you are driving all year round. 4wd in any form may get you moving but it won't stop you from hitting stuff. It always make me laugh when people say my car has 4wd means I can go anywhere in any weather....doubt you can on those low profile...wide tyres.

Over the boot I have a GC and have not had any problems getting things in and some things have been fairly chunky.

Over 2012/13 cars personally I would ensure you get a 2013 as there were some differences and better features if that is your thing. Also you might get a later version of idrive that way by going for a later car. I was originally looking at a 2013/14 cars, but ended up with a good deal on a pre-reg 65 plate car (with some budget adjustment but less than you may think).

[Rufus123]

Hi

Just get a lower mile one with a service pack ( 5 yr ) and then all you need to worry about is tyres and brakes for the next few years, if you don't your probably looking at 200 quid oil services and 500 quid normal services, brake disk and pad service 600 quid ish ( I'm going off my last car which was a 7 series as I've not services my 6 yet )

On the parcel front....Don't think that size box will fit in the boot to be honest, but if your spending 30 grand on a car, having something like a once a month trip to the post office trip dictating what car you get is a little crazy mate. Just get a taxi for the sake of a tenner or so fare that it will cost, or use a parcel firm that picks up from your home as there not much dearer

Roof slashed ?? Didn't think that happened nowerdays, again it certainly wouldn't dictate my decision, you could equally worry about someone keying it or slashing tyres, it's just something that doesn't really need thinking about mate, and if it happens then your insured

Also I drive mine in the snow, and it's fine as long as your tyres have decent tread left, I'm sure 4 wheel drive is better but it snowed twice this winter here and three times the year before, I just gritted the drive and drove carefully, the 6 was fine

Good luck with the car search

[AceCobra1]

Thanks for the replies guys - appreciate it With regards to the servicing, is it done yearly/ every 2 years ? I assume the "normal service" is just your annual service right? Are there anything I need to look at such as recalls or "potential pitfalls" like a component about to give up on the car before I get one? Would you guys recommend one with a 20" or 19" alloy or does it not make any difference in terms of the ride? Are there any "essential" optional extras ?

[Rufus123]

Originally Posted by AceCobra1

Thanks for the replies guys - appreciate it With regards to the servicing, is it done yearly/ every 2 years ? I assume the "normal service" is just your annual service right? Are there anything I need to look at such as recalls or "potential pitfalls" like a component about to give up on the car before I get one? Would you guys recommend one with a 20" or 19" alloy or does it not make any difference in terms of the ride? Are there any "essential" optional extras ?

Think the services are every 14k, I'll check tomorrow and let you know exactly mate

Mines on 19s and m sport and looks great in my opinion, my last 7 series was on 21 inch wheels and the ride different is better than that a bit...but in all honesty the ride on 6 and 7 series cars is fine no matter what size wheels are on it as long as your suspensions nice and tidy, and your in comfort mode

If your buying a sub 50k miles car make sure you get the ones that include free servicing for 5 years or 60k miles from new, that way your last service ( inspection 2 ) at 50 - 60k miles which is usually a grand is included.

If your not buying from BMW get a warranty on it from day 1 or you could be in for a expensive journey, my last big BMW had 12 grand in the last year of ownership and this new ish gran coupe has already had 6 grands worth of warranty work done ( and it's only got 18k miles )

Options - none are essential In my opinion, there's some nice ones like heads up and soft close etc but it's pretty loaded as it is. If you get a gran coupe you get the leather contrast stitched dash as standard which makes a massive difference in the interior feel tho, and after driving a car with and without the difference is huge

[NINJA59]

Originally Posted by AceCobra1

Thanks for the replies guys - appreciate it With regards to the servicing, is it done yearly/ every 2 years ? I assume the "normal service" is just your annual service right? Are there anything I need to look at such as recalls or "potential pitfalls" like a component about to give up on the car before I get one? Would you guys recommend one with a 20" or 19" alloy or does it not make any difference in terms of the ride? Are there any "essential" optional extras ?

Servicing is all condition based via idrive, in practice that means usually you get about 18,500 miles (it is set to 30K km) between services or up to 2 years. However if you drive it like you stole it it will probably reduce more quickly along with more components as the car continues to monitor fluids etc. (worth a read on what CBS covers - http://www.bimmerforums.co.uk/forum/...ice-cbs-t8509/)

The brake sensors are known at least on the F10 5 series to be a bit optimistic at best and need resetting on cars being over keen to replace the pads, and I have noticed mine on the GC goes down like a drinker sometimes and then stops for a fair while (the 6 will exhibit the same issues with the shared nature of the 5 and 6).

The 5 or 50K (it was 5 years or 60K upto 2013) can be checked online here: https://www.bmw-service.co.uk/ No need to even ask the dealership and these are automatically transferred from the previous owner. If you buy it from BMW the AUC one is even more expensive for the same thing.
Services from memory are an average of about £400 from BMW if nothing is broken or worn. Regarding discs and pads the parts (excluding fitting) - front pads (gen BMW) - about £210, discs (gen BMW) - about £300, rear pads (gen BMW) - about £110, rear discs (gen BMW) - about £210. If any of the sensors need replacing these are about £15 each from BMW, the springs I cannot remember.

Regarding the warranty I agree all servicing must be via BMW as you are buying an insurance product and not a "warranty".

Finally in regards to wheels I have never been in a 19" wearing car only 20. Yes it does ride firm, but not stupidly firm. If you go 20's then watch for any bulges as some versions of RFT are quite prone to this or could simply be down to the low profile, watch out as well as the Dunlop Sportmaxx GT 245/35 R20 95Y on the front is quite difficult at times to get hold of, the bridgestone and pirelli are a little easier.

For me if you want the options then I would consider the sunroof, 20's and head up display. Not sure if you can get the full digital display on the years you are looking at instead of the partial one.

[AceCobra1]

Great - thanks again for the replies

Just wondering when you guys mention about the Warranty 5 years or 60k, are these warranty basically a coverage of all those servicing like a few hundred quid or are they actual warranty in an event of the car prematurely failing etc.?

This is all I can see:

Front brake pads. Front brake pads. Cost: £298

Rear brake pads. Rear brake pads. Cost: £215

Service summary £COVERED UNDER
YOUR SERVICE PACK
Pricing is inclusive of VAT and is based on the information you provided.

All prices are correct at time of publication and may be subject to change at any point without prior notice. Participating Retailers only. Click here to see our Terms and Conditions.

So in an event of the engine blowing up or gearbox going, would this be fixed under "warranty" ?

Regarding the service, so basically I get the car serviced every XX miles for £400 and then when the iDrive tells me that I need to get oil service etc., I go in for a seperate service for that ?

Does anyone have any ideas how the back seats on the 2 door version compare to the back seats of the RX8 in terms of size ?

[NINJA59]

It is a service pack for servicing not a warranty and it is 5 years or 50k not 60k.

Go on bmw parts direct on the uk amazon or ebay, part numbers are on the bmw parts system webetk ( bnw direct ebay store has a link) most of the consumables are listed.

There are no inspections anymore just services - oil change and filters, you may needto go in for brake pad and disc changes or reset because of idrive saying it is due. The service pack if you find a car with it will cover it for the 50k or 5 years for free unless there are issues obviously.

If the car is under 3 years you have the usual warranty. You can get the bmw extended warranty on an annual or monthly basis.

[AceCobra1]

Originally Posted by NINJA59

If the car is under 3 years you have the usual warranty. You can get the bmw extended warranty on an annual or monthly basis.

So if I bought a used car say from a private dealer, can I then add on an extended warranty if it doesn't already have one and how much would it cost ?

[NINJA59]

There are three versions available the full comprehensive, named component and driveline.

As for costs hard to say exactly but when I did a quote on a 640D GC that was out of warranty a while back it was £80 per month for fully comprehensive with £250 excess (£100 excess was about £100 per month). Note this is including emergency assistance it is slightly less without that.

Mileage will play a part in the cost and so will the original spec no doubt. The fully comp is available up to 100K then the others options are still available.

[AceCobra1]

Originally Posted by NINJA59

There are three versions available the full comprehensive, named component and driveline.

As for costs hard to say exactly but when I did a quote on a 640D GC that was out of warranty a while back it was £80 per month for fully comprehensive with £250 excess (£100 excess was about £100 per month). Note this is including emergency assistance it is slightly less without that.

Mileage will play a part in the cost and so will the original spec no doubt. The fully comp is available up to 100K then the others options are still available.

Wow, £80 is actually very reasonable. Would you recommend it? Also, if I bought the car off a private/ independent dealer would I need to get the car accessed before they will decide the price on the warranty? Will the warranty cover most of the expensive stuff like gearbox etc. ?

[NINJA59]

Do not forget that is £80 per month or another way about £1000 per year for fully comprehensive and emergency breakdown cover.

Also do not forget that because it is an insurance product Mondial (who actually run it) have an excess in place of £100 or £250 per claim I do not think the £0 excess is available anymore.

The exclusions from the comprehensive:

All exhaust components (except catalytic converter)
All service items which will require periodic replacement
Any covered component that has worn out rather than suffered from a defect after the 1st 100,000 miles
Auxiliary drive belts
Batteries
Brake and clutch facings
Bulbs and fuses
Channels and guides
Cleaning or adjustment of any component/carbon/soot buildup
Coolant and fuel hoses
Discs and drums
Glass
Handles, hinges and check straps
Trim, upholstery and cosmetic finishes
Wheels and tyres
Wiper blades and arms
Weather strips and seals

If you went from a private or inde seller then make sure it has full BMW franchise service history otherwise the product could be pointless.

[AceCobra1]

Thanks Ninja! So as long as it has a FBMWSH, then I can just goto BMW and buy this warranty ?

[darms]

Very informative thread

Purchased my 640D GC privately and currently looking for after market warranty. Didn't know about the BMW service requirement for the BMW warranty..... Don't really wanna go down that route as I wanted to get wk carried out by a specialist garage.

Time to think again now.

Any recommendations with regards to which aftermarket warranties are worth it and headache free?

[darms]

Originally Posted by AceCobra1

Thanks Ninja! So as long as it has a FBMWSH, then I can just goto BMW and buy this warranty ?

Buddy you can buy the warranty online or over the phone to BMW direct. The link and details are on their website

[AceCobra1]

Originally Posted by darms

Buddy you can buy the warranty online or over the phone to BMW direct. The link and details are on their website

Nice - How long have you bought it for? Are you pleased with your purchase and I assume it can be used as a daily driver right?

[darms]

Originally Posted by AceCobra1

Nice - How long have you bought it for? Are you pleased with your purchase and I assume it can be used as a daily driver right?

Hey, purchased mine in October and yes I love the car. Got her from a friend who had her since new so no risk buying second hand. She game fully loaded with over 12k of extras and I could say no at the price.

For me she's only a weekend car atm so with 12k on the clock it's a keeper for me.

Highly recommend the gran coupe

[Rufus123]

Originally Posted by AceCobra1

Nice - How long have you bought it for? Are you pleased with your purchase and I assume it can be used as a daily driver right?

If you drive it more than 3 days a week you cannot take out the AUC warranty mate

Seriously

[rich_e92_335d]

Originally Posted by NINJA59

Servicing is all condition based via idrive, in practice that means usually you get about 18,500 miles (it is set to 30K km) between services or up to 2 years. However if you drive it like you stole it it will probably reduce more quickly along with more components as the car continues to monitor fluids etc. (worth a read on what CBS covers - http://www.bimmerforums.co.uk/forum/...ice-cbs-t8509/)

The brake sensors are known at least on the F10 5 series to be a bit optimistic at best and need resetting on cars being over keen to replace the pads, and I have noticed mine on the GC goes down like a drinker sometimes and then stops for a fair while (the 6 will exhibit the same issues with the shared nature of the 5 and 6).

The 5 or 50K (it was 5 years or 60K upto 2013) can be checked online here: https://www.bmw-service.co.uk/ No need to even ask the dealership and these are automatically transferred from the previous owner. If you buy it from BMW the AUC one is even more expensive for the same thing.
Services from memory are an average of about £400 from BMW if nothing is broken or worn. Regarding discs and pads the parts (excluding fitting) - front pads (gen BMW) - about £210, discs (gen BMW) - about £300, rear pads (gen BMW) - about £110, rear discs (gen BMW) - about £210. If any of the sensors need replacing these are about £15 each from BMW, the springs I cannot remember.

Regarding the warranty I agree all servicing must be via BMW as you are buying an insurance product and not a "warranty".

Finally in regards to wheels I have never been in a 19" wearing car only 20. Yes it does ride firm, but not stupidly firm. If you go 20's then watch for any bulges as some versions of RFT are quite prone to this or could simply be down to the low profile, watch out as well as the Dunlop Sportmaxx GT 245/35 R20 95Y on the front is quite difficult at times to get hold of, the bridgestone and pirelli are a little easier.

For me if you want the options then I would consider the sunroof, 20's and head up display. Not sure if you can get the full digital display on the years you are looking at instead of the partial one.

I can second that about the dunlops! It's just taken me two weeks to track one down for mine after a bulge appeared!

[AceCobra1]

Just wondering, if I bought a car with 60k miles on the clock, am I still entitled to buy the AUC warranty as long as it has been serviced by BMW ?

Also, out of interest, how many MPGs are you guys getting on the 640d? The specs say 50mpg but surely not!

[NINJA59]

Originally Posted by darms

Very informative thread

Purchased my 640D GC privately and currently looking for after market warranty. Didn't know about the BMW service requirement for the BMW warranty..... Don't really wanna go down that route as I wanted to get wk carried out by a specialist garage.

Time to think again now.

Any recommendations with regards to which aftermarket warranties are worth it and headache free?

It really is more of a what you are willing to accept is "excluded" and also watch out for any gotcha's are on limits on payment, who will pay who as well as you cannot have any warranty claims within the first XX days or 1 month.

Originally Posted by AceCobra1

Just wondering, if I bought a car with 60k miles on the clock, am I still entitled to buy the AUC warranty as long as it has been serviced by BMW ?

Also, out of interest, how many MPGs are you guys getting on the 640d? The specs say 50mpg but surely not!

Yes basically, just watch though there is an increase in premium at least for comprehensive including emergency at 60,000. I would aim for a car with less as the warranty will be less and furthermore you may be able to sneak in any remaining service inclusive from the previous owner.

As for mine with MPG's she only has 4K on so not really properly settled. I have noticed with more regular use now and a few more miles appearing the MPG is increasing steadily.

MPG for me has been 35 MPG - 44MPG, like any car use the pedal a lot then it will chew fuel like any large capacity engine. Flipside, if you hate eco pro like me, but use your right foot lightly and at specific times whilst also allowing to slow gently to lights etc. the MPG's for such a car are truly astonishing.

Day to Day return for me with around 50 miles to work and back - 40-42 MPG, current average for this particular tank is 40MPG. That is all A roads including 30's, 40's, 50's and 60's no m'way stuff.

[NINJA59]

Originally Posted by rich_e92_335d

I can second that about the dunlops! It's just taken me two weeks to track one down for mine after a bulge appeared!

I know how that feels mine was one of the last in the country and still took 4 days to arrive!

Although BMW make me laugh if you order one direct through BMW it is £420! So how can other places be doing them for £230-240.