NewNiceMrMe Posted February 19, 2006 Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 As it is now a few weeks past 6 months of owning the car I thought an updated review was in order. I've tried to break this down into reasonably legitimate areas of review. Engine Having now covered 4,800 miles the engine is nicely ran in. The exhaust note has changed somewhat in the last 1,000 miles too, probably as a result of a very good run out on a recent meet. It's now very audible indeed, particularly when accelerating away from junctions. The engine/exhaust note remain hugely addictive and smile inducing. An over application of revs when pulling away results in a lovely deep burble from the bonnet and an increasingly loud roar from the pipes at the rear. The drivetrain remains incredibly smooth in either waft-along or hard-push mood. There have never been any signs of lumpiness, dropping of idle revs, jitters, nothing - it remains incredibly silky at all levels. It's 333bhp and 332 lbs of torque are still impressive and they're also freeing up a bit more nowadays. The 0-62mph time of 6.1s is proving adequate enough for me as I'm beginning to realise the increased benefit of the 332 lbs of torque in 3rd gear and above, especially on inclines. The pull at high speeds is simply superb. The car is still deceptively quick and you tend to only become aware of how quick when people following you tell you. Econony Whilst this isn't something I put too much concern into, the economy remains healthy at an average of 20.7mpg over the last 2,300 miles. That includes some very heavy traffic days and some very heavy right foot days. It has dropped from it's initial results of 22-24mpg but it's still a much better figure than I ever imagined. It's perhaps indicative of the fact that the car never really needs pushing in day to day driving. A little prod of the throttle and the torque takes care of covering the tarmac quickly. Handling The downside of a huge vehicle with ample weight is that handling takes a knock when you're not driving an M-tuned version. Understeer is rightly pointed out as something to be very wary of. In standard mode the steering is light and the understeer you can invoke could verge on the scary side. If you engage Sport mode the steering firms up as well as the throttle response and the the suspension (something I didn't realise when I first reviewed the car). This helps, but only because the additional weight in the steering makes you more focussed. Indeed in Sport mode the steering is very firm - perhaps a tad too much. That's being a little harsh on the car maybe, but the Active Steering package is probably something I wouldn't rate too highly anyway and I'd save myself a few quid if I were to buy another and not bother choosing it. The grip from the huge rear tyres at 265/30 x 19 is impressive. The DSC+T isn't overbearing on take-off and even in the wettest of conditions there is very little sign of loss of traction. So it's not a track car and it's a handful on country lanes - but it's also a huge amount of fun on them. As long as you remember how wide and long the car is you can stay free of trouble if you use common sense. Brakes This is an area I was a little concerned about after my previous M3's. To my delight though I had no reason to be. If anything, the brakes on the 6 bite quicker than on both of my M cars and they anchor the car back very safely. Fade is evident if you really push the car and it's something to be aware of. The conditions in which this is noticed have to be fairly extreme though and I'm probably one of the few 6 series owners to have even noticed - but it's definately there on country lane runs if you're flat out for long enough. The only thing I would say is the degree of front-end dip is a bit too much in heavy braking conditions. This is obviously due to the suspension set up for what is a long haul power car rather than a swift blatt around machine. In Sport mode it dips less, but still more than I'd like. Interior I still love the simplicity of interior design and the quality of stitching and fitment is top notch in every respect. Rear space is, well, pretty useless. I knew that though and it's does us fine for transporting our 3 year old with us on weekend outings. The 14 year old also fits in there fine - for now. If she get's much taller than I'll have to pull the drivers seat forward a bit though - because it really is that cramped in the back. There is a rather incredible inch and a half less of space than in an M3. Seat comfort is excellent though. I specced the optional Sports Seats so have the use of electric air pumped lumbar support, electric bolster support, electric height and angle adustment as well as the extremely cool but rather pointless electric headrest adustment! The heated seats are a must and the fact that in the 6 they extend the heating to the bolsters makes winter a joy. The optional M Sports steering wheel is something I'm glad I chose too. It's a tad big though, even in M Sport guise. It's the same as on the M6 and it really could do with being a good inch less in diameter, if not more. Switchgear is solid and nicely positioned with the build quality being unquestionable. However, the digital indicators and wipers are still something I don't like. They're a total overkill in my opinion. The rain sensors work better than on any other car I have ever owned though - in fact I tend just to switch rain sensing on and leave the car to it's ob after that no matter what the conditions. It's yet to require me to intervene so they've obviously got the set-up right in that respect. I have to mention the indicators again though. Change them back, please! iDrive has it's pluses. I'm still not sure it's fully required but I can see why they found the need to use it because of the endless (and they are endless) number of options you can configure on the car. The neatest feature is the new SatNav Perspective view with the clouds! However, it's closely followed by the quite incredible automatic heating system that means the car starts up it's climate systems before you get up on a morning and you never have to scrape ice off the car or demist it if you've set the system up on the right timings the night before. On saying that, I've not had much use for it in the garage.... iDrive is too slow though. It's slow to boot up and it's slow on option changing on occasion. So.....Voice Control is a must. This is very good and whilst I've now discovered it's far from perfect it does work very well in 9/10 instances. The only thing it regularly confuses is 'CD 1' with 'CD ON'! That's just my dulcet tones, perhaps. I've only ever used it's very advanced Cruise Control once - so I guess that's wasted on me. It is very very clever though, but it's not something I like on any car so it means little to me. Gearbox I said it in my initial review and I can only repeat it now - the smoothness of the gearbox is quite amazing. It doesn't matter how hard you push the car, the changes are silk-like. The options you have available are superb too. Standard mode Standard mode + Sport Mode (steering, suspension, throttle) Manual mode (Tiptronic style changes) Manual mode + Sport Mode Drive Sport mode Drive Sport + Sport Mode That might sound like overkill too - but it's not. I actually find myself using all of them. The lesser used one might surprise you though, and that's the tiptronic style Manual shifting. I thought I'd use this a lot but because of the intelligent shifting of the box in any of the Automatic modes I've found I simply don't bother. Kick down is swift and negates the need in my opinion. Convertible I'm absolutely delighted with the quality of the Convertible roof. In hood up driving there is no signs of the fact you're driving a soft top. The insulation is outstanding. The hood lining is top quality, the hood itself is very firm and even with the windows down I can see so signs of flapping or buffeting on the roof. The 'trick' rear window that acts as a wind deflector is still something that is a joy to use. Dropping the hood is slower than I'd like though. Also, the ability to drop it on the move up to 20mph is somewhat counter productive. The 997 911's allow you to do this at up to 31mph, and that's much more useable. At 20mph you're more likely to get flashed so you tend to slow to a stop anyway. That said, it's been useful on a number of occasions. The hood can be dropped automatically with the keyfob as with other BMW's, but the mechanism is noticely slower and you have to remain almost static with your placement of the keyfob. Raising the hood automatically can only be done via the key in the door - again as with other BMW's - and it's still extremely annoying to have to do this! Others The Bi-Xenon's are phenomenal. Their Angel Eye look in sidelight mode is still something I love and when you have them on full beam the light from the Xenon's is blindingly good. The panel fit throughout the car is faultless, but I'd be disappointed if it wasn't. Paint finish is good, though I stil think Audi have the upper hand in this respect by a small margin. The car takes well to Pinnacle Souveran Wax and the only problem is that it's a hell of a lot of car to wash, polish and wax every week! The ride from the run flats is still something I can't fault. Some people think it's too harsh, but after 2 x M3's I find it very supple indeed and perfect for the driving I do. The roads I use are a very varied mix and I have yet to see any signs of scuttle shake at all - something that I certainly couldn't say about the M3 Convertible. Power overall is excellent. I have no real cravings for more horses under the bonnet although I'm sure that day will come eventually. Boot space is adequate for my needs, especially with having the A4 Avant and the wifes car if we need more load capacity. The hood tray, when folded, releases a good deal more space anyway. The actual opening to the boot space isn't ideal though. It's an odd shape and you struggle to get certain items in there, even though there is ample space to host them once they're actually in there! The sound system is very impressive indeed. Bass is very good and treble is highlighted through the in-door tweeters. Overall it's something I can't fault for my own needs. Overall The fact I had considered changing and then discovered I couldn't find anything that gave me to overall satisfaction that the 6 does speaks volumes. For someone that has changed cars every 9 months in recent years I know that this one is going to stay an awful lot longer. I find it difficult to criticise without going into a mode that is deliberately fault finding. The shape of the car isn't something that appeals to all but personally I love it. It's grown on me even more in fact. So I'm delighted with the car to date and see no point in the foreseeable future when I'll be wanting to change it. Car Summary BMW 645Ci Convertible (4.4 litre V8) Options: M Sport Seats M Sport Steering Wheel Heated Seats Active Steering Package 19" Ellipsoid Alloys SatNav Professional System 6 CD Multichanger HiFi Upgrade Automatic Transmission Car problems to date Software fault meant that I lost 16,000 miles in total! Indicating a service due with a mere 2,000 miles on the clock. This was resolved with software upgrade. CD Multichanger - the car is on it's third. I knew they were prone to fault because of the flimsy tray mechanism. The latest one seems to be free of the same faults as the previous ones though (the CD drive would constantly churn through boot-up and no CD's would be selectable - very annoying indeed!). Customer service I've added this - because it's an integral part of car ownership after all. Yet again the service levels I receive from Victoria Tyneside are simply outstanding. Nothing is a problem to them and whilst they keep trying to persuade me to buy an M5 or M6 I can't fault them at all. Their knowledge on the sales side and service side is impeccable and they know how to keep a customer happy. Exceptional and worthy of a mention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sayerbloke Posted February 19, 2006 Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 Top review, mate. Anyone considering buying a 6 series would do well to read that first Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golfer Posted February 19, 2006 Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 MrMe, clarity at it's best, top marks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterS Posted February 19, 2006 Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 Thanks for the update MrMe Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazza_g Posted February 24, 2006 Report Share Posted February 24, 2006 Top reviewing MrMe About time I got my finger out and do my Boxster 10k miles update Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarMad Posted March 14, 2006 Report Share Posted March 14, 2006 Only just seen this. Great review. (Which reminds me to do the one on my other halfs new Astra ... am sure you can't wait) Just a shame your daily stead isn't quite pressing the same buttons as your weekend motor. But I bet it makes you look forward to the weekends more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewNiceMrMe Posted March 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2006 [ QUOTE ] Just a shame your daily stead isn't quite pressing the same buttons as your weekend motor. But I bet it makes you look forward to the weekends more. [/ QUOTE ] Actually, it's got worse than that - for the past 2 weeks I've only used the Audi once. That was to go to the Northeast meet in the snow on Sunday because I didn't want to risk some moron running into the back of the 6. Other than that, I've brought it out every day. On saying that it's only 230 miles per week that the 6 is having to cover. That'll creep up shortly and I'll go back to the Frugalfecker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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