BMW 6 Series Review

BMW has long offered fine driving cars for every luxury budget, though most have been high on door count. The BMW 6 Series coupe and convertible are for those seeking Bimmer performance two-door style in a high-end package that's noticeably more extravagant than the company's entry-level offerings.

In many ways, one can consider the most recent BMW 6 Series to be a two-door variant of the company's 5 Series sedan. The singular (non-M) 6 Series model, the 650i, inherited most of the contemporaneous 550i's running gear, including its 4.8-liter V8. The resulting 360 horsepower means speed comes quite naturally to the 6 Series. In fact, its agile handling, swift braking and slick pair of transmissions make it a great performer all around, while a composed ride quality and supportive seats keep comfort levels high.

The BMW 6 Series coupe and convertible are some of the more interesting luxury two-doors on the market. Furthermore, a competitive pricing strategy on BMW's part makes them a better value than many other European-brand two-doors. As an imperfect but unexpectedly affordable coupe or convertible, the 6 is hard to ignore.

Buyers should note that there is no BMW 6 Series for 2011, but it will be back for the 2012 model year once again in coupe and convertible form.

Most Recent BMW 6 Series
The most recent BMW 6 Series coupe and convertible was produced from 2004-'10. Originally, it came equipped with a 4.4-liter V8 rated at 325 hp and 330 pound-feet of torque and was known as the 645Ci. For 2006, the name changed to 650i (minus the "C") and its engine was updated to a 4.8-liter V8 that produced 360 hp and 360 lb-ft of torque. Driving characteristics between the 645Ci and 650i are very similar: The smaller V8 shared the 4.8-liter's athletic character but had a slightly less vigorous power band. If you find a well-kept 645Ci on the used market, you won't find it lacking from a performance standpoint.

Prior to 2008, there were three six-speed transmissions available: a traditional manual, a traditional automatic and BMW's SMG, which used an electronically controlled clutch to provide both the responsiveness of a manual and the forget-about-it friendliness of an automatic. Sounds good, but in reality, we'd steer clear of this transmission, as its herky-jerky performance makes everyday driving a pain in the neck. Most 6 Series from this time were equipped with the traditional automatic, but it didn't become standard until 2010. The manual became an option at that point.

In reviews of this BMW 6 Series, we've found that the ride was supple and quiet, the brakes were powerful, and despite nearly 2 tons of weight, handling limits remained high thanks to aggressive tires and a well-balanced rear-drive chassis. However, the 6 Series experience largely depended on how you chose to equip the car. Adding the Sport Package firmed up the ride and increased cornering grip via a set of 19-inch wheels and tires, while the variable-ratio active steering quickened low-speed turning response.

As with any luxury touring coupe or convertible, the specific mission of this BMW 6 Series was to cover lots of road in a hurry while making its occupants look and feel great -- the front ones, anyway. Unfortunately, the 6 Series offered precious little of the rear seat space found in its contemporary 5 Series sedan counterpart despite similar midsize dimensions. The 6's swoopier body lines were the reason for this, but even with the heightened focus on appearances, neither the 650i coupe nor the convertible could be considered the pinnacle of style.

Buyers of a used 6 Series should note that beyond the powertrain changes, in-car electronics were also upgraded over the years. Early models feature older versions of BMW's iDrive system, which was still in its nascent stages and quite frustrating to use. Gradual improvements were made, but it wasn't until 2010 that the system became fully worthwhile.

Previous BMW 6 Series Models
Not counting the BMW 8 Series of 1990s vintage, the only true predecessor to BMW's big coupe is the 6 Series that spanned from 1977-'89. All models used an inline six-cylinder engine ranging from 3.2 to 3.5 liters, tuned to varying degrees of power. Even the most potent version could only accelerate to 60 mph in the low 6-second range and grip the road in the upper 0.70g range -- modest by today's standards -- while the car's semi-trailing arm rear suspension never did the best job of keeping the car planted to the road. Still, it was an engaging car to drive in its day and, for that reason, the original BMW 6 Series coupe retains an important place in BMW history.