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CAP Blog > CAP Blog > Martin's Blog
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Apr
2
Written by:
Martin Ward
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
The 6 Series was introduced in March 2004 so has taken almost four years to put a diesel engine into it and has it been worth the wait? In a word – yes.
The 635d is powered by BMW’s 3.0 litre twin turbo diesel engine that produces 286ps and goes from 0–62mph in 6.6 seconds so it isn’t slow for a large, heavy car full of goodies. I only put the roof down once as it isn’t the time of year for open top motoring and it looks as good with it up as it does down. The interior is as you would expect from BMW - real quality yet functional. The seats are comfortable and the ride is good. There are two individual rear seats but these are only really adequate for children - a couple of adults in the back would find it a bit tight and uncomfortable. The roof is large but didn’t seem to go out of shape at motorway speeds. It all seemed to be very tight although there was a bit of wind noise from the top of the front windows which is expected. The boot is not ideal for carrying luggage and much like the rear seat, is a bit tight for room.
Acceleration from this highly acclaimed diesel unit is really good, with more than enough power and makes you wonder why anyone buys the thirstier petrol engine models. I did a 300 mile motorway journey and the car achieved 40.3 mpg but around town this drops to the low 30’s. Overall it achieved 34 mpg according to the on board computer, compared to the official combined fuel figure of 39.2mpg. A high powered, economical diesel engine in this type of vehicle is the way forward as it offers the driver everything they want. The petrol engine will still survive but diesel sales at some stage in this type of car will overtake petrol engines. The 635d is a quality car with great styling, a fantastic engine and a good electric roof system but all this comes at a cost of £61,800 on the road.
- Martin Ward
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