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2010 2011 BMW 5 Series Forum F10 BMW 5-Series (F10) Forums General 5-Series Sedan and Wagon (F10 / F11) Forum F10 535i vs F06 640i
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      05-24-2022, 02:12 PM   #1
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F10 535i vs F06 640i

Looking to get back into BMW after owning a Jaguar F-Type (not happy with the build quality or horrible dealer experience).

I'm currently looking at two cars, one a 2014 535i, M-Sport, comfort seats and HUD. Very low miles (around 35k) and a great price.

Other is a 2014 640i Gran Coupe with the same options, but higher mileage (43k) and slightly more expensive (about $3k more). It does have comfort close doors, cooled seats, alcantara headliner and the leather dashboard.

I'm looking for something that can feel a little sporty at times, but mainly comfortable and quiet on both the city and city roads. I like the interior of the 6 series better, but which has better build quality? Is one more reliable than the other? Is 43k miles considered high mileage for these cars?
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      05-24-2022, 02:49 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tturbolife View Post
Looking to get back into BMW after owning a Jaguar F-Type (not happy with the build quality or horrible dealer experience).

I'm currently looking at two cars, one a 2014 535i, M-Sport, comfort seats and HUD. Very low miles (around 35k) and a great price.

Other is a 2014 640i Gran Coupe with the same options, but higher mileage (43k) and slightly more expensive (about $3k more). It does have comfort close doors, cooled seats, alcantara headliner and the leather dashboard.

I'm looking for something that can feel a little sporty at times, but mainly comfortable and quiet on both the city and city roads. I like the interior of the 6 series better, but which has better build quality? Is one more reliable than the other? Is 43k miles considered high mileage for these cars?
For $3K it's s no-brainer for me!! Get the 640i! Same drivetrain and a more exclusive ride!
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      05-24-2022, 03:12 PM   #3
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What motor is in the 640i? I personally would not consider the V8.
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      05-24-2022, 03:26 PM   #4
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What motor is in the 640i? I personally would not consider the V8.
Same as the 540. The 650 has the V8.
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      05-24-2022, 03:39 PM   #5
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They are not really cooled seats, just ventilated?

If I thought they were equal in most all respects, I would go with the 4 door versus the 2 door, and 2nd criteria would be the lower miles (8,000 miles is a lot in my books)
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      05-24-2022, 03:42 PM   #6
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They are not really cooled seats, just ventilated?

If I thought they were equal in most all respects, I would go with the 4 door versus the 2 door, and 2nd criteria would be the lower miles (8,000 miles is a lot in my books)
The 640 GC is a 4-door.
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      05-24-2022, 06:10 PM   #7
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6 series all day
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      05-24-2022, 06:11 PM   #8
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What motor is in the 640i? I personally would not consider the V8.
N55
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      05-24-2022, 08:39 PM   #9
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Thanks for all the replies everyone

Quote:
Originally Posted by Trian View Post
They are not really cooled seats, just ventilated?

If I thought they were equal in most all respects, I would go with the 4 door versus the 2 door, and 2nd criteria would be the lower miles (8,000 miles is a lot in my books)
Yeah both are 4 door. I drive about 4-6k mile a year so that’s a couple years worth for me.

They probably aren’t cooled you’re right.
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      05-24-2022, 08:51 PM   #10
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So is that high mileage for the N55? Could I likely get another 15-20k miles without major repairs or gaskets/suspension parts?
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      05-24-2022, 09:36 PM   #11
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The n55 is highly reliable. Can't go wrong with either car. I have a 2011 535i with almost 150k miles. Has been very reliable. I'm a fan of the 640i gc. And it is more exclusive. I'd probably go with that in your case.
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      05-25-2022, 10:33 AM   #12
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Originally Posted by tturbolife View Post
So is that high mileage for the N55? Could I likely get another 15-20k miles without major repairs or gaskets/suspension parts?
Funny that people think 50k is high mileage..good for me, keeps depreciation on going so I can buy cheap
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      05-25-2022, 10:53 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OnlyGerman View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by tturbolife View Post
So is that high mileage for the N55? Could I likely get another 15-20k miles without major repairs or gaskets/suspension parts?
Funny that people think 50k is high mileage..good for me, keeps depreciation on going so I can buy cheap
My last used BMWs had a N54 and N62 and started having pretty bad leaks (among other issues) at around 50k miles. Maybe I just had bad luck.
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      05-25-2022, 07:08 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tturbolife View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by OnlyGerman View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by tturbolife View Post
So is that high mileage for the N55? Could I likely get another 15-20k miles without major repairs or gaskets/suspension parts?
Funny that people think 50k is high mileage..good for me, keeps depreciation on going so I can buy cheap
My last used BMWs had a N54 and N62 and started having pretty bad leaks (among other issues) at around 50k miles. Maybe I just had bad luck.
Oil leaks will happen at any time. My low mileage has more leaks than higher mileage.

But bmw v8s = more seals/gaskets , more leaks.


N55 basically has just 3 major leaks to lookout for..oil pan, valve cover, and oil filter gaskets
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      05-26-2022, 05:46 PM   #15
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I'd also go for the 640i GC too! In fact, if I could, I'd trade my F10 for one if I could get away without spending much more $ and get the same suspension & HUD. My N55 has 110k miles on it with no leaks anywhere, neither external nor internal (as in it does not burn oil).
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      05-26-2022, 05:46 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by cdmulders View Post
I'd also go for the 640i too. In fact, if I could, I'd trade my F10 for one if I could get away without spending much more $ and get the same suspension & HUD. My N55 has 110k miles on it with no leaks anywhere, neither external nor internal (as in it does not burn oil).
Wow, 110k and no leaks, I hope I can be close to that lucky
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      05-26-2022, 07:25 PM   #17
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535i and 640i have the same engine. For $3K I would grab the 6 as well. Great looking car and has a lower seating position which will give you the sportier feel/drive you mention.
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      05-26-2022, 07:45 PM   #18
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If you need to use the back seat often or everyday (car seats/children/passengers)…then go for the 5 series. The ingress/egress from the rear doors is better on the 5 series due to the sexier curved roof-line of the 6 series.

If you’re single or usually only two passengers…with rear passengers being less usual…then the 6 series may have an advantage because when you do need extra storage/cargo space…the rear seats fold down.

The f06 & f10 are built on the same basic platform. The frameless doors & roofline gives the 6 series a more coupe like look/feel. The 6 series waterfall dash does give it a distinct interior difference than its generational model siblings. And if you add the leather dash option…it does give the interior an upscale feel & look.

The soft close doors can be a nice feature (for those that like it)….and though the ventilated seats are controversial (some hate them…some like them…some tolerate and learn to live with them)…they can be useful when owners think outside the box and understand the difference between “cooled” (which they are not) and “ventilated”.

The ventilated seats help remove moisture…thus when conditions are such where you are damp from sweat or rain or snow…using the ventilation feature can help wick the moisture away from your clothing and not have you marinating in the moisture. They work well on long trips in hot conditions in helping you not stick to the leather…and again, in rainy or snowy conditions…you can use the ventilation feature (along with heated seat feature) to help dry things off as well as warm you at the same time if wet & cool.

Drive both and see which one speaks to you. You may find one fits your personal preferences more than the other.

One of the 6 series oddities is the trunk. Even when the car is equipped with soft-close doors…the trunk is all manual. There is no automatic lift or close…and neither does it have the soft-close feature that prevents you from having to slam the trunk. It is one of the oddest things about the f06. They put that neat back-up camera in the rear Roundel…but put no other features into closing or opening the trunk.

One more comment about the f06/f12/f13 six series…I do like the way BMW hid all of the GPS and cell phone antennas in the trunk lid…all the other BMW models of its generation has the shark fin antenna on the roof…but BMW hid all of that stuff in the trunk/boot lid. This is another design feature that gives the f06/f12/f13 6 series its sleek rooflines.
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      05-26-2022, 08:25 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Qsilver7 View Post
If you need to use the back seat often or everyday (car seats/children/passengers)…then go for the 5 series. The ingress/egress from the rear doors is better on the 5 series due to the sexier curved roof-line of the 6 series.

If you’re single or usually only two passengers…with rear passengers being less usual…then the 6 series may have an advantage because when you do need extra storage/cargo space…the rear seats fold down.

The f06 & f10 are built on the same basic platform. The frameless doors & roofline gives the 6 series a more coupe like look/feel. The 6 series waterfall dash does give it a distinct interior difference than its generational model siblings. And if you add the leather dash option…it does give the interior an upscale feel & look.

The soft close doors can be a nice feature (for those that like it)….and though the ventilated seats are controversial (some hate them…some like them…some tolerate and learn to live with them)…they can be useful when owners think outside the box and understand the difference between “cooled” (which they are not) and “ventilated”.

The ventilated seats help remove moisture…thus when conditions are such where you are damp from sweat or rain or snow…using the ventilation feature can help wick the moisture away from your clothing and not have you marinating in the moisture. They work well on long trips in hot conditions in helping you not stick to the leather…and again, in rainy or snowy conditions…you can use the ventilation feature (along with heated seat feature) to help dry things off as well as warm you at the same time if wet & cool.

Drive both and see which one speaks to you. You may find one fits your personal preferences more than the other.

One of the 6 series oddities is the trunk. Even when the car is equipped with soft-close doors…the trunk is all manual. There is no automatic lift or close…and neither does it have the soft-close feature that prevents you from having to slam the trunk. It is one of the oddest things about the f06. They put that neat back-up camera in the rear Roundel…but put no other features into closing or opening the trunk.

One more comment about the f06/f12/f13 six series…I do like the way BMW hid all of the GPS and cell phone antennas in the trunk lid…all the other BMW models of its generation has the shark fin antenna on the roof…but BMW hid all of that stuff in the trunk/boot lid. This is another design feature that gives the f06/f12/f13 6 series its sleek rooflines.
Cool I didn't know about the antenna location on those
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      05-26-2022, 09:45 PM   #20
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Cool I didn't know about the antenna location on those
Yeah, and with it appearing to work well on that generation 6 series & I believe the new G chassis 8 series…I wonder why BMW continues to use the shark fin antenna when its function can easily be designed to be incorporated into the body of the car and not interrupt the design lines of the vehicle.
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Last edited by Qsilver7; 05-26-2022 at 10:21 PM..
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      05-26-2022, 11:32 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Qsilver7 View Post
Yeah, and with it appearing to work well on that generation 6 series & I believe the new G chassis 8 series…I wonder why BMW continues to use the shark fin antenna when its function can easily be designed to be incorporated into the body of the car and not interrupt the design lines of the vehicle.
Probably costs. Having five antenna modules in six pieces has to add up over thousands of vehicles.
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      05-31-2022, 05:50 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by StradaRedlands View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Qsilver7 View Post
Yeah, and with it appearing to work well on that generation 6 series & I believe the new G chassis 8 series…I wonder why BMW continues to use the shark fin antenna when its function can easily be designed to be incorporated into the body of the car and not interrupt the design lines of the vehicle.
Probably costs. Having five antenna modules in six pieces has to add up over thousands of vehicles.
This. Extra wiring, fasteners, stress relief into the trunk hinges, new antenna designs, testing requirements… even expensive cars are all about profit margins.

I'd trade my F10 for a 6GC if they offered it in diesel here. Definitely a sweet looking car that's much less ordinary than the 5. I don't like the coupe version, but the GC is hot.
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