Battle of diesels: BMW 640d vs Porsche Panamera 3.0D V6

[Audia5audia5]

Help me decide given my criteria is as follows:

- Fast/fun to drive - has to be similar or better than previous car
- Comfortable ride
- Decent mpg for long distance drives
- Fairly reliable
- Brand status/exclusivity
- 4 or 5 seats
- Saloon or SUV
- Under 23k pounds
- Good sound system
- And of course, looks good!

640d is generally faster, but Porsche is a Porsche.

Would be keen to get a stage 1 remap whichever car I go for.

[joshcowin]

Is the A7 Bi-turbo worth a look in your opinion? I think they are nicer than the 6GC.

Alpina D3 has got to be in the mix also? That ticks nearly all your boxes

[jv021]

I had a 640i GC and that is more of a cruiser than a fun drive. It is big and heavy so while it drives very well, fun it is not.
I did drive a 640d and that is pretty good, if you are after a diesel.
For the money a 6 series is a lot of car... well spec'd, comfortable (not really practical though), reliable and goes quite well.

If you want a more 'fun' drive consider the 4 series (435d or 440i)

Alternatively a Maserati Ghibli S could be good drive too.

[RS Grant]

The 'looking good' part is very personal, for example, the Panamera isn't an attractive beast to me at all but I think the 6GC is one of the best looking barges around. I'd probably also be looking at facelifted Audi A7, Mercedes CLS and Jaguar XF if shopping in that segment... along with possibly a Maserati Quattroporte as a more left-field curveball option.

However while I'm sure that some of those will be better to drive enthusiastically than others, I wouldn't expect any of them to be what I'd call fun to drive. Even their full bhuna RS, AMG and R versions are still big vehicles and likely not what I'd call fun after the initial laughs at the blistering acceleration wore off.

[resolve10]

jv021 said:

I had a 640i GC and that is more of a cruiser than a fun drive. It is big and heavy so while it drives very well, fun it is not.

If you want a more 'fun' drive consider the 4 series (435d or 440i)

I drive a 435d GC, it's also big and heavy and drives beautifully, but agile, playful & tactile? Nope. If the budget allows it I think I'd rather have the additional luxury and looks of a 6-series.

[ZX10R NIN]

The A7 BiTDI is the best mix of the two:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409234...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409083...

The Panamera would get the nod over the 6GC:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202402156...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409144...

SQ5:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202408092...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202406140...

[joshcowin]

ZX10R NIN said:

The A7 BiTDI is the best mix of the two:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409234...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409083...

The Panamera would get the nod over the 6GC:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202402156...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409144...

SQ5:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202408092...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202406140...

Both these are also pretty well put together also.

The A7 also sounds really cool

[Frankychops]

a 640d is a very nicely built car. more so than the Porsche.

[Audia5audia5]

A7 BiTDI is a good option!

I think I brushed off any Audi as my last car was an Audi A5 so I naturally wanted a change, but it does fit all of my criteria.

Hmm so now A7 BiTDI vs 640d

Struggling to find panamera diesels which are ulez compliant and under 25k pounds.

[Audia5audia5]

Which of the 3 diesels are most fun to drive?

Anyone had any experience?

[Frankychops]

I liked my 640d GC. Better to drive than the a7. Bloody wide car though so train station car parks weren’t fun

[callahan]

I have similar requirements to you (but lower budget) and am going down the XJ (x351) route, you can get so much car for your money with the Portfolio or Autobiography spec. Less powerful diesel engine than your other options but it looks easy to get well over 300bhp if you want.

[fflump]

Audia5audia5 said:

Help me decide given my criteria is as follows:

- Fast/fun to drive - has to be similar or better than previous car
- Comfortable ride
- Decent mpg for long distance drives
- Fairly reliable
- Brand status/exclusivity
- 4 or 5 seats
- Saloon or SUV
- Under 23k pounds
- Good sound system
- And of course, looks good!

640d is generally faster, but Porsche is a Porsche.

Would be keen to get a stage 1 remap whichever car I go for.

Does your budget stretch to a gen 2 Panamera?
Gen 1 is no looker!

[Audia5audia5]

callahan said:

I have similar requirements to you (but lower budget) and am going down the XJ (x351) route, you can get so much car for your money with the Portfolio or Autobiography spec. Less powerful diesel engine than your other options but it looks easy to get well over 300bhp if you want.

The XJ gives you amazing value for money, really luxurious, I’m surprised they’re not more expensive. Only thing is, design wise, I find the rear end of the car sticks out too much.

[Audia5audia5]

fflump said:

Audia5audia5 said:

Help me decide given my criteria is as follows:

- Fast/fun to drive - has to be similar or better than previous car
- Comfortable ride
- Decent mpg for long distance drives
- Fairly reliable
- Brand status/exclusivity
- 4 or 5 seats
- Saloon or SUV
- Under 23k pounds
- Good sound system
- And of course, looks good!

640d is generally faster, but Porsche is a Porsche.

Would be keen to get a stage 1 remap whichever car I go for.

Does your budget stretch to a gen 2 Panamera?
Gen 1 is no looker!

Agreed gen 2 looks nicer but feel it wouldn’t be sensible spending over 30k whilst I’m still saving up for my first home!

[S366]

I do love many Porsches’, but I find that there everyday cars (Panamera, Macan and Cayenne) are far too firm and crashy for my liking. That being said, although the 6 series is a wonderful car, it’s not a ‘fun’ car, nor was it designed to be, it’s a GT car that will waft you across continents comfortably.

Looking at yours requirements, I’d be looking more towards something like a 335d.

[Audia5audia5]

fflump said:

Audia5audia5 said:

Help me decide given my criteria is as follows:

- Fast/fun to drive - has to be similar or better than previous car
- Comfortable ride
- Decent mpg for long distance drives
- Fairly reliable
- Brand status/exclusivity
- 4 or 5 seats
- Saloon or SUV
- Under 23k pounds
- Good sound system
- And of course, looks good!

640d is generally faster, but Porsche is a Porsche.

Would be keen to get a stage 1 remap whichever car I go for.

Does your budget stretch to a gen 2 Panamera?
Gen 1 is no looker!

Agreed gen 2 looks nicer but feel it wouldn’t be sensible spending over 30k whilst I’m still saving up for my first home!

[fflump]

Audia5audia5 said:

Agreed gen 2 looks nicer but feel it wouldn’t be sensible spending over 30k whilst I’m still saving up for my first home!

Very wise. The 6 series gets my vote as you seem to get a bit more for your money. Ever considered the Quattroporte? Probably need to be a Maserati fan but it’s definitely a rare sight.

[ZX10R NIN]

Audia5audia5 said:

Which of the 3 diesels are most fun to drive?

Anyone had any experience?

The 6GC is the best steer but imo the A7 & Panamera are better overall cars.

[Audia5audia5]

ZX10R NIN said:

Audia5audia5 said:

Which of the 3 diesels are most fun to drive?

Anyone had any experience?

The 6GC is the best steer but imo the A7 & Panamera are better overall cars.

Thanks for your reply.

A7 and panamera cars are better overall in what sense?

Given the panamera is a Porsche, it does have an edge for me, as a Porsche is a Porsche. It also is a very exclusive car on the road, whereas bmw and Audi are very common.

What do you think of this car:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409274...


Only issue is it is 4 owners