BMW 640d Sport Coupé F13 - 2011-2017

In the first of a new series, we take a closer look at three different BMW coupés you could buy on a £25,000 budget.

Whether you’re planning to spend a little or a lot, every car buyer wants value for money. And if you’re thinking of splashing out as much as £25,000 on a BMW coupé, then choosing the right model at the right price becomes even more important. Fortunately, we have scoured the used market to guide you towards three of the most worthy and appealing choices, with each one offering a slightly different take on the coupé theme. And with M car, diesel and classic BMW contenders all on offer, we’re sure there will be at least one coupé that appeals. So which one should you buy?

F13 640d Sport Coupé (2011-2017)

Rapid, luxurious and economical, BMW’s F13 640d M Sport Coupé is also good value for money. Even if you’ve never been a huge fan of diesel power, you’d have to admit that our first contender does possess a certain allure. With a luxurious cabin, a potent growling six-pot motor and impressive fuel efficiency, the F13 640d Sport Coupé is the epitome of a contemporary BMW. And £25,000 would put you behind the wheel of an immaculate 2017 dealer car boasting plenty of optional extras and just 55k miles – or an even lower-mileage private example.

Looking lean and mean, the 640d fulfils that grand tourer role perfectly, transporting two in supreme comfort at speed across big distances. Forget the small back seats, though, it’s really a 2+2. The 640d’s N57 motor produces 313hp in factory trim, plus a whopping 465lb ft of torque from just 1500rpm. And it’s that low-down torque that imbues the 640d with mighty acceleration in almost all gears, giving this otherwise very composed grand tourer the potential for some serious fun if the mood takes you.

Even under heavy throttle, it can only ever be a sporty coupé however, not a truly engaging sports car, with its eight-speed automatic gearbox, a sizeable kerb weight of 1790kg and a plush sound-deadened interior packed with memory seats and full leather upholstery.

But the 640d Coupé can still dispatch the default 0-62 mph sprint in 5.3 seconds and accelerate pretty rapidly to the factory 155 mph speed limit. And although BMW’s claimed 52.3mpg combined economy is unachievable in the real world, you’ll still see an average of around 45mpg – with up to 58mpg on longer motorway journeys. First released in 2011, BMW introduced a 2015 LCI facelifted 640d with exterior tweaks to the front and rear bumpers, LED fog lights, adaptive LED headlights, indicator strips in the door mirrors, a revised steering wheel design, and some new paint colours – before production finally ended in 2017.

Buying and tuning

First things first, we’d recommend you avoid the rare SE model and buy the best-equipped M Sport version you can afford. Higher-specced 640d M Sport Coupés tend to have better residuals, so make sure yours comes with as many of the following options as possible: HUD, Comfort heated seats, PDC front and rear, adaptive LED headlights and a panoramic sunroof – plus up-to-date navigation software.

There have been quite a few recalls on this model, so you must check with your local BMW dealer (using the car’s VIN number) that they have all been addressed on any prospective purchase. Our £25k budget buys a 2017 40k-mile private example or our preferred choice – a 2017 55k-mile dealer car. With so much to potentially go wrong, sticking to dealer cars is a wise move, And yours should boast a blemish-free service history, no more than three owners and no sign of oil leaks from the automatic transmission or any indication that the engine’s timing chain has stretched. This should be replaced every nine years or 90k miles, but it’s a very expensive job usually requiring more than 10 hours of labour – so factor this in when agreeing on a price. If the chain snaps, you’ll need an even more expensive engine rebuild. Check that all the electrical items work as they should and that there are no untoward noises from the suspension. A gearbox oil change is a wise move every 80,000-100,000 miles, and most owners keep their cars pretty standard, although a stage 1 remap is typically good for 400hp and 550lb ft.

TECHNICAL DATA F13 640d Coupé (2011-2017)

• ENGINE: 3.0-litre turbo-diesel straight-six N57D30B
• MAX POWER: 313bhp @ 4400rpm
• MAX TORQUE: 465lb ft @ 1500-2500rpm
• TRANSMISSION: Eight-speed automatic gearbox
• ACCELERATION 0-62MPH: 5.3 seconds
• TOP SPEED: 155mph
• £25,000 BUYS: A 2017 640d M Sport Coupé with 55,000 miles