640i M Sport 320 4dr Auto

Awesomely quick car that belies it size

I purchased this car new from BMW on a really great PCP deal. It was only because of the deal I got this model. And really only intended keeping a year until I could find a good deal on an SUV. But I kept it for over 3 years!

It never missed a beat or let me down once in over 35,000 miles. It drives beautifully over every type of surface and bump, although I did spec mine with adaptive suspension.

This version is a real "no brainer". It looks every bit as good as the coupe but is far more practical. I have seated 3 adults in the back on occasion with ease. My kids love the car because they have so much space in the back. The boot is enormous too and easily swallows the luggage of a family of four going on holiday. I got many a stranger coming up to me and commenting what a beautiful car it is over the years.

The petrol engine is deceptively quick. Put your foot to the floor and you feel a "kick in the back" when the turbo cuts in. 100mph comes up alarmingly quickly. If you want to drive it spiritedly around country lanes it goes exactly where you point it, with just the slightest hint of reassuring under-steer. But watch you wing mirror on the twisty roads, its a very wide car. Get too close to the centre white line and your likely to lose it to oncoming traffic!

But this car is at its best on fast A-roads and motorways. It just eats up the miles in huge comfort. You arrive at your destination with a big grin on your face and as fresh as when you left.

In sport mode the petrol model has an exhaust engine note tuner valve. Everyone who's ever heard it comments on its rasping sound, almost V8 like. It does sound good.

The downside to ownership is:

1) Just 23mpg which isn't great but this model does sound and drive better than the diesel version, so I think the trade-off is worth it, as most say they only get 30mpg from their diesel version.

2) Tyres are shockingly expensive. To re-shod it with the Michelin Pilot Sport run flats it came with cost almost £1.5k and need changing every 15k miles.

3) BMW servicing costs boarder on daylight robbery.

4) The dipped beam headlights are appallingly bad. And they're LED's too! On dark, wet nights on unlit twisty roads, there is no other option, but to stay on full beam - even to oncoming traffic. If you dip the beam, you'll lose sight of the road. I therefore apologize to anyone I've dazzled in the past who's been driving the other way.

Sadly BMW no longer make this model and the new 8-series, is way too expensive, so I'll probably wait a couple of years until the used prices on the 8-series gran coupe look more realistic.

If you reading this review and thinking of buying one, don't think any longer, just do it. You won't be disappointed. If you don't do huge mileage, go for the 3.0i petrol version. It drives and sounds much better than the diesel, although the petrol version is a rare model and increasingly difficult to find.

Overall I'd score this car a 9 out of 10. It's a shame the UK never got the four-wheel drive version as the rest of Europe did. That, I think would be an epic drive.

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