Used car expert shares surprisingly practical grand tourer for under £5,000
Drivers looking for an affordable used grand tourer with bold styling and a powerful V8 engine have been urged to consider one model available for under £5,000.
A used car expert has taken to YouTube to share a particularly affordable yet comfortable pre-owned performance model that drivers can get for well under £5,000.
Jonny Brighton runs the CarsWithJB YouTube channel, often posting videos in which he discusses a wide range of used models that offer power and refinement for a surprisingly low price.
In a recent video, Jonny discusses grand tourers that are widely available for low prices, highlighting that the BMW 645Ci has controversial styling but a good blend of performance and comfort for a miniscule budget.
He explained: "It's a V8, making sure we stick to the proper grand touring formula, being focused on making two people very comfortable and doing so with a very wafty engine.
"The BMW 645Ci comes as both a coupe or convertible, although unlike other BMWs of the same era, it's a soft-top convertible, so might need a little more maintenance than the coupe.
"Aesthetically, this was quite controversial on release because of it's 'Bangle butt', the shelf the rear end gets, but it wasn't even a Chris Bangle design, and was simply inspired by his designs and penned by Adrien van Hooydonk, who has been responsible for many BMWs over the years."
Built from just 2004 to 2005, the BMW 645Ci was a particular model in the 6-Series lineup that featured a 4.4-litre V8 enigne and was offered with a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox.
Like the rest of the 6-Series range, the sleek styling with some sharp lines is not to every driver's taste. However, it offers body panels made from aluminium and carbon-reinforced plastic to save weight and improve both performance and fuel economy.
Whilst buyers can get behind the wheel of a BMW 645Ci for as little as £3,000, a £5,000 budget is enough to get a particularly low-mileage example.
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Jonny highlighted that the current used prices is a stark contrast from how much the BMW retailed for 20 years ago.
He advised: "Given these were £51,000 when they were new, which is about £90,000 adjusted for inflation, these have lost almost £87,000 total, or 96.4% of their value.
"But, it has a V8, a 4.4-litre V8 to be exact, which makes 328bhp, taking it to 60mph in 5.4 seconds - not bad for a car you can have for under £5,000."
Nevertheless, Jonny warned drivers to be careful when buying a used example, recommending in particular to check for any signs of leaks.
He continued: "Valve cover gaskets offer one of the main problems with these - leaks. They are also often known from elsewhere around that engine.
"The V8 is better than some of the other engine options on reliability but there are plenty of other known issues with the cooling system, transission, and electrical system that you may not escape."
