Opt for the manual ’box (which offers more driver engagement) over the six-speed auto and you will pay a maximum of £35 road tax, too.
The oil-burners are refined, too: there’s no clatter from under the bonnet, and while 8.0sec to 62mph doesn’t sound impressive on paper, you won’t find it wanting on slip-roads, and its throttle response
is surprisingly good for a diesel.
You can also have the 6 with a 2.0-litre petrol four making either 143bhp or 163bhp. The entry-level petrol lacks pace, and while the more powerful lump provides more pep, it can get vocal at higher revs.
Regardless of powertrain, the 6 rides comfortably and settles into a cruise with ease. It can come undone at lower speeds, where it struggles to iron out potholes and sharp edges.
That said, it delivers on the agility front and is far more rewarding to punt down a B-road run than a Ford Mondeo or Volkswagen Passat. It feels nimble and has accurate steering, and the body is kept well in check.
The saloon has a 480-litre boot, which is more than good enough for a few suitcases or golf clubs, but if you’re hauling pushchairs and the other clobber that comes with having a family, the estate is more practical, giving up to 1648 litres with the seats folded.
You can grab a 6 for less than £2000, but this will tie you to well-used examples with well over 100,000 miles on the clock; with a budget of around £6000, you will easily find a tidy saloon or estate.
Material quality is a mixed bag in early models, so we would at least aim for a facelifted 2015 example, which has decent kit across the range, plusher materials and a neater 7.0in infotainment screen.
The 6 was facelifted again in 2018 and received a new 2.5-litre 191bhp petrol engine, but they’re a rare find and don’t really offer much more performance. You will pay around £9000 for one, too.
Whatever your budget, though, the 6 is a brilliant all-rounder that still looks as suave and sophisticated as it did when launched more than 10 years ago.
