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BMW 7-Series 2006 and earlier

1317 messages,  Last post on Sep 16, 2012 at 11:07 AM

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What is this discussion about? BMW 7 Series

Messages Page 111 of 133

#1095 of 1317 Re: '95 740il w/ 37k miles Trouble? [pete15] by mevande

Apr 07, 2005 (8:09 pm)

Replying to: pete15 (Apr 06, 2005 6:52 pm)
Sorry to hear re: your father passing away. I would have the car looked over by a local mechanic who specializes in German cars (there are several down there). I had a 1995 740i and it was an awesome car. It prob. saved my life for I was hit head on by a DUI and I walked away. The car was totaled. You should also check and see if the short block in the engine has been replaced. It was a recall that BMW has in every 740i and they replaced my short block for N/C. It has something to do with the gasoline formulations here in the stated vs Europe. I have a 1999 740i and the car is a blast to drive. The was one "odd" thing that made no sense on the 1995's (minor) in that when using the steering wheel control to change radio stations it would not go to the programmed ones, just hit the next station it could find. The corrected both the short block issue as well as the radio control issue w/ the 1996 model year. If you decide not to keep the car. Let me know and I would like to make an offer on it:).
 
Has the car been sitting around for long periods of time? On 2nd thought since the non-BMW mechanic likely does not have access to BMW computers for checking the car, have the dealer give you an estimate and then take that to the other mecahanic. BMW will charge you for the evaluation(100.00) it would be well worth it for you would know what would be needed service wise. The cars can run forever. I ran into a guy when I was getting new tires for my car, He has the same model year, same color and same equipment. He has 160,000 miles on his and other than a water pump and new radiator the car was problem free. Best of luck to you.

#1096 of 1317 Re: 2006 First Drive [pat] by mevande

Apr 07, 2005 (8:14 pm)

Replying to: pat (Apr 02, 2005 9:14 am)
Car looks great! re: ""With the 2006 BMW 7 Series, the company has toned down the car's styling and shifted the emphasis back to performance."". I have always been a critic of the 2002-2005 styling. With the 2006, the styling looks evolutionary vs revolutionary from the 2001 BMW 7 series.

#1097 of 1317 Re: not the host here... [Mr_Shiftright] by 92735i

Apr 14, 2005 (8:31 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (May 09, 2004 2:06 pm)
100K miles is not really high mileage. It amazes me the american car buying culture of discarding. If we were all talking about GM, Ford, etc, which have "engineered obsolecensce" then yes, discard at 50K miles. But German cars are designed for travel throughout Europe (generally). The driving habits, economy, gas prices, roads, culture, currency exchange, manufacturing strategy, are all diametrically opposed to here in the US.
 
The question is not "how many miles does this car have? " The question should be "how many miles does this car have left?"
 
If you consider the options of purchasing (I've made all the mistakes) a new BMW, pre-owned at around $30k, or a "high mileage" German car with around 100k or even 150k miles, do the math.
 
A E32 can be purchased for around $5-$8k with 100k-150k miles. This car should have at minimum another 50k-100k of relatively low maintenance driving compared to a $800/mo payment for 60mos = $48k for a $30k used car purchase + any risk of unexpected maintenance.
 
And, unless you own a business, you shouldn't be in a new 745i lease (like I was) paying $1000/mo - 36 mos, and be facing a $48k buyout. Imagine the maintenance costs of that baby at 100k miles!
 
Do yourself a favor. Rethink the mileage thing completely. Then make a purdent purchase decision and spend the rest of your money on a condo in Florida
 
Check out this website: www.karnutz.com
 
Made a lot of sense to me.
 
Good luck

#1098 of 1317 Re: [Mr_Shiftright] Expenses [mevande] [Mr_Shiftright] [mevande] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Apr 14, 2005 (10:59 am)

Replying to: mevande (Apr 07, 2005 6:24 pm)
Of course his numbers are skewed. You can't maintain a bicycle for $23 a month. Maintenance means EVERYTHING the car uses, this includes tires, brakes, wiper blades, seat repairs, and also means NO DEFERRED repairs. His numbers are impossible in fact. Just tires for 167K miles would add up to $23month in ten years unless he's buying them in junk yards and duct-taping over the bald spots.
 
If one drop out items or "let things go" because they aren't important, that's fine but one is skewing the average numbers. Maintenance means the car stays 100% tip-top. A car wash is maintenance.

#1099 of 1317 Re: 740i snow handling? [battrl] by 92735i

Apr 14, 2005 (1:18 pm)

Replying to: battrl (Jan 17, 2005 12:44 pm)
Great question.
 
I have the 18in sport rims with ContiSportContacts on my 740iL, live in Chicago. These tires are rated Ultra High Performance- summer, not good for winters here.
 
You have two choices - based on how much you drive.
1) purchase snow tires for the winter
2) check out www.tirerack.com - The best rated tire for our car that is all season
   is the Michelin Pilot A/S.
 
Check out the website.

#1100 of 1317 Looking at a 2000 750IL...have questions.... by tiny1

Apr 18, 2005 (9:53 pm)

While looking for a 740IL, I ran into a 2000 750IL with 70K miles for $28K. Looks to be in outstanding condition. Questions: Have there been issues with the 12 cylinder engines? Are these cars less reliable than the 740's? Are the out of warranty maintenance costs significantly higher? What kind of gas mileage can I expect? I don't really need the 12, but I really like the car, and the price seems ok. If the only difference between the 740 and 750 is slightly increased maint cost and a few MPG, I might go for it.... Anything I should know about these cars? Edmunds gives it top honors, consumer discussions tend to be favorable. Thanks in advance for the help. By the way, it really fits my 6'6" frame well !!

#1101 of 1317 Re: Looking at a 2000 750IL...have questions.... [tiny1] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Apr 19, 2005 (9:33 am)

Replying to: tiny1 (Apr 18, 2005 9:53 pm)
I know a couple of people quite well who own 750s and they have all had a lot of trouble...mostly electrical demons. I would say post-warranty costs for major problems could be frightening, given some of the bills I've seen. I think a 740 is a much safer bet even though the 750 is indeed a wonderful car. If you aren't a millionaire, don't do it would be my advice.

#1102 of 1317 Re: Looking at a 2000 750IL...have questions.... [Mr_Shiftright] by tiny1

Apr 19, 2005 (9:01 pm)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Apr 19, 2005 9:33 am)
Thank-you Mr Shiftright. I felt a little pinch in my stomach, but wanted to check it out here to confirm. Is there much of a reliability difference (or other consideration) between 1999-2001 740s that I should be aware of? Realizing that this is a BMW site, how do you think the 740 stacks up to the A8L? Heard some war stories on out of warranty maintenance, but I really like the size of these large Euro cars.

#1103 of 1317 7 series reliability by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Apr 21, 2005 (1:45 pm)

One reason I don't like the Audi A8...well, actually I DO like the car very much, but that aluminum frame gives me the willies. Not every shop is going to be able to repair that car if it gets hit, and shipping it off somewhere isn't going to be cheap.
 
My view of the 740 is about the same as for all BMWs---basically a very sound, reliable, well-engineered car that will nickel and dime you forever as the miles accrue.
 
So my approach to the 740 is to buy low miles and stay away from those 100K miles Plus cars with the attractive price tags.
 
Will a 740 be as reliable as a Lexus? No. Will it be awful? Not at all.
 
I think if you scan all the reliability studies that this is about what you'll come to understand with 740s.
 
Would I buy a used one? Probably I'd go for the 5 series but that's more about size and feel rather than any worries about reliability.
 
I'm someone who loves to drive. I don't care what CR says about a car's "defects per 100 vehicles". I buy a car because it is fun to drive, lovely to look at, and very well made. And a 7 series is all those things.

#1104 of 1317 To buy a 740 IL or Not to buy by bmwbuyer08

Apr 26, 2005 (11:44 pm)

Hi, I am looking into buying the 98 model 100K, at $14K or 2000 model, 135K at $16K. I was informed that these car gives on average 22Mpg. I wanted to know from you'll if this is worth the deal and the gas mileage is correct. Also, what should i be expecting in terms of maintenance. I was informed that it is not that expensive. My friends tell me to get a lexus Es300 instead.
  
Any advise in details will be greatly appreciated.
  
Regards

Messages Page 111 of 133

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