7 Series - Pros & Cons...

[apeebles]

I'm am thinking of buying one of these on my return to the UK. Due to the heavy depreciation there are some good 3 year old examples at what seems excellent money. What are the pro's and cons of these vehicles. Also I have to confess I have not driven one so what are they like on the road.

Thanks.

[m-five]

The only downsides are the cost of fuel, tyres and maintenance.

Expect to pay 7-series prices for main dealer servicing (£500-£1000 per Inspection) and £100-£150 for an oil service.

728 has too small an engine for the weight of the car.

735 is probably the best to go for, and doesn't depreciate as badly as the larger ones!

740 is a nice motor with plenty of low down power.

750 is not much faster and it just drinks more - but that V12 sounds sweet!

[apeebles]

So similar costs to the TVR

What is the comfort factor like though. I am guessing that this is a really nice ride. Also I understand that this is indicator based servicing but how many miles on average is it between services. Are independents OK to look after these cars?

Thanks

[m-five]

Very comfortable, but the seats won't hold you like a TVR will.

Independents are similar to dealers in that some are good, some are useless - although they do tend to charge half as much.

On my M5 the intervals betweeen Oil Service - Inspection I - Oil Service - Inspection II - Oil Service average 6k miles, but that's a different engine. It is indicator based, but this can change on how it is driven, time at high revs, fuel consumption, etc. I'd guess 10k miles for the 740/750 and maybe more the the smaller engines.

If you do go for a 740/750 then watch your speed as it will be doing 100 and feel like 50!

[sohlman]

The best one of the lot to get is an Alpina B12 5.7 or 6.2. Saw one for sale the other day for 20k. Was 125k when new and this car was 4 years old. 400BHP and handles like a 3 series, it just requires a lot more road.

[mdrc]

I've got a 745 (Oct 02)I'm probably going to sell in the New Year - it's a fantastic car - much maligned by the motoring press - very fast and excellent handling and equipment level - mine comes with a 7 year free servicing package - just under 6 left! - I'm the second owner - BMW staff car before so they took the depreciation - I would want a bit more than a dealer would give me but a lot less than their forecourt price - 19,000 miles to date - e-mail me on [e-mail] if interested

[apeebles]

Thanks for the responses guys. I'll be looking at a 2000/2001 car when I come back and hopefully a 740i with Sat/Nav etc... I love the idea of the new 745 but I don't think that it will have depreciated enough to drop below the £20K mark