I drive an 04 E65 730D sport comfort pack and I find this to be an awesome car, this is my 1st 7 series but not my 1st BMW. Running costs are reasonable and it feels a solid car
However I have read numerous threads on here and most of you seem to have endless problem and very expensive maintainance bills, well over what it would cost in the UK. I can see that most 7 drivers on here are 745, 750, 760 drivers.
So my question is, how do you feel about your 7, do you enjoy your car, have you had any second thoughts since buying your 7?
yes most are 745,750 and 760 as that wasa the model line up in the U.s. I have had great experiences with both of my cpo'd 7's. That said at this point the threads you see are alot of times from older 7's w high miles.
I am on my third 7 series. I have owned a 735, 750iL, and now a 760i. The 735 and the 750iL were reliable cars that I should have never sold. I have put around two hundred miles on my current 2004 760i which I have owned for two months. In that time I will have had to replace both high pressure fuel pumps, two fuel filters, fuel pump with regulator, thermostat, and more time come. You will see I have a thread going about problems I have had since purchasing this car.
I have also owned a Z3 2.8, a Z4 2.5, and a 528. Outside of the 760, all have been trouble free as long as maintenance has been done and they have been taken care of on a regular basis.
Mine is the first BMW I've ever owned. It does have issues and so do most other luxury vehicles. I've done some minor mods to my car and overall, it's one of the best vehicles I've ever owned. I love driving it. I think it looks good and drives great. Mines an 05, with 97k miles (purchased at 32k miles) now and I'll continue to do the maintenance to keep it on the road. I'll keep it till it breaks and it's not worth fixing.
My first vehicle was a 2002 Ford Ranger. Then I got my 06 750 and it's a huge difference! Let's just say I will put up with about any problem this thing has to not go back to that... Except when we get snow then I dont mind it haha.
I just got mine a couple months ago.. it's near showroom condition. The interior is flawless, the back seat is brand new, no creases except a couple that I have done setting boxes on it.. the exterior looks amazing, overall the car is very clean.. The problem? These cars have major problems because BMW decided to run them overheating constantly.. they run at a super hot temperature and ruin the transmission, many engine internals and seals/gaskets. So far I am keeping the car, I am spending alot more money then I could ever get back out, but I am thinking long and hard on whether it's worth keeping or bailing and losing a few grand as lesson learned.. I love the drive and feel of the car, but I don't like the feeling that I am driving a car that is destined to fall apart because it was designed to.
I got a 730D also, like the tread starter. i have not had any big issues yet, but i have removed the flaps from the inletmanifoil to be on the safe side. The 3 lites diesel engine is otherwise know to be good. All the other electronicsfault may apply to us dieseldrivers also i guess. Only thing i have had problems with on my car i one broken PDC sensor, and i still have a iDrive wheel that spinns like h*ll all of it self. Anyone else experienced this?
All over i am 100% happy with my E65 as a daily driver (have had mostley Volvos before, still have 2 V70's.. like they say.. Volvo for life )
Ive had my 03 745i for about 6 months, its an amazing car, so far only issues were the control arm and oil leaks which was fixed about a month ago, this car is very smooth, it may not be the best in snow but im holding onto this car till it cant run no more
Have had my 750 2years now. It a solid beauty, other then normal wear and tear. I did have the dreaded l7 amp issue but nothing mechanical to this point. I have 72k miles on it with another 28k to go before the end of the warranty. I'm really thinking about keeping it, but I would be lying if I said I'm not worried about the warranty expiring soon, my piece of mind will be out the window at that point.
I thoroughly enjoy my 760 and love to drive it everyday. However it's been prone to breaking down frequently for the most random of repairs, and the kicker is that it's very expensive to repair them. I purchased an extended warranty with my 760 and it's paid out very nicely, almost 46K in repairs to date!
Would I buy another 7-series, maybe. Would I keep my current one after the warranty ends? HELL NO, it's way to troublesome to keep going and to manage repair costs when I can trade it in on something newer with a warranty, IE a new 7-series.
But at the same time I'm getting weary of BMW. They are doing crazy things that are not allowing cars to run for very long times. These newer cars are running at 105 Celsius rather than the typical 85-95 Celsius! Because of this numerous gasket failures occur! As well BMW brushes many issues under the mat and expects consumers to suck it up like the Logic 7 system repairs. People on this forum including myself have gone through 2-3 Amplifiers easily!
You have a Diesel 7-series which is amazing. Any sort of Diesel car will outlast a comparable gasoline car since they are built that much stronger and better. You won't have to worry about many engine related issues (as long as you change your oil frequently vs the 15K BMW oil changes)
I have similar experience as csmeance. Bought my 750 used when it was 1 year old and 5k miles. Only issue for the first few months was noisy sunroof that took 3 visits to 2 dealers to fix it. The next 5 years were uneventful except for 1 quart of oil every 8-10k miles and a set of new tires every 15k miles. Thought I wasted my $ on ext warranty.
When it turned 6y and approx. 60k miles, the repairs start. So far last 8 months, 3 repairs during regular maintenance visits. Oil leveling sensor leak $650, transmission pan leak $550, transmission pan leak again $0 this time, water pump leak $1000, front sway bar leak $2400 and this week $3000+ repair in process for wheel bearing, drive shaft hub/bearing (?), aircon controller and hood suspension bar. Interesting I only noticed the oil leak, wheel bearing noise and aircon on/off switch acting up. The others were found during inspection or diagnosis. Excessive repairs? Don't think so as extended warranty company sent inspector to approve expensive repairs. Luckily I spent the $ on ext warranty.
I would sell my 750 like 3m before ext warranty expires so the buyer has some limited protection against costly repair. Will I buy another BMW? Most probably since my other vehicles like Audi and Lexus also experienced expensive repairs when it get past 70-80k or 7-8 years old.
One thing that hasn't been mentioned is the fact that the 7 is by far the best drivers car in this segment. It handles well even with the stock suspension, but get the sport or some H&R's and you've got a beast. If you need reassurance go and test drive a competitor; S-Class, LS, A8 (haven't driven, but judging by other Audi's I've driven it's probably boring).
I used to take my 7 out on country roads. Roll down the windows, put it in sport mode, and blast through the corners. Can't think of another car this size and with this much luxury that performs this well.
One thing that hasn't been mentioned is the fact that the 7 is by far the best drivers car in this segment. It handles well even with the stock suspension, but get the sport or some H&R's and you've got a beast. If you need reassurance go and test drive a competitor; S-Class, LS, A8 (haven't driven, but judging by other Audi's I've driven it's probably boring).
I used to take my 7 out on country roads. Roll down the windows, put it in sport mode, and blast through the corners. Can't think of another car this size and with this much luxury that performs this well.
I use mine as a daily drive covering roughly 130 miles a week and it's a joy to drive. I have driven the same year S class and it doesn't drive no where as well as a 7.
What seems to amaze me are the maintainance bills you guys pay and have stacked up. My 7 has covered 75k miles now, still running tight however it is due a service very very shortly. I will be taking it in to a BM specialist opposed to a main dealer, this is more for desirability for when I come to sell it on (good couple of years yet).
I love it and have no regrets purchasing it . However, its a total weak ballerina compared to my daily driver and would not be able to take a third of the hammering I do to it. I wish I did not have to be so gentle to my BMW and worry about little things like buttons with paint that rubs off and door sills that peel. Shurely it was not designed to be driven by brutes.
Have had no issues on my 04 745li, till now... Smoking issue after idle (stop light etc) other then that ive loved this car...Going to take to an indy and see how far this will set me back.
I have an 03 745Li that I purchased as a CPO that was 3 years old when I got her with 36K miles. I now have 172,000 miles on her after nearly 6 years of ownership. Out of pocket I've spent about $4500 for repairs such as oil leaks, transmission leaks, new fuel pump, etc. The car has served me well but quite honestly, with its age and mileage I am afraid to take it on a long trip and be left stranded. My goal is to take her to 200K miles and start looking for a nice CPO again, maybe a new body style 550 this time around. But no other car has given me the driving experience of the 7, simply a joy to drive every day.
I bought it at 3 years and 23,000 miles. At 6 years later and 80,000 on the clock, I have loved every mile.
Yes, I've had a few issues such a leaking transmission pan, passenger seat mat error, bad sensor on the Active Cruise Control (too expensive to fix) a replacement of the thrust arm bushings and then the broken parking brake actuator. I did the repairs which made it bearable. For 6 years, this isn't so bad.
The 7-series is on a top ten list if cars least likely to make it to 100,000 miles, but I am encouraged by the many owners who have driven well past that mark. I'll keep it until it becomes impractical to keep it running.
I love driving my 7, bought it cpo with 37k. Currently has 50k, and still running smooth. I am scared of the future, so thinking of trade options.
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