anyone have a BMW or know anything about a 2001 740I bmw?!?!?

[HITMAN 149]

hey guys....
i'm considering a 2001  BMW 740I or IL....
i happened to stop by a big fancy foreign car repair/dealer place by me the other day, who had what appeared to be a reallly nice looking silver 2001 740IL. he said he was going to take it to the auction & told me to stay away from the 7 series & bmw V8 cars!!!! WTF??? lol
im looking for a silver 2001 (last year of that body style) 740I (as i really don't need the extra space of the IL... but if the right car is an IL, hey you gotttttta do it!!! lol) i found a reallly nice looking  silver 01 740I w @64K mi on it, for a nice price!!!
i drive just about 80 miles a day to work, as it'll be my main commuting car. i live in Joisey lol. i have a 99 eldorado (pocket rocket lol) rightnow.... but have always loved the 7 series look (just could never afford the $80K for one when they were new!! lmao!!!) i had to tow a reallllly nice one a couple months ago at work!!!  hey... HE parked it in the hydrant!! NOT ME!!! lol so it just got my curiosity going..... and now im kinda hooked on picking up one!!! hahaha
thanks for any insight & opinions, as i have no clue about BEEEMERS!?!?!?
and yes im sure i'll get a bunch of comments about not buying a mopar as another car!!! lmao!!!
-JOHN

[mauve66]

i've heard that factory maintenance is costly, but in general i would think reliability should be good, you should be able to do a search for factory recalls and bullittins (sp) on issues, i too like the 740 and 850 but not the price tags

[Cooter]

IMO as I work on these things daily, Stay away from foriegn cars from Germany...BMW= Bring More Wallet....These things are fine when purchased BRAND NEW, however after someone's rode them for 100K miles, they are beginning to be big expensive POS.....Most of the people that buy these cars used are "Posers" that are looking to act as if they have the money for that car when, come time to repair that thing, they CLEARLY didn't/don't....

[captnsim]

Any BMW with a 7 in the name is a money pit. The newer V8 7 series is a bit better then the old V12...but not by much.
RUN...

[Silver R/T]

I wouldn't want to ever have to work on one of those...

[NYCMille]

Dude, I had an '01 E39 M5 and as soon as it clipped 70k on the odo everything started going on it and it nickel'd and dimed me to death. With a BWM, if it's not under warranty then walk away... 

[elacruze]

One of my best friends is (was) a master BMW tech in Phoenix. He says the 2001 was like the 7th year of production so the bugs were all worked out and it's a good car. Let your wallet be your guide.

Repairs are gonna cost a lot...I'd go with a VW diesel Jetta.

[Dans 68]

I own a '87 535i, and have to agree with the notion that the car will cost a lot to keep running. They are nice to drive, though. 

Dan

[68RRFlyer]

I've owned 9 BMWs (All of the 3 series lineup, a 528, and several Z3s) and can tell you yes, BMW stands for "Bring Money With" when they break.   But that wouldn't stop me from going and buying one again just on that.  They are nice cars and they are reliable, despite the "My jay-ecta-hoosits went out and it's the third time it's been replaced by those stupid Krauts!!"  The ones that I had the most problems with were the Z3 Roadsters.  Too many electrical glitches on them.  The reason guys are saying "stay away from V8 BMWs" is part folklore and part misunderstanding, but with good reason.  And it has to do with the year you're looking at if I'm not mistaken.  I'm not 4.0 expert, but was looking at a 540i a few years ago and had the same concerns.  The 4.0 V8 had some issues early on with the engine block castings.  Whatever metal they used was prone to failure and as a result, many engines were replaced by the dealer under warranty.  As it goes, many weren't due to them running fine and the owners just not caring.  But the other reason is that they changed the casting midyear and that solved the problem.  So the problem was really limited to just a short time but with all things, a bad rap is hard to shake.   In buying a used BMW, make sure ALLLLLL the maintenance has been done on it.  Usually those cars are owned by guys who dump it off at the dealer and have them do everything, so it should be documented in the owner's manual.  I know with the E36 models (the style of a 1995 325) the water pump need to be replaced around 60K or it WILL need to be replaced whether willingly or unwillingly.  Much like on the E30 model (a 1988 325 body style), when 30K hits, the timing belt better be on the list to be replaced or.."Hello, AAA?  I'm stuck!!!  Heard a bang and then all went quiet!!"  Each body design has their pluses and minuses, but when it's all apples to apples, don't they all?   Good luck!!!

Cheers     

[Sixt8Chrgr]

I owned a 98 740iL and the car drove really well with great performance. But it did nickel and dime me to death. The driveline on the car seemed to be bullet proof. It was all the electronic gadgetry that was on the car that failed all the time. At that time BMW was trying to make that car a electronic marvel and had just not figured out how to make the marvel!
Someone posted that by 01 they had the car figured out, and I have heard that before. Actually I believe Consumer Reports stated that the 01 was the most refined and reliable of the that series.
Repairs are going to be more expensive than an American car for sure.

Good Luck

[HITMAN 149]

hey guys....
thanks for alllll your input & opinions!!! i read they had probs with a certain motor (in the mid to late 90's) with the 4.0 motor... the 2001 motor is the 4.4, and from what i have read on other beeemer forums and reviews are that they are great!?!? lol
yes it is a foreign luxury car so probs & service will be expensive... but i have alot of guys w/ good contacts for that..... lol
it's at a dealer so i can get a warranty for it (obv for a couple bucks more!! hahaha) but at least it'll be covered, and have peice of mind!!!
even though they are closed today... im gonna swing by on the way home after work & scope it out in person... the pics look great!! BUT we allllll know how that turns out sometimes!!! lmao!!!
ehhhh im not in any hurrry... so we"ll see what the story is!!
i'll keep ya posted!!

[jb666]

Any BMW with a 7 in the name is a money pit. The newer V8 7 series is a bit better then the old V12...but not by much.
RUN...

BINGO. Nothing is simple, cheap or easy to fix, especially on a 7 series..

My buddy's shop has one right now with a "small stereo issue". After pulling, testing and diagnosing, they've discovered that ONE PART of the system was bad.. $3500 part, not made any more. The car's obviously out of warranty, and you can't just slap a double din radio in one of those...

Talk about having your hands tied.. I would never buy one without a warranty. Period.

[HITMAN 149]

MUTHER EFFFFFFER!!! its sold!!!!!! grrrrrrrr ohhhhh wellll back to the drawing board!! the search continues!!! lmao!!
im looking for a SILVER 2001 BMW 740I SPORT  PKG..... if anybody happens to come across one w decent milage
40K-65Kmi  or so?!?!?
thanks!!!!!!!!!

[Charger440RDN]

I was reading a BMW performance magazine a few months ago and a column advised people to NOT buy a used BMW with 100,000 miles. It stated that the cars are some of the best handling and driving cars in the world but the reliability is pure crap and this is from people that eat, sleep and breathe BMW for a living.

[Big Sugar]

Theres a lot of nonsence in this thread, The BMW 740 is a very sound car, it's no different than any other 60-80 thousand dollar car European or not, Sure it may have a fault or two once and a while but find me a car that doesn't.
Your best bet with purchasing a used BMW is or any High End luxury car , Do Your Homework ! Repairs are going to cost more because the car cost more , Simple as that. Some High end Euro models do have a reputation for more frequent or common problems so it's up to you to do a bit of research.
Ironically if you really start to look deep into repair historys on ALL Car manufactuers you'd be second guessing every car you look at.
If you want to save a bit of money on service, do what service you can yourself and find a private specialist garage in your area, In most cases they'll do the same work for less than 1/2 the cost the dealer would charge. Some dealers are also into the habit of overcharging ignorant owners, so when you go to your dealer for service don't just hand over your keys and ask for a "brake job" cause you'll end up with a whole new Brake  system,Be specific tell them exactly what you expect.
BMW makes outstanding cars, Mercedes has been working hard to model their own fleet  to be more competative with BMW the New Cadillacs are aimed Directly at BMW's marketshare. Audi is no different.
Phone a few Dealerships, ask for the parts dept, Check out prices on common relacement parts to get a general idea of how much your going to be hit when you come in for service.
Dont forget to check things like Head light/ tail light  assemblies , grills ,brake rotors,waterpumps etc.
You may also consider looking at the Japaneese line of high end cars. They are also very well built, but have the same problems with higher service bills.

You want to drive a Neon...expect Neon priced repair bills.
You want to drive a BMW...expect BMW priced repair bills.
It's all relative.

If you can swing it, I'd say go for it, The BMW's are Good Cars, 740 Sport... nice choice !

Good luck


Ron

[Arthu®]

Theres a lot of nonsence in this thread, The BMW 740 is a very sound car, it's no different than any other 60-80 thousand dollar car European or not, Sure it may have a fault or two once and a while but find me a car that doesn't.
Your best bet with purchasing a used BMW is or any High End luxury car , Do Your Homework ! Repairs are going to cost more because the car cost more , Simple as that. Some High end Euro models do have a reputation for more frequent or common problems so it's up to you to do a bit of research.
Ironically if you really start to look deep into repair historys on ALL Car manufactuers you'd be second guessing every car you look at.
If you want to save a bit of money on service, do what service you can yourself and find a private specialist garage in your area, In most cases they'll do the same work for less than 1/2 the cost the dealer would charge. Some dealers are also into the habit of overcharging ignorant owners, so when you go to your dealer for service don't just hand over your keys and ask for a "brake job" cause you'll end up with a whole new Brake  system,Be specific tell them exactly what you expect.
BMW makes outstanding cars, Mercedes has been working hard to model their own fleet  to be more competative with BMW the New Cadillacs are aimed Directly at BMW's marketshare. Audi is no different.
Phone a few Dealerships, ask for the parts dept, Check out prices on common relacement parts to get a general idea of how much your going to be hit when you come in for service.
Dont forget to check things like Head light/ tail light  assemblies , grills ,brake rotors,waterpumps etc.
You may also consider looking at the Japaneese line of high end cars. They are also very well built, but have the same problems with higher service bills.

You want to drive a Neon...expect Neon priced repair bills.
You want to drive a BMW...expect BMW priced repair bills.
It's all relative.

If you can swing it, I'd say go for it, The BMW's are Good Cars, 740 Sport... nice choice !

Good luck


Ron

To me this is the best advise in this thread. It's all relative.

On a plus side all the c**ks that used to drive BMW's seem to have switched to Audi's so they are now a lot cooler to drive.

Oh yeah and I love that body style it's just so much better than the latest series, it's very long, low and sleek, unlike the fatso you get nowadays.

Arthur

[Big Sugar]

Theres a lot of nonsence in this thread, The BMW 740 is a very sound car, it's no different than any other 60-80 thousand dollar car European or not, Sure it may have a fault or two once and a while but find me a car that doesn't.
Your best bet with purchasing a used BMW is or any High End luxury car , Do Your Homework ! Repairs are going to cost more because the car cost more , Simple as that. Some High end Euro models do have a reputation for more frequent or common problems so it's up to you to do a bit of research.
Ironically if you really start to look deep into repair historys on ALL Car manufactuers you'd be second guessing every car you look at.
If you want to save a bit of money on service, do what service you can yourself and find a private specialist garage in your area, In most cases they'll do the same work for less than 1/2 the cost the dealer would charge. Some dealers are also into the habit of overcharging ignorant owners, so when you go to your dealer for service don't just hand over your keys and ask for a "brake job" cause you'll end up with a whole new Brake  system,Be specific tell them exactly what you expect.
BMW makes outstanding cars, Mercedes has been working hard to model their own fleet  to be more competative with BMW the New Cadillacs are aimed Directly at BMW's marketshare. Audi is no different.
Phone a few Dealerships, ask for the parts dept, Check out prices on common relacement parts to get a general idea of how much your going to be hit when you come in for service.
Dont forget to check things like Head light/ tail light  assemblies , grills ,brake rotors,waterpumps etc.
You may also consider looking at the Japaneese line of high end cars. They are also very well built, but have the same problems with higher service bills.

You want to drive a Neon...expect Neon priced repair bills.
You want to drive a BMW...expect BMW priced repair bills.
It's all relative.

If you can swing it, I'd say go for it, The BMW's are Good Cars, 740 Sport... nice choice !

Good luck


Ron

To me this is the best advise in this thread. It's all relative.

On a plus side all the c**ks that used to drive BMW's seem to have switched to Audi's so they are now a lot cooler to drive.

Oh yeah and I love that body style it's just so much better than the latest series, it's very long, low and sleek, unlike the fatso you get nowadays.

Arthur

Thanks Arthu_*
Just a sidenote. If you have a Ford Budget, Drive a Ford Car, Driving a Used High end Luxo Car on a Ford Budget will definatly affect your bottom line.

Do your Homework.

[captnsim]

I drive a Benz and I expect parts to cost more...But I've also come to realize the parts last 4 times longer than most other makes.
Which in my mind makes them worth the price.
BMW's on the other hand are the Neon of German cars in my opinion. If only the price matched the quality of the parts...They would be great.
The only happy BMW 7 series owner is the one that just sold it...

[moparstuart]

    Not euro's  but people crack me up when they buy caddy's or lincoln and want to buy parts for them all cheap .
Well guess what when you buy high optioned , high dollar cars . Well it cost more to fix them .  Air ride suppension are a prime example .  Expensive to fix when they go wrong and they always do .

[Charger440RDN]

I have a used Cadillac eldorado ETC that has 158,000 miles, I bought it because I wanted a 2 door coupe with power, to drive everyday. (I hate 4 door cars) The car still rides like new and I have driven it on several trips over 1,000 miles this past summer.

I had to repair the AC in it which cost me $1,000    but with a used luxury car you expect to take those hits every now and then. Everytime I drive my wife's Honda Accord I realize how much better the Caddy is and i don't mind those expensive repairs every now and then.

The 300hp northstar makes me feel better about spending that extra money  

[RD]

i own a 95 BMW 318i.  It has 210,000 miles on it, gets me 32mpg average, and it turns on a dime. I have only had to replace rear camber bolts ($10 from dealer) and a front passenger window regulator ($69.00).  I work in autoparts, so I can get parts cheap for it, BUT anyone can on ebay. The parts there are reasonable.  I love my car. It is comfortable, reliable, and extremely practical.  It handles better than anything I have ever owned, and yet it is a four door.

If the engine craps out on me, well... I will make it a real 318i and put in a LA 318 in there because its cheaper than rebuilding the four banger it currently has.  tada!! best of both worlds.

Most of the people that buy these cars used are "Posers" that are looking to act as if they have the money for that car when, come time to repair that thing, they CLEARLY didn't/don't....

Wow... you have a firm grasp on BMW owners.. The same can be said for any musclecar owner too ya think?  So am I a double poser and your just a single poser under that concept of judgment?  OR.. are you a poser and a half because you work on poser's cars daily?   

[Charger440RDN]

The thing is with these used luxury cars you have to search for a pampered car owned by a senior citizen and know what to look for. This is my second used Cadillac and my advice on luxury cars is never buy new unless you are rich or almost rich , let somebody else take that hit and you enjoy the depreciation. Especially with a BMW which usually costs even more than a Cadillac.  

[Hansson]

I drive a 97- 540touring and i love it, it's my 4Th BMW and I'll most likely buy a BMW again.
On the V8 you have to check the bolts on the oilpump, they can unscrew them self.
Parts for the late 90´s BMW is not more expensive than late 90´s Volvo parts here in Sweden.
Buy a E38 740 and you never regret it, friends of mine had 7-series and the only thing they regret is that they sold them.

Henrik