I think the 1998 era 7 series was on eof the nicest BMW's ever designed - very understated.
Also I think we all know how well engineered BMW's are so providing you are happy with the SH why not treat yourself.
I tend to buy with my head rather than my heart - it's not always the right thing to do.
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1998 BMW 7 series (728i) for about 4 or 5 grand with full BMWSH
you will also need access to a spare 4 or 5 grand over your three years to cope with the one or two really really really big bills you get hit with to fix it.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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I absolutely love the 7 series but I'm forced to agree with RF.
Aprillia will be along soon to tell you how unreliable his was. You could to a lot worse than listen to his advice.
(PS - If you get a 7, it can't be a 728. A 740 at the least!)
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In the words of a salesman..... "Ave it" :-)
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I guess if you had the nerve, and the time, you could buy one at auction and then whack it back through and replace it if anything went wrong.
An ex-colleague of mine bought a 728 for £3000 and found there was a problem with the climate control - it would only output on max temp! His friendly independant suggested it would cost £3000 to fix (big job, dash out etc etc), so last I heard he was driving everywhere with the windows open!
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Hi,
I have just replaced my 1995 320i with a 1999 528i. The car has only travelled 70k. I could have purchased a far newer Mondeo or Vectra but also wanted something a bit more special. Plan to keep the car for 3 years and have purchased a 3 year warranty from Warranty Direct which should mitigate anything major that fails.
The killer will be 28mpg (or less) if your annual mileage is high.
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I have two friends that have bought 740i BMWs of about that vintage, from a reputable dealer. In both cases they ran for a few months before major electrical problems and bills well over the £1000 mark, none of which were covered by warranty.
Both have got shot, although one, who loves his cars, is an intelligent bloke and knows what he's doing, has bought an Alfa. The undertray fell off on day two.
But hey, any car can break - I know in the same situation I'd go for the BMW over the Mondeo like a shot.
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You say it is for a family car... the decision depends a great deal on what the effect would be of an unexpected major bill on the family budget.
To be honest I would be utterly amazed if the actual running costs of the BMW would ever be less than a Mondeo.... with a bit of bad luck the BMW could become a masive drain. 10mpg less all the time is a starter!
I doubt that you or you family are boring.... so when you have a Mondeo that will not be boring either.
David
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Actually M.M we are pretty boring!............
seriously though, thanks for all the feedback. I'm still no closer to knowing the right thing to do, but that's probably because there never is a right thing to do i.e. 7 series, great car, but even great cars go wrong and when the 7 series does then it's macaroni cheese for tea for a couple of months!
On the plus side, our local mechanic runs them himself, nice man doesn't charge much, surely must know his way around them, so that might swing things back in favour of the beemer!
Steve
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If you buy the right car and have somebody sensible to look after it for you the BMW need not kill your wallet.Plenty of aftermarket and used parts out there for these cars.
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I agree - you might be able to buy these cars cheap now, but the servicing and parts prices are still geared to the budgets of the people who could afford to buy them new.
A friend bought a mint 90,000 mile, five year old Audi A8 2.8 last year for £7,000, and he's spent over £2k since on maintenance and repairs. Everything on this car costs megabucks to put right or replace, and although the build quality is absolutely stunning, the car is nowhere near as reliable as you might think. My 120,000 mile Mondeo has been more reliable over the same period.
The Audi looks and feels gorgeous, but the low purchase price is nothing more than a nasty trap.
Cheers
DP
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Can you get a Lexus LS400 for this sort of price now? Again, the petrol consumption would be a major expense but they are supposed to be ultra reliable. Probably fewer independent Lexus garages too, so servicing could be costly, but owners seem to rate them highly.
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If you fancy a large BMW why not go for the E39 5 series?
All the refinement, and comfort you need, great to drive, plus they don't have the reputation for electrical problems that the 7 series has.
The petrol 6 cylinder engine is pretty bullet proof and your budget keeps you away from the nickasil engine block problem (T reg onwards are ok) - Budget would get you into a post 2001 facelift (clear lens) model.
The diesel 530D is both extremely quick and economical.
If your mechanic has a 7, he's probably ok with maintaining a 5 and knows where to get reasonably priced parts etc.
Worth considering maybe?
Jacks
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Have you driven a 7 series?
I mean : in a car park? Parking in a real world. With restricted space?
I think they look lovely but ALL (and I repeat ALL) the guides say: electrics are very unreliable and cost a fortune.
If you are looking for a large but cheapish family car which is a bit different an X Type Jaguar would be cheaper to run.. or a Volvo..
A 5 series BMW is nice..
But I implore you .. NOT a 7 series... unless you really like big bills (and guess why the prior owner is selling?)
madf
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I agree Jacks, the previous 5 series (esp the 530d) is a very appealling car. The only concern I have is the rear space as I have 2 teenage daughters who are pushing 5'10". Think I might have to go and sit in one.
I did also consider the Volvo S80 D5!!
It's getting like that old Fast Show sketch where the guy keeps getting persuaded to change his opinion!
Steve
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I think this is kind of an FAQ - i.e. older prstige car or newer 'run of the mill' car.
Having had all kinds of luxury, sports and 'fleet' type cars over the years I think it all comes down to how much you depend on the car and how important your car is to you.
The Mondeo is a great car in many respects; nice to drive, pretty reliable, roomy and practical etc. Really there is very little wrong with them apart from the odd 'bug' - rear subframe bushes come to mind (although Ford could do with improving their paintwork and corrosion protection). For the price of a <1 year old example at a supermarket they are incredible value.
If you need your car every day to get the kids to school and need it to be repaired and back on the road very quickly if it goes wrong then the Mondeo is the one to choose.
With an old 7- on the other hand you would need to treat your motoring as a bit of a 'hobby' and be prepared for additional expense and time/trouble in running it. I have run a 7- and don't let anybody kid you that it will be cheap to run. At the age you are talking about you WILL need some repairs sooner or later. The electrics are unbelievably complicated and even with a fair bit of experience and factory manuals it took me a while to find a faulty wiper pressure control relay on mine (it was sticking 'on' and flattening the battery overnight!).
If something does go wrong then don't expect a quick repair - your local factor might stock plugs and filters - but nothing more. So you'd be looking at ordering parts from a factor or specialist breaker (slow) or going to the dealer (expensive). Your local 'all makes' independent can do the basic servcing, but again more specialist work will need to be done a specialist independent and need booking ahead, also these guys know what the dealers charge so don't expect them to work for peanuts, they know their value.
BMW dealers are too bad for routine servicing, but will be extremely expensive for more involved work. Tracking down an intermittent electrical fault at £100+ per hour can result in a big bill!
My particular 7- (which was BMW approved used, or whatever they call it now) was possibly the most unrelaible car I have owned, due to a collection of electrical and cooling system problems. The dealer seemed unwilling and incapable, by turn, in fixing the faults.
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I agree - you might be able to buy these cars cheap now, but the servicing and parts prices are still geared to the budgets of the people who could afford to buy them new.
Actually (and this is true of many cars now) service items can be quite cheap as it keeps the whole life costs down for fleet companies, but other parts can be horrendous because new buyers, who will change their car at 2 or 3 years, never have to buy those.
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