I'm seriously considering getting a second hand 7 series on an S or T plate. I cover about 25k a year, including a couple of trips to Austria/Switzerland, and the idea of a car like this for under £15,000 appeals to me.
Am I being a complete fool? If so, you'd better talk me out of it. I really want a 740, but would I be better off with a 728 or 735? I don't want it to feel heavy when I put my foot down, though. I'm not bothered about petrol consumption. I guess that I'll be looking at a set of new cats soonish on a car of this age with 100k miles on the clock - any idea what a BMW dealer will charge for this (?£2000).
I fancy going to the Great Trade centre, but should I go to a BMW dealer?
Thanks. All advice appreciated.
Nick.
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I would go for a 6 cylinder as the V8 uses a lot of fuel whereas the 6s are frugal.
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They are all superb but if you want to go economy go for the 2.8 diesel
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I notice that you're not keen on Nikasil bores, HJ. Do you feel the same way about the Porsche 928 engine?
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Quentin Willson made a good case for these a few years ago (when Top Gear was half-way sensible). I seem to remember that minor spares, such as brake pads, were cheap, and as long as it had been looked after (which tends to be the case with big luxury cars) the overall running costs were remarkably low, especially as most of the depreciation had already happened!
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I have a '96 735 with 33000 miles on it. I bought it for £19,950 a couple years ago with 19000 miles on the clock from Wimbledon Carriage Company. Private plate already on the car. My model is just before the 98 facelift - but in a way I prefer the pre-facelift model as they made the car even bigger in 98.
It has been superb - the V8 is great - just the right amount of power. It is very comfortable around town and on the motorway it sits solid on the road - the fat tyres help. I set the cruise control at just below 90 and the car cruises along effortlessly.
Servicing is surprisingly cheap especially with the 25% discount for older cars. I think that the prices are pretty much the same as the 5 series. It is a bit big around town but that is not really a problem. The only problem so far has been the cat which failed - £1200 to replace, ouch! Consumption is not good -about 19 around town and 25 on the motorway.
Apart from that I love it although next time I would probably look to spend less and (possibly) go for a Legend or something else Japanese. With the 7 series, one thing I have noticed on used cars is a massive range in prices. Dealers will charge anything up to £17,000 for a P reg whereas you can get the same car from independent garages for as little as £11,000. Having spent £20k my car is now probably only worth around £9k part-exchange. I am going to have to keep it for some time to avoid a big hit on depreciation.
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Nick
I considered the Jag 4.0, Audi A8 4.2 and BMW 740 last year when I made a similar choice. I have only had BMWs for the past 10 years but I found that the A8 beats the 740 hands down. Big but light (all aluminium body) and fast, really comfortable, and understated compared to the BMW. I just got back from the annual France trip, I cruise at 110mph in peace and quiet (apart from the baby moaning) and it averaged 29.4mpg without trying. My 540 used to average 18 point something!
I am on the verge of selling it (office now 10 mins walk from home) so email me at logicdr at hotmail com if you want to know more. Mine or not, you should definitely check the A8 out.
Patrick.
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OK I put the A8 details on the classified section here.
Another 2 things: if you get a 740 make sure it is either the 4.4 or has had the block replaced by BMW. My 540 had to have the block replaced (luckily those nice BMW people gave me the new block for free).
Also if you could up your budget you might be able to get a new shape 100k++ S280. The new S420 was the only car I wanted more than the A8 but way too much.
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I hear what you say about the journey to work etc but if its such a great car why sell it? Seriously I'd be interested to hear more about why you like it so much.
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I'd be interested to hear more about why you like it so much.
My last car was a new shape 328 I bought new (!) at launch in 98. The car before that was an old shape 540. The A8 drives and handles almost as nimbly as the 328 and is far better than the 540, which I drove again recently. I drove a couple of 740s (owned by people at work) and compared to the 328 they felt heavy and a bit ponderous.
The A8 manages to be precise and 'involving' when driving briskly but on motorways is still effortless, masses of power yet you hardly ever hear the engine. I was almost looking forward to the long blast down through France a couple of weeks ago.
The other aspect is style and image. The A8 is slightly understated compared to others in the class, and I like that. Kind of quietly capable rather than a bit flashy if you know what I mean.
Personally I prefer the interior to the 7 as well, and the Bose stereo is the best I've heard. And you've got to love those electric headrests.
I do think the 740 is a good car though, I was actually about to buy one when I thought of the A8. The difficulty was finding one with the right miles and history.
Why sell it? It was in the Audi garage when they asked for an extra day to change the brakes and check out the suspension squeak. I said to keep it all week as I'm not using it. The irony was obvious, I use it maybe once a week as I have a 10 minute walk to my office. At weekends I tend to use my wife's CRV (B&Q, Sainsbury's etc. and it always has the baby seat in it). My wife hardly uses hers either as we live a short walk from the town centre, and hers is the practical load shifter, so being sensible the Audi is the one to sell. Plus we are just about to spend a fortune extending the house and the Audi is worth more. As I said to a friend who asked the same question (and who bought an A8 after being in mine) I almost wish I had to drive to work so I can justify keeping it...
Patrick.
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Moved from Discussion for any further comments from the Technical Matters forum.
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Thanks to everyone for the information.
I think I'll compromise and look for a 735.
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