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sleeper 
Really Senior Member II
Original and STILL best
Joined: 26-March-2004
Location: East Sussex/Kent border
Status: Offline
Points: 2098
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 Topic: Running a 740i (E38?)
Posted: 07-December-2005 at 06:51 |
Can any owner give me an approximate idea of annual running costs for a 740i (or near model)?
Based on 12k per year and including tyres, servicing, MOT and fuel (not insurance!), my E36 costs £2952 - servicing £600, tyres £400, MOT £100, fuel £1852.
I have found a nice 1998 740i sport up for grabs near me at good money.... TEMPTING!!!
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gordon530
Senior Member II
Joined: 03-November-2004
Location: Alton, Hampshire
Status: Offline
Points: 175
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Posted: 07-December-2005 at 11:17 |
I ran a 1998 540i for a while, and would imagine it to be very similar.
Fuel at between 20 & 25 Mpg, = £2,200 Service at £600/year, tyres at £400 (Assumes 2 X 18" tyres/year. May be cheaper if its not on 18's.
I assumed I would get some other significant bills and put 1k aside each year to cover them. I got lucky, and had nothing significant go wrong on a 120k car.
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the big lad
Groupie
Joined: 07-December-2005
Location: France
Status: Offline
Points: 51
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Posted: 07-December-2005 at 12:36 |
Hi. I have a 1996 740i and I get about 25 mpg, it seems very light on tyres (20-25,000 miles) and as I was lucky enough to buy one with an ace service history loads of work had been done before I bought it so it seems quite cheap to run for a car of this type.
Service costs 'BM main dealer): oil service - £140, Insp 1 £380, Insp £400.
Hope this helps
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sleeper
Really Senior Member II
Original and STILL best
Joined: 26-March-2004
Location: East Sussex/Kent border
Status: Offline
Points: 2098
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Posted: 13-December-2005 at 14:37 |
Cool! Looks good if there are no big bangs then!
Unfortunately this on will have to pass - spent £2.5k on my E36 in the last 3 months. 
Thanks for all your replies, I know what I'll be looking at next...
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gordon530
Senior Member II
Joined: 03-November-2004
Location: Alton, Hampshire
Status: Offline
Points: 175
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Posted: 13-December-2005 at 17:31 |
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A nice 740i is an awful lot of car for the money
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the big lad
Groupie
Joined: 07-December-2005
Location: France
Status: Offline
Points: 51
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Posted: 13-December-2005 at 17:46 |
Hi Gordon, yes you're right! A nice E38 740i is a lovely car. Obviously service history is paramount and 1 owner is desirable, but compare prices with a good Jag or Merc and they look great value for money.
Anyone giving thought to buying one really should invest some time in learning about the model and all it's little mods eg the Nikasil/Alusil blocks situation, engines M60 and M62, the 2 different auto-boxes avail.
There's a lot to learn.
I have learnt a lot SINCE buying mine, DOH!
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740i virgin and happy with it.
Blissfully happy in France
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Drew540i
Really Senior Member II
Available from all good newsagents!
Joined: 15-August-2005
Location: The Mansfield Massive
Status: Offline
Points: 632
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Posted: 13-December-2005 at 17:54 |
It would be a tough choice between a 740i and a
Jaguar XJ6 4 litre - both are big thirsty old tanks but
the Jag might just be a more reliable car - certainly
the late 6 cylinder cars were pretty sorted even if they
did have the crappy XJ40 type dash. Alloy wheels
seem to corrode and so do the alloy rear bumper
mounts which is why the rear bumpers can fall off in
the road. 
But they're so good looking and a nice one is a great
drive. The E38 is a lovely car but they can cost an
absolute fortune to run if you're unlucky.
The 1990's W140 S Class Merc is a big old shed - I
had a late 350 TD version and they are just
enormous - too big for city traffic really.
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the big lad
Groupie
Joined: 07-December-2005
Location: France
Status: Offline
Points: 51
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Posted: 13-December-2005 at 18:06 |
Don't mean to be disrespectful, but if it's reliability you're after - buy japanese.
All these big european luxury cars have the potential to dwarf third world debt, with their repair bills.
But they're not all like that, it's just that you have to be prepared for unpleasant surprises if you like VERY pleasant cars.
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740i virgin and happy with it.
Blissfully happy in France
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AndyS
Really Senior Member II
The Last of the Few
Joined: 21-August-2003
Location: 55 � North
Status: Offline
Points: 1365
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Posted: 13-December-2005 at 18:16 |
Yes if you want sensible then it's got to be a Lexus LS. Don't know
what they're down to now pricewise but repair costs will be up there
with the Jerry stuff.
Still have a bit of a hanker for a clean E32 735. If nothing else, I
can swipe the cruise, brakes & assorted engine bits for my 635 
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AndyS Live each day as if it's your last - one day it will be. 
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Hiabboy
Really Senior Member I
Joined: 05-February-2005
Status: Offline
Points: 325
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Posted: 14-December-2005 at 03:36 |
I'd rather walk than drive a toyota. The lexus 400 is/was a good car in the way that sony make a good tv. It is an appliance ,an ugly gold plated synthetic lined appliance at that.
When relatively new the ls400 was generally a far less painful proposition than euro luxury cars but now in its twilight years it is biting and biting hard. Unfortunately for our friends whose idea of automotive nirvana is a leather lined camry with lots of plastic wood ,euro carparts don't do lexus bits, hence running one on a budget is not really an option.
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Profit is more reasonable than justice.
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AndyS
Really Senior Member II
The Last of the Few
Joined: 21-August-2003
Location: 55 � North
Status: Offline
Points: 1365
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Posted: 14-December-2005 at 06:23 |
 Hiabboy wrote:
I'd rather walk than drive a toyota. |
Some people just can't get past the badge . . . 
I can't get past the styling or gold badging (apologies to anyone with gold bathtaps . . .).
But yes, as I said when they go wrong you're in a world of pain. It's just that they don't go wrong very often.
If nothing else Lexus gave the Establishment a good kick up their
complacent **** & forced a rethink on build quality & customer
service - a work-in-progress as far as Mercedes are concerned.
Build quality was always a USP for Mercedes. Lexus gave an alternative
choice (though slightly skewed towards American tastes). I struggle to
see Mercedes as "luxurious", even the S-class. Far too austere and
their wood looks like plastic too.
Both the new Lexus IS & GS look quite good although I still wouldn't buy one even if I had the money.
Now a Bentley . . .
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AndyS Live each day as if it's your last - one day it will be.
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the big lad
Groupie
Joined: 07-December-2005
Location: France
Status: Offline
Points: 51
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Posted: 14-December-2005 at 06:48 |
Now steady AndyS - I've managed to curb my lust for a Bentley - please don't make me go there again, the psychologists costs are just too great!!
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740i virgin and happy with it.
Blissfully happy in France
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Running a 740i (E38?)
