Power, quality built
Braking and ride

Lacks LED lights
Excessive wind noise at high speed for the car at this price

Amazing handling and engine power
Gorgeous interior design, good leather quality with individual option

Comfortable, smooth ride, i-drive ease, computer monitoring, exterior look, solid build

Windnoise through sunroof is louder than it should be for a car of this class, sideview mirrors should be larger for a car this size, maintenance after 100k miles can be expensive if you don't know much about cars, and this car should have a voltmeter on the dash.

Overall, this is the best car I've ever experienced for many reasons. The car is large enough to ride 5 adults, yet it can perform much like a sports car when you push it. The car is very well balanced. I've had this car for almost 3 years and I can honestly say that I plan to stick with BMWs in the future. When everything is working, it is simply phenominal. However, when things start going wrong things can get expensive if you aren't careful. Lucky for me, I'm somewhat savvy when it comes to car repairs so I've performed quite a few normal repairs (oil changes, brake pads and rotors, belt replacement, alternators, batteries) that the dealership might tell you are too difficult for the average Joe to perform. This is false. The car is not any more complicated that American or Jap vehicles. There are more sensors and aesthetic covers under the hood, but when you get past the eye-candy the engine looks like many others. I'll stick with BMWs in the future. If you are indifferent about getting from A to B then this isn't the car for you. However, if you want a car that can deliver luxury comfort and also deliver a hint of sporty performance, this car deserves a look.

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BMW 325Ci, Honda SUV, VW Jetta, MB S500, Chevy Truck, Toyota Corolla

Engine, comfort seats, stereo, legroom

a little more wind noise that I would have hoped for. Still under new car warranty but will be expensive when this runs out.

A great car and worth buying second hand. I'm now driving a car that cost 80kGBP 2.5yrs ago and I paid only 25k GBP. The engine is incredible. Gear changes unnoticable. Comfort seats are fantastic. I have a young family so the the safety reputation of the vehicle was a selling point. Car is designed to cruise on the autobahns at 200kph (120mph) and it does. wind noise from the sun roof is a little loud for a car of this status but it's liveable. Previous car was a 2002 Mercedes S500. This is much better. idrive is only complicated for stupid people. The system is intuitive and works well.

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2002 Mercedes S500. 1998 BMW 740.

Great interior, drives great.

Poor powertrain build quality.
Part prices are laughable at best.
Car has gone 5k miles without something else breaking.

Absolute WORST car we have ever had! We have not gone 5,000 miles without something else breaking on the car. Interior build quality is good but the parts they use for the drivetrain are laughable at best. Plastic radiator.. get real, watercooled alternator.. whats the point??

Lets not foget part prices. Alternator will set you back $1000 from the dealer and a power steering pump another $800. What a joke and they don't even last 100k miles. Yea sure the cars great to drive and is very comfortable but the powerstrain quality leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth.. and the parts prices make you feel like you drop the soap at your nearest prision..

Just a word of caution if you plan on keep your car a while the strut towers are known to bend in causing the car to wear tires on the inside excessivily. Called the dealer and he said this is NORMAL WTF? When the shock towers bend in like this your screwed because there is not CAMBER adjustment on these cars to dial it out. Absolutely INSANE they do not have camber adjustment so your only option is to buy a set of adjustable camber plates on the aftermarket.

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LexusMer and Mercedes.

ride when the car starts

Electronic, Lights, BMW ability to fix problems, Advantage Midtown in Houston has terrible customer service!!!

This is the worst car I have ever owned! I would never in my life buy another BMW. The car spent 1 month out of the first three in the shop and still doesnt work. BMW assist has never worked. 2 weeks into owning the car I went outside to start it and nothing. had to be towed. they still cant tell me what happened or why. they said the car wouldnt work because of the tint on the back window. they stripped the tint and left glue on the window and the car still never worked. Terrible CAR!!!!

Styling, Interior leg room space on the IL models. Gas milage for a V8 if you drive the car like its ment too not as a race car. You can go as low as 87 octane in the car if necessary however you will sacrafice on Hp but not to bad the cars computer will retard the timing to compensate for the lower octane besides premium 91 octane. Drives on the road smooth and graceful. With the proper aftermarket assesories you can have a awesome looking ride.

Cup holders! Outdated phone technology,and can't be upgraded without spending $$ Parts are expensive but shop around and you can get a break on price. If you are good with tools then you would be suprised on how much u can save on labor costs. Alot of the minor repairs can be done in your garage with instructions from www.e38.com Suspension control arms or related items on this car will go out cause of how heavy the car is, however they are not hard to replace and or upgrade. The wood does scratch easy so just be careful. The 1995 and previous V8 motors had issues, so if you are getting one make sure that it has been addressed or its from a state that has low sulfer content in their gas. Since my car was in CA all its life there were no issues with this.

If the cars milage is usually over 100,000 and running well you shouldn't have this problem, and on www.e38.com will tell u more on that. If you are on a limited budget make sure you are handy with tools cause labor plus the price of most parts would burn a hole in your wallet.
If you buy one used make sure you have money set asside for the normal issues the car will have so you are not stuck.

The BMW 740il is my second BMW that I've owned. I live in Central CA. I loved this car when I saw it in Transporter, and on the road. I did alot of research on the car from www.e38.org (which is the best site if you are needing help with the car,ect ect)

Once I found one, which was a one owner trade in at a HUMMER Dealership I jumped to picking it up. So far the car is a pleasure to drive its roomy and I love the look of the car. The car is great on the highway when traveling and handles very well for such a large car.

The engine has good power for the car being a V8, plus its not a gas guzzling V8 compaired to other cars. The interior is simple yet suttle and is pretty erganomicly friendly. If you are in the market for a big body sedan the the 740il is great buy used cause the values on the car are lower than u think.

The car has a good amount of features that were ahead of its time and still turns heads. Throw some accessories like clear corners, and diffrent tailight options for a look of your choice. And to make it really stand out at add some wheels and you got yourself a car that will definatley put alot of newer cars to shame.

This car is a luxury cruiser not a race car so if you are looking for something like that then go the other way. If you are worried about matinance and upkeep on the car get one with lower miles and one that comes with records. And get a pre-inspection from your mechanic of choice it can save you a heartache. Even if the miles are kinda high as long as its been taken care of and up on routine or regular matenance and the suspension addressed the car can last you a long time.

Most people who have problems with this car sometimes don't know what they are getting cause this car isnt a Lexus, Honda or Toyota. Also do your reaserch on the car and read www.e38.com so you are aware of the issues that you will have with the car so you can decide if the car is for you.

You can save yourself alot of money by doing alot of the typical repairs yourself and www.e38.org is a site that would be your bible for the 1995-2001 year of 7 series info.

Over all I enjoy the car and plan on keeping it for a while.

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1993 Lexus SC 400 1992 BMW 325is, Lincoln Mark 8 (very fast car!)

The look. Black is the way to go. Handling and performance.

Long term Quality. Handling in the snow and ice.

Loved this car for 340 days out of the year. Incredible performance and awesome muscle look, but hated it for the 10 days when we had snow on the roads here in the mid-atlantic states and the 15 days it was in the shop or I was writing a check. Bought it in 2002 with 36000 miles, still under warranty-with no certified extension. Got to about 60,000 Miles and the costs and frustrations started piling up. had to have the seat rails replaced twice and the door handle on the front passenger side actually just fell off one time when I was trying to get in. Came right off! Always something little going on, and every time I drove by the dealership, I was dropping $1-2000 on a repair. Loooked at my last 18 monhts of repairs and it was pover $8,000, and I'm not alone. Have three other acquaintances who onw this car and they all say the same thing. There is almost a code to this though. "Don't talk trash about the BMW until you no longer have it..." and have foiund we all say the same thing about our cars. And let's not even talk about the snow. I knew it when I bought it, but all the weight is in the front of this vehicle and the slightest bit of snow on the ground causes spin. The traction control does nothing. Just got out of this and picked up a certified Mercedes s500 4matic. So far, so good. different feel, but know that I have peace of mind in terms of repair expense and handling in the snow.

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Beautiful car to look at, and fantastic to drive.

Reliability is horrible.

The 1999 BMW 740i sport is the 7th BMW that I have owned over a 20 yr period, so I feel like I'm fairly well qualified to speak about BMW. BMW has always been an expensive car to maintain, especially as they get older, however IMHO they have always been well worth it. They are without a doubt the best cars I have ever driven. However, after this car and my experience with the last few BMW's that I've owned, which include an older 7, a couple of 5 series and a 6 series, I will never own another BMW. This '99 was the worst car I have ever owned. I think that BMW quality and reliability have slipped terribly over the last few years. I can't explain why this has happened but all I know is that it is a fact. The Japanese are making some spectacular cars, perhaps they don't have the same thrill of driving a BMW but they also arent in the garage all the time. My next car will be a GS 300 or an M45, although I did own a Q45 and wasnt happy with it, I've also had an A6 4.3 L but only for time, it was a beautiful car when I owned it but I believe they suffer from reliability issues like all the German cars.

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Infinity Q45, 5 and 6 series BMW, Audi A6

Everything

Of course, cup holders Brake dust

I have owned my fair share of BMW's over the years (approx. 7), so I hope that I am qualified to leave this review. I served in the US Army, in Germany, where I first found my love for "the ultimate driving machine", from 1985-1989. I loved these cars sinced my first a 1977 520i(euro Spec). I brought my current BMW, a 98' 750il, while helping a friend looking at a Mercedes, at that time I was driving a 95'525i, the search for the Mercedes stopped (for me) when I saw that 750il, I never liked Mercedes anyway, they are good cars, but overly priced and (for me) BMW has them beat on engineering. The body styling, luxury, yet sporty, which can also be said for the mechanical attributes... once I spent about an hour admiring the car from the outside, it was time for the test drive, once the salesman told me the price, and that it was a local one owner car. Mileage was 84000. I've never owned, a "real" luxury car, until now. Just getting in, and adjusting everything, and I do mean everthing, to my personal taste, I had the most enjoyable experience, I have had in any car. The car wraps you in leather everywhere, the dashboard, and even the "oh Damn" grab handles. The thicker glass keeps outside noise to a whisper, the transmission shift is flawless, and the motor is ready to respond to your every command. I started out, not knowing what to expect, but I did expect performance, and I wasn't disappointed..... the car commanded respect from it's 322hp powerplant from the beginning, I pulled into oncoming traffic and she responded, with alil' bit of ole school R&B, coming from the sound system, complete with tape deck, and 6 disk changer with DSL, and GSP navagation, I was ridin' in tall cotton (as we say down south). This car is a tall mans dream, I'm 6'4", and I have too much room. Once I pulled onto the interstate, I accelerated from 45 to 80 in seconds, and set the the cruise at 95, and just about fell asleep, this car rides great, even at 95mph outside noise is a whisper. The nav system, told me where I was, and the O'Jays were singing "Brandy", can it get any better than this? I slowed to a more acceptable highway speed, before returning to the dealer.Being that the car was a local car, I stopped by the dealer, to have it looked over, and the car passed that test also, they could'nt believe the asking price either. After owning the car for 3 months, I've only had to replace the brakes, and the car currently has 86000 miles. My friend, who was "was" looking at a Mercedes, is now looking for a BMW for himself. As i said when I started this review, I love these cars, They are truly "The Ultimate Driving Machine". I also currently have a 1988 BMW 535is, which I'm restoring, to it's greatness.

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Extreme comfort, Amazing road handling (hwy or freeway),Good gas mileage, Interior space, Ergonimics,Body design,Excelleration,cabin safety features (airbags front/sides)the list goes on and on!

Had rotors turned twice in relativly short period of time and miles

This vehicle is amazing, I have driven 65,000 in two years, mainly freeway and their is no other car I could imagine driving in such luxury. It now has 135,000 miles and looks and drives like new. The only maintenance problems I have encountered were a broken radiator hose assembly ($400 installed),a broken coolant reservoir ($65)and a broken rear window wind mechanism ($150). I have replaced the rotors and brakes once $500. Total maintenance $1,115 in two years of 65,000 drive miles in my mind is pretty good, I would recomend if you are thinking about buying any BMW that you try to find a local machnic/shop that specializes in BMW. They know the vehicles well and are considerably less than the dealers. The rear wheel drive makes handling a dream! I am currently looking at getting another 740IL. The luxury of this vehicle, the handling, the appearance is too good to pass up.

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