Very good acceleration for a large car, tons of leg room in the rear, many electronics, beautiful design, not flashy just suttle. A lot of safety features, comes with a lot and not many options needed.

Could have more horsepower which would not be a problem to make. The sport package should be a option with no extra charge like the ellipsode wheels.

This is an excellent car to buy, I recommend it to anyone who has the kind of money to purchase this beautifully made car.

Similar Products Used:

S-Class, around same horsepower as the S430, but mercedes is an old man's car who wants to show off his wealth.

Its primary strengths are it acceleration, ride and handling. Bonuses are its quietness, passenger room, cargo capacity, and beauty. Smooth, vibration-fee shifting and idle. I hate cars that vibrate!

Uncomfortable, even painful, driving postion. The driver's seat lacks thigh support and is just too small! BMW was cost cutting and/or trying to fit seats opposite that huge transmission hump. Also, the pedals are in awkward postions, forcing you to hold your feet and legs in equally awkward positions to use them. Slow to down shift.

Delightfully light and balanced at all times, my 740iL starts, turns, and stops in an almost magical fashion. I don't think any other vehichle exists that provides such a supreme feeling of safety and control. Elegant styling, a reasonalbe price, high performance, high mechanical refinement, along with first-rate materials and workmanship add up to an excellent value.

Cornering, Braking, Hwy passing ability

acceleration, stereo, front seats

I have been fortunate enough to be the owner of several nice Sedans. Lexus LS400 was by far the quietiest, nice factory stereo. MB S500 felt most solid, built like a tank with huge room & seats. Infinity Q45 was actually sportier than my 740 (this was a 92' Q45, before Inifinity went-off course). Overall I say my 740 is the most balanced of all these cars. Wish 740i Sport was available when I bought mine. Will wait for the new 2001 (or is it 2002?) 7 series and see what they have to offer.

Similar Products Used:

MB S500, Lexus LS400, Infinity Q45

Everything. It is a superb car with great performance at the push of a pedal (or button). Rear seats superb and front are too. This is the best car I have ever been in or seen.
Having Television and Satelite navigation are superb and the audio system is the best I have ever seen. Exterior wise

It is very big, but still beautiful - hence big is beautiful

Paid £90000 new (with a lot of extras such as blinds all round rear area, individual paint and M kit). If you got the cash buy it. It really is a great car, but it is big. Very big. If you are not a confident driver then I wouldn't bother because repairs are very pricey for ANY part of the vehicle.

Similar Products Used:

We compared it to a Jaguar Daimler Double six which was great too, but this is defunately the better car.

I've been a BMW owner for the past 7 years. I had a 540 for 6 years and wanted more back seat leg room, which this one had, and more features! Besides the typical BMW perks, the stereo, rear window shades and seats are worth noting. In addition, the integrated cell phone with voice dial saves a lot of time and adds safety.

I thought it was underpowered compared to my 540i. It's so big. I think it grew a few inches after I had it for a while. I think if I had the money, I would have gone for the 750IL. The AC was not as good as the 540, again probably because of the size. The CD played only held 6 discs, wish it held more. The glove box doesn't close well, never has, dealer says nothing can be done.

I purchased this car 6 months old from a dealer who had taken it on a trade for a mercedes (his loss) and got it for a steal, 56K. I think that if I had to do it all over again, I might reconsider the 540 or maybe the 740I sport. The IL is a great limo car and my freinds love riding in it. I would definately recommend it. The dealer is the best. If you want to ride in style and demand safety, go for it!

Similar Products Used:

I looked at Mercedes S class, but felt it to old-manish. I think BMW is the best sport luzury in its class.

It has the heart of a Corvette and the brains of a Mainframe. It thinks it's a Gazelle. Loves to go fast and hides the sensation acoustically and by vibration dampening. No car touches it in the "looks" category. The controls are easy to use and ergonomic. The engine growl is almost erotic during acceleration, which caused me to drive without the CD playing, just to hear it sing. The in-dash GPS works great and gets me to business meetings without “direction stress”.

May be too electronically advanced. Have had Control Modules replaced twice for various malfunctions. Right headlight just died. Will have to bring in to shop. I'm still under warranty but the bulb costs $300 as well as the module. Harsh ride! When the road is smooth, it glides. But when it finds a bump it will announce it. After a 2 hour ride to LA I was spent.

Paid $78,000. I would recommend it but test drive on poorly paved roads to see if you want to live with the ride.

Similar Products Used:

BMW 535 - love that car and drove it for 10 years. The 740 is alot faster and sexier. But I'll never trash talk my 535. It will be a sad day when the new owner drives it out of my garage.

Smooth, solid perfomance, best looking car on the road. Tons of power, but smooth, comfortable and quiet. Very sneaky - looks classy, but fast as anything around. Great brakes and very agile for size.

Sun roof whistles. Dealer service and attitude stinks. Have never had it seviced that it has not come back with something new broken. Million dollar car, ten cent dealers.

$Paid mid 60''s. Would recommend the car highly. High marks in all areas. Expensive on front end, but quality, timeless design, and sturdy performance offset this. Great value. Great car!

Similar Products Used:

Lexus LS 400, BMW 5.40. More fun than Lexus, but after purchase dealer service is dissapointing. Lexus kills BMW in service and quality. But the BMW beats the LS in performance and fun!

The car has so much power and acceleration. It feels very solid. The handling is near sports car category. Breaking is pretty good for a big vehicle. There are plenty of room at the front and rear, which makes it an ideal family/sports car combination. I have two kids and the rear seats are perfect. The looks should I say is one of the best looking car ever made, especially with the 18” parallel spoke M-wheels.

Before considering this car, I suggest you check the following: Engine noise, harsh ride, firm unsupportive seats, lumbar support, climate controls are very small, bad stereo, useless cup holders, inside plastics can be easily scratch permanently, wandering and light less precise steering, sudden brakes the pull to one side, very small narrow trunk, backseat seatbelts position, vanity shade that can't be push all the way to the side, mysterious rattles and too many expensive things to go wrong.

When I bought mine, I didn’t bother checking out other luxury cars because I think BMW is the best and the most satisfying to own and drive. Well, not really. My brother and his wife own both the 2000 S430 and the 2001 L430. When they went out of the country for vacation, I had a chance to drive these other 2 cars (they said I could drive it) for 3 weeks. Only then that I realized why didn’t I check these other 2 cars, (especially the Lexus) before I went to get the 740il. Lexus, despite its conservative bland styling, will raised any driver’s benchmarks. Believe me!

Similar Products Used:

Lexus LS430 and MB S430.

Great engine, transmission, handling, and lots of leg room (740iL). Quietness, ride, and supreme comfort.

I wish heated rear seats were available as an option on my car.

My 740iL cost $76000. Only other comparable car in the market is Mercedes' S Class. But the BMW is much more athletic. Yes, there are numerous controls and are not easy to grasp at first glance, but they are all logical and useful in their function and layout. Once studied, they are simple to use. These are unlike other car’s controls that seemingly ergonomic but over simplified. The 4.4L does not have 310 bhp but it does have 324lb-ft of torque. It accelerates as fast as 528i manual. For its size and weight, the performance is amazing. Believe me, I have raced with Ford Mustang and won.

Smooth power delivery. Amazing agility for a car this size.

Unnecesarily complicated controls. No in-dash CD player/changer.

Even though it lacks some of the fancy gadgets that are part of the new Mercedes S-class (the new 7-series due out in 2001 would probably have all those features), it drives much better than any other car in its class. It handles as well as many sports cars without compromising ride quality.

Similar Products Used:

Lexus LS400, Mercedes E430