Azure 1 Report post Posted July 31 Hey everyone I was told to come here from Reddit, I'm considering buying a 7 series BMW and would love some input from those who might have experience with this car or know more about it. Here are the details: Make and Model: BMW E38 728i Year: 2001 Mileage: 166,000ks Price: $6,500 Condition: Cant really tell from the photos but seller is a car guy so assuming he know whats he's doing Usage: Wanting to use it from daily driving and driving from Hamilton to Auckland occasionally I've done some research and found that the engine (M52B28) is known for being fairly reliable compared to the V8/V12s. However, I'm still on the fence as I'm not wanting to it to be a money pit. Would appreciate any firsthand experiences or advice. Plate is DGC277 if anyone wants to carjam it. I have linked to reddit thread if anyone want to see Are there any common issues I should be aware of? How's the reliability and maintenance cost? Is the price reasonable for the condition and mileage? Any alternatives you would recommend? Thanks in advance for your help! 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eagle 1677 Report post Posted July 31 (edited) Money pit is a pretty subjective term. All old cars are money pits if you start to change old parts to refresh\restore them to a near new driving experience and condition. Doing the bare minimum for servicing and WOF requirements may or may not be depending on the condition of car, how its been used, service history and luck. No real information or photos so hard to say much. Japanese imports of this era arent as good as NZ new equivalent (possibly Jatco transmission(jerky gear change issues), IR remote instead of RF, maybe extra emissions gear, no euro trims, little to no service history etc M52 engines are fairly solid and cheapish to repair but usually lots of aged plastics and rubber that can fail. ZF's transmissions last if they have been serviced at some point. Tired suspension is big cost on these but you can things like random electrical failures like ABS modules which can get expensive to fix. Interiors are usually failing to varying degrees, A\C buttons, dash pixels, headlining, rubber seals, wear of seats etc. For a daily driver i dont see the point unless you want to carry passengers in comfort. Be better off with E46 6 cylinder, much cheaper to run\fix and generally less to go wrong. Even a E39 5 series which still has decent space but lighter and more examples to choose from. If you do end up locking something in then get a pre-purchase check by someone who is familiar with the model before you hand over money. Edited July 31 by Eagle 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hqstu 780 Report post Posted July 31 As a e38 740 owner, and been around e39's and now e38's for a while I can't add to what Jared has said - at all Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mmario 52 Report post Posted July 31 (edited) As above however I think that's a cool as hell daily This will not be a fast vehicle if that's a concern, my e39 528i is slow, this barge will be even slower. Unless you are wrenching yourself any old BMW is a potential money pit. E39 530i or E46 330i would be my alternatives. Edited July 31 by mmario Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
