snidehockey Posted February 23, 2006 Posted February 23, 2006 Hey guys - just wondering if anyone has any thoughts for me here. I have a 1994 es300 in mint condition. Everyone who sees it thinks it's a 99. It has 135k on it tan w/ all options. The trade in on it is $3,250. A dealership owned by a friend will give me 4k for it no questions asked - and I am heavily considering a loaded 1998 BMW 740iL with 52000 miles on it for $12,995 with a clean car fax history. Is this a good decision? I don't think I'll have another chance to get that kind of cash for my car...any bad experiences with 7 series anyone? Thanks guys
chuckb Posted February 23, 2006 Posted February 23, 2006 Hey guys - just wondering if anyone has any thoughts for me here. I have a 1994 es300 in mint condition. Everyone who sees it thinks it's a 99. It has 135k on it tan w/ all options. The trade in on it is $3,250. A dealership owned by a friend will give me 4k for it no questions asked - and I am heavily considering a loaded 1998 BMW 740iL with 52000 miles on it for $12,995 with a clean car fax history. Is this a good decision? I don't think I'll have another chance to get that kind of cash for my car...any bad experiences with 7 series anyone? Thanks guys I just sold my 95 ES with 93k miles for $4k. It was to my brother though and the car had a few issues.(valve cover leak, bad egr, 90k svc due) the 98 740il sounds like alot of car for $13k, but if anything breaks I'm sure it's top dollar to fix.
Lexusfreak Posted February 23, 2006 Posted February 23, 2006 the 98 740il sounds like alot of car for $13k, but if anything breaks I'm sure it's top dollar to fix. Agreed! I'd stick to Lexus personally, maybe move to a GS or LS.....an older BMW with no warranty would make me nervous. ;)
lexusk8 Posted February 23, 2006 Posted February 23, 2006 My dad has a '98 BMW 740iL w/ only 45K miles, and personally I think it's a superb vehicle which has tested its time through the years. The only problem encountered was a faulty starter, which we replaced a while ago. I think the price for that part was around $400, including labor. chuckb is right... you'll be paying more out of pocket for repairs and part replacements on a BMW than on a Lexus. Just something to keep in mind. Other than that, good luck with whatever route you consider! :)
rosecityrain Posted February 23, 2006 Posted February 23, 2006 Hey guys - just wondering if anyone has any thoughts for me here. I have a 1994 es300 in mint condition. Everyone who sees it thinks it's a 99. It has 135k on it tan w/ all options. The trade in on it is $3,250. A dealership owned by a friend will give me 4k for it no questions asked - and I am heavily considering a loaded 1998 BMW 740iL with 52000 miles on it for $12,995 with a clean car fax history. Is this a good decision? I don't think I'll have another chance to get that kind of cash for my car...any bad experiences with 7 series anyone? Thanks guys Why not just keep ithe ES? My ES300 just turned over 253,000 and runs perfectly. :) rosie
SW03ES Posted February 23, 2006 Posted February 23, 2006 Eh, i think that generation 7 is pretty reliable. My father in law to be has one, a 98 with 75k (he bought it in 01 or so) and it did have one issue right off the bat that cost $3k, that the certified warranty paid for, but other than that he's had zero problems. For comparison my dad had a 98 LS400 that needed an A/C compressor at about 65k so its not unusual to run into SOME problems on any car in that timeframe. The secret is to find a good independent service shop that specializes in BMWs or German cars and to stay away from the dealer. You think Lexus service is expensive? It ain't got nothin on BMW. His old 7 is much more reliable than his new Lincoln Town Car for example, which has been towed to the dealer 3 times. I also know a few other people with that generation 7 and all have similar experiences. Get it looked at by an independent BMW mechanic first then I wouldn't be too worried. You might want to check out some BMW forums and see whatsome common issues for that year 740 are so you can look out for them.
jragosta Posted February 23, 2006 Posted February 23, 2006 Hey guys - just wondering if anyone has any thoughts for me here. I have a 1994 es300 in mint condition. Everyone who sees it thinks it's a 99. It has 135k on it tan w/ all options. The trade in on it is $3,250. A dealership owned by a friend will give me 4k for it no questions asked - and I am heavily considering a loaded 1998 BMW 740iL with 52000 miles on it for $12,995 with a clean car fax history. Is this a good decision? I don't think I'll have another chance to get that kind of cash for my car...any bad experiences with 7 series anyone? Thanks guys Does the BMW have a warranty or can you get one for a reasonable price?
charley240sx Posted February 23, 2006 Posted February 23, 2006 yeah no doubt it is an awesome car, because my mom has a 97. but it is really really expensive to fix. she bought it at 40k miles. since then, the radiator outlet hose pops off when ac is on and gas is consumed heavily. interior b-pillar tabs broke and will be somewhat expensive to fix. cup holder only held 1 12oz water and cupholder broke off. cat converter is ruined and needs to be replaced because it makes a whining noise. computer always sounds like it is on even when the car is shut off. trunk struts are ruined and the trunk is very heavy and has fallen on many peoples heads already. and now the power steering pump is leaking. and all this crap is expensive to fix, but actually driving it is worth a million. goodluck
snidehockey Posted February 24, 2006 Author Posted February 24, 2006 I backed out...I didn't trust the guy and there was an idiot light for the suspension. I'm checking out an 03 tiburon black on black gt with 35k on it for the same price. The Beemer is my dream car, but the Hyundai (for being a 21 yeard old) is smarter 'cause of the great warranty and stuff. Someday I'll get the 740 (or 750 :-) ) just probably not yet. Thanks guys!
chuckb Posted February 24, 2006 Posted February 24, 2006 I backed out...I didn't trust the guy and there was an idiot light for the suspension. I'm checking out an 03 tiburon black on black gt with 35k on it for the same price. The Beemer is my dream car, but the Hyundai (for being a 21 yeard old) is smarter 'cause of the great warranty and stuff. Someday I'll get the 740 (or 750 :-) ) just probably not yet. Thanks guys! wow, from a flagship BMW to a Hyundai how about a GS400? you should find a nice one under $15k.
Aija Posted February 25, 2006 Posted February 25, 2006 Well our family has a 2000 740il, very fun to drive but very costly. I agree with the post above me, consider a GS400.
SupraMan Posted February 28, 2006 Posted February 28, 2006 Well our family has a 2000 740il, very fun to drive but very costly. I agree with the post above me, consider a GS400. The Tiberon is a very nice car for a 21 year old. There are lots of ricer mods for it, and a growing fan base. I'm old school CRX/del Slo modder, but am impressed by the V6 Tib nonetheless. Safer choice than a potentially fried BMW, I think you're doin' good! B)
davisr_77 Posted March 1, 2006 Posted March 1, 2006 I backed out...I didn't trust the guy and there was an idiot light for the suspension. I'm checking out an 03 tiburon black on black gt with 35k on it for the same price. The Beemer is my dream car, but the Hyundai (for being a 21 yeard old) is smarter 'cause of the great warranty and stuff. Someday I'll get the 740 (or 750 :-) ) just probably not yet. Thanks guys! That's a BIG jump to make - but overall, if you're 21 (wish you could see what I drove at 21...) It's probably a smart move. As for BMW's, Having owned a few older ones, I recommend the smaller models overall and especially to younger drivers. Generally speaking, the model # tends to indicate the relative "hit" of parts and service costs. The 7's of this generation were reliable - if you mean the 4.4L V-8 and the GM-supplied 5-speed auto. Everything else fails with amazing regularity, in fact the electrical and cooling systems are the two biggest reasons people walk away from one. Look at a '99 328i as a possible alternative (nearly the same price - the 7's really depreciate) or even an E-36 M3, but remember that they will be expensive to look after. I do relate here - I have really liked the E-38 chassis 7'er and really despise the newer model. My "dream 7" is a 740d, which we did not have the privledge of recieving. Check out www.unofficialbmw.com for tons more info on any of thier models. One factor you may not have considered with the Tiburon, while Hyundai has done a great job of building themsleves and their cars up in the past five years, they still depreciate rapidly. Perhaps if you can find a Honda Prelude, or even just a newer ES, you may be happier with it overall. Good luck!
snidehockey Posted March 3, 2006 Author Posted March 3, 2006 Hey guys...thanks for the input! Alot of your advice on the Beemer realy helped me make my decision...I got full price for my ES (guy didn't haggle at all) I got 4,700 for my 94 w/ 133k on it. So this is what I ended up with...
chuckb Posted March 7, 2006 Posted March 7, 2006 Hey guys...thanks for the input! Alot of your advice on the Beemer realy helped me make my decision...I got full price for my ES (guy didn't haggle at all) I got 4,700 for my 94 w/ 133k on it. So this is what I ended up with... congrats man-$4700 is a good price. Like I said, I just sold my "95 with 93K miles for $4k. good luck with the new car.
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