Help needed-01 740i vs 540 sport

[Milesofsmiles]

I am considering moving to a 740i from my 540 sport. The sport suspension on the 540 was very rough, felt everything, and the car would shudder at 45-50 mph. Put on 3 new rims and 4 new tires-still the same deal.

I have been offered $26,800 on the 540(with 54K miles, very clean though) and am looking at an 01 740i (clean)with 28K miles for $42,500. The car is from Miami(any red flags?)I checked service records and they look great. Just replaced front and rear brakes-how often should I expect to do this-every 25-30K miles?

Any issues I should be aware of with the 01 740?What do you think of the deal?

[FlyingHigh]

The price seems a bit high and your brake change frequency completely depends on your mix of driving (hwy vs city).

If you don't want the new body style (who can blame you), the 2001 7's are the way to go - the last year made so they have all the improvements made during the E38 model run. Many here specifically seek out the sport models. Read the post above from M Wong about what to look for in a used E38. You will also find a lot of useful info on www.E38.org .

Good luck!

[Reed Hunt]

Originally posted by FlyingHigh
The price seems a bit high and your brake change frequency completely depends on your mix of driving (hwy vs city).

If you don't want the new body style (who can blame you), the 2001 7's are the way to go - the last year made so they have all the improvements made during the E38 model run. Many here specifically seek out the sport models. Read the post above from M Wong about what to look for in a used E38. You will also find a lot of useful info on www.E38.org .

Good luck!

What he (Jack) said - and do push back on price, too much currently...

[ericw]

I've had both. I traded my 98 540 Sport in on an 01 740 Sport. I think you will be much happier with the ride in the 7. Here'a how I would charactorize the cars. The 5 is a sports car masquarading in a sedan body. The 7 is a luxury car with a very seroius sporting bent to it. My 5 was bulletproof. In the 3 years I owned it it only saw the inside of the dealer for oil changes and tires (lots of tires). The 7 has some minor issues. All of which were fixed in one trip to the dealer and under warrantee. If you are looking at a sport you won't give up much in the way of performance. The 5 handles better, the price is the harsher ride. They are both great cars.

[ericw]

: Hey that was my 100th post
I beat Roy Cya to 100

[Milesofsmiles]

Eric, the car I am looking at does not have the Sport, which you obviously like. What is the driving difference in sport vs not on a 740? I assume it is smoother than the ride in the 540.

The 540 is an '00 by the way-great engine and acceleration. Would love to keep it if I could fix the shaking-some have said it is struts, other say the 540 sport has a range of 5-10mph where many behave this way.

[jayadam63]

42 for a 740i non-sport is very high.

740's shake a bit too -- they're very sensitive to tires with memory and can shake a bit between 45 and 55 until the tires warm up. Some have not reported this problem, though.

[texbeamer]

Interesting....Is that true.....no wonder...I am having problem with mine between 45-55 too. It shakes a little bit. I balanced my tires twice now and it did not go away. Could you confirm that Jay?

Thanks,
Song

[Milesofsmiles]

Song-This is on my 540-hard to believe but it is true. I replaced all the tires and 3 rims! I hear it could be the struts and someone recommended Koni-I may try this before selling.

[JLe38]

For a 01 740i non-Sport with 28K miles, you should be able to purchase for around $37k ~ $39K plus tax & fees.

Many Dallas E38 guys had shimmy problem when they switched to wheels that do not have the exact hub diameter (72.5 mm) of the E38. Hubcentric Rings didn't eliminate the problem completely or that the car would be balanced only to have to return to shop again in couple weeks. There are other problems such as bushings, thrust arm, or not perfectly round tires that can cause the problem also.

I went through several sets of wheels for the two E38's I have/had. Ended up with OEM E38/E65 wheels on both cars and no shimmy problem experienced.

Good luck with your purchase!

JL

[ericw]

I agree the 42G's is high for a non sport. I don't want to insult anyone who drives a non sport i. But you are going to want to test drive a sport before making a decision. I think it come a lot closer to a 540 sport in acceleration and handling

[rango44]

I would like to comment on just a couple of the things said be all here. My 95 car also exhibits this 45-50 minor shake and I have almost brand new wheels and tires all the way around. This shake disappears after just a few minutes driving. I have always assumed it was tire memory from sitting over night. A few miles of road and the memory is erased.

I watch the cars for sale around the country and the prices being asked almost constantly. The things I have gathered are that Florida and Texas seem to have the biggest flood of used BMW’s of anywhere in the country. Consequently, these areas have the lowest prices and best deals on these used cars. A quick skim through the BMW cars on Ebay will show you that probably half the cars are from one or the other of these two states. Also many of the used car dealers in my area import the cars they buy from those states, primarily from Texas due to its closer location.

The prices quoted are outrageous that you have mentioned. My area is not exactly known for cheap used BMW’s but I could get a much better deal than that. You can see two examples of this in the following link to the most Expensive BMW dealer in Portland. Look down through the used car inventory and you will find a 2001 Certified sport 740I for 41.9K with 49K miles and a 2001 Certified normal 740I with 27K miles for 39.9K. Both cars have the MPAR wheels and I again state the following. This dealer is a dealer that caters to the rich. They are by far one of the most expensive dealers in the country. Also, the prices are asking price and can probably be purchased for several thousands less. Please keep this in mind when shopping.

http://www.rasmussenbmw.com/preowned.asp

Working on my 100 and trying to be helpful.
Randy

[ChicagoE38]

My E39 had "the Jimmies" at 51mph, no more, no less.

New thrust arm bushings permanently cured it.