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Feature: The 4Car top 10: bargain luxury saloons

03 Jan 08

BMW 7-Series

Prices
From £2,000 for earliest; £10,000 buys good six/seven year-old examples
Examples
2.8 straight-six; 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.4 V8s; 5.4 V12
Watch out for
ECU issues and other electronic faults; auto gearbox failure; some mid-90s V8s were problematic
For
Smart; driver-focused; well-built; great value second-hand
Against
Looking dated now; high running costs when things go wrong

2. BMW 7-Series (1994-02)

The E38-series Seven is looking rather dated now, with its pre-Chris Bangle styling, but you could argue that it actually looks like a classic BMW. Other plus points for this generation of 7-Series compared to its successor include the fact that it doesn't have the horrendously complex i-Drive control system. It's a large, comfortable yet dynamic BMW with no gimmicks, full stop.

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BMW 7-Series

BMW 7-Series

We wouldn't recommend going for the 5.4 V12, what with ever-rising fuel prices, but there's not a lot between the various V8s when comparing fuel economy - they all return 20-25mpg if you're not to heavy-footed. This 7-Series hasn't been quite as trouble-free as it should have been, but is generally tough and should run to very high mileages. Don't buy without service history, though.

Road Test: BMW 7-Series

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