1988 BMW 7 Series 730iA review from North America
"Performance and luxury at the same time"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Well, since this car is from 1988, I had to change many parts. Here are a couple of things that I changed when I bought the car (230 000 km) :
- Alternator
- Battery
- Starter
- Control Arms
- Tie-Rods
- Bushings
- Brake Sensors
- Brake Pads & Brake Disks
- Oil & Air Filters
- Front-Right Suspension
- Electric Window Engine
- Instrument Cluster
- Heating System Repair
- Complete Tune-Up
- Etc.
There are lots of parts that had to be changed due to normal wear and it is quite normal for a 15 year old car. The instrument cluster seems to be a common problem with that year 7 series. Another common problem is that the transmission doesn't shift smoothly through the 1st and 2nd gear.
General comments?
I imported this BMW flagship directly from Germany last summer. Here are some modifications that were done to it :
- Lowered Suspensions
- Racing Steering Wheel
- BMW 750 Wheels
- Tinted Windows
- Recaro Leather Racing Seats
- Performance Air Filter
- Etc.
I have also put in a sound system :
- Panasonic DF-600U CD Player
- 2 Pioneer Premiere 12" Sub-woofers
- Pioneer 760 Watt Amplifier.
The main problem with older cars is the electrical system. Because of the age, corrosion stars eating up wires and the electric system. The starter makes horrible noise sometimes. Mechanically, this car is flawless. I never had a single problem with the engine. Acceleration is kind of slow because of the automatic transmission, but once it hits the highway... Top Speed of 240km/h. 0-100km/h is done in 10 seconds and 80-120km/his done in around 7.5 seconds. Handling is incredible as well as braking. The interior is beautiful with wood trimming and it is spacious and comfortable in the back. Lots of space in the trunk. Very luxurious and performing vehicle. Oh yeah, I forgot to talk about the cost of the parts and labor : VERY expensive. Parts have to be imported from Germany and the labour is expensive...it's BMW!
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 2002 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.0 Inline 6 Cylinder Automatic |
| Performance marks | 9/10 |
| Reliability marks | 9/10 |
| Comfort marks | 10/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 8/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 230000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 245000 kilometres |
| Date of Entry | 4th October, 2003 |