Thermostat is stuck open. £13 part and I can fit myself.
This is my second BMW 728i (E38 series). I still have the first one - frankly too good to sell.
This is the big secret in the BMW family. Assumed to be a gas guzzler, they are actually very reasonably frugal cars which will cost much, much less to own than many rattly, tinny compact cars. Even in heavy town traffic 26mpg is normal and 35mpg on an 80mph motorway tromp. This from an aristocratic super-limo the size of The Tirpitz.
Pretty indestructable too. 300K miles from an engine is the norm - they have been tested to 3M miles and still to factory spec. Bulletproof gearbox - the best in the business. Suspension needs care, but OEM parts are reasonable prices. You can get great Taiwan tyres at good prices.
The drive is all though. Swift, responsive, sports handling like a much smaller car. Makes the right noises (quietly). All the toys (if you buy the right one). Past model, but nobody notices as no-one is buying the ugly new one and BMWs age beautifully. This is a classic.
Top Tips. Buy a 728i Sports with TV/Sat Nav, dechromed and debadged. Needs to be Blue. The best. Buy at 4 years old to pick up a £47,000 car for £10,000. With full BMWSH it will be better than the day the mug who has paid for (most of) your car picked it up.
That's an interesting review and good advice.
The bigger-engined models only have an edge in acceleration, as the 728 has all the top-end speed you can reasonably use, unless you want to blast along at 155mph all the time, in Germany.
I'm just glad there are plenty of wealthy individuals (I wouldn't dare call them "Mugs") who can afford to buy new, so that I can buy their well-maintained cars second hand.
728 is actually the best of the 7-series in terms of quality as well. The 2,8-litre engine is one of the most reliable engines that BMW ever produced. The 6 cylinder engines from BMW sound great and responds great. I must say I'm amazed by the acceleration in my 728. Really good for a car that size with only the 2,8 litre inline 6.
The only big problem with these BMW's is the electronic components. Sensors fail after some time. And even if they don't cost much to replace, it's still annoying when the warning light for the ASC and ABS keeps coming on and the speedometer fails. I've had some problems with that on my car. But my mechanic says it's most likely the rear wheel ABS-sensors. Another issue with these cars are the transmissions. They are maintenance free, and even if that might sound great, it isn't. There are some people who've experienced problems with them, and when they do, BMW can't fix the problem, as they won't even perform an oil service on them, due to the fact that they are "sealed for life" and not meant to have oil services. However, I've had no such problem with mine, but it is a great concern of mine, as the car have 240.000 km on the clock. The problem with BMW is that you often have to turn to other specialists to have problems fixed, as the BMW-dealers can't fix more complex problems on the cars. It's really a shame, as such an advanced car really needs first class mechanics.
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