Faults:

Air con won't work, traction control sensors, pixel display a bit intermittent, coolant leaks and problems, all sorted by myself in the one year I have had it. The car has had every oil change since new, and the previous owner had a few expensive problems but nothing serious according to history logs. Rust is appearing on the arches front and rear, but it is 25 years old.

General Comments:

1997 728i in blue with grey leather, massive alloy wheels, I love the look of this car inside and out. The E38 is the best looking BMW 7 series in my opinion. First saw this car in a James Bond movie and wanted one ever since.

First off, how does it drive? Well 740i and 750i owners will tell you anything less than those is useless, but I have had no problems keeping up with modern traffic in my 728i. With nearly 200 bhp I can't see why anyone says these are under powered. Yes the V8 and V12's are wonderful, but the straight six cylinder cars are still worth looking at. They can also achieve something resembling economy, 27 mpg on average, maybe a little more on a long cruise. Not great today, but very good for a large luxury car from its time, and the bigger engined cars will never see anything near those numbers in economy.

Interior is quiet and refined, suspension is surprisingly firm but it does corner very well for its size and weight, and never sacrifices comfort. I like to just cruise in it however and never drive like a maniac, it is not that kind of car. Probably the most comfortable car I have ever had.

I plan to sort the rust and keep it as a weekend/summer cruiser. Buy nothing less than a looked after car, and if like me you know a BMW mechanic, maintaining one of these is still expensive but manageable as a second car.

Faults:

Leaky petrol tank - common problem for those in the know apparently - IL has special 100 liter tank!

Suspension bushes.

Bonnet cable.

Electronic niggles.

Phone died - repair would cost more than the actual car!!

Consistent power steering fluid leak.

Catalysts.

General Comments:

Getting on in age and has a deteriorating image.

It is so nice to drive though! Although I've been beaten in overtaking by a Nova banger because the damn auto gear box change.

This is a car for those who love it, otherwise it's soo expensive to run.

Faults:

Top water pipe split.

OSV valve became blocked.

Air con pump seized.

Traction control sensor failed.

Pixel failure on display.

"Check tail lights warning constantly on".

Used quite a lot of oil, but with no smoke, but BMW said this was normal.

General Comments:

Absolutely amazing vehicle, supreme in every way.

Looked stunning, handled amazingly on B roads and loved the twisty stuff.

Absolute silence at 145mph on the autobahn and felt very stable. The interior was sublime.

Surprisingly economical and not much slower than my friend's Impreza WRX 50mph - 70mph. Great gearbox and was truly a stunning car.

I happily overlooked the minor problems, which were to be expected.

10 speaker stereo was amazing.

Loved this car and will almost definitely buy another.

Had a small accident with another vehicle, which resulted in a slightly dented wing and the other vehicle being written off. Amazingly safe, fast and excellent to drive. Doesn't have the grin factor of the MX5, but an amazing long distance cruiser, and parts are relatively cheap too.