730D or 745i?

[hughjayteens]

Am pondering a Luxo barge with a weekend toy (Elise maybe) when my lease expires, and whilst I know a 730D might be the sensible option, I can get a like for like 745i for about £3k less (£10k versus £13k ish for a 2003 65k mile car).

The saving in purchase price would cover the difference in my fuel bills I think (I only do 10k a year) so would the 745i be the better option?

Anyone owned or driven one?

Cheers

Chris

[pgilc1]

The cheapest 2003 730d with less than 60K miles is this very nicely spec'd Sport with FSH at £11995

http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/www/cars/BMW+...

If you dont want the long wheelbase version of the 745i, then the cheapest 2003 745i with less than 60K miles is £12995

http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/www/cars/BMW+...

If you do want the LWB version then the price drops to around £10K

http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/www/cars/BMW+...

Assuming the 745i will average 18mpg, it will take £2100 a year to fuel it.
Assuming the 730d does 30mpg, it will take £1450 to fuel it.

Come resale time the diesel will be worth significantly more and be much easier sold.

I would therefore suggest that the 730d is probably going to cost you maybe £2000 more, but i would say you will get that £2K back come resale time anyway.

BUT drive both and see what you think - its up to you.

Personally, i drive large BMWs - a 535d, then an x5 then another 535d and each time i've had the choice of the petrol equivalent, but chosen the diesel.

No doubt someone will be along in a minute or two driving a 1.6 focus telling you that they'd buy the 745i.

Edited by pgilc1 on Tuesday 6th January 21:13

Edited by pgilc1 on Tuesday 6th January 21:58

[ferrisbueller]

730d please.

You'll never notice the larger rev range or additional power of the petrol in 98% of contexts. The diesel's power delivery suits a car like the 7er almost perfectly.

[SJobson]

Chris, buy the petrol. If you want some pleasure at weekends, you hardly want 2 minutes of tractor noises first. Actually, ignore me, just try starting the diesel with the door open.

[gizlaroc]

I look at it like this, you can probably knock £500-100 off the diesel and probably knocj £1000-1500 off the V8, even at these low prices.

If you can get a 745i for £10k then I would got for it, £3k saved at £13k and £10k prices will probably be £1500 at £6000 and £7500 prices when you come to sell.

There is a real fear about BMW diesels out there, go on any Merc or Audi forum and all they talk about is 'it not 'if' your turbo or swirl flaps go but 'when' they go.' As the diesels get older I reckon they are going to be no easier to shift than the diesel.


Don't get me wrong the 730d is a stormer, we have a 2007 sport and it suits the 7 series really well. It does between 29-38mpg, normally settles around 32mpg after a few tank fulls.
The 745i with the same sort of driving is going to be 18-27mpg with it settling around 21mpg I would think.

So £150 a month to fill up the 745i and £115 a month to fill up the 730d.


£35 a month for a V8 growl, petrol refinement, and 5.9 seconds to 60 in a 3 tonne luxury barge.
Plus the fact under the hood is virtually bombproof.

Got to be a no brainer hasn't it?

[hughjayteens]

SJobson said:

Chris, buy the petrol. If you want some pleasure at weekends, you hardly want 2 minutes of tractor noises first. Actually, ignore me, just try starting the diesel with the door open.

Hi Simon,
Weekend pleasure isn't an issue as if I did get a 7, it would be in conjunction with an Elise S2 or VX220 Turbo (a friend and I want to share one but it will live on my drive which seems like a good deal to me!). Slightly concerned about potential big bills with an out of warranty 7, but if I am going to get a weekend toy and a waftomatic, it might as well be a proper one!!

[bull996]

Both are great, but personally it would be petrol for me.

Diesels are becoming SOOOOOOOOO complicated and I hear more and more horrifying stories of MASSIVE bills for repairs.

My Mums derv needed a new injector or something....£800!!!!!!!!!!!

[tomTVR]

I would get the petrol, much nicer engine. Dont forget all it takes is one thing to break on the diesel and the whole 'saving money over the petrol' goes out of the window.

[ITP]

Only doing 10k a year i'd get the 745i. If your doing more i'd still get the 745i and have a 2k LPG conversion. I know of a 5 series with this engine converted to LPG run to 250k with no issues.

[hughjayteens]

What about a 730i or 735i? Underpowered?

[Ment-Al]

Ive not driven the 745i so cant compare it to the 730d that I have driven. But if the 745i drives anything like out 840Ci... then get the bloody petrol. I cant see a reason not to!

[pgilc1]

bull996 said:

Both are great, but personally it would be petrol for me.

Diesels are becoming SOOOOOOOOO complicated and I hear more and more horrifying stories of MASSIVE bills for repairs.

My Mums derv needed a new injector or something....£800!!!!!!!!!!!

So the 3.0d diesel engine with a turbo stuck on it thats been around for ten years is 'too complicated'?

I would have thought the engine would be the least of your problems with regards to the complications of a 7 series.

If your mum was charged £800 for an injector she was fleeced.

[Ecurie Ecosse]

Or........... how much do 760s start at?

Go on, be a grizzly!

[hughjayteens]

Ecurie Ecosse said:

Or........... how much do 760s start at?

Go on, be a grizzly!

Haha - don't tempt me! Test drives needed I think!

[noumenon]

Not driven the petrol, but the diesel suits the car very well. Had one for a couple of weekends / long journeys and I loved it. Overtook almost as much as I would do in the porsche too, so no lack of midrange. It did high 30s to the gallon from memory on a whole mix of driving.

Best bit was when I had the mother in law in it. In Auastralia she doesn't let me go above 100kph (62mph) due to the danger from roos and the like. So we're wafting along effortlessly and she's gabbling away. So I ask her what speed she thinks we're doing. She says not sure, maybe 110[kph]? (Correct answer is 115 mph). The dagger look I got from my wife was priceless!

Just bought a 530d myself. I had the same dilema as I was also considering a 545i/550i. In the end it came down to being the first well priced one I came across with the specific options I wanted.

[jdwoodbury]

Go with the petrol as long as the fuel costs do not put you off, I think 21-24mpg is a good average. The 4.4 V8 was voted engine of the year in 2002 for a good reason. I have a 545i and think it's excellent. Diesel is only a choice on costs, petrol for power and refinement (it's also a more reliable motor than the turbo diesel motors)

[hughjayteens]

jdwoodbury said:

Go with the petrol as long as the fuel costs do not put you off, I think 21-24mpg is a good average. The 4.4 V8 was voted engine of the year in 2002 for a good reason. I have a 545i and think it's excellent. Diesel is only a choice on costs, petrol for power and refinement (it's also a more reliable motor than the turbo diesel motors)

I only get 25-26mpg from my 325i so 21-24mpg sounds very palatable. Suppose a sports exhaust isn't the done thing on a 7!!

[noumenon]

hughjayteens said:

jdwoodbury said:

Go with the petrol as long as the fuel costs do not put you off, I think 21-24mpg is a good average. The 4.4 V8 was voted engine of the year in 2002 for a good reason. I have a 545i and think it's excellent. Diesel is only a choice on costs, petrol for power and refinement (it's also a more reliable motor than the turbo diesel motors)

I only get 25-26mpg from my 325i so 21-24mpg sounds very palatable. Suppose a sports exhaust isn't the done thing on a 7!!

Cherry pipe on a 7?

Sounds like you might want a 5 series. Still a luxury barge, but just that bit more sporting than a 7 (which stats to feel heavy when pushed).

[hughjayteens]

noumenon said:

hughjayteens said:

jdwoodbury said:

Go with the petrol as long as the fuel costs do not put you off, I think 21-24mpg is a good average. The 4.4 V8 was voted engine of the year in 2002 for a good reason. I have a 545i and think it's excellent. Diesel is only a choice on costs, petrol for power and refinement (it's also a more reliable motor than the turbo diesel motors)

I only get 25-26mpg from my 325i so 21-24mpg sounds very palatable. Suppose a sports exhaust isn't the done thing on a 7!!

Cherry pipe on a 7?

Sounds like you might want a 5 series. Still a luxury barge, but just that bit more sporting than a 7 (which stats to feel heavy when pushed).

I was actually taking the p*ss!! If I get a 7, it will be joined by an Elise for when I fancy a spirited drive!

[noumenon]