The car in this body was produced from 1994 to 2001. The last generation - body E32. All were released 4 modifications of the 38th body:

• standard;
• long version, which is 14 cm longer;
• E38 L7, it is even longer, has an additional central rack, it is rare, but can be found;
• armored E38, which has B6-B7 protection level, but it is even more expensive to maintain, armored windshield alone costs about a million rubles.

Exterior car design

This is a classic sedan, even when it first appeared in 1994, it was not revolutionary, but evolutionary. If you put a number of previous generations, then you can see they have common features, for which many fans fell in love with BMW. Also in this design, the ideal proportions, despite its age, the car still looks fashionable, like a classic suit.

In 1998, this model was restyled, after which the car received several changes. In the dorestayling version, the optics are rectangular;

In dorestayle - yellow turn signals, the other nostrils. Dorestaylingovaya looks more brutal. Also, the front bumper has changed, in restyled cars, the lower part of the bumper began to be painted in the body color, and in dorestayle it was just black. The wings are also different, because the silhouette of the side turn signal has changed. It will not be possible to change the headlights and nostrils to get a post-styled car.

The side of the BMW 7-ki in the E38 body after the restyling is also different. The main difference in the rapids, there was a plastic door sill, and also the principle of raising the car on the jack. On the dorestayling on the thresholds were installed round plugs in front and behind. They must be removed, put a jack there, and then raise the car. And on the restyled car jack is placed under the threshold. And the jack itself is also different.

In the rear of the special changes did not happen, just the rear lights began to make better materials, they began to look more modern. But there was an additional option - the trunk lid can be closed using the button. And we will press on the trunk lid on the dorestayling version.

Engines

Let's start with the most budget version of the 725 tds, which has a 6-cylinder diesel engine M51, with a capacity of 143 liters. with. and 280 nm of torque. The main disadvantage of this configuration is its weak overclocking dynamics - 12.2 seconds to a hundred.

Fuel consumption will be about 12 liters of diesel per 100 km. run But the motor itself is reliable, if it is disassembled after 300,000 km. run, you can see that the blocks are in normal form. Because there are cast-iron blocks, and the head of the block is aluminum, it is easily repaired, if cracks appear, they can be welded and ground.

The motor itself is not bad, but the diesel engines of those years are difficult to repair, more expensive than gasoline, so it’s better not to buy this equipment. The turbine serves approximately 150,000 km. There are also classic diesel malfunctions with injection pump and glow plugs. Therefore, if you take this car tired, then it will be able to deliver a lot of problems.

Next comes the petrol version of the 728i, in which the M52 and M52 tu engines were installed. In these engines 193 liters. with. power and 280 Nm of torque. Up to a hundred, it accelerates in 9.5 seconds. This is also quite a long time, and consumption in the city is 16 liters of gasoline. And all because the weight of the machine is large - more than 2 tons. Therefore, such an engine is not enough for it. But if all the same, decide to take the 728i, then take with the motor tu (technical upgrade) approximately 1998 release.

This motor is really different, it has cast iron liners on the aluminum cylinder block. Also, tuos engines stand on the inlet and outlet, it allows the car to be made more economical and at lower revs it drives better - goes faster at maximum torque.

Next comes the grade 730d, with the M57 engine, which is pretty good, it has 6 cylinders and it is reliable. Quietly over 400,000 km. motor departure and continues to work. Its capacity is 193 liters. with. But the torque - 410 Nm. Its fuel consumption is lower - 12 liters of diesel per 100 km. run by the city. Acceleration to 100 km / h in 8.9 seconds, which is better than the 728i.

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Although the motor is reliable, all the same, it is necessary to thoroughly diagnose the car before it is purchased, a turbine is installed on this motor, it lasts a long time - about 150,000 km. But still there may be a lot of nuances associated with the low quality of our fuel. That is, if you live in the region where you know that diesel is bad, then such a car cannot be taken.

This machine is worth direct injection, the common rail system, and poor-quality diesel fuel will clog the nozzles. You also need to ensure that the engines do not overheat, that is, if you notice that the engine on the BMW overheated, then in no case can not continue to go on it, you need to drag in tow or call a tow truck. It will be cheaper. The following modification - 730 with a gasoline engine. Here is the M60 V8 engine with a capacity of 218 liters. with. and 300 Nm of torque. The car accelerates rather slowly - 9.5 seconds to 100 km / h. And consumption in the city - 17-18 liters per 100 km. And also in the M60 are used nikosilovye blocks, which are highly dependent on the quality of gasoline.

In the 90s, these engines broke down very often, because the quality of gasoline was then low, and German developers did not think that these cars would travel around Russia, where the quality of fuel leaves much to be desired. Later, they realized a mistake and for some countries began to produce cars with alsilic blocks. Therefore, it is better to immediately abandon the purchase of this configuration with the M60 engine.

Next comes the 735i gasoline grade, which has 8-cylinder M62 and M62 tu engines with a capacity of 235 and 238 liters. with. respectively. These motors are good enough, but some instances are nicosilic, as a rule, the first years of release. After 1998, alsilic blocks are already installed. On tu motor installed vanos. In this engine, there are problems with the valve seals, they must be changed after 150,000 km. run

You also need to monitor the chain, because there have been cases that it broke. But in general, a reliable motor, if you follow him. When buying it is important to make a serious diagnosis. There is such a nuance - the water cooling generator, it is quite expensive, so this system should be carefully checked before purchase.

Yes, and already better dynamic performance - 8.4 and 8.1 seconds to a hundred. It seems to be 3 liters. with. difference, and the car goes much faster. This was due to vanos. Moreover, tu engines consume less fuel. In the city consumption will be 16-17 liters per 100 km. run And for those who live in Russia - this modification is good because it does not fall under the tax, since the capacity is less than 250 liters. with. And this car is more or less dynamic, therefore, as a purchase option, this modification can be considered.

Next comes the 740 with a gasoline engine. Under the hood, 2 options for motors:

• M60 with a volume of 4 liters and 286 liters. with. power;
• M62 with a capacity of 286 liters. with. but with a volume of 4.4 liters.

But it is better to buy a car with a motor M62. This car travels up to 100 km / h in 7.1 seconds. And the consumption is about 16-17 liters per 100 km. by the city. This car already will give pleasure from driving, from fast acceleration, after 100 km / h it continues to accelerate rather quickly. And the sound of the V8 engine is just great, the M60 and M62 are the engines that sound most beautiful.

This car is the only negative - it is a road tax - about 45,000 rubles a year. You can take such a car for 400,000 rubles, but every year you have to pay 45,000 rubles, this is not very encouraging and makes you wonder. Next is a very rare equipment - 740d, they are really very few. The motor here M67 is an eight-cylinder diesel unit. You will not find spare parts for disassembly, you will have to buy only original ones and everything for an order, since there is little that is available. All parts are expensive, injectors only 25,000 rubles each, turbine 150,000 rubles.

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Power 245 liters. s., 560 Nm of torque. It accelerates to a hundred in 8.5 seconds, which is not very fast, but it will be enough in the city. It can be zachipovat, and it will become faster. But if it breaks, then it will take a long time until it is repaired, and it will be difficult to sell it. This option is a real vacuum cleaner for money, so it’s absolutely impossible to buy it.

And the most powerful and interesting equipment - 750 with 5.4 liter V12 engine. M73, power - 326 l. with. and 540 Nm of torque. Accelerates to 100 km / h in 6.5 seconds. Claimed consumption - 21 liters in the city, but maybe more, depending on how you drive. But if you quietly drive around the city, then you can meet in 16 liters.

But those who buy a 12-cylinder engine do not think about fuel consumption. This motor is also quite rare, spare parts for it are also needed, mostly, only original ones. The design of the motor is quite simple, it can be repaired, it is not capricious, it quietly runs over 500,000 km. and more. Oil is not so much - 1 liter per 10,000 km. run

If you follow him and do not specifically kill, then he will serve for a long time. The disassembly of spare parts for this machine is small, this engine was installed only on the E38, on the E31 (8th series) and on the Rolls Royces of the 2000s. This motor has 2 control units, 2 air filters, 12 candles. Even the usual MOT will cost you much more. You can buy such a car, but if you ride it every day, then the operation will fly into a pretty penny. Consumption of more than 20 liters per hundred, tax - 50,000 rubles a year - these are quite substantial expenses.

This engine has no special problems, there are minor flaws that can be fixed. As a result, if you decide to take a BMW 7-ku in the back of the E38, then the ideal option would be the 740 version with the M62 engine, it has a good dynamics, beautiful sound, a popular engine, there are many spare parts, both new and used, unoriginal too much. For those who want an exclusive, you can search 750 in good condition. And for those who care about consumption and taxes, it makes sense to take 730 diesel or 728 gasoline.

Interior

In the cabin of this car, too, a lot of interesting things, especially if we consider the machine is fully loaded and in good condition. Since this is a representative car, let's start with the rear seats. It is clear that there is a lot of space in the rear seats, plenty of space. Among the interesting features - a table mounted in the front seat. This is quite a handy thing, you can eat on it. There is also a mirror in the headrest of the front seat. These are all additional options of that time, they are not necessary, but convenient. There is also a removable plastic tablet that can be used for work.

In this configuration there is climate control, you can set the temperature for the rear passengers. There are heated seats, rear sofa is regulated by an electric drive. Trim of natural wood and leather. The materials are very high quality, everything is clearly adjusted, the plastic is of high quality, in some places it is even better than on modern BMW 7th series. And in this car everything is made of expensive materials, it is clear that the car fully complies with the representative class.

There are also rear curtains, which are raised by hand, but the thing is also useful. Heavy doors, because they use double glazing, thanks to which the insulation is simply gorgeous.

In the front seat, too, everything is done at the highest level, even today the interior looks decent. Gearboxes are different, the E38 is the last body into which the manual gearbox was installed. There were also automatic boxes with Steptronic, with the ability to switch gears yourself. And just an automatic without a Steptronic, they were installed on earlier cars.

E38 is the first body in which they began to install an adaptive gearbox. This means that the box will adapt to the style of the driver. If you constantly drive at higher revs, the box will switch at high revs. If you quietly accustomed to ride, then the box will switch to lower revs, you get an economical and quiet ride. The machines here are reliable, so you can buy a car with an automatic transmission, but for those who love mechanics, it makes sense to look for options with mechanics. But anyway, the car is old, and then as lucky, during the purchase it can be all right, there will be no errors in the diagnosis, and in 2 weeks the box can take and break, only because it is already serious age.

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There are not so many differences in the restyled and dorestaylingov versions, and they are so small that they are known only to BMW fans, namely: in the restyled version there was a pen light, the button for closing and opening the central locking decreased, dorestaylinge there was a twist. Also, the front panels are different, in recent versions there are already monitors with large sizes - 16x9.

The rigidity of the shock absorbers is also regulated here, you can set the “sport” and “normal” modes. These shock absorbers are quite expensive, about 40,000 rubles apiece, but repairs are not expensive enough - they can be repaired in 5-6 thousand rubles. But they serve for a long time. Since the BMW 750i is almost top of the range, the front panel is covered in leather. There is a hatch, there are buttons with the help of which you can open a slag-barium or a gate to your house, only you need to code these buttons.

There is even an SOS button, if you press it, then the call goes to the police or security service. There is also heated seats, massage, which appeared already in restyled versions. There is parking sensors and a system of exchange rate stabilization, separate climate control, the rear curtain rises and falls with the help of an electric drive. The steering wheel is quite large here, but functional, there is a heated steering wheel, cruise control and management of the multimedia system.

The seats here are comfortable, with customizable backs, there are still sports seats, they are also comfortable. There is a memory seat. Glass on the machine is thick - about 7 mm. thickness. On the door there are seat memory buttons, mirror control buttons. The mirrors are folded, but often this function on a BMW of these years breaks, it is necessary to check when buying.

Feelings when driving a 750i

The car is heavy, rides like a ship, taxiing is far from sporty, but as a driver it is much more pleasant to be here than in a Mercedes in the back of a W140. In this configuration, acceleration is fast, it is enough in the city with a head. 6.5 seconds to a hundred is not bad, and after 100 km / h the car also quickly continues to gain speed. The sound of the V12 engine is also very good. You feel a lot of weight of the car, the engine works very well, if it is in good condition, you almost do not feel that it is working. V12 is considered one of the most balanced engines.

Prices for the BMW 7-series in the back of the E38 today vary greatly. Prices start at 200,000 rubles and end with 1,500,000 rubles. But basically, a good car will cost around 400-600 thousand rubles. But here, as lucky, it happens that the car is for 600,000, and her condition is 400,000 rubles. Here you have to go through tons of options and choose the liveliest one.

It will be very difficult to sell this car later, because it is not liquid, since fuel consumption is high and there is an annual tax. But the car is very interesting and it has very little alternative. In those years, the Germans made reliable cars.

And then the video test drive BMW 7th series in the 38th body: