Master_Yoda
Yeah. But I do admit, the 740 IMO is one the best looking BMWs or possibally German cars. I'm don't know to much, about BMW's. But I am hopeing to learn more before it comes time to get a car. I really hope that I can be able to get a BMW, cause to me, they all look aboslutly stunning, and have some of the fastest sport cars out there. But to bad I probally won't have anything fancy for a long time. Any sugestions on what kind of BMW or other cars to buy?
I don't imagine my parents spending anymore then 15k.. But I might pinch in. So who knows what...
...But at the same time I hope for it to hole out long enough for be to have plenty of money to buy a desent sports car. So it have good mileage, and reliablity is crucial, cause gas here is ALOT.
Well, here's your first lesson in BMWs. When you say "740," we don't know what car you're specifically referring to. Throwing in the model year (ie 1995 740i) helps, but the preferred (and easiest) method is to use the chassis code, or "E code." All BMW chassis codes use the letter "E" followed by a number -- for example, the 7-series has gone through 4 generations: E23, E32, E38, and the current E65 -- and unfortunately, the only way to learn them all is memorization.
This website has all of the codes organized by series, and includes pictures.
On to the second lesson -- I don't think a 7-series is really the kind of BMW you're looking for. They're the big, heavy cars of the BMW family, have large engines that guzzle a lot of gas, and don't handle as well as their smaller, lighter brothers. The 7-series
does typically handle better than any other full-size premium sedan, but that's not saying much. To summarize, there's a reason why BMW doesn't sell an "M7." On the other hand, if you're anything like me, you already have your heart set on a 7-series, and won't settle for anything else.
I can respect that.
Still, if you decide that you might want to look at the smaller models, I would recommend looking at an
E46 3-series. You
should be able to find some of the earlier ones (1999-2002) in your price range, especially if you're looking at the smaller-engined models, which will be a little better on gas, too. They were built within the last 10 years, so they'll be in good shape, and they're BMWs, so all of the important parts will last forever, although the small things (interior trim, electrical things) will become problematic down the road.
You could also ask the GTP members who own E46's what they think about them, like BMW318ciC, *McLaren*, Duke...and a couple other members whose names are on the tip of my tongue...
.
). 
