Certified 740i: what should I look for? Test drove it!

[agentorange]

Found a certified G11 740i WITHOUT 20" wheels which works for me with SW desert roads. I see they come with the B58 motor which seems to be a good thing. Anything in particular I should look for on one of these when buying used?

Only sad thing is that we don't get the short 7-series over here.

[agentorange]

Well, apparently they are all perfect!

I went and test drove the car of interest. Here are my impressions.

Quiet, OMG it's quiet. Like "Damn, I'm doing how much in a 45?" quiet.

Could feel a firmish 1-2 shift when it was cold. Didn't like that. Thought the ZF 8-speed was supposed to be butter smooth at all times. Yes, we were in Comfort mode.

It had every driver aid short of an automated rear facing particle cannon turret for tailgaters. Talk about learning curve.

The ride is sublime. Yes, there is a little heave at times, but it's no 90s Town Car by any means. The bump harshness that Car and Driver complained about in their 40k test must be a 20" wheel thing. This car barely made a noise over two well known abrupt transverse surface changes on the Vegas beltway.

Very stable at freeway speeds.

My first freeway merge made it evident that BMW are liars about the power and torque. It gathered speed at a ridiculous rate and in almost total silence. Have I mentioned how quiet the car is? And my wife thinks I have over sensitive hearing.

It's BIG. Last time I saw something this big and gray out of Germany it said Tirpitz on the bow. You can probably play tennis in the rear seating area.

After all this, I decided NOT to buy. I don't need a car of this size and the interior didn't grab me the way an XJ or a properly optioned CLS does. It all worked, the seats were nice and the fit and fish seemed good, but the pizzazz was missing for me. It will make a great car for somebody who needs something that big.

The drivetrain impressed me enough that I'm searching for a 540i now. Trouble is they come with such hideous wheels as stock. There's always something.

[J0nasH]

Sorry to hear you didn't buy it. It's way better than a 5-series. The only advice I have is to avoid the run flat tyres. That goes on any BMW. They are too noisy and uncomfortable.

[Wavy]

Wheels can always be changed. Get a 540 and trade wheels with another owner or buy aftermarket.