Bmw E38 735i as a daily?

A 728i would be a more sensible option. More frugal, reliable and cheaper to maintain. A cruiser rather than a speed machine, but the 735i isn’t a racer either really.

I have a mint 728i and it isn’t a scrap of trouble, but I did put a lot of time and money into ensuring it was 100% before putting it into use.

Is the 728 a comprised choice? I love the idea of a v8 with de cat and maybe back box delete. Will the 728i still shift ok for the weight? I'm not expecting a rocket ship but don't want to feel underpowered.

The thing is they have a bit of an X-Factor. It's probably why some of the 'newer' BMWs like the E38 have questions with people asking 'are they a retro ride?'

I sort of got those questions before. But since I got this Audi A3 TDI I totally get the question. It's a very soulless car. It doesn't seem to communicate or stir the senses! It's a great car, but not an exciting one!

Clio 172 and even a 1.2 is a fairly fun thing compared to the above!

The £3k E61 535d I turned down to the above is a much much nicer thing! It has a character, a verve, something that makes you want to drive it! Yes, the early gen i-Drive drives people nuts, and yes the styling is questionable. Those quirks almost help the car, as it's a surprisingly nice car to live with! It's got a decent sounding engine for a diesel, it can somehow go around corners in a fashion despite it being a bit of a pudding, and it has a real authority on how it gets down the road.

The mate who sold the above E61 to my dad (an RRer on here) had E38s, and I think he preferred the E38 to the E61, albeit not by much. He did own 2 or 3 E38s I think.

Looks just like my 728i that. Same colour. Such a handsome, unfussy car.

Also reminded me 2 new Parking sensors and a set of 4 new TPMS valves (£700-odd!) are another two items to the list.

why not consider a lexus ls400? similar car, v8 and renowned for build quality and reliability. from what ive just read here e38s seem to have their fair share of expensive problems.

Yes it is. I'm the same age and I've had a wealth of cheap E38s. If that's a midlife, I started mine at 26...

On your 9 mile commute, a 735i will be a hoot. Your diesel Audi is a total waste of time and you'll end up clogging it up at that rate. You need to be doing 30-40 miles or more to get the benefit of a diesel.
There will be no difference between a 728i and a 735i on 9 miles of B roads. Yes a 728 takes a little more gusto to get moving, but it is not underpowered as people who haven't ran one like to say. It can be more economical, but only once you have it sitting on a long stretch of road on cruise. B road driving, it will get 20, just like the 735i will. So there is no saving whatsoever in choosing a 6 cylinder model, plus you won't have a V8.
Backbox removed and they sound - well, like a V8. They need a bit of back pressure so you can't just lob the lot off though.

In terms of reliability, they are right up there. You have the choice of a 94-95 730i M60 V8, 96-98 735i M62 or 98-01 735i M62tu. The TU (facelift cars) can give a little bother, but the cars are slightly nicer... it's a tiny trade-off.
You can of course also opt for any of the 740i cars, with engine codes to match - but a 740i is a big price hike. Because everyone says "you should have got a 740i instead", nobody really wants 735s and so they stay low in value. A pre-facelift (94-98) 730i/735i is probably the least desirable E38 going, yet it's exactly the same car otherwise. Thus you can get some good spec in one but it will still be cheap.

Big problems have been mentioned. There are really only three that you want to pay careful attention to. Other things are minor/less common.
1. Fuel Tank. They are metal and they do rot. Look around the seams at the mounting bolts, and the filler tube. Pattern new ones are under £400 now, but fitting is a day's work (can be DIY'd). They can be repaired too, if not too bad.
2. Rear springs. They crack, and they are a PITA to get off. Rear seats and parcel shelf removal to access the top, and the bottom bolt often seizes. You can ignore EDC maladies as it's very uncommon in a 735.
3. Instrument cluster pixels. You can live with this, but to send off for repair is around £100. It's very common and most people just deal with it.

They seldom break or wear out anything else and are one car that you CAN realistically run on a small budget, as long as you look after the main points. Parts are cheap secondhand because they seldom fail, so something you might think would be pricey, say a window regulator, will be cheap as all the breakers have working ones. Facelift ones do have issues with ABS electrics inherited from the E39 so another reason to stick to an earlier car.
By my reckoning, the most reliable yet the least desirable of them all would be a 1994-1998 730i or 735i, and do everything you want it too. Chop the backbox, enjoy your electric leather seats and waft about like you are a senior marketing executive 20 years ago.

I ran an E30 325i Touring for a 30,000 miles (having bought it on 196,000!) - i did that mileage in just over 2 years. Used it to commute between Pembrokeshire and London. Every journey in that car was an event. It wasn't the quickest car I've had or the best handling but the experience - I've had nothing like it since or before. Perhaps the 205gti 1.9 came close.

It wasn't a 7 series (of course) but the principal remains the same - I spent an awful lot on preventative maintenance and then budgeted for a constant monthly bill/works to keep it in the best condition possible.

Remains, to this day, my favourite car. Actually pine for it!

Go for your 7 series (in whatever ilk) and good luck with it.

Such a good looking car. The only thing that puts me off buying one is space to park the thing. My S-Type was too big for my drive.