I had an 03 745Li that was an absolute dream! Lots of power for a big *** 4 door, surprising handling with no body roll due to active roll bars, all the gadgets you could ask for and about 23-25 MPG! No problems at all except for the above mentioned transmission ECU flash for rough launches from a roll. Not a big deal considering my GL has already had it's tranny flashed twice in the 10 months I have had it.

FWIW, my late build 03 was flawless but 02s and early 03s were awful. If you really want one, try to find an 04 because they added Bluetooth and headlights that turn into corners. Great car if you can find the right one.

 

Thanks for all your input guys!

The pricing on these cars are driving me nuts. 04's are twice as expensive as 02's! 745 or 760 are the same, price-wise. There are plenty of 35K EUR 02s and 04s seem to actually sell for 60-65.

*pulls hair

 

I'm telling you, try and find a late production 2003. They have a 100,000 mile warranty already. Each 02 and 03 745 is pre-certified through BMW. That makes the 03 better than a 04 IMO. If you can buy the car right and it has a warranty, you are making out quite well. Good luck!
-Marc

 

are you 100% sure that 100,000 mile warranty deal we got in USA would also work in europe?

 

actually bluetooth came in 2006 model year. but '03 and up models which use CPT9000 can use a bluetooth module retrofit.

 

Ahhh, a good point. I did not pay attention to his location. He can check on that through a dealer. You never know?
-Marc

 

Thanks for the heads up about the warranty thingy - I'll drop by the dealer on my way to work tomorrow. A dealer who coincidentally just got a 04 Individual in

 

i have an 2004 LI, and love it. my first sedan, and it's like driving a yacht.

when you put it in sport tranny mode, it's a little more agressive to drive and revs higher, it's fun.

it's huge in the back, and everyone gets a kick when they ride passenger.