Aindriu

Hey all. I'm soon to put my E38 740iL on the market as I am sick of constantly replacing something every second week.

What I want to know is; How reliable are these coupes?
Lexus is Toyota so I'm hoping that means reliability?
What is the fuel economy like in these things too?
What kind of things should I be looking out for on a test drive?

I love my BMW but I've gone back to study at Uni and need something more economical to own and run than the big 7. Pics of the beast below.

willhickey

iTrader: (1)

very reliable i would say and gas mileage is supposed to be like 18 city 22 hwy depending on year etc. out of the factory

Aindriu

22MPG is about 13L/100kms...that's not very good. The E38 averages at about 8L/100kms on Fwy but it's around town that is killing me at the moment. Its averaging about 25L/100kms according to the On Board Computer.

TheKevin

iTrader: (6)

wow that is a beautiful E38!!!

the sc400 will last a very long time if it hasn't been abused. replacement parts/maintenance aren't expensive so if there are a few things to fix, you wont break the bank.

Kaydee

that's a beautiful bimmer

Aindriu

Sounds good so far.

Thanks for the comments on the E38. If I get a SC400 it will get styled in the same Euro flavour. I'm not much of a ricer, lol.

getsum

the sc400 is great, good looking, very reliable... but i dont really consider it very fuel economical

1JZPWRD

iTrader: (59)

I agree. Very reliable.. Kinda sucky on the gas mileage. But who cares, its a Lexus!

BIGCTY

iTrader: (2)

I've had two e38's, a 97 740il and an 01 740i sport. BOTH cars got better highway mileage than my SC300. City mileage is about the same, maybe with a slight nod to the SC. I still say the 01 i sport is the best all around car I have ever had. It's unparalleled in looks, styling, performance, size IMO. I just wish they made it in a 6 speed. It is indeed a maintenance hog though, especially from 90-110k. But I'll probably still get another one someday. Here is a small pic of my old girl before she drowned

DriftGirl

iTrader: (6)

apples and oranges....

I've got an E38 that I just LOVE.

czar07

my around the town driving, which is pretty much always giving it a bit of a squirt usually nets me about 7.5/8km per litre. on the fwy you can get around 12km per litre. thats on a v8 soarer. twin turbos are about the same, and the na 2jz ones a little bit better on fuel. you will likely see some improvement on the v8 by slapping on a better flowing exhaust and getting it tuned.

lemaylexus

Go check out http://carsurvey.org and look at the SC400 reviews. Pretty much everyone on there, no matter what year you choose, agrees that it is one of the most reliable cars on the road. If you don't believe them, ask a Lexus mechanic.

BIGCTY

iTrader: (2)

Is yours a 97 or 98? I had a 97 first year dude voice NAV iL. I see you have 01 tails, clear corners and sidemarkers.

My GF has a 99 GS300. In the 7 years she's had the car she has spent about $2000 in maintenance...and that includes tires. That was ONE trip to mechanic for me with my 97 740iL. I spent well over $8,000 in maintenance in the 7 years I owned that car.

kln552

The SC400 is, in my experience (I'm on my second) very reliable, and not overly expensive to maintain. I like BMWs - I have a 330ci and like it a lot, but the BMWs are expensive to maintain, the 740 more so than the 3 series. Real world, calculated mpg in my SC 400 is, tank in and tank out, between 17 and 18 mpg when the driving is mostly around town, and up to 25mpg on a long fwy trip. That is, admittedly with a fairly light foot. If you have found a well kept SC400, and you take care of it, you will enjoy it for a very long time and lots of miles.

94LEXUS400

BMW is nice until the warranty last...thats what i heard..:X
I mean for your wallet...