BMW 745i (E65) – true luxury for 20 thousand leva?

The BMW 7 Series E65 is a polarizing model. If you can get used to the distinctive design, you can still find a good example at a good price pivot lemforder pret.

BMW 745i (E65) – true luxury for 20 thousand leva?

This sedan polarizes opinions: some love it, others hate it. You guessed it – it’s the BMW 7 Series from the E65 generation. While its predecessors have long since become sought-after classics, the fourth-generation BMW 7 Series, designed by Chris Bangle, is still available at relatively affordable prices. The problem is more in finding a well-maintained, untuned copy.

It is precisely this one – in the 745i version – that has been put up for sale by the car dealership with the loud name LA Car Club in the German city of Wiesbaden. At least that is what the description of the ad says: the black luxury “Bavarian” is one of the early examples – a 2001 model, from a second owner and with a full service history. The mileage of 145,750 kilometers seems realistic considering the good overall condition. There is no serious damage or signs of excessive wear inside or out. And the best thing is that this E65 has been “spared” from various dubious tuning operations.

E65 marks a major success

But let's first go back to the history of the fourth generation of the 7 Series: die-hard BMW fans were quite unhappy after the presentation of the E65 at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2001 - for them, the days of the brand's elegant classic look were over. The new 7 Series had become a large road liner with the characteristic "bags under the eyes" and a high tailgate.

But despite the general dissatisfaction, the E65 turned out to be a great success. Only in Europe and especially in Germany, customers did not approve of the model, which is why in Munich they decided to “soften” the design with the facelift of the E65 for the 2005 model year. By 2008, almost 345,000 units of the E65 had been sold, making it even more successful than the E38, considered by many fans to be the most beautiful “seven” of all time.

745i with 4.4-liter V8

The E65 is already on its way to becoming a classic, the early examples will be 25 years old in 2026, and the curious thing is that it is the cars from the first years of production, with the most unloved design elements, that are now in great demand. The 745i presented here is from the first year of production. Initially, BMW offered its then flagship only as a 735i or 745i, both variants using the N62 V8 with different power levels and different displacements. In the 745i, the 4.4-liter V8 generates 333 hp and 450 Nm, which, thanks to the 6-speed automatic transmission, is enough for acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.3 seconds and a top speed of 250 km/h.

But the E65 is much more suitable for comfortable “cruising” than for fast driving. It is in view of this fact that our “seven” was ordered with many extras in addition to the already rich standard equipment. We will mention just a few of them – comfortable seats with massage function for the driver and front passenger, heated steering wheel, Logic 7 audio system, sunroof, bi-xenon headlights with adaptive cornering lights, navigation, leather upholstery, front and rear parking sensors, alarm system and 20-inch Individual wheels (Styling 149). Thus, the base price of the car as a new one has risen from 142 to over 170 thousand leva.

Series 7 for 20 grand

Almost 24 years and 145,000 kilometers later, the luxury sedan costs only 9,991 euros (approx. 20,000 leva), which roughly corresponds to the market value. There is a small drawback: the dealer is selling the 745i in question on behalf of the customer, which exempts him from any warranty claims. However, the E65 still has a one-year TÜV. Of course, there are cheaper used E65s, but be careful! The saying “cheap is expensive” applies here with the utmost force!

Conclusion

I like the BMW 7 Series E65. Sure, it's not as elegant as its predecessor, but the once "unbridled" design has managed to catch on over time. You can still find well-maintained examples at a decent price - but the good cars certainly won't be any cheaper.

Car parts AutoPower
Car parts AutoPower

This sedan polarizes opinions: some love it, others hate it

It is precisely this one – in the 745i version – that has been put up for sale by the car dealership with the loud name LA Car Club in the German city of Wiesbaden