BMW 7 Series: Best Years and Years to Avoid
The 7 Series is BMW's technology flagship, which means it is also its most complex used car. Depreciation makes an old 7 Series look temptingly cheap, but the running costs belong to a car that once cost six figures. The straight-six diesels (730d/740d) are the pragmatic heart of the range; the V8 and V12 petrols reward only well-documented, deep-pocketed buyers. No generation is a blanket avoid, but this is a car you buy on evidence, never optimism.
Quick answer
Best all-round pick: a G11 or F01 730d/740d on the durable six-cylinder diesel. Be most careful with the V8 750i (N63), the V12 760i (N73/N74) and the complex early E65. The diesels keep a flagship affordable; the V8s and V12s can cost more to maintain than the car is worth.
G70 (2022-present) Buy
Chassis: G70
The current 7 Series is the newest and least troubled, offered as the 740d/740i or the all-electric i7. On the six-cylinder engines it is a sensible, if expensive, used flagship. As with every 7 Series, the V8 760i carries big-engine cost risk and should be vetted separately.
| Best years | Any G70 740d (B57) or 740i (B58) with full history is the sensible choice. The i7 suits buyers wanting an electric flagship, subject to battery checks. |
| Years to watch | Very early 2022 to 2023 cars for software and infotainment updates on the vast dual-screen dashboard; verify every display and driver aid works. |
| Engines to trust | 740d (B57), 740i (B58) |
| Engines to check | 760i xDrive (N63 V8), i7 (verify EV battery health and charging) |
Key risks
- Very high complexity and technology content; verify all electronics on a long test drive
- N63 V8 (760i): the usual coolant, oil-consumption and timing-chain-guide caveats
- B57 diesel DPF regeneration needs; i7 battery health checks
G11 / G12 (2015-2022) Mixed
Chassis: G11, G12
The G11 brought carbon-core body construction, air suspension and a big leap in refinement, and it is now the value entry point to a modern 7 Series. The B57 diesels and B58 petrol six are strong; the N63 V8 750i and N74 V12 M760i are fast but maintenance-heavy. Buy the diesel unless you understand the V8/V12 costs.
| Best years | 2016-2022 730d or 740d (B57) with full history are the durable, efficient sweet spot. The 745e plug-in hybrid suits lower-mileage buyers who check the battery. |
| Years to watch | Any 750i (N63 V8) for coolant and timing-chain-guide issues, the M760i (N74 V12) for running costs, and every car's air suspension for leaks. |
| Engines to trust | 730d (B57), 740d (B57), 740i (B58) |
| Engines to check | 750i (N63 V8), M760i (N74 V12), 745e plug-in hybrid (battery checks) |
Key risks
- N63 V8 (750i): coolant transfer pipe, timing chain guides and high oil consumption
- Air suspension leaks and compressor wear at higher mileages
- N74 V12 (M760i): specialist running costs and complexity
- Diesel DPF and EGR issues on cars used mostly for short journeys
F01 / F02 (2008-2015) Caution
Chassis: F01, F02
Now genuinely cheap, the F01 is a lot of luxury car for the money and a potential money pit in equal measure. The N57 straight-six diesels are the durable choice; the N63 V8 750i, the early N54 740i and the N74 V12 760i all carry serious, well-documented costs. Age and complexity are the real risks now.
| Best years | 2010-2015 730d or 740d (N57) with a strong service file are the safest way into an F01. Post-2012 LCI cars also gained the more robust N55 petrol six in the 740i. |
| Years to watch | Any 750i (first-generation N63 V8), the pre-2012 740i (N54 fuel pump), the 760i (N74 V12), and every car's air suspension and iDrive electronics. |
| Engines to trust | 730d (N57), 740d (N57), 740i (N55, post-2012) |
| Engines to check | 750i (N63 V8), 740i (N54 HPFP, pre-2012), 760i (N74 V12) |
Key risks
- N63 V8 (750i): first-generation coolant transfer pipe, timing chain guides and heavy oil use
- N54 (early 740i): high-pressure fuel pump and injector failures
- Air suspension, iDrive and comfort-electronics faults on ageing cars
- Diesel swirl flaps and EGR wear on neglected examples
E65 / E66 (2001-2008) Avoid
Chassis: E65, E66
The controversial iDrive-pioneering E65 is now the cheapest 7 Series and the riskiest. The N62 V8 petrols suffer valve stem seals and coolant transfer pipe failures, the N73 V12 760i is a specialist's car, and the electronics and self-levelling systems are old and failure-prone. Only the 730d (M57) makes any pragmatic sense, and even then only in exceptional condition.
| Best years | If you must, a 2005-2008 facelift 730d (M57) with a complete service file and sound electronics is the least risky E65. Treat every other engine as a specialist purchase. |
| Years to watch | The 735i/740i/750i (N62 V8) for valve stem seals and coolant transfer pipe, and the 760i (N73 V12) for running costs and complexity. |
| Engines to trust | 730d (M57, exceptional condition only) |
| Engines to check | 735i / 740i / 750i (N62 valve stem seals), 760i (N73 V12), 730i / 740i (early electronics and cooling) |
Key risks
- N62 V8: valve stem seals (blue smoke on start-up), coolant transfer pipe and timing chain guides
- N73 V12 (760i): major complexity and specialist running costs
- Ageing iDrive, self-levelling suspension and comfort electronics
- Repair bills that routinely exceed the car's value
The pick of the range
The only pragmatic 7 Series buys are the six-cylinder diesels. A 2016-2022 G11 730d or 740d (B57) with full service history is the value sweet spot: genuine flagship refinement with running costs a careful owner can absorb. If budget allows, a G70 740d is the newest and least troubled. Petrol buyers wanting reliability should look at a post-2012 F01 740i (N55) rather than any V8.
What to avoid, and why
Approach the V8 and V12 petrols with the most caution across every generation: the N63 750i (coolant transfer pipe, timing chain guides, heavy oil use), the N62 E65 V8s (valve stem seals) and the N73/N74 V12 760i (specialist costs). The early E65 as a whole is best avoided unless you want a project, given its ageing electronics and self-levelling suspension. A cheap purchase price on any of these hides potentially enormous bills; buy only with deep documentation and a serious maintenance fund.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the most reliable BMW 7 Series year?
The G70 (2022 on) is the newest and least troubled, but among value picks a 2016-2022 G11 730d or 740d (B57) is the pragmatic durability choice. Straight-six diesels keep a flagship's running costs within reach in a way the V8s and V12s never do.
Which BMW 7 Series should I avoid?
No modern generation is a blanket avoid, but the early E65 is best left to enthusiasts given its ageing electronics and N62 V8 valve stem seals. In every generation, the V8 750i (N63) and V12 760i (N73/N74) carry the highest running costs.
Is a cheap old 7 Series a good buy?
Rarely, unless it is a well-documented six-cylinder diesel in excellent condition. A cheap 7 Series still costs flagship money to maintain, and the V8, V12 and self-levelling suspension systems can produce bills that exceed the car's value.
Is the BMW 750i (N63) reliable?
The N63 V8 is powerful but maintenance-heavy, with documented coolant transfer pipe failures, timing chain guide wear and high oil consumption. It can be owned successfully with full history and a repair budget, but it is never a cheap car to keep.
Petrol or diesel 7 Series for the UK?
For almost every UK buyer, a six-cylinder diesel (730d/740d) is the sensible choice: strong torque, real-world economy and the most durable engines in the range. The petrol V8s and V12s are heavier on fuel and far heavier on maintenance.
Is the E65 7 Series worth buying?
Only as a cheap, eyes-open project. The N62 V8s suffer valve stem seals and coolant-pipe leaks, the electronics and air suspension are old, and parts are flagship-priced. A well-kept 730d is the least risky, but even that demands a strong service file.