Today we’re back with the owner’s review of a 2003 BMW 735i. In this review, the owner shares his experience of driving a 7 series with an aftermarket air suspension. This E65 735i comes with a 3.6 liter naturally aspirated V8 producing around 272 hp and 360 nm of torque. This engine is configured with a 6-speed automatic transmission, delivering power to the rear wheels. Let’s get to know more details about it.
Purchase Decision
The owner was previously driving a 5 series, and that, too, was heavily modified. He then wanted to shift towards a 7 series as he wanted to do something different. In his opinion, old German cars are a true value to money if compared to local Civics or Corollas. He bought the car 6 months ago for 3.2 million rupees.
Air Suspension
The main upgrade which is done to his car is an aftermarket air suspension. As per the owner, its original airmatic suspension only reduced the wheel gap by an inch while he wanted the car to be dead dropped. Installing this air suspension was a task as it was very hard to source its shocks. Moreover, the compressor’s size is also bigger; it took three weeks to install fully. Given the complexities of such modifications, many enthusiasts often research the air suspension price in Pakistan before committing to an upgrade. After this installation, the car can be lowered and raised through a remote, which doesn’t compromise practicality at all.
Other Modifications
Other than air suspension, the car has been fitted with 19-inch deep dish alloys, which are 12jj in width. As per the owner, even with 12jj rims, the wheel tucks in the fender, so he plans further to install a wider rim for a perfect fitment. This car has also been facelifted to the 2007 model with different headlights, tail lights, bumpers, fenders, and trunk.
Fuel Average
As per the owner, the car gives around 6 to 6.5 km/l within the city and close to 10 km/l on the highway. The fuel average is decent, considering the car runs on air suspension and 12jj rims.
Reliability
When comparing this 735i with his previous 5 series, the owner thinks that the 7 series has been a challenge for him. In his opinion, he does not trust its reliability as it is way more complicated than the 5 series. Due to excessive electronics, there are errors and warnings on the screen occasionally, which takes a lot of time and money to fix. Moreover, installing air suspension required the removal of several parts, which might have been a cause for these errors.
Maintenance And Spare Parts
According to the owner, he does its periodic maintenance every 10,000 kilometers, which includes Liqui Moly oil and filters. Maintenance cost averages around 35,000, which is a bit costly. As for the spare parts, they’re very hard to source as those who’re selling them ask for their own price. For instance, he got just the interior monograms for 14,000 rupees.
