L, Buy, Abandon: BMW 7 Series

I'd buy the E38 since it has the cleanest styling and least amount of electro-nannies.

I'd lease either the E65 and F01, then abandon them when the warranty expires.

Easy. Buy the E38 in all its perfectly understated class. Lease the F01 for three years or until I figure out iDrive, whichever occurs sooner. Abandon the E65 at BMW headquarters to remind them that they aren't Lexus, and with any luck they never will be.

I'd buy the E38, no Bangle or iDrive.
I'd lease the F01 and run screaming after abandoning the E65 on the side of the road.

Buy the oldie but goodie, lease the new hotness, leave the middle 7 on the side of the road with the keys in the ignition in the hopes that someone steals it.

LEASE the F01, abandon the E65-E68, and buy the E38 and store it somewhere.

I'll only lease BMWs, period.

Abandon them all. As far as I'm concerned, there is no point for such a large car.

I know it's Friday, but if you guys could stop playing "games" and just report on the cars, it would be much more useful.

Abandoning BMWs? Sounds like an episode of Seinfeld.

"I know it's Friday, but if you guys could stop playing "games" and just report on the cars, it would be much more useful."

+1

The LT blog has really been "meh..." a lot lately. Sure that might get you traffic but at the same time the quality takes a hit.

^^^^Agree with above post.

buy the F01 and abandon the others

+2 bkochuk and louiswei. I used to come home and read just about every blog. Now it seems like I only read some of them and the one's I do read aren't very interesting. Sorry to be so blunt.

BUY E38
LEASE F01
DITCH E65-68

+3 bkochuk and louiswei. I have been reading less and less of these entries. I'm getting tired of reading about EVO wings and arguments about which one of the 14 EVO's has the better sounding exhaust note. I would buy the E38 740i and wouldn't look twice at the other two.

If it was possible Id do the following:

- Purchase the E38 and F01.
- Drop the E38's body on the F01 (M-Sport) chassis.
- Install the F01's interior, infotainment and safety features.

This way Id have the classic E38 740i's body over the chassis and drivetrain of the new F01. Best of both worlds. Or not buy either and purchase a Masrerati Quattroporte GT-S.

Buy E65!!!!!!!
dont need the other two. ditch 'em both

buy the e38 because of its simplicity and good looks and its cheaper
lease the f01
ditch the e65 because of that goofy idrive

I like a mix of different types of blog entries... That's the beauty of most blogs. They're not just hard-core reporting, but have a bit of irreverence to them as well...

Also, I like "games" like this one... I know people who are car shopping who ask themselves questions like this one. Do I lease a new 7 or buy a previous generation and, if so, which one?

I would like to see more "comparisons" between different models in the LT's. You guys are unique in driving and living with cars that often are competing with one another. It's kind of like the ultimate comparison test:

- 135 vs Z
- 135 vs used M3
- SX4 vs Fit
- Old fit (previous LT) vs new Fit?
- Genesis vs 7

You guys do touch upon this from time to time, but not as much as I think there is the potential to (and not as much as I guess most readers would like).

As to writing about wings and such. PLEASE keep doing so. It's these little things that make cars easy or hard to live with. For example, someone wrote criticizing the incessant warning chimes in the X5. My 135i has the same thing and it drives me completely nuts... Haunts my nightmares. I wish I knew about it before buying the car...

as far as the ongoing "quality of blog" argument goes...

I come here to read the Long-Term Road Tests Blog in order to read about Long-Term Road Tests. And that's what I want to see.
However, there is a place for "games" like this, and "Where's the Stig" and "wtf is up with the evo's exhaust today"
Maybe make a Long-Term Road Tests Blog Jr....

Lease the F01, buy the E38, abandon the E65.

Ahem, you've all got it wrong. Buy the E65 Alpina B7, forget about the rest.
/discuss

Buy the E38. It's clean lines had at least one German company keeping the big sport sedan styling faith-->Audi A8!

I would take the other two to Germany and crash test them into each other... in front of BMW HQ. Just 'cause I like to see bean counters cry.

"Just 'cause I like to see bean counters cry."

They wouldn't cry, they already made their money on those cars!

You'd make the engineers that put their blood, sweat, and tears into those cars cry.

I would buy the E38 or the F01 and abandon the E65-E68. I wouldn't lease anything.

"Ahem, you've all got it wrong. Buy the E65 Alpina B7, forget about the rest."

I had one for 10 days. What a fantastic car. I hope BMW NA sees fit to bring the F01 B7 over...