Sacrilege! 7-Series vs. Lexus 400, Jaguar XJ8 (archive)

As I have posted before, I am looking soon to buy my first BMW, a 1998 or 1999 750iL. Despite my enthusiasm, and the hours of research I have put in, I have to admit that I have not yet driven the car. I don't even know for sure that I'll like it! I will get my chance this coming week when I travel down to Fort Worth, where there are several for sale.

I expect I'll love the 750iL. However, for purposes of comparison, I plan to test drive a Lexus LS400 and a Jaguar XJ8. (Sadly, they don't make the XJ12 any more.)

I would be interested to hear from anyone with DIRECT experience in comparing these cars to the 740 or 750, especially anyone who has OWNED them, though other test drivers' opinions would be welcome too. I realize that the LS400 and the XJ8 should be compared against the 740, not the 750, as they are both 8-cylinder cars.

Not to be crass, but what I don't need is a lot of opinions based only on what somebody has heard second-hand or read in a magazine. I can read myself.

The reason I bring this up is that I have found that prices on LS400 and XJ8 models in the 1998 and 1999 model years are FAR below the 7-series and usually have very low mileage. (Maybe they aren't as fun to drive, so folks don't drive them. *grin*)

Why are these cars so much cheaper? Perhaps they were cheaper to begin with, fall apart after a few years (unlikely for the Lexus), etc.

Thanks in advance.

- Swordsman
750iL Wannabe

Follow Ups:

My 2 cents Howard 19:51 10/21/2001 (1)
- A few more items Howard forgot to mention Nancee6 01:16 10/22/2001 (0)

[ Follow Ups ] [ 7-series Message Board ] [ Msg. Board FAQ ]

Questions, comments, or problems, please visit the Roadfly help desk.