17 yr old first car questions?

Dee Depung: The V12 isn't so bad, but all of the electronics and engine management systems controlling it are. The cars have many documented electrical problems and parts unique to the engine aren't terribly common or cheap. The 7-Series has always had significantly higher maintenance costs than the 3-Series and 5-Series and you don't see many E38 7-Series for that reason. People stopped putting thousands of dollars worth of repairs into cars that are only worth a few thousand dollars.Most 17 year olds do not have the technical knowledge to maintain a high-end luxury car and can't afford to take it to a mechanic to have the work performed. It would be a very poor choice in my opinion. If you want something nice and comfortable, try to find a highly optioned 5-Series with the inline-6. They are much more reliable and cheaper to maintain....Show more

Michal Semple: If you can spare $5000 a year on repairs and maintenance, go for it. Otherwise start thinking in terms ! of something that won't break you.

Robin Tommie: need to call for insurance prices and see what is best for your budget , as for car's they all are expensive to fix, the only way to save is do the work yourself ....as long as you know what your doing.

Houston Venezia: You might think about a BMW 3-series if you like German cars. A BMW V12 will absolutely bury you financially--it will be a disaster, and I can guarantee that.

Porfirio Cahall: Check the insurance costs - the upfront cost might not be much, but the insurance might be

Cyndy Grimes: There is no way to come up with "Average" maintenance costs for a 20 year old Bavarian Barge. basically one problem with the engine means it will be uneconomical to repair and that could happen on the old complex V12 anytime now.Definitely not suitable for a teen drivers experience or bank account. maintenance costs can easily exceed the price of the car. In the UK that car would never find a buyer.

Rebbe! cca Sorkin: maintenance on such will be expesnsive, considerin! g all the electronics equipped in the car.insurance may not be that bad, or at least i dont think so, but you should check with your insurance. you should treat the car like an poor man would treat it. wash it well, maintain it well and look after it. never neglect maintenance on the older model 7 series, because it will cost you your wallet.my cousin has a 2003 745li, hes a mechanic but almost never has time to care for his cars. a simple oil change takes up his time because hes always working on other cars, so you can get away with it sometimes, but you don't want to risk anything on such an old electronic-filled vehicle....Show more

Dick Ovdenk: Thumbs to laslo, but to add to support, you're talking about a car that sold for around $100K when it was new. Have you priced an alternator for that car? Last I checked, it was $1,200. No matter how great a car is, at 17 years of age, you will need to do something. Little minor things for this car are very expensive. Peopl! e are attracted to the prices because resale value is poor on high end German cars. However, the cost to service and repair doesn't go down like the resale value. You'll still be paying the cost of a $100K car to service and repair. If you absolutely want a German car, like laslo said, the 3 Series BMW is your best bet in terms of reliability....Show more