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BMW 7-Series Saloon (2002-2008) running costs and reliability

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Running costs rating: 2.5 out of 52.5

Written by David Ross Updated: 10 October 2023

Miles per pound (mpp)

Reliable fuel consumption data for comparison purposes is not available for this model.

What is miles per pound?

Fuel economy

A more stringent standard for fuel economy (WLTP) was introduced from September 2017, and this model was not required to undergo that test. Its fuel economy measured under the previous test system was 20 - 35 mpg. However these figures are less likely to be achievable in real world driving and so should never be compared to another car's mpg which was measured under the newer, more realistic WLTP system.

View mpg & specs for any version

The 730d manages 33mpg (from 2005 this improved to 35mpg), so you can keep fuel costs vaguely average. But don’t expect servicing, tyres or parts to be cheap on any model. When bought new the 7-Series can be specified with the Service Inclusive package which covers five years/60,000 miles worth of maintenance for an up front cost. This can be transferred on to a new owner so it’s worth finding out if buying used.

BMWs fuel saving Efficient Dynamics technology was never fitted to the 7-Series and as a result it’s a pretty polluting model. The best model is the 730d which (on facelifted models) emits 216g/km of CO2 and averages 35mpg.

Early cars appear to be suffering from a number of niggling and more significant problems. See our owners’ reviews section for further details. There have been eight recalls on this model – see the ‘checks’ section for more details.