Whenever I think about buying a new car as a daily driver, I quickly remember just how much vehicle you can buy for a fraction of even the cheapest new cars, if you’re willing to put up with some age. Thanks to the beauty of depreciation, big, German executive cars can be easily found for less than half the price of a new Corolla. These two are prime examples.
Last Friday’s cars weren’t weird—on their own, at least. But together, they seemed like a strange pairing. In fact, the vehicles shared virtually one thing: The letter “P.” The lightly rusted Studebaker Lark VI was painted in a lovely shade of pink, while the Steyr-Puch Pinzgauer had a name that started with the letter P.
Though I preferred the off-roadiness and the quirkiness of the Pinzagauer over the Lark, there were 463 of you who didn’t agree, which was enough for the Studebaker to take the win. Not terribly surprising, I guess, seeing as how the pink sedan was cheaper and it actually ran and drove.
When I learned I’d be writing today’s SBSD, I knew of only one district of Craigslist worth going to: The Pacific Northwest. I feel like the region is a bit of a hidden gem for window-shopping for cheap cars, as it’s just as diverse as California’s selection, and just as rust-free. But not as picked-through, since Seattle isn’t known as the driver’s capital of the world. Here’s what I found.
1997 BMW 704iL — $9,500
Engine/drivetrain: 4.4-liter V8, 5-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Victoria, BC
Odometer reading: 132,000 kilometers (~82,000 miles)
Operational status: “Like new”
This generation of 7 Series—the E38 body style, for the nerds—is arguably the most iconic of all the big BMW sedans. Its simple, monolithic design was the last of its kind for the brand before its design studio was helmed by the now-legendary Chris Bangle, who totally revamped the lineup with, at the time, highly controversial vehicles.
Let’s dissect the name of this car. The 7 obviously stands for the model, and “40,” in this case, gives away which engine is under the hood. While it originally represented the 4.0-liter V8 under the hood, this 1997 model was the first year to get the bigger 4.4-liter version, making 282 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. The i stands for fuel-injected, while the L denotes this model as a long-wheelbase model.
Even without the L in the badge, it’s pretty easy to spot the longer-wheelbase 7 Series model of this generation—all you have to do is look at the rear door. If it’s weirdly elongated compared to the front, you’ve got yourself some extra legroom. The beautiful green paint on this model looks to be in great shape, as do the “M Parallel” multi-spoke wheels. The interior, meanwhile, looks to be in weathered (but good) shape, and there’s even a car phone, which probably hasn’t worked in decades.
According to the seller, this 740iL comes with new tires and a new timing chain tensioner, which is a nice addition. They describe it as “like new,” which is pretty good for a car that cost over $60,000 new, and is now listed for $9,500.
2004 Mercedes-Benz S600 – $9,500
Engine/drivetrain: 5.5-liter twin-turbo V12, 5-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Portland, Oregon
Odometer reading: 137,000 miles
Operational status: “Not perfect,” but “pretty darn nice.”
If your tastes lean more modern, let me present to you this 2004 Mercedes-Benz S600. This big Benz came from the next generation of German limousines, when manufacturers began to move away from subdued and boxy designs to more streamlined and curvy.
While this isn’t my favorite-looking generation of S-Class, this top-tier version got a set of lovely chrome monoblock wheels that round out the profile nicely. Plus, this one is painted in an actual color (red), which makes this car extra special, seeing as how virtually every S-Class I’ve ever seen is painted in some shade of black or silver.
The biggest selling point in this car is denoted by the “600” in the name, which signals the mighty engine under the hood. There are 50% more cylinders here than in the BMW, and 200% more turbochargers. Power from the boosted V12 here is vast: 493 hp and 590 lb-ft, enough to dust the BMW with ease.
With all that extra power comes added complexity, of course. Thankfully, the seller’s been meticulous with maintenance, replacing stuff like the coil packs, spark plugs, intercooler pump, radiator, water pump, blower motor, trunk motor, a/c compressor, and engine control module within the last 30,000 miles. More recently, they’ve also replaced some ball joints, sensors, drivetrain mounts, and fluids. But as I’ve learned the hard way, lots of recent maintenance does not always mean a reliable car down the line—something that’s especially true with 20-year-old German cars.
So which one would you rather have? The stately, subtle green BMW or the turbocharged, red-painted Mercedes powerhouse? Both are very much up my alley, so I won’t be upset, no matter which one you go for. So please, follow your heart.
Top graphic images: Craigslist sellers
This is a tough one for me. Neither car would need to be a daily driver. I’m a BMW fan and that’s a nice example, but I’ve got owning a V12 on my bucket list. Any chance I could vote both?
But if I had to choose only one, it’s the Bimmer.
Ideally, I’d by a V12 E38 7 series or E31 8 series to scratch that itch.
I’ve seen enough Legit Street Cars on youtube to know that I don’t ever want to work on a Mercedes V12. Those are cars you should only own if you’re a master wrench and also a glutton for punishment.
Also, the BMW looks way better.
Green > Red
“Like New” > “Pretty Darn Nice “
Besides, the E38 is such a good looking car.
I’m not scared of either, but there’s a lot less to go wrong with the BMW (still plenty to go wrong) and rather less miles. So Blau und Weiss it is. Plus I much prefer green to red.
But if this was a v8 S-class, I would have preferred that.
Or better yet, a Phaeton would be my first choice in giant German barge. I find them looking like a bit Passat to be a feature, not a bug.
Agreed – If this were a regular S500, it would have been a tougher choice.
The math isn’t working out for me here. What’s 200% of zero?
Twice as much, of course. It’s like the American Roulette wheel. It has both zero and double zero, the better to twist the odds in favor of the house.
I would have “infinitely more turbos”
Double infinity!
I’m a Mercedes guy, and I love the deep red paint – but I wouldn’t touch a “not perfect” V12 with your 10-foot stick.
The BMW is the last of the handsome 7s – and the V8 has more than sufficient power. That’s where my money would go.
“your 10-foot stick”
The “your” in that response really adds something to it. I’m going to have to steal that.
The early 4.4 BMW V8s are notoriously unreliable. If this had a six, it really would be a no-brainer but either engine choice today will be a nightmare.
You could replace an entire 4.4L BMW V8 for the cost of a tune up on that 24 spark plug Mercedes V12.
Portland is where I got my rust free truck, it’s no joke the cars are in nice shape out there. Still voted for the BMW though
Green Bimmer is an easy pick. I feel relatively confident I could wrench on a German NA V8. I do not feel the same way about a twin turbo V12 from Mercedes.
As far as old BMWs go, I believe these have a relatively strong reputation for reliability. Still an old BMW – but I have never heard of having to do the rod bearings as a maintenance item.
I had a 740iL, it’s a nice car to drive when running well. However, there are things that can go wrong for the average person, the timing chain/guides are a major PITA, and the fact that the tensioner alone was changed (which is easy to do) makes me suspect there is more wrong with the timing system.
Another mark against it (and probably the MB) is junkyards were flush with 740s when I owned mine, I updated my fairly loaded one with some of the few remaining options mine didn’t come with (the massaging seats, the later 16:9 MK4 nav system and a video module so you can run various video sources to said big monitor.) Recent trips to the junkyard reveal no e38s, but more of the next gen 7 series.
The BMW just for it’s sculptural presence.
A local mortician had a new 740iL using it as funeral car.It was basically the same car shown except for the wheels.She brought it to the shop I worked at to get some light scratches buffed out.That was the most vault like car I have ever driven.While I’m sure they are expensive to maintain I wouldn’t hesitate to buy that over the Mercedes any day.
That particular year of 740 is pinnacle BMW to me, I don’t mind the extra length, but everything else is in good nick from the pics. I think I recall my Beemer buddy having some trouble wit the rear axle in his over 100k mile 740 cars, and BMW was difficult to work with on replacement by the 2010’s, but I imagine this would be the same for a lot of cars these days.
I do kind of get the Rare V12 tug toward the Ruby Slipper there, but I agree, anything German with boost is scary, low volume and known problematic motors make it so much worse.
Beemer for me today.
I’ve always had a thing for those 700 series Bimmers, so that’ll be my preferred method of torching my checkbook.
No to both unless you just like to spend money.
The question here is do I want to torpedo my financial ship, or do I want it torpedoed, set afire, then have the fire put out with raw sewage, and torpedoed again.
BMW for me.
Wow, thinking Best case scenario on the Mercedes there…
Don’t worry, when the torpedos are done, the air force will rain death from above on your financial ship afterwards.
I yearn for an E38. And in green too? Easy win.
The prettiest 7 series of all time or a forgettable S-class generation with maintenance bills higher than it’s cylinder count?
Uh, the 7
The 740iL is an absolute no-brainer here. It’s clean with less miles, less money, and far less problem prone.
If I’m getting a V12 Mercedes, I want it to have 2 doors.
I was about to say it’s the same money, but then I remembered they’re maple-bucks. I had already picked the BMW, but that makes it even more of a no-brainer.
I still have nightmares about my green 540i6…but those sevens are just so good looking. And this one is from Victoria, where cars basically don’t rust compared to Ontario. Low mileage too.
I could dig down and find my inner Sreten for one of my favourite sedans of all time.
These really aren’t my style of car, but I’d take a ’90s BMW (or a Reliant K, really) before a post DaimlerChrysler Mercedes.
The V12 is petrifying, but everything on that Mercedes is going to be a nightmare to maintain. The BMW is a much more viable proposition for the home mechanic.
Is the $9500 for the BMW in CAD? Otherwise the price makes little sense to me, regardless of how nice looking it is.
To answer my own question, the ad is from a Canadian CL and USD is not noted in the description, so I have to assume the price is C$9500, or ~$6800 USD.
That makes it an even better option if that’s the case.
They both straddle your preferred number of cylinders as well.
Clean E38’s are creeping up in price. It’s getting harder and harder to find a nice one and they’re getting into territory where the right buyer will pay the price for a good one. I’ve seen a couple on FB Marketplace near me asking nearly $10k.
That is surprising, but maybe shouldn’t be.
I bought mine for $2500 around 12 years ago, and sold it for about the same price after 4 years of ownership. The right buyer will pay more for a really nice one, but it’s hard to find that buyer.
74 Oil
I voted for the green car because the 2000s Mercedes is even scarier in terms of upkeep. The best mid-2000s Mercedes is the B-Class which has just as much room inside. The W245 was sold in Canada but not the US, though some have been brought down here.
WOW what a hard choice. I like them both.The armrest phone is the only thing that would need to go and I like the look of the BMW a bit more so it got my vote.
I got a Euro armrest shipped from Estonia for mine, it didn’t have the phone cutout in the armrest and solved a problem in the looks dept – you can’t find a clean insert for the armrest.
The Merc would be loads more fun, but the maintenance costs on that V12 scare the hell outta me. Bimmer wins today for me.
I once rode in that era’s siebener, but it had a v12. the driver casually passed a long bus on a very short stretch of a two lane road. I think it might have been one of those formative moments of my automotive life. I had no idea such a sensation could exist. Catapulted is the word that comes to mind. That’s a long way of saying…. the BMW for me.
I only had a 740, but I was driving my mother to a doctors appointment in the next city over and it was on a two lane road. I had to pass someone and after I did it, she was like JFC, Jumbo G; that was the fastest I ever been in a car and the fastest pass I’ve ever seen accomplished. But yeah, hitting 100 during a quick pass was common.