BMW 745i (E65) review: the 7 Series generation to buy carefully, or not at all
2.9/5motorssouq Editorial Team
Only buy a 745i if the SMG clutch and actuator have documented recent replacement and the iDrive controller has been tested through every menu — both fail predictably with age and both are expensive. If you cannot verify that history, a 750i two or three years newer with a conventional automatic and revised electronics is the far safer money.
Pros
- 333 hp V8 is strong and genuinely willing
- Historically significant as the launch car for Bangle design and iDrive
- Full luxury specification even at the range's mid-point
- Trades for less than its 730i stablemate despite more equipment
Cons
- SMG clutch and actuator wear badly in stop-start traffic and are costly to rebuild
- First-generation iDrive electronics degrade and are no longer well supported
- Documentation of proper SMG maintenance is rare on the used market
- Resale demand is the weakest in the E65 range for exactly these reasons
The 745i was the car that made Chris Bangle's design language impossible to ignore and introduced the first-generation iDrive controller to the world — bold moves that make the launch E65 the most historically significant 7 Series in decades and, for exactly the same reasons, the riskiest to buy used today. The 4.4-litre V8 itself, with 333 hp, is a strong, willing engine that is not the problem.
The two items that scare specialists
The SMG sequential manual — a single automated clutch operating a conventional gearbox — was BMW's attempt at F1-style shifting for a luxury saloon, and it aged badly. The clutch actuator and clutch pack wear at a rate that punishes stop-start Manama traffic specifically, and a full rebuild is a serious bill. Many owners simply gave up on maintaining it correctly, which is why so many used examples shift roughly today.
First-generation iDrive is the other landmark and the other liability: the rotary controller's internal electronics degrade with age, screens fail, and BMW no longer actively supports the system. A malfunctioning iDrive does not strand you, but it does remove climate and audio control that were designed around it.
The honest recommendation
A 745i with genuinely documented SMG and iDrive work is a fascinating, historically important car to own. Most examples on Bahrain's used market do not have that documentation, which is exactly why this generation trades for less than the 730i that sits below it in the range.