In a previous thread I indicated that I was looking at purchasing a 94 740. What bugs me so much is the lousy ride. I felt every bump in the road. I'm having it looked at for shock wear or something else, because the ride is torture. Well, maybe that is an exageration, but I would never describe this ride anywhere equivalent to a Caddy or Lincoln. It's more akin to a sports car. Help me, please as I have till tommorrow to decide on the purchase.

and it will be expensive...

the ride in the sport with 18 M par is not as soft as a caddy but its very comfortably-sporty, just the way it should be

Two different purpose vehicles. Cadillac, Lincoln, Lexus engineer the driver too loose themselves in the vehicle (i.e. no feel for the ride)"non-enthusiast car".

BMW is a drivers car and makes you feel what the car is doing (i.e. feel the bumps, curves)"enthusiast car".

Buy a different ride!

If you are asking if the ride on the 740 that you drove is abnormal for a 740, find another example and test drive it. That's a good idea for any car that you are interested in. If they are significantly different, you can then look into what might be wrong with the car and how much it would cost to fix it.

If you are looking for a car that rides like a Cadillac or a Lincoln, I'd suggest looking for... a Cadillac or a Lincoln. You won't find it in a BMW. The 7 Series is very much a luxury sports sedan. A strong road feel is designed into the car. Bumpy and harsh, I wouldn't say so, but it is not going to feel like driving your living room couch.

If you are asking if the ride on the 740 that you drove is abnormal for a 740, find another example and test drive it. That's a good idea for any car that you are interested in. If they are significantly different, you can then look into what might be wrong with the car and how much it would cost to fix it.

If you are looking for a car that rides like a Cadillac or a Lincoln, I'd suggest looking for... a Cadillac or a Lincoln. You won't find it in a BMW. The 7 Series is very much a luxury sports sedan. A strong road feel is designed into the car. Bumpy and harsh, I wouldn't say so, but it is not going to feel like driving your living room couch.
I appreciate your comments. Not having experienced the ride before, I wasn't sure why the ride would be considered passable for a luxury car. I did test drive another 740 '00 and the ride was more comfortable. I am waiting by the phone for the report and will decide from there.

it is a 12 y/o car so some suspension issues may be cropping up. As suggested by DaveClement, try to test drive a similar 7 (year, mileage) and also agree with points raised above that the 7 was not designed to "insulate" you from the road.