BMW 750i xDrive
EPA ratings: 16/25mpg; 19mpg. Price as tested: $129,245
Sometimes you don’t realize how good something is until it’s gone. Such is the case with the new 750i; it is conventional in appearance and approach, its brilliance only shines brightest once it is absent. Perhaps its very BMW-ness works against it, as it appears at first glance much like other sports sedans from the fabled marque.
The 7-series certainly is well-proportioned and gorgeously detailed. Cast a careful eye over the one-piece polished window frames, complexly elegant LED lights and grill profiling and you know this is exactly how the masters in Munich wanted it to look: dynamic and understated (and when your company also own Rolls-Royce there’s no reason not to make your own flagship the latter), with a cockpit of surpassing loveliness. Leather that would do justice to the finest gloves or handbag covers most surfaces, stitched in complex and compelling rhythms; inlaid wood abutted by polished trim highlights controls that are similar to those in a 3-series, but respond with more smoothness refinement.
Likewise the iDrive system, which is more complex than in earlier BMWs, but still fathomable—and if it is not, the company will send an expert to coach you in its use. The party piece here is Gesture Control; a world’s first (in cars, anyway—videogames have had it for years) that allows you to swat away unwanted phone calls or twirl your finger to raise the volume on the captivating accurate Bowers & Wilkins audio system.
Useless? One might think so, especially given the absence of popular luxury aids like remote start. But once back in more pedestrian transport you find yourself unconsciously gesticulating, wishing Gesture Control was present. More helpful for urbanites is the Autobahn and Driver Assistance Plus systems, that will almost pilot the car through rush hour traffic, steering, braking and accelerating, all in a suitably dignified manner.
The Mercedes S-Class is the sales leader in this category—by a clear margin—and therefore it makes sense that BMW would differentiate itself with a more driver-focused look inside and out for the 7-series, and hone the car’s dynamics to please both driver and passengers.
The BMW does this better than most anything on the market right now. Rear accommodations are plutocrat-class, with obscenely pampering seats and gadgets galore, while the driver is more rewarded than the pilot of sportier cars from the same stable.
Some of this owes to the new Carbon Core structure that the 750xi is built around; it is so rigid that the suspension can be tuned to be magic carpet smooth in ride quality (even slightly better in certain respects than the S-class) yet lively through the corners, with a planted, flat stance and willing reflexiveness to a driver’s commands.
There’s no more steering feel than in any other modern BMW, but the helm is so accurate and the body control so well resolved that this incredibly large sedan soon becomes an extension of the pilot’s will. The powertrain certainly does its part; 445 horsepower of twin-turbo V8 and about the most intuitive transmission ever conceived see to that. The 7-series smashes the 0-60 benchmark in 4.4 seconds.
So: The 750xi rides and handles as well or better than any car to which it might conceivably be compared. Most of its tech is both cutting edge and well resolved, and it is supremely quiet and relaxing to drive. But does it move the needle for potential buyers in an political atmosphere that rewards candidates for loud and loutish behavior? For those who have the confidence not to show off and like to change the course of others’ destinies while slipping by almost unnoticed, the answer is decidedly yes.
Isaac Bouchard is owner of Bespoke Autos, an auto brokerage that helps people save time, money and hassle when buying or leasing vehicles. Since 1991 he has helped his clients save over $1 million dollars. He has written extensively about getting the best deal possible when buying or leasing a vehicle, arranging financing or trading in a car. Isaac has been a professional automotive journalist as well for over 12 years, having reviewed most all types of car, truck and SUV.
Visit our Nice Drives section for more car reviews and comparisons.
Colorado AvidGolfer is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it. It publishes eight issues annually and proudly delivers daily content via www.coloradoavidgolfer.com.
