2009 BMW 7 Series Review

PROS  Excellent handling and composed ride, Plenty of power, Lots of features

CONS  Still has iDrive, Grabby brakes, Lagging throttle response

BMW's flagship and technology savant, the 7-Series, is considered by many to be the most advanced automobile sold in the world. It is revered among true automotive enthusiasts and most likely to be driven by upper-crust professionals. Competitors in this rarefied air include the Audi A8, Jaguar XJ, Lexus LS470, and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

For 2010, the German automaker gives the 7-Series a complete freshening, with new styling, more power, and additional features. The 7-Series lineup consists of a single model in regular and long wheelbase form. Both are four-door sedans. The 750i rides a 120.9-inch wheelbase while the 750iL sits on a 126-4-inch wheelbase.

The 7-Series is powered by a twin turbo 4.4-liter V8 that makes 400 horsepower. The V8 mates to a six-speed automatic and drives the rear wheels. All-wheel drive is not available.

Standard safety features include antilock four-wheel disc brakes with brake assist, stability control, front-seat active head restraints, front- and rear-obstacle-detection system, tire-pressure monitor, and dual-front, front-side, curtain-side airbags, and front-knee airbags. Rearview camera is optional. Also optional and new for '09 are sideview camera, blind-spot alert, and lane-departure warning.

The 750i lists for $80,300 and the 750iL starts at $84,200. Standard equipment includes power tilt-telescopic leather-wrapped steering wheel with radio controls, cruise control, air conditioning with quad-zone automatic climate control, navigation system with voice recognition and traffic information, BMW Assist system, memory system (driver seat, mirrors, steering wheel), leather upholstery, heated 16-way power front bucket seats with lumbar adjustment, center console, wood interior trim, heated power-folding mirrors with automatic day/night and passenger-side tilt-down back-up aid, power windows, power door locks, keyless entry, keyless access and starting, sunroof, AM/FM/CD player with hard drive, digital-media player connection, and iPod adapter, Bluetooth cell-phone link, trip computer, automatic day/night rearview mirror, universal garage door opener, illuminated visor mirrors, rain-sensing variable-intermittent wipers with heated washers, rear defogger, automatic headlights, floormats, theft-deterrent system, steering-linked adaptive HID headlights, fog lights, cornering lights, driver-adjustable suspension, 245/50R18 run-flat tires, and alloy wheels. The 750iL adds an automatic load-leveling suspension.

Options include night vision, active front steering, rear steering, active roll stabilization, soft-close doors, power trunklid, adaptive cruise control, dual-screen DVD entertainment system, satellite radio, power rear and side sunshades, front ventilated seats, active and massaging driver seat, heated steering wheel, heated/cooled rear seats, and massaging rear seats. The 7-Series is manufactured in Germany and has an $825 destination charge.

Get Up and Go  Stomp on the throttle and the 7-Series jumps to life, scrambling from 0-60 mph in about 5.5 seconds. That's fast by any measure and particularly impressive for a 4500-pound luxury sedan.

Unfortunately, most competitors accelerate with similar verve and the BMW suffers from lagging throttle response. Meaning that just a slight-to-modest press on the throttle gives you very little acceleration and a heavy stab on the gas gives you too much acceleration. This makes for jerky around-town acceleration and lots of head bobbing in stop-and-go traffic.

The automatic transmission isn't as smooth as in some competitors when upshifting, but it downshifts promptly and reacts quickly to manual manipulation. It's down a gear or two to most competitors and that's likely to hurt both smoothness and overall fuel economy.

Speaking of fuel economy, the 750i is EPA rated at 15 mpg city and 22 mpg highway. As expected, that's a mpg or two beneath most competitors. In addition, BMW says premium-grade gasoline is required for the twin-turbo engine.

Routine driving is likely to yield about 17-18 mpg. Though stop-and-go commuting might take that number as low at the EPA city number of 15. If your commute includes lots of low-stress highway driving, you might be able to average as high as 20 mpg. Straight highway driving yields about 23 mpg.

The unavailability of all-wheel drive is class demerit as just about every competitor is available with that security feature. It also means that snow tires are a must in the winter and that extra care must be exhibited when accelerating on rain-soaked roads.

On the Road  Like all BMW's, the 7-Series leans toward the athletic end of the luxury-sport equation. The suspension is tuned first for road holding composure and second for comfort. That said, the 7-Series can offer a surprisingly supple ride--due in part to its longish wheelbase.

Drivers can choose between "sport" and "comfort" settings. In sport mode, the ride is firm and somewhat unforgiving. Set to comfort, the suspension does a good job of filtering out minor road imperfections and softening larger impacts. In either case, the suspension does an excellent job of quelling secondary motions.

Simply put, the 7-Series is perhaps the best handling large sedan in the world. When equipped with the optional sport package, rear-wheel steering, and active roll stabilization, it carves through corners with the athleticism of a sports coupe, and that's no overstatement. The steering is delightfully accurate and the brakes are arrestingly strong. One minor quibble is a grabbiness from the brakes at low speed that makes coming to a smooth stop nearly impossible.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, the 7-Series is quite maneuverable in tight spaces, thanks to the rear steering that cuts the turning radius by almost three feet.

The 7-Series isn't as relaxed when cruising as the class-leading Lexus or Jaguar. There's some wind rush from around the mirrors and a fair amount of tire rumble on concrete surfaces. At full throttle, the engine produces an authoritative growl that's both menacing and forceful. When cruising the engine is quiet and refined.

Behind the Wheel  BMW designers crafted an interior that's welcoming without being lighthearted. Materials are certainly appropriate for the class and assembly quality is top notch, as you might expect for the price.

Gauges and interface screens are somewhat obscurely, marked but are brightly lit and and easily seen day or night. Window and mirror controls fall close to hand on the driver's arm rest. There are basic radio and climate controls at the center of the dashboard. Just about everything else is manipulated by a front console mounted jog-dial.

A big deal has been made of the use of the "next" generation of BMW's controversial iDrive system. iDrive is combines many ancillary vehicle functions into a single control input that is supposed to simply driver interaction and reduce distraction. What it really does is save money and reduce dashboard complexity. Most operations can be performed in three or four jogs/clicks, but a single button press would be a whole lot more straightforward. BMW's not alone in this single-control crusade and both Audi and Mercedes have similar systems. All have their faults an none are as elegant as Ford's SYNC voice-controlled interface.

One additional annoyance is the shift lever. Thankfully it moves from a dash mount to a more conventional center-console lever. However, its operation is still not standardized. Push a button for Park, move forward(?) for reverse and pull back (?) for drive. My question is why the need to be different, BMW?

Front-seat passengers are treated to ample leg room and good head room. The heavily contoured seat and wide center console give occupants the feel of wearing a custom fitted glove rather than posh comfort, though fatigue only sets in after long drives. The driver seat has extendible thigh support--a boon for the long legged--ventilation, articulated backrest, and massaging feature. Outward visibility is good, though the outside mirrors could be a little bigger.

Two important safety features were added for 2009. One is lane-departure warning, which shimmys the steering wheel when drivers inadvertently get too close to the shoulder or the wander toward the center divider. It works well and never grows annoying. BMW's also refined the night vision system. Called Night Vision 2, it is activated by a dashboard button and instantly swaps out the navigation display for a real-time view forward. The infrared camera paints a highly detailed picture of objects far out of the range of the headlights, which can be quite useful in remote and wooded areas. For '09 the system adds Pedestrian Detection, which not only highlights people with a yellow tint and flashes a warning on the instrument panel or on the available head-up display.

Rear-seat passengers are treated like royalty in the 750iL. Head room is excellent and leg room more than adequate. The seats are heavily contoured for two adults, but three can fit in a pinch (though the center rider will have to straddle a tall transmission tunnel). Optional in back are heated and cooled seats with adjustable seatback and a dual-screen DVD entertainment system.

The trunk offers a spacious 17.6 cubic feet of cargo space. It likely would be more if BMW didn't have to incorporate space-eating trunk hinges necessary for the power closing mechanism. Still, that's more than adequate for a week's worth of groceries or three or four golf bags. Inside, there's adequate storage if you look a bit, though a larger open bin in the center console would be appreciated.

Bottom Line  Luxury cars are like flavors of ice cream at Oberweis Dairy. You know that they are all great, but there's one in particular that's your favorite. The BMW 7-Series is no exception. It's adventurous without being off putting and surprisingly fun to drive.

That's BMW's game though. The German automaker builds cars and SUVs that are fun to drive, extremely competent, and highly featured. The major fault of the 7-Series is the lack of all-wheel drive, which could easily be corrected as that feature is already available in Europe.

You figure that those shopping for a luxury sedan don't need to worry so much about price. So, it's important to make sure that the "flavor" of car you choose is one that you like very much and won't mind living with on a daily basis for the next three or four years. All offer excellent safety features and lots of creature comforts. So the choice comes down to tuning. Do you want more luxury or do you want more sport? If you choose sport, the 7-Series has to be a top contender.