2007 BMW 7 series: Luxurious and Fun!!

Summary

For the 2007 model year the BMW 7 series is luxurious, fun to drive, and has technology abound. An iDrive system connects the driver with all aspects of the vehicle, leaving navigation, entertainment, climate and suspension settings just a button press away, While driving the 7 series one cannot express how much fun it is to drive. It handles excellent at high speeds but manages to not over steer at low speeds due to the computer system inside. On the whole, the 7 series is a driving machine definitely worth a look for 2007.

2007 Full Review

Spend an hour driving the BMW 7 Series sedan and you'll know what the fuss is about. For 2007, there are a few noteworthy changes to the 7 Series line, including the elimination of the 760i, or the short wheelbase model with a V12 engine. A new BMW Individual package adds 20-inch wheels, specially cured, extra-sumptuous leather and a suede-like Alcantara headliner, among other things. It's easy to drive the 7 Series well, even on winding mountain roads, and few luxury sedans can keep up with it at high speeds. The interface between driver and machine can be complex, and occasionally tiring. Any of the three 7 Series models, starting with the standard wheelbase, V8-powered 750i, are big, smooth, fast and inspiring. All 7 Series have a responsive six-speed automatic transmission and awesomely powerful brakes. Advanced suspension and well-tuned electronic stability control systems mix magic-carpet ride quality with the ultimate in big-sedan control.

Virtually everything inside is controlled through a single, mouse-like interface called iDrive: entertainment, navigation, climate, and myriad settings managing the car's suspension, lighting, ad infinitum.

Trims and Styling

The 2007 BMW 7 Series comes in two different lengths, with a choice of V8 and V12 engines.

Voice activated GPS navigation, a four-year subscription to BMW Assist emergency communications, adaptive headlights that turn with the car, BMW's Park Distance Control and a climate-controlled console box come standard. The 10-speaker audio system has a single CD player and auxiliary jack, and the standard wheels are 18 inches in diameter.

The 750Li ($78,100) is nearly six inches longer than the 750i between the wheels. The longer wheelbase translates into a nearly equal increase in rear seat legroom.

The 760Li ($121,400) features a 6.0-liter V12 with 438 horsepower and 444 pound-feet of torque. It comes standard with nearly every luxury and convenience BMW offers, including soft-close doors that suck themselves shut, adjustable heated and ventilated rear seats, and power rear window and rear-side window sun shades. Most of what's offered on the 760Li is available on the 750i and 750Li. Eight major option packages include the popular Sport Package ($3,000), with firmer sport-tuned suspension and 20-inch wheels, and the Premium Sound Package ($1,800), with more wattage, digital sound processing, 13 speakers, subwoofers and a six-CD changer.

The BMW Individual package ($11,000) is new for 2007. It adds ultra-soft, ultra-durable Merino leather upholstery, a selection of BMW Individual interior trims, Alcantara headliner, 20-inch wheels with performance tires, illuminated BMW Individual doorsills, and storage nets in the passenger-side footwell. Safety features match the class benchmark: front-impact airbags, front occupant knee-protection and side-impact airbags, and BMW's Head Protection System, which amounts to a full-length, tube-shaped curtain on both sides of the cabin. Rear passenger side impact airbags ($385) are optional. BMW Assist works like GM's more familiar OnStar system. All 7 Series models come with electronic stability control, traction control, a tire pressure monitor and one of the most sophisticated anti-lock brake systems (ABS) available.

It looks more agile and muscular than previous 7 Series cars, but it isn't necessarily pretty. The trademark twin-kidney grille and long hood remain, but this 7 Series is a dramatic departure from past BMWs.

On one hand, BMW claims customers love it, and other luxury manufacturers, including Acura and Lexus, have adopted design cues introduced on the 7 Series. The 7 Series hood flows into the nicely proportioned glasshouse, where BMW's familiar dogleg in the rear side window may be the longest-running, brand-specific styling cue in the industry. Most of the changes have come front and rear: tucking, tweaking and softening. An extra 5.5 inches of length between the wheels translates directly into rear seat legroom, giving the long cars a few inches more legroom in back than in front.

Factory-installed wheels range from 18 to 20 inches in diameter, with 21-inchers available from BMW dealerships. Microscopic pigmentation generates impressive depth and nuances that change with shifting light.

Interior Styling and Features

The double-bubble, multi-step instrument panel in the BMW 7 Series was bashed by critics almost as frequently as the exterior styling when the car was introduced, but the interior design has worn very well. High-quality materials and elegant finish make the 2007 7 Series cabin a pleasant, luxurious and exceedingly comfortable place in which to conduct the business of driving.

The front seats are supportive and comfortable, with adjustment in 20 directions. All 7 Series sedans feature dual-zone temperature and airflow adjustment for the front passengers. The 760Li adds separate temperature adjustments for each side of the rear seat. An automatic humidity control maintains relative humidity near an optimal 40 percent. The rear seats are roomy and comfortable. Waterfall LED atmosphere lighting inside the rear roof pillars adds to the evening elegance of the rear seats. For bright days, the 760Li includes power sunshades for the rear and rear side windows. Comfort Seats for the rear come standard on the 760Li and are available for the 750Li, along with moveable, floor-mount footrests. These rear seats are heated and ventilated, and adjust 14 ways, with a control that allows rear-seat passengers to move the front passenger seat forward.

When in full power, the 7 Series cabin remains whisper quiet. BMW's Premium Sound Package is truly sensational.

First Drive 2007

The BMW 7 Series is one of the best sedans in the world. Measured by ride, handling, braking and engine/transmission performance, and more importantly how those elements are blended into a smooth, satisfying whole, the 7 Series is almost without peer.

BMW's Active Roll Stabilization uses computer-controlled, two-piece anti-roll bars to increase roll resistance in hard cornering and keep the body flat in turns. At the same time, the system maintains enough suspension compliance to keep the tires planted on the road surface. Bumps in the middle of a high-speed corner do not upset the handling balance one whit. Remember, with weight exceeding 4,480 pounds for all models, the 7 Series is not a small, lightweight car. Steering the 7 Series is a joy. The steering is very light at low speeds for parking lots, but firms up at higher speeds for improved driver feel. It also steps up response by 10 percent as the wheel is turned off center, which means the more you turn the wheel, the faster the car responds. With this steering system, it's easy to drive precisely on winding roads at high speeds, placing the tires exactly where you want them. There's little or no kickback to the steering when the 7 Series whacks a bump.

Conclusions

The BMW 7 Series is one of the finest sedans in the world: remarkably smooth, quiet and roomy. Its interior is impeccably finished. It offers extraordinary handling with a magic carpet ride. The six-speed automatic transmission is one of the best available, and both the V8 and V12 engines are silky smooth and impressively powerful. Caranddriver.com loves the 7's superb engines, great automatic transmissions, and excellent handling. The layers of technology can seem more like a hindrance than a help, however, and the interface between driver and machine can be complex and demanding. If you can get used to the amazing technological enhancements and don't find that to be a hindrance then you will love this car.