BMW 7 Series Review (2015-2022)
BMW 7 Series cars for sale
4.0
Expert review
Pros
Sharper to drive than most luxury cars
Slick iDrive infotainment system
Huge rear-seat space in long-wheelbase versions
Cons
Doesn't ride with the serenity of a Mercedes S-Class
Plain looks and an ungainly grille
Complex technology could land used 7 Series owners with a big bill
The CarGurus verdict
From its lavish interior to its extensive equipment list, the BMW 7 Series is every inch a luxury limo. But then again, that can be said for most of the cars it’s going up against, and sadly, they do it just a little better.
By comparison, the 7 Series feels just a touch on the plain side. Yes, it’s decent enough to drive, but not by enough to give it a must-have USP. Besides, handling ability counts for relatively little among big luxury saloons like this which will rarely, if ever, get chucked around.
Instead comfort, discretion, space and a sense of occasion from within are all more important, and reliability matters, too, of course. On all of these counts, the 7 Series feels just a step behind its competitors. Make no mistake, this is a good car. The trouble is, its rivals are great ones.
What is the BMW 7 Series?
Think of a luxury limousine, and the BMW 7 Series might not spring immediately to mind. After all, while you’ll see diplomats swanning around in Mercedes S-Classes and film stars arriving at premieres in Audi A8s, the 7 Series tends to be less prominent a car of choice for VIPs.
Perhaps that’s because it isn’t quite as special to look at as its rivals. The 7 Series' nose is dominated by those vast, look-at-me grilles. Yet the rest of the car's styling is a little plain, and shares perhaps a smidge too much in common with lesser BMWs. It’s an odd mix of discretion and vanity.
This generation of 7 Series – known in BMW-speak as the G11 model – was replaced in 2022 by the G70-generation BMW 7 Series.
How practical is it?
You get plenty of space to stretch out, as you might expect from a car of its size, and its 515-litre boot space is on a par with rivals’, too.
For customers planning to be chauffeured in their 7 Series, BMW offers the long-wheelbase, or L version. This version is stretched by 14cm between the wheels, and that extra space is added to the leg room in the rear seats. But that’s not all; the long-wheelbase 7 Series also gets a glass sunroof and a roller blind for the rear windscreen, both operated electrically, and you can also add a passenger seat that transforms into a foot rest, ventilated rear seats that can be reclined, and a panoramic glass roof, for an extra cost.
What's it like to drive?
There’s a choice of three petrol and two diesel engines in the 7 Series, as well as a plug-in hybrid option, and all come with an eight-speed automatic gearbox as standard. Most buyers plump for either the 328bhp 3.0-litre petrol turbo in the 740i, or the 282bhp 3.0-litre turbodiesel in the 730d, and frankly, either variant is all the 7 Series you really need, as both provide hushed, effortless progress.
For the most part, in fact, that typifies the 7 Series’ driving experience. You get air suspension as standard, which does a pretty decent job of damping out imperfections in the road surface, although the large wheels with their slim tyre sidewalls can sometimes thump over sharper bumps in an unseemly way. Mercedes' air suspension system fitted to the S-Class does a better job.
You don’t quite get the same sense of involvement at the wheel with the 7 Series as you do with smaller BMWs, but hustle it down a twisty lane and you’ll be impressed by its composure. Not only is there plenty of grip – which is to be expected given those huge, wide wheels – but the 7 Series never feels as heavy or as vast as it is, its body refusing to lean over and wallow like some more softly sprung luxury cars’ might.
Technology, equipment & infotainment
Inside, the 7 Series is a classy place to be, with beautiful materials and a slick iDrive entertainment system that handles many of the car’s myriad functions. Happily, BMW has kept physical buttons for the climate control, instead of resorting to a touchscreen like Audi and Mercedes have, although the overall design of the 7 Series’s dashboard is a little ordinary by comparison.
There were three core versions in the 7 Series range: the base model, which didn’t get a specific badge; the Exclusive, which was a more luxurious take thereon; and the M Sport, whose sporty styling made it the most popular version. All are well equipped, but the smaller wheels and softer suspension of the standard and Exclusive versions make them more comfortable over softer bumps.
BMW 7 Series running costs
Leaving aside the 745e – whose fuel economy figures look good on paper, but will vary wildly in the real world depending on how often it’s charged up – the most economical version in the 7 Series range is the 730d.
You can expect to see around 45 mpg in your usual day-to-day driving, or perhaps a smidge more if you’re really careful, and that’ll drop by a couple of miles per gallon if you choose the xDrive version with four-wheel drive, which adds extra weight.
Upgrade to the 740d and you get four-wheel drive as standard, not to mention an extra 53bhp – but despite this, fuel economy figures should be about the same as that of the 730d xDrive, making it an appealing alternative if four-wheel drive is a must.
Petrol-powered 7 Series are quite a bit thirstier; don’t expect more than 30 mpg on average if you plump for the 740i. That drops off further if you choose a more powerful version; you’ll see around 25 mpg from the 750i, and from the M760Li with its whopping V12 engine, you’ll be lucky to get 20 mpg.
BMW 7 Series reliability
There isn’t much specific reliability data out there regarding the 7 Series itself. It wasn’t featured in the 2019 What Car? Reliability Survey, for example, probably because there weren’t enough responses from owners.
However, BMW was one of the manufacturers included in the 2019 JD Power Vehicle Dependability Study, and sadly, it did not do well. In fact, BMW came last out of the 24 car makers that took part, finishing behind Audi, Mercedes and Land Rover, and even falling behind mainstream manufacturers with relatively poor reliability reputations like Fiat and Citroen.
Given the 7 Series is one of BMW’s costliest and most complex models, that doesn’t bode well. And while BMW’s three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty is about par for the course among its rivals, Lexus will sell you an LS with a five-year, 100,000-mile warranty, which will undoubtedly leave you with greater peace of mind.
- For those for whom the 7 Series still wasn’t exclusive enough BMW’s Individual programme offered a range of even more tailored options, including special exterior paint finishes, unique wood veneers and custom upholstery options. Finding a 7 Series specified in this way isn’t easy, and they’re often expensive, but you’ll end up with a car that feels truly unique.
- Sitting at the top of the 7 Series line-up is the M760Li xDrive. Not only does this model get a slew of luxurious extras as standard, but it comes with active steering and four-wheel drive. The centrepiece of this high-performance version, however, is the twin-turbo 6.6-litre V12. It’s a derivative of that found in the Rolls-Royce Phantom, and kicks out a thumping 577bhp, which is enough for a 0-62mph time of just 3.8 seconds.
- Like most luxury cars these days, the 7 Series can be had as a plug-in hybrid. It’s called the 745e – or Le if you opt for the long-wheelbase version – and comes with the same 3.0-litre turbocharged engine as the 740i, but with the added benefit of an electric motor that takes the total maximum power output to 389bhp. You should be able to travel around 20-25 miles without using the petrol engine, and charging the empty battery to full will take around three and a half hours on a 7.4kW home charging point.
- For most people, we’d recommend choosing the 730d M Sport. Yes, it’s a little more costly than the standard 730d, but the M Sport model is much more desirable, so you’ll find it much easier to sell when the time comes, and you should see the extra cash back in added resale value if you’re part-exchanging. What’s more, the entry-level six-cylinder diesel engine is plenty powerful enough for most people, and provides very reasonable fuel economy.
- If you’re planning to spend most of your time in the back seat, an upgrade to the long-wheelbase 730Ld M Sport is well worth considering. The extra leg room is undoubtedly worth having, and if you’re feeling flush, splashing out on the Rear Seat Comfort Plus pack gets you those fancy rear seats.
- If you can’t stand the idea of a diesel powertrain, though, we’d suggest the 740i M Sport instead. The petrol model is quite a bit thirstier, but it’s also smoother, and with so much power on tap, you won’t find it wanting in the performance stakes.
- If you’re choosing a 7 Series as a company car, the 745e makes considerably more sense than any other version. Its low CO2 emissions figures will help keep your tax bill down, and opting for the standard car, rather than the M Sport, will keep the P11D value to a minimum. That said, keep in mind that if you don’t charge your 745e up, it’ll be quite thirsty, so you might end up paying over the odds for fuel.
- The top-of-the-range 7 Series is the M760Li xDrive, but its price tag is steep. The 750i xDrive M Sport is significantly cheaper, yet still comes with four-wheel drive, is only 0.2 seconds slower to 62mph, and will be quite a bit more fuel efficient. Granted, you get fewer toys, too, but if you can live without some of the M760Li’s fripperies, you’ll save yourself a wad of cash and end up with a very similar car.
