BMW 7 Series Review & Prices

The BMW 7 Series is the flagship saloon of the German brand, and it showcases the latest tech that the firm has to offer. In this case, it’s got a fleet of improved technology inside, such as the optional cinema style screen in the back – like having your own private Odeon.

But the main story with the 7 Series is its controversial new design. The large grille dominates the front, while it’s flanked by split headlights, which certainly divides opinion, but looks better in the metal. The sharp design continues down the side with some creases, but it’s slab-sided otherwise. 

At the rear it’s classic 7 Series with a modern twist. It’s pretty square but it gets thin lights to get that futuristic look. The all-electric BMW i7 that sits alongside the 7 Series gets blue highlights all round the vehicle, including on the rear bumper. 

Inside, you’ll find one of the fanciest cabins currently on sale. You get a huge panel containing both screens, one of which is the infotainment touchscreen that can be controlled by the iDrive dial. You also get loads of crystal detailing you may have seen in the BMW iX SUV, including a whole panel that lights up depending on different functions, such as the climate control.

With luxury trimmings and excellent build quality, the 7 Series manages to be as accomplished as a Mercedes S-Class. It’s not quite as luxurious as the electric i7 though.

The rear seats are like you’re on a business class flight, and you can get seats that recline to give a properly relaxing experience. You get touchscreen displays to control the optional widescreen that folds down from the roof, as well as the seats and air conditioning. It’s high-end limousine luxury at its finest.

If you’re all about having a practical saloon, the 7 Series does okay with a 525-litre load area. The all-electric i7 gets slightly less with 500 litres. However, the Mercedes equivalents – the S-Class and EQS – get 550 litres and 610 litres respectively. And with the 7 Series and i7, you can’t fold the seats down to load longer items. 

Out on the road, the 7 Series feels super composed. Weighing north of two tonnes, it’s not light, but with the standard adaptive air suspension it rides smoothly and with little fuss. It disguises its weight well when going through the corners too. 

Around town, it is pretty long at 5.3m, but with the help of rear-wheel steering, it feels surprisingly manoeuvrable. There’s no hiding the fact that it’s a large car though, so thank goodness for the multiple cameras, making parking pretty simple. 

But where the 7 Series is peerless is cruising on the motorway. In the UK, we only get the 750e and M760e versions – both of which are plug-in hybrids offering up to 49 miles of electric driving. The electric punch matched with excellent engines should make overtaking and getting up to speed no problem. 

The BMW 7 Series is one of the best cars you can currently buy, and with its luxury appeal, it can definitely match the Mercedes S-Class in the premium limo market. Find out how much you could save on a BMW 7 Series on Carwow by checking out our latest BMW 7 Series deals. Do also check out our new BMW deals and used BMW cars for sale from our trusted dealer partners, and if you need to sell your car as well, Carwow can also help with that.

The answer is… complicated. The most affordable plug-in hybrid version of the 7 Series, the 750e xDrive, is actually more expensive than the basic electric i7, and more than £20,000 pricier than the most affordable plug-in hybrid Audi A8. Then again, the Audi is a much older design, and the BMW offers a much longer electric-only driving range, of up to 49 miles. Again, that has to be taken into consideration. 

There’s more complication when you compare the 750e to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, not only because you’ll need to upgrade to the long-wheelbase version of the Mercedes to truly match the cabin space and comfort of the BMW. That pushes the price of the S-Class’ plug-in hybrid version quite a bit higher than that of the 750e, but once again electric-only range comes into play — the Mercedes has a bigger battery and a claimed electric range of up to 67 miles. It’s also worth remembering that the plug-in hybrid Range Rover, while not a direct competitor can be considered as a potential alternative, and offers 75 miles of electric only range. 

In this mix, the 7 Series sits more or less in the middle in terms of value — certainly pricier than the Audi, and slightly more affordable, model-for-model, than the equivalent S-Class. 

The 7 Series is a little noisier inside than is ideal, but Sport mode reveals it to be a proper BMW in the corners. 

In town

The 7 Series is absolutely massive. Park it next to a ‘normal’ car in the street and it looks as if you’ve left an aircraft carrier tied up next to the kerb — especially with that tall grille and huge, flat bonnet. 

However, it’s not as bad when it comes to in-town manoeuvres as you might think. For a start, rear-wheel steering comes as standard on all 7 Series models, and that can help to shrink the turning circle a bit, but even then it’s still 12-metres around, which is about the same as you get in a Mercedes S-Class without rear-steering, while the older Audi A8 turns tighter still. 

There is a very good all-round camera system, which helps not just when parking but also when threading through traffic or getting in and out of narrow spaces. The optional Parking Assistant Pro system can not only park the 7 Series for you, but also can remember your regular parking manoeuvres (such as backing onto your driveway, or slipping into your — doubtless reserved — space at work) and can memorise manoeuvres of up to 200-metres in length (that’s 656 feet!). 

From the driving seat, all-round visibility is pretty good, and that big, flat bonnet does help you to judge the extremities of the car in town. Once you remember that the 7 Series really is very big, and you need to allow a bit of extra space, it’s actually not as bad as you might think in town. 

If there is an issue, it’s in the ride quality and comfort. The 7 Series comes with standard air suspension, which is great for comfort in general, but can allow small, sharp urban bumps to cause a jolt in the cabin. 

On the motorway

Once you’re up to cruising speed, the 7 Series is almost pillow-soft in its comfort levels, and is much more comfortable than, for example, the ageing Audi A8. However, it is a bit noisier than the Audi, allowing in more road noise, especially on coarse road surfaces. It’s hugely luxurious and comfortable by any rational standard, but at this kind of price level, small differences such as that can really add up. 

When you need to ask for acceleration, such as when merging or pulling out to overtake a line of lorries, the plug-in hybrid 750e and M760e both seem to need a moment to gather themselves before letting loose all their power. It’s almost like old-fashioned turbo lag, when you had to press the accelerator and then count… one… two… three… four… before the engine woke up properly. Once they do, the hybrid 7 Series are very quick indeed, especially (unsurprisingly) the M760e with its 563bhp, but the 483bhp 750e is hardly disgraced.

On a twisty road

The 7 Series might be big, might be luxurious, and might be heavy (2.5-tonnes…) but it’s still a BMW at heart, and that’s really noticeable when you get to a twisty road and select Sport mode. Annoyingly, this takes a while to do (you have to press the ‘My Modes’ button on the centre console, then pick Sport from the menu on the big screen, and then press a confirmation button to verify your choice — it’s all rather long-winded and distracting) but once you’ve done it, the 7 Series really tightens up and starts to feel properly sporty. 

There’s a much bigger and more obvious difference between Sport and Comfort modes in the BMW than there is in the Audi or Mercedes, and the 7 Series feels genuinely engaging to drive on an enjoyable road. That goes double for the M760e version, which feels like — and is — a proper rocket ship once you’ve engaged Sport mode. 

The only downfall is the steering, which even in Sport mode remains a bit too light for proper fun. This is still the getaway limo of choice, though, if that’s something you think you’ll ever need. 

There’s space and comfort aplenty in the front and back of the 7 Series, but while the boot is a good size, there are no folding rear seats for extra versatility.

If there are cars with more comfortable front seats than those of a 7 Series… well, there certainly aren’t many. While cars such as these are often designed to be best-enjoyed from the back seats, the 7 Series remembers that drivers matter too, so there are those wonderful front seats, with multi-adjustable backrests and pillow-soft headrests. Space is excellent, and even though the centre console is massive, there’s not too much of a ‘hemmed-in’ feeling. Instead, you just feel cosy and protected. 

Under the butterfly-style armrest in between the front seats there’s a huge storage bin, and along the centre console you’ll find cup holders (which can be heated and cooled, as required) and a space for wirelessly charging your smartphone. Annoyingly, if you’ve got a tall bottle in the cupholders, actually reaching in and getting your phone out can be tricky, but then of course you’re not allowed to touch your phone while driving… The door bins are roomy, and the glovebox is a good size too. 

Space in the back seats

The 7 Series comes with only one wheelbase measurement (whereas Audi and Mercedes, and Range Rover for that matter, offer short and long versions) but the BMW’s space between the wheels is the same as that of the long-wheelbase Mercedes. Rear seat passengers, then, get simply enormous amounts of room and stretching legs or feet out is no problem at all. It’s a hugely expensive option, but it’s definitely worth specifying the optional rear reclining seats — the one behind the front-seat passenger actually fully reclines, like that of a first class airliner seat, and is astonishingly comfortable. 

There’s no real centre rear seat as such — just a small gap between the outer two seats, so while there is a seatbelt, the chunky rear centre armrest and general lack of width means that anyone stuck in the middle is not going to be very happy. That bulky armrest has cupholders and some storage space, and even a wireless phone charging pad (although, annoyingly, that has to be switched on via the screen in the front). 

Visibility out is good, through those long side windows, and if the car has the big glass roof, then it’s a very light and airy space in the back. It’s worth noting, for those who regularly travel in the back, that rear seat passengers will definitely notice that the 7 Series is more firm in its suspension than the Audi or Mercedes alternatives, but the upside of that is the BMW is less floaty and probably less likely to induce travel sickness. 

Boot space

At 525-litres, the boot of the 7 Series isn’t exceptionally massive, but it is big, it is square, it has a relatively low loading lip, and there is some under-floor storage to stash your charging cables. The good news is that you get the same boot space whether you choose the plug-in hybrid 7 Series or fully-electric i7 — that stands in sharp contrast to the Audi A8, whose boot shrinks to just 390-litres in the plug-in hybrid model as the batteries take up so much space. Think that’s bad? Then try the plug-in hybrid Mercedes S580e, whose batteries shrink the boot to just 325-litres. For reference, a Volkswagen Golf hatchback has a 380-litre boot. 

The 7 Series does lose out to the all-electric Mercedes EQS, though, which can manage 610-litres and which has a handy fastback boot, which makes it more versatile. The BMW’s boot is also not perfect — the actual space left by the boot lid when it’s open is somewhat awkward, and there are no folding back seats to allow you to load in bigger items. 

Daring design and lots of high-tech, but some screen controls are more fiddly than they ought to be.

BMW has been very daring with the cabin of the 7 Series. Compared to the beautifully-made, but rather tame-looking, cabins of the Mercedes or Audi, the 7 Series cabin is a positive riot. It starts with the crystal-style light panel (it’s actually called the ‘BMW Interaction Bar’) that runs the full width of the dashboard, and into the doors. Although this is actually made of plastic, it’s meant to look like the same crystal glass that is also used for the gear selector toggle and the electric seat adjusters. Tacky? A little bit, especially once you start playing with the more lurid ambient lighting colours, but at least BMW Is trying to do something different. The light bar also pulses and changes colours according to some in-car functions. It’ll turn blue if you’re turning the cabin temperature down, or flash red if you activate the hazard warning lights. 

On top of the dashboard is a huge, sweeping, curved screen which BMW now uses in almost all of its models. It looks like one big screen, but it’s actually two screens under a common cover, giving the driver a 12.3-inch instrument panel and putting a 14.9-inch infotainment screen in the middle. As with many car makers, BMW has done away with as many physical buttons as it can do, putting most of the controls onto the screen. 

That works OK up to a point. BMW’s software is reasonably easy to navigate your way around, and the screen is fast and responsive, but it’s never quite as easy to use as straightforward buttons would be (see the issues, above, with just doing something as simple as selecting Sport mode). At least you do still get the physical iDrive rotary controller on the centre console (it’s now made of crystal too) which makes it easier and safer to control the screen while driving. 

Depending on how you specify it, the 7 Series can be an utter technical riot. Rear seat passengers get little iPhone-style screens built into the doors which control the rear seat climate, door blinds and more and higher-spec models get an extra tablet, which slots into the centre armrest. The star of the show, though, is the optional rear widescreen television, which stashes away in the roof when you don’t want it, and which flips down to reveal a 31-inch screen with 8K high-definition and built-in internet connection, as well as a slot to allow you to connect an Amazon Fire Stick for streaming films and television. It’s an astonishing piece of in-car equipment, and is far more spectacular than the usual iPad-like screens stuck to the back of front seats that most rivals offer. There’s only one issue, and that’s that the big screen is so wide and so relatively close to your face that it can feel a bit like sitting in the front row of the cinema. 

Other than that, you get all the usual tech refinements including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connections for your phone, and plenty of USB sockets including some mounted high up in the backs of the front seats, making them easier to find for those sitting in the back. Other options include a massively powerful Bowers + Wilkins stereo system (complete with genuine metal covers for the speakers) while the back seats can be fitted with ‘exciters’ that pulse and vibrate according to the music you’re listening to, or the film you’re watching. 

On a more serious note, the 7 Series has excellent build quality with a combination of expensive-looking and feeling plastics mixed with high-end leather, wood, and aluminium trim. The crystal buttons might look a bit nouveau riche, but there’s no doubting the solidity of the way the 7 Series is put together. 

Thanks to coming only in plug-in hybrid or fully-electric forms, the 7 Series boasts some impressive emissions figures. Obviously, the electric versions are zero-emissions at the point of use, but thanks to their relatively big batteries, the plug-in hybrids have low emissions too — starting from as little as 23g/km for the 750e, rising to 27g/km for the more powerful M760e. 

The plug-ins are surprisingly economical, though. While the quoted electric range of up to 49 miles will be, realistically, more like 30-35 miles in real-world conditions, even the powerful M760e plug-in is capable of reaching almost 40mpg when cruising with a flat main battery, which is truly impressive. However, they will only charge at a maximum of 7.4kW on AC power, and can’t be fast-charged at all.

Annual VED road tax for either of the hybrids is going to work out at £590.They’ll also only cost between £40 and £80 a month, or thereabouts, in Benefit in Kind company car tax, while the hybrids will cost between £140 and £160 per month. 

Neither the 7 Series nor the i7 have been independently crash-tested by Euro NCAP, but the large iX electric SUV has been, and that shares most of its structure with the 7 Series — the iX scored five-stars, and a 91 per cent adult occupant protection rating, so we would expect the 7 Series and i7 to perform in a broadly similar manner. 

As standard, all 7 Series and i7 models come with BMW’s ‘Active Protection’ system which not only monitors for driver distraction and fatigue, but also winds up the windows, pre-tensions the seatbelts, and automatically adjusts the seats to a more protective position if it detects that a crash is inevitable. Adaptive LED headlights with automatic high-beam, and the adaptive air suspension are also standard, as are an emergency e-call phone system, tyre pressure monitors, automatic wipers, lane keeping steering, rear cross traffic alert, and a system that warns you if you’re about to open a door into the face of an oncoming cyclist. 

The current 7 Series and i7 are still relatively new models, but so far no major reliability issues have been unearthed. The JD Power quality survey rates the 7 Series at 80 points out of 100, which isn’t perfect, but which is certainly impressive and speaks to the car’s high quality. There is no diesel-engined 7 Series anymore, so there are at least no concerns about the old BMW issue of snapped diesel engine timing chains, and the 3.0-litre turbo petrol unit used in the hybrids is a well-proven engine, which has already seen service in the previous 7 Series and 5 Series, as well as the 8 Series.