BMW 7 Series Review 2024

The BMW 7 Series is the Germany company’s flagship limousine, exemplifying luxury and success through its presence, incredibly comfortable ride, huge amount of interior space and ability to act like an executive office on wheels. Its looks are divisive, however, the car’s design being less classic saloon and more like city architecture. Inside, it boasts enough technology and comfort to rival a boutique hotel.

The BMW 7 Series has always represented the pinnacle of premium luxury, a rival to the Audi A8, Maserati Quattroporte and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The latest generation joins the era of electrification, with the pure electric BMW i7 models and plug-in hybrid powertrains across the rest of the range.

We say ‘range’, but there are only two versions available: the BMW 750e xDrive Excellence and the superyacht that is the BMW M760i xDrive. The latter boasts a sports-car-beating 0-62mph time of 4.3 seconds, while both cars will give you around 50 miles of electric driving range to eliminate emissions in town.

It’s technology and luxury that really defines the latest generation BMW 7 Series, though. There’s the option to recline in the back while being gently massaged as you watch a movie on the widescreen TV.

You can ask the car to apply settings to suit your mood, plus there are light shows across the interactive bar that spans the dashboard. It’s all very high-tech, but still supremely comfortable for those in front or reclining in the back.

The 7 Series remains very much a driver’s car, riding on a cushion of air suspension, with great steering and plenty of power. Whether driving or being driven, it’s all about upper class motoring without going full ‘peer of the realm’ in a Rolls-Royce.

What do others think of the BMW 7 Series? Check out our Owners' Reviews from people who live with this car every day.

At nearly 5.4 metres long, the BMW 7 Series is not going to be the most practical thing to drive around town. Which is fine if you are the one being driven.

BMW has added a whole range of systems to make the car aware of what is around it, help you park and feel slightly less like you are manoeuvring a yacht. It’s easy to get used to its size and visibility is fairly good all round, especially when you add in the numerous cameras.

The interior is full of luxurious surfaces, touchscreens and high-end materials, so you are going to be constantly wiping finger marks off things unless you make full use of the personal assistant.

Boot space is good, at 525 litres: slightly less than the Mercedes-Benz S-Class but more than enough for a weekend getaway to a five-star hotel or your holiday home.

As you’d expect, the quality and finish of the 7 Series is excellent. From the materials used, to the silent opening and closing of the doors, it all feels luxurious and extremely well-built.

All the touch surfaces have a quality feel to them and there’s a reassuring solidity to the buttons and controls. How well all the tech will fare in the longer term remains to be seen, but it definitely feels built to last.

We don’t have enough space to talk about all the infotainment in the new 7 Series. There are digital screens for the instrumentation and on the top of the dashboard, a head-up display with augmented reality and a smartphone app.

The BMW Interaction Bar spans the dashboard and front doors, combining interior lighting and some operating functions. You don’t even have to touch the surfaces because you have BMW’s personal assistant to talk and request one of the various My Modes to change settings, ambience and switch between digital art on the screens or video.

There’s a tablet in the back, touchscreens in the rear doors, the option of a glass rotary dial for the iDrive system and an app so you can do everything remotely.

Then there’s the BMW Theatre Screen, a 31-inch 8K widescreen display that drops down for those in the back seats to watch full HD television using Amazon Fire TV. There’s a Bowers & Wilkins surround-sound audio system with 18 speakers, but tick the option for the B&W Diamond and you get 36 speakers and 4D audio.

We’ve stayed in hotel rooms that aren’t as comfortable, or provide as much entertainment and technology.

It even has an internal camera so occupants can take selfies. This is a new era of luxury, but one where the Seven is still all about luxury and comfort.

The wheelbase is massive, at over 3.2 metres, providing loads of legroom for those in the back. It has seats you sink into and that massage you, connectivity that keeps you in touch with the office, and the peace and quiet you need to stay focused on the move.

At the time of writing, BMW 7 Series prices start at £103,895. However, absolutely nobody is going to buy a standard specification Seven. If you want the astonishing performance of the M760e xDrive, then prices start at £119,305. If you’re tempted to go full electric, the i7 models begin at £100,205.

Then there are the options, far too many for us to list here, but if you’re going to splash out over a hundred grand then what’s a few thousand more for the nice stuff? Many of the options are grouped into easy-to-select packs.

The Executive Pack will set you back £11,025, but will give you the drop-down BMW Theatre Screen in the back seats, rear electric blinds, Executive lounge seating in the back with massage, heating and cooling, and a rear console.

The Rear Comfort Pack also gives you the multifunction rear seats, as well as a front and rear comfort system, all for £5,250. The Technology Plus Pack adds a Bowers & Wilkins Diamond surround-sound audio system, Driving Assistant Professional and more.

Other things you might want to tick include the Crafted Glass iDrive rotary controller and seat adjustment switches, which come in at £825. If you want the full sporty look with Black Merino leather, carbon fibre and Alcantara trim, the BMW Individual Gran Lusso interior will set you back £8,800.

The choices seem almost infinite. Start delving into the BMW Individual catalogue and you really can go as bespoke as you like.

Once you’ve gotten over the shock of the depreciation figures, what about the general running costs? BMW claims a combined fuel consumption figure of between 235.4-383.5mpg for the 750e, but obviously that’s assuming you spend most of your time in electric mode. If not, then you’ll be running the six-cylinder engine and can probably expect a figure in the 30s, perhaps the 40s if you’re careful.

If you plan carefully, you could end up barely using any petrol at all. That could mean one electric top-up at home or the office, at a cost of just a few pounds.

The same is true for the M760e, but you’ll be getting a much lower fuel consumption figure if you spend lots of time enjoying its sporty acceleration.

What will make you smile, though, is the VED (road tax), because with official CO2 emissions figures in the low-to-mid 20s, the first-year figure is zero. Yes, absolutely nothing at all. Then, because it is a plug-in hybrid, in years two to five you’ll pay £560 a year – and most of that is the luxury tax for cars that cost more than £40,000.

Both models sit in insurance group 50 (the highest group), so costs there could be quite high, but most rivals at this level will be the same. Maintenance is also going to be similar to the competitors, and BMW does offer a range of service plans to assist with budgeting for this.

The BMW 7 Series rides on a cushion of air, thanks to two-axle air suspension. This ensures its occupants barely feel the road imperfections beneath them as computers work tirelessly to adjust the damping to keep everything smooth. External noises are minimal, and even tyre noise is barely noticeable as it floats around town.

Various electronic systems, rear-wheel steering and plenty of power allow it to dispense with the open road with ease, even rewarding the enthusiastic driver who can switch through various modes to tighten everything up, reducing the ride height by up to 10mm in Sport mode. It all feels extremely well composed, delivering the kind of ride quality you expect of a luxury limousine.

You can find details on the pure-electric i7 here, but the rest of the BMW 7 Series range utilises a plug-in hybrid electric powertrain. This means a six-cylinder, in-line petrol engine that is paired with a 203PS electric motor and batteries that provide 18.7kWh of usable energy.

In the 750e, that equates to a combined output of 497PS, with maximum torque of 700Nm. The electric motor provides instant acceleration and it will hit 62mph in 4.9 seconds using a combination of electric and petrol power. It will also waft around town in electric mode for up to 49 miles.

Then there’s the BMW M760e xDrive, the Jason Statham of luxury motoring and a direct rival to the bruising Mercedes-AMG S63.

It boasts 579PS and 800Nm of torque, enough to launch it to 62mph in just 4.3 seconds. That’s true sports car territory. When it’s not showing off its missile-launch capabilities, it too will cruise around low emission zones in electric-only mode for up to 50 miles. It is incredibly quick, but don’t expect BMW M3 levels of sound and drama. The BMW M760e is still a luxury limo and, while it makes some noise, it has decorum.

Both PHEV models have a 7.4kW charging capacity, meaning a full charge at a home wallbox or public slow charger in the car park at Champneys of around three hours. Plug in to a regular socket at home and you’ll be looking at about nine hours to top it up – so overnight, essentially – ensuring it is ready to give you that 50 miles of emission-free motoring the next day.

Like the rest of the BMW 7 Series, the safety side is dominated by electronic systems. It has the basics, such as airbags and Isofix child seat anchor points, but the list of systems is extensive.

It includes autonomous emergency braking, pedestrian and cyclist warning, crossroads warning, speed limit assist, lane-departure warning, traction control and a warning not to open your door if something is approaching. 

Then there’s the Driving Assistant with active cruise control, which maintains speed and distance to the car in front. It also has steering and lane control to change lanes automatically when you indicate and the optional Driving Assistant Pro will read the speed limit signs and maintain the legal speed limit when active cruise control is engaged.

It’s hard to imagine someone towing with a BMW 7 Series (not a new one, anyway) but if you do want to then dealers can fit an original towbar at a cost of £1320. That will enable you to pull up to 750kg unbraked, or 2000kg braked.

There are two derivatives in the regular BMW 7 Series range, the BMW 750e and the BMW M760e. Both are plug-in hybrids, delivering 497PS and 579PS respectively, as well as up to 50 miles of electric driving range.

Excellence is the entry-level spec for the BMW 750e, and comes with a panoramic glass sunroof, adaptive LED headlights and air suspension. Inside, you’ll find BMW’s Curved Displays, the Interaction Bar with touch sensitive controls, touchscreens in the rear doors, a Bowers & Wilkins surround-sound audio system and sumptuous leather seats. There are various driving modes, as well as active cruise control and a parking assistant.

Upgrade to the M Sport version and you get 20-inch Aero M alloy wheels, M Sport brakes in dark blue and various items of M Sport interior trim.

Go for BMW M760e and you get the full BMW M treatment from exterior styling to performance and driving dynamics. There are M-specific paint colours and interior trim options to choose from, too.

The extensive options list also allows you tailor your 7 Series to suit you. This could mean choosing from standard options or going full bespoke with the BMW Individual catalogue.