2024 BMW 7 Series Review and Test Drive
BMW's flagship sedan is big, bold, opulent, and full of overly complex tech.
Alex Kwanten
If you want a BMW 7 Series, you have abundant choices. When the German automaker redesigned its flagship sedan last year, it developed not only the usual gas-powered six-cylinder 740i and V8 760i but also the new electric i7, which debuted as the dual-motor i7 xDrive60. For 2024, there are even more configurations, including two new i7 variants and a plug-in hybrid (PHEV): the 750e xDrive.
The 7 Series offers luxuries such as cashmere seats and a rear-seat theater screen. Its cabin is supremely comfortable and beautifully appointed, and it bristles with tech, though its digital user experience is a mixed bag. Like its predecessors, it competes with big luxury sedans such as the Audi A8, Genesis G90, Lexus LS, and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Among them, only the S-Class offers a similar PHEV powertrain.
Traditionally, the 7 Series' strength is that it's as good to drive as it is to be driven in, and that's still true. The twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 in the 760i makes 536 horsepower and propels that model to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. Despite weighing 5,095 pounds, rear-wheel steering and an adaptive suspension make the car feel agile and sporty. The 375-hp 740i weighs 4,720 pounds and is no slouch either. Approaching three tons, the i7 can't hide its heft, but it, too, is rapid, powerful, and grippy.
After trying out the big BMW's gas and electric versions in late 2022, I recently spent a week with the new 2024 750e. It slots between the 740i and the 760i in power and price, and offers some of the i7's electrified feel and efficiency.
The 750e delivers prodigious speed and fantastic fuel efficiency but loses some of its siblings' smoothness and predictability at lower speeds. Like other 7 Series and i7 models, the 750e is supremely plush. Unfortunately, it also shares their biggest foibles, namely their complex infotainment system and controls.
Alex Kwanten
The 2024 BMW 7 Series Is Pricey
The 2024 BMW 7 Series comes in 740i, 740i xDrive (all-wheel drive), 750e xDrive, and 760i xDrive trim levels. Base prices range from the high $90,000s to the low $120,000s, including the destination charge to ship the car from the Dingolfing, Germany, factory that builds it to your local dealership. BMW also builds the i7, an electric 7 Series, but we've reviewed that separately.
For this 2024 7 Series review, I test-drove the 750e xDrive on familiar routes through Washington state. Highlights from the optional equipment list included the Driving Assistance Pro, Executive, and Premium packages. The manufacturer's suggested retail price of the test vehicle came to $135,345, including the $995 destination charge. BMW provided the vehicle for this 7 Series review.
Alex Kwanten
Big and Brash on the Outside, Sublime Within
When BMW redesigned the 7 Series, it expanded the car's size in addition to growing the lineup. It's 1.9 inches wider, 2.6 inches taller, and 4.8 inches longer than its predecessor. Cars in this class are big, but the 212.2-inch-long BMW appears larger and more imposing than most rivals, perhaps due to the enormous grille that splits opinions. The aggressive-looking M Sport package blacks out the grille, but this also looks strange.
There's nothing odd or controversial about the cabin, however. It's full of beautiful details, including finely machined speaker grilles, attractively stitched seats, and crystalline trim with ambient lighting beneath. It's dazzling to behold and feels finely crafted. There are pretty screens, too: a giant curved panel atop the dashboard and small control displays in the rear doors.
The only negative is the lack of physical controls. A click wheel and a few buttons on the console remain, but many of the 7 Series' systems, even the vents, are actuated with touch-sensitive or screen controls. They can be frustratingly imprecise, and it's easy to trigger settings or make changes without intention.
Alex Kwanten
Cosseting Cross-Country Comfort
Surprisingly, the latest 7 Series' increased exterior dimensions did not increase interior space, but this car's cabin is vast by any measure. The 18-way power-adjustable front seats are comfy and supportive, suitable for either many hours of highway driving or enjoying a twisty road without getting jostled. There's also an available massaging function.
The rear legroom measures 43.3 inches on paper, but it feels like more in person. The rear seat is huge, as you'd expect from a car that is sometimes chauffeur driven. I'm 6 feet, 4 inches and could be comfortable in the 7 Series' back seat for days. One demerit? The Executive package's automatic doors operate slowly and erratically, with a mind of their own.
The interior materials also elevate the experience. My test car had full Merino leather and an Alcantara headliner. These are pricey upgrades, but they feel Bentley-esque.
Alex Kwanten
Huge Trunk and Little In-Cabin Storage
BMW hasn't prioritized in-cabin storage; the glovebox, console, and door bins are small. The opposite is true of the trunk, which in the 750e measures 18.5 cubic-feet. The 740i and 760i have 19.1, but the PHEV battery pack eats space in the 750e. The opening is relatively high off the ground, but the trunk is usefully larger than those of the Audi A8 (12.5 cu-ft) and the Mercedes-Benz S 580e (8.1 cu-ft).
Alex Kwanten
iDrive 8.5 Is Digital Overkill
Behind the wheel, a giant curved panel integrating a 12.3-inch driver's display and a 14.9-inch infotainment screen greets BMW 7 Series drivers. The screens run the automaker's iDrive 8.5 software, which BMW is already replacing on new designs such as the X2 with iDrive 9. That's no bad thing.
Being BMW's flagship, the 7 Series has many apps, features, and settings stuffed into its system — many more than in, say, the X2. Navigating through its myriad menus is a chore, and there's nowhere to easily rest your hand for leverage on the screen.
Beyond that, some essential functions are unnecessarily buried. Adjusting the front seats or the seat heating and ventilation systems requires multiple swipes and taking your eyes off the road. There's no actual home screen, only a set of customizable panels for your favorite displays and apps, but they're not intuitive.
There's also a voice assistant that's activated by saying, "Hey, BMW." I've used this setup in several other BMWs, and its responses are usually accurate, but it got confused a few times during my test of the 750e. Also, even after being set up initially, it required setting up a second time. The assistant aced my navigation queries but was hit or miss with commands such as "turn off the massaging seats."
On the plus side, the Bowers & Wilkins audio system sounds delightful, the wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity works well, and the graphics and optional sound effects on this system are impressive.
Alex Kwanten
Flagship-Worthy Tech Extras
BMW iDrive 8.5 might be challenging, but the 7 Series has many other cool and functional tech features, including a head-up display.
Back-seat passengers will find smartphone-sized screens in the doors just for them. They can control the temperature, displays, and various infotainment features. There's a dramatic optional 31.3-inch theater screen that opens down from the roof. It's costly and blocks the view through the rearview mirror, but it's impressive.
The 7 Series Premium package also brings an uncannily good self-parking system, which uses surround-view cameras and sensors to guide the vehicle into spaces. You can program complex driveway navigation and unpark the car with your phone, as well.
Alex Kwanten
2024 BMW 7 Series Driving Assistance Pro Review
BMW offers many advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) features on the 7 Series, but most are optional. Parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, and lane-departure warning are standard, but buyers must spend at least $1,500 for anything more.
The Driving Assistance Professional Package bundles all the additional ADAS features, including adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go and surround-view monitoring, evasive steering assist, lane-keeping assist, pedestrian detection, emergency stop assist, and more. It also includes Highway Assistant, a hands-free adaptive cruise system with automated lane changes for use on controlled-access highways.
My fully equipped test car had no trouble detecting objects or a distracted driver. Highway Assistant worked well, too, tracking straight in the center of the lane for many miles. The automated lane changes were smooth, seamless, and swift.
Alex Kwanten
Enough Power to Hustle
The heart of the 750e xDrive is similar to that of the 740i in that it uses BMW's turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six. However, where the 740i has only a mild-hybrid system, the 750e's engine gets quite a bit more electric assistance. The 750e makes 483 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque — quite the leap above the 740i's 375 horsepower and 398 lb-ft. A 14.4-kWh battery pack powers the 750e's electric motor.
All gas-powered 7 Series models use an eight-speed automatic transmission. BMW's xDrive all-wheel-drive system is standard on the 750e. The test car also had M Sport brakes, 21-inch wheels on run-flat tires, and integral active steering — BMW-speak for rear-axle steering.
Alex Kwanten
Weird Around Town
While the BMW i7 delivers power with locomotive-like smoothness and the 760i's V8 growls like a hot rod, the 750e has a split driving personality. On the highway, it's a smooth and efficient cruiser. Around town, it can be a beastly performer abetted by electric torque or it can serve as a quiet electric errand-runner. But at speeds below 35 mph, it isn't as smooth or predictable as its siblings.
Push the accelerator gently and the 750e will move solely on the 194 horses produced by the electric motor alone. Push harder, and the gas engine will wake up, but modulating between the two isn't always easy, sometimes making acceleration uneven. Floor it in the Sport driving mode, and it'll rocket to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds — quick for its 5,331-pound heft — but it gets loud.
Similarly, the regenerative braking feels uneven, and the pressure needed for the mechanical brakes to bite varies with speed, making it hard to slow to a stop smoothly and consistently.
Alex Kwanten
Accelerator and brakes aside, the 750e's ride is smooth, even over worn pavement. There's plenty of grip and little body roll, and while the steering lacks abundant feedback, it isn't numb or over-assisted. In proper BMW fashion, it communicates well with the driver and likes twisty roads, even if it emphasizes relaxation. It's quiet, too, with little wind or road noise.
This BMW is also efficient. The 750e is EPA-rated at 65 MPGe (electric) and 25 mpg (gas) combined. I got 27.9 mpg in a week of combined driving. The EPA claims a 34-mile electric range, but I saw roughly 26 miles. BMW also claims the battery takes fewer than 10 hours to replenish on a Level 2 charger, and I saw about three and a half hours. Unlike a Mercedes-Benz S 580e, the 750e can't use DC fast chargers. The Mercedes also returns 46 miles of electric range.
Alex Kwanten
Some 7 Series Choices Are Better Than Others
Despite its fussy digital systems, the 7 Series offers a good luxury-car experience. Most luxo-barges have a degree of digital overkill; the gee-whiz-bang latest and greatest tech is part of the experience. The 7 is satisfying to drive, sublimely comfortable, and surprisingly efficient in all but V8 form, something rivals such as the Audi A8 and Genesis G90 can't boast.
But the 750e doesn't feel like the best version of the BMW 7 Series.
The 740i (which gets 28 mpg combined) and the electric i7 eDrive50 (90 MPGe combined) aren't as powerful, but both are smoother to drive and cost less, leaving more budget for BMW's lavish options list.
All vehicle pricing includes MSRP plus destination charges (set at the time of publication), and will be rounded to the nearest thousand.
Written by humans.
Edited by humans.
Alex KwantenAlex Kwanten has worked in automotive media for 15 years and reported on buying, selling, and servicing cars for many outlets. He helps make car buying less intimidating for ordinary folks, but he also loves telling the stories of the people and cultural forces behind new and classic vehicles. A lifelong automotive enthusiast, he's owned scores of cars from more than a dozen countries.
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