Car_and_Driver_USA_July_2017

than using the buttons and knobs on the
steering wheel or the center console. We
also felt ridiculous talking to our car via
sign language.
Our 740i came with an optional $250
key wearing a tiny touchscreen that can be
used to precondition the cabin climate or
check the status of the door locks and the
remaining fuel range. But the operating
range of this key is trivial—far shorter
than a conventional key fob’s—and the
need to recharge it regularly (either by
plugging it into a wall or slipping it into a
wireless charging holster under the center
armrest) negates the convenience of permanently
stashing a proximity key in a
purse or a jacket pocket.
This 7-series excels where this class has
excelled for decades, with space and lavish
accouterments. As all U.S. 7-series now ride
on the long wheelbase that’s optional in
Europe, first-class legroom comes standard.
The cushy rear seats with 16-way
adjustability can cool, heat, or knead your
backside as needed and are part of the
$3900 Luxury Seating option. That kit also
includes a heated steering wheel, heated
front and rear armrests, and a Samsung
tablet docked in the rear-seat armrest so
passengers can control the audio, climate
systems, and the ambient lighting, as well
as open and close various sunshades
around the car.
Our 740i was equipped with the $4100
Executive package, which includes power
rear-window shades, 22-way ventilated
front seats, a head-up display, a leatherwrapped
dash, and ceramic controls that
replace many of the plastic knobs and buttons.
For $1900, the Driver Assistance Plus
package added blind-spot monitoring,
Rants & Raves
“This car is adaptive
cruise control and a
massaging driver’s
seat away from roadtrip
perfection.”
—Alexander Stoklosa
“This inline-six is
magic, and it’s a joy
to have it work a
bit harder here in a
heavier application.”
—Tony Quiroga
“This 7 has convinced
me that BMW
has lost the scent.”
—Don Sherman
Service Timeline:
Tired out.
Key: - Repairs - Damage - Maintenance
- Normal Wear - Oil Additions
lane-departure warning, front-collision
mitigation with pedestrian detection, parking
sensors, and four cameras that stitch
together a view of your surroundings.
Upgrading to 20-inch wheels cost $2600, a
two-pane glass roof with LED accent lighting
added $900, and a spare tire tacked on
Above left: This man is
either trying to adjust
the audio volume via
gesture control or he’s
scolding the 740i.
Either way, folks gonna
think he’s crazy.
$150. That last item proved to be a greater hindrance than a help.
The spare raises the trunk floor six inches, and its usefulness was
diminished by the run-flat summer tires on our test car.
All in, the car bore $13,800 in options for a total bill of
$96,095. If that number seems positively patrician, know that it
is actually at the low end for a car that you can lard up with
options to more than $180,000. And it’s probably fair to say the
added mass of all these options helped
to foil, at least somewhat, our sportlimo
expectations.
The bottom line did benefit from
our engine choice, the entry-level
single-turbo inline-six. Here, the
7-series delivered a different kind of
April 12, 2016
83 miles: BMW 740i
begins its long-term test
July 6, 2016
9585 miles: Dealer
replaces the fuel-filler
door that detached from
the hinged backing plate
under warranty, $0
July 13, 2016
9905 miles: Dealer
performs oil change and
inspections, $0
July 29, 2016
11,767 miles: A pothole
flattens the left-front
tire, which is replaced at
a BMW dealership
outside Chicago, $501
October 6, 2016
21,114 miles: During the
second oil change, our
dealer also replaces the
cabin air filter and
installs a new battery
per a technical service
bulletin, $0
October 13, 2016
21,621 miles: Dealer
installs a new fog-lamp
cover and lower grille to
repair the damage from
a raccoon strike, $486
November 2, 2016
23,460 miles: We
replace the right-front
tire after it develops a
bubble in the sidewall,
$393
A P R / 1 6 MAY/16 JUN/16 J U L / 1 6 AUG/16 SEP/16 O C T / 1 6
084 . LONG-TERM TEST . CAR AND DRIVER . JUL/2017