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Saloon
This was the first BMW to usher in the make’s new-age styling. Some praised its boldness but to others it just looked weird. BMW responded by softening its lines for the 2005 model year. It’s a very big car, particularly if you go for a long-wheelbase version.
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In both, the cabin is huge and lavishly equipped, and the boot is enormous but awkwardly shaped. Many of the gadgets are controlled using the iDrive system, which is operated by twirling and clicking a big silver dial between the front seats and following menus on a screen set into the dash. It’s complicated and has won few fans. The speed-sensitive steering is accurate and body lean is well controlled without impinging on comfort. It makes the Seven a refined cruiser, but it can be jerky in stop-start traffic and there’s some mechanical clatter at speed.
Running Costs
It shouldn’t pose the same threats to your wallet as the super-costly Audi A8, but there’s plenty to go wrong as the car enters its mid-life. What’s more, its second-hand value falls steeply over the first couple of years from new, so buying an ex-demo at only a few months old is expensive. Two- and three-year-old examples make better sense. Servicing is expensive but, despite the cost, it’s best left to main dealers during the early years, because a full set of stamps in the service book will keep the car's resale value up in the future. The lowest insurance costs come with the 730 diesel, which is in group 17, while the petrol 730i and the 740i are group 18. The 750i is group 19 and the 760i, group 20. Fuel economy runs from up to 34mpg for the diesel to 21mpg for the 760i.