2011 BMW 7-Series Review and Prices
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Price: $71,025 - $138,750
MPG: City / Hwy
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2011 BMW 7-Series Buying Advice
The 2011 BMW 7-Series is the best car for you if your ultra-premium sedan must possess a certain flair.
The 2011 BMW 7-Series is this German automaker’s flagship and brings a sense of sporty brio to the performance, prestige, and advanced engineering expected of cars costing upwards of $70,000. Last redesigned for model-year 2009, the 2011 BMW 7-Series stretches its lineup to become the only car in the class to offer a six-cylinder model, and it adds a hybrid model BMW says is the world’s fastest gas/electric automobile.
Should you wait for the 2011 BMW 7-Series or buy a 2010 BMW 7-Series? Wait for the 2011 7-Series if you’re intrigued by the fuel-saving promise of the six-cylinder 2011 740i models or inspired by the green glow of the $100,000-plus 2011 ActiveHybrid 7. Shop the 2010 lineup if a V-8 750i version or a top-of-the-line $140,000 V-12 760Li suits your fancy – they won’t receive any major alterations.
2011 BMW 7-Series Changes
Styling: The 2011 BMW 7-Series is party to the bitterest automotive styling controversy of the past few decades. Its model-year 2002-2008 predecessor bore the mark of BMW chief designer Chris Bangle. He transformed what had been a smooth, stately sedan into an adventurous shape that horrified legions of BMW loyalists. That fourth-generation 7-Series had flamboyant “flame surfaced” body creases and a bustled trunklid critics derided as the “Bangle butt.” It sold well, however, and its bustle bum influenced luxury-car styling worldwide. Bangle left BMW in 2009, and today’s fifth-generation 7-Series sheds some of his eccentric styling elements. With its taut body swept back and hunkered over large wheels, this is arguably the most athletic-looking shape in the premium-sedan class. The 2011 7-Series continues in two body lengths, both among the largest cars on the road. The regular-length models are labeled 740i, 750i, and ActiveHybrid 7. Adding 5.5 inches to their wheelbase and 5.5 inches to their overall length are the 740Li, 750Li, ActiveHybrid 7 L, and g 760Li. The wheelbase stretch given these longer “L” versions increases the distance between the front and rear axles. That expands the length of the passenger compartment, which BMW uses to provide an additional 5.4 inches of rear legroom. Only purpose-built limousines have more rear-seat stretch-out space than the BMW 7-Series “L” models. Also new to the line is the 2011 BMW Alpina B7, a limited-edition version the 750i/750Li modified by a Bavarian performance tuner long associated with BMW. Alpina B7s carry special aerodynamic body trim, polished tailpipes, unique 21-inch wheels and tires, and exclusive interior details.
Mechanical: The 2011 BMW 7-Series offers engines with six, eight, and 12 cylinders, plus the electric-motor-assisted V-8 hybrid. All engines have two turbochargers. The sixes are not V-6s but instead employ BMW’s traditional inline arrangement of cylinders, a design noted for its smoothness. The 2011 BMW 740i and 740Li are the first six-cylinder 7-Series models since the 1990s. They use the 3.0-liter featured in several smaller BMW models, including the 3- and 5-Series cars, but with slightly higher output, at 313 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque. (Think of torque as the force that propels you forward and horsepower as the energy that keeps you going.) The 2011 BMW 750i and 750Li will return with a 4.4-liter V-8; it’s expected to retain ratings of 400 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque. The 4.4 V-8 in the 2011 BMW Alpina B7 is modified for 500 horsepower and 516 pound-feet; B7s also get special suspension tuning. The 750i and 750iL are available with BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive (AWD) system, as an alternative to the rear-wheel drive standard on all other 7-Series models. The 2011 BMW 760Li has a 6.0-liter V-12; expect it to repeat at 535 horsepower and 550 pound-feet of torque. Six-cylinder and V-8 7-Series models have a six-speed manual transmission. The V-12 model gets an eight speed; the additional gear ratios allows engineers to more precisely match engine output with power demands to improve acceleration and fuel efficiency. The 2011 BMW ActiveHybrid 7 combines the twin-turbo V-8 with an electric motor embedded in the housing of its special eight-speed automatic transmission. Combined output is 455 horsepower and 515 pound-feet of torque. BMW says the ActiveHybrid 7 accelerates 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds, making it the quickest hybrid in the world (the gas-only 750i does 0-60 in 5.1 seconds). This is a “mild” hybrid, meaning it cannot be driven on electrical power alone. Instead, the ActiveHybrid 7 saves fuel by automatically stopping and starting its gas engine when the car is stationary and by using the electric motor to assist in acceleration. No plug in charging is necessary; the system self-charges an on-board lithium-ion battery, itself an advance over the nickel-metal-hydride batteries used in most other hybrid cars. BMW and Mercedes-Benz developed this system jointly and Mercedes uses a version in its S400 Hybrid model.
Features: The 2011 BMW 7-Series meets – and probably exceeds – any reasonable expectation of creature comforts and technology, from a massaging rear seat and a choice of four genuine wood cabin trims to a heat-sensitive infrared camera that sees in the dark what you can’t: it displays ghostly images of people and animals on a dashboard screen. That Night Vision with Pedestrian Detection is a $2,600 option and is in addition to video cameras in the sides of the front bumper that help you see around corners. You can fit 750Li models with a $3,700 package that transforms their three-passenger rear bench into opulent business-class seating for two. Standard performance-enhancers include driver-selectable settings for suspension firmness, steering response, transmission shift characteristics, and throttle sensitivity. Optional is BMW’s Integral Active Steering, which sharpens handling by steering the rear wheels slightly. Crisis management is available via a steering wheel that vibrates a warning if you unintentionally stray from your highway lane. Turning on the windshield wipers triggers a system that pre-dries the brakes for shorter stops in wet weather. Home-theater-quality audio-visual tech includes a dashboard navigation screen a full 9.5-inches wide. Every 7-Series comes with xenon headlamps, leather upholstery, and a moonroof 2-feet wide by 3-feet long. Also standard is remote keyless entry with pushbutton ignition and a voice-activated navigation system. ActiveHybrid 7 models supplement the standard instrumentation with a display that shows the real-time energy-flow between gas engine and electric motor. Finally, bustle-butt styling isn’t the only contentious 7-Series legacy evident this fifth-generation edition. The 2002 7-Series introduced the world to iDrive, BMW’s controversial system by which myriad infotainment and vehicle functions are controlled by one knob on the center console and presented on the navigation screen. It’s gone through four revamps since, relinquishing some tasks to conventional buttons and simplifying its screen menus. But the version of iDrive that’s standard on every 7-Series (and most other BMW models) remains a challenge to master and distracting to use while driving. Like Chris Bangle’s trunklid design, however, iDrive inspired rival automakers to install similar control systems in their premium-class cars.
2011 BMW 7-Series Prices
Prices for selected 2011 BMW 7-Series models had been released in time for this review, with prices for other versions due later in 2010.
Base price for the 2011 BMW 740i is $71,025 and for the 2011 740Li is $75,425. (Prices in this review include the manufacturer’s destination fee; BMW’s fee for the 7-Series is $875.)
Yet to be released are 2011 BMW 750i and 2011 750Li base prices, but they shouldn’t differ greatly from prices for the 2010 models, which were $83,750 and $87,650, respectively. Similarly, base prices for the 2011 BMW 750i xDrive and 2011 750Li xDrive should reflect 2010 figures, which were $86,750 and $90,650, respectively.
Pricing for the 2011 BMW Aplina B7 editions were not available in time for this review, but expect them add fairly significantly to the price of the 750i and 750Li models upon which they’re based.
Base price for the 2011 BMW ActiveHybrid 7 is $103,125, while the 2011 ActiveHybrid 7 L is priced from $107,025. The top-of-the-line 2011 BMW 760Li should be priced near the 2010 version, which started at $138,750.
Option packages tend to be expensive on cars at this level, of course. But most 7-Series models also are charged the federal Gas Guzzler tax levied on cars that fall below certain fuel-economy thresholds. This tax can run $1,000 or more, payable as a one-time charge at the time of purchase.
2011 BMW 7-Series Fuel Economy
EPA mileage estimates for 2011 models had not been released in time for this review, and BMW did not provide estimates for the 2011 740i/740Li, Alpina B7, or ActiveHybrid 7 models.
However, BMW did say the ActiveHybrid 7 will beat the 750i’s fuel economy by approximately 15-17 percent. That suggests EPA fuel economy ratings for the 2011 ActiveHybrid 7 of around 17/26 mpg (city/highway).
Expect the 2011 BMW 750i/750Li ratings to remain 15/22 for the rear-wheel-drive version and 14/20 with xDrive. Similarly, the 2011 BMW 760Li should repeat at 13/19 mpg. BMW requires premium-octane fuel for all 7-Series models.
2011 BMW 7-Series Release Date
The 2011 BMW ActiveHybrid 7, and 2011 740i, 740Li, and Alpina B7 go on sales in spring 2010. Expect the 2011 750i/750Li and 760Li in showrooms before autumn 2010.
What's next for the BMW 7-Series
With the rollout of the 2011740i and740Li, plus the Alpina B7 and ActiveHybrid 7, BMW has positioned the fifth-generation 7-Series well for the next several model years. This is still a fresh design, having launched for model-year 2009, so don’t expect near-term changes to go beyond some mid-cycle styling tweaks, probably around model-year 2013. Look for the sixth-generation 7-Series around model-year 2016.
Note, though, that BMW has created what is essentially a four-door hatchback version of the 740i/750i in the form of the new 2010 5-Series Gran Turismo. It’s positioned as a member of the 5-Series family but shares the 120.9-inch wheelbase of the regular-length 7-Series sedans. The Gran Turismo’s interior layout furnishes rear leg room comparable to that of the 7-Series “L” models, and it incorporates an innovative trunk lid situated within the rear hatch itself.
2011 BMW 7-Series Competitors
Audi A8: If the BMW 7-Series is a reward for someone who made it on the strength of an ’80s MBA, the A8 might be the ride of choice for a ’90s dot-com prince. There’s an up-and-coming outsider feel to this svelte German sedan. Regular-length A8 and extended A8 L version are offered, and though both are smaller than the 7-Series counterparts, each is roomy and impeccably dressed. Audi’s quattro AWD is standard and all-aluminum construction helps save weight, so the only engine, a 4.2-liter V-8, doesn’t feel overmatched despite a middling-for-the-class 350 horsepower. The current A8 design originates with model-year 2004, so it’s the oldest car in this group. But it’s young in attitude and appeal and, with a base price range of roughly $75,500-$80,000, a relative bargain among the European brands.
Mercedes-Benz S-Class: Dignified and hard to beat as a status statement, this is the choice of the chairman of the board. The S-Class comes in a single body length that rivals the BMW 7-Series “L” for room and may beat it for opulence and isolation. Mercedes engineering is pretty much unassailable, and the S-Class offers a breadth of model choices, starting with the $89,000 S400 a “mild” hybrid gas/e/electric with a V-6 engine and net 295 horsepower; it’s rated at 19/26 mpg. Starting around $93,000 are the mainstay 382-horsepower-V-8 S550 models, which are available with Mercedes’ 4Matic AWD as an alternative to the standard S-Class rear-wheel drive. Things get wild from there, with models packing turbocharged V-12s and hand-built hot-rod V-8s with more than 500 horsepower and $100,000 price tags. The topper is the $202,000 S65 AMG with 604 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. Bombig!
Lexus LS: The premium car for the successful individual who may have no particular passion for cars. That’s not to suggest this flagship of Toyota’s luxury brand doesn’t provide the world of the well-heeled a valuable service. It furnishes spectacular workmanship, superb refinement, and plenty of prestige at reasonable prices, all things considered. The LS 460 starts around $66,000, the longer-wheelbase LS 460 L at just over $71,000. Both use a silken 380-horsepower V-8 and are available with rear- or all-wheel drive. Top of the line is the LS 600h L, which combines a gas V-8 with electric power for a net 438 horsepower. The Lexus LS 600h L is a full hybrid, able to run on battery power alone at around-town speeds, a capability that contributes to its fuel-economy rating of 20/22 mpg.
