2017 BMW 750Li xDrive
I wouldn't say I'm a fanboy anymore of BMW, and it's not because I don't like what they've been producing, but I've been exposed to so many other vehicles over the past few years that it's really hard to pick just one brand over so many. But I do still consider myself someone who really appreciates the 7 Series, even the E65 of all cars. We had the chance to experience the latest generation 7 Series back in February of 2016, so it's long overdue for us to get behind the wheel of another one.
The G12 is BMW's most advanced 7 Series to date, and that makes sense because it's the newest, and most car makers don't go backwards with innovation. This 2017 BMW 750Li xDrive provided to us by BMW Sherbrooke isn't even fully loaded for it's $134,700.00 MSRP, but includes a lot of the features that make our 2001 BMW 740iL look like a striped down sedan. This vehicle comes equipped with over $17,000 worth of options and packages, including the executive package, executive lounge tier 1, skylounge panoramic sunroof, ambient air package, ceramic iDrive controls, and $3,000 for those 21" style 629 alloy rims.
This car is certainly expensive, but really provides a lot for buyers who are in the market for a true luxury flagship experience. We find full LED lighting through the exterior, full park distance control sensors, a 360º bird's eye view camera, and a power opening/closing rear trunk. All 4 doors are also equipped with BMW's soft-close feature, which sucks the doors into place when gently closed. There's definitely a lot of tech going on with this car to remind you of it's price tag.
The 750Li xDrive comes with BMW's 4.4L twin power turbo engine and an 8 speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. The name also suggests this car is equipped with BMW's excellent all-wheel drive system, which is now standard on the 7 Series over the rear-wheel drive setup of generations past. Mechanically this car is solid, including the carbon core structure that helps to shed weight with high-strength carbon fibre. You do feel that power and control when taking the car onto the highways, as well as the comfort from the adaptive suspension.
Whether you decide to drive your 7 Series yourself or be chauffeured around, the ride will be absolutely comfortable. All 4 outboard seats feature heat, ventilation, massage, and memory option. The driver also has a heated steering wheel, colour heads-up display, and a high-detail instrument cluster to provide the most amount of information possible. The iDrive system is still the best we've used, and provides high-detail information to the driver or passengers with it's impressive split-screen mode.
The iDrive system also allows you to control the ambient lighting throughout the car, which is one of the most customizable on earth, with 3 different levels of lighting around with multiple colour options, along with control over the map and reading lights found all around the vehicle. We're not sure if the $600 ceramic iDrive control package is worth the price, but it certainly becomes a conversation piece when talking about the options you've selected for your own Ultimate Driving Machine.
While this car is still not fully loaded, and is missing some key safety features like active lane keep assist, and adaptive cruise control, owners will still feel relaxed in their $134,000 purchase. We found the seating to be some of the most comforting and supportive in the market, and the rest of the interior is finished in soft-touch materials. You do feel like the interior was designed to be over-the-top, and while our E38's design certainly trickled down to the 5 and 3 Series', you'll never have to worry about the G12's upscale interior feeling downgraded on lower models.
There's so much going on with this car, that it's really hard to cover in one review and with such limited time. We do hope to have the chance to feature the most recent model year of the BMW 7 Series later this year in order to have more time with such a sophisticated vehicle. For now you can watch our full episode of TestDrive Spotlight on the 2017 BMW 750Li xDrive below: