Driving Impressions

In terms of driving dynamics, there's no controversy. BMW's 7 Series has been widely lauded for its outstanding performance and ride. It's hard to rave about a vehicle that drives so well. There are only so many ways you can say "great," and the 7 Series does everything extremely well. The first thing we noticed about the BMW 745i was its wonderful, magic-carpet ride. This car smoothes out bumps, even speed bumps, to a point of astonishment. It's incredibly comfortable, yet the driver does not feel completely isolated from the road. The 745i senses when it's being driven hard, retuning the suspension appropriately for improved handling. BMW's Active Roll Stabilization, a system of computer-controlled active anti-roll bars, increases roll resistance in hard cornering to keep the body flat in turns. At the same time, the system maintains enough suspension compliance to keep the tires planted on the road. Bumps in the middle of a high-speed corner do not upset the handling balance one whit. Several factors are at work here: a near-perfect weight distribution of 50 percent front and rear, which means neither end of the car is more prone to slide than the other; a highly rigid chassis that allows precise suspension tuning; and minimal unsprung weight, thanks to lightweight aluminum wheels, brake calipers and aluminum suspension components. Remember: weighing up to 4900 pounds, depending on equipment, the 7 Series is not a small car. But in some respects it feels smaller than it is. Anti-skid technology makes adjustments to maintain handling balance whenever grip is lost to any one tire. By applying braking force to individual wheels, it almost seems to bend the laws of physics. Just steer this thing where you want to go and the 7 Series takes you there. I explored this on a fast, greasy corner over a crest that un-weighted the suspension. All four wheels lost grip, but we simply motored around the corner, drifting just slightly wide of the intended line. I never lifted my foot off the accelerator pedal nor made any adjustments in the steering. No special action on my part was needed; the 745i did all of that for me. The anti-skid system is transparent, in that you can't feel it kick in and out. BMW's system is far less obtrusive and more performance-oriented than similar systems found in Mercedes-Benz and Lexus automobiles. That means that it probably leaves the driver a bit more room for errors. Steering the 745i is a joy. The rack-and-pinion steering is super sharp and precise. It's very light at low speeds for parking lots, but firms up at higher speeds for improved driver feel. It also steps up response by 10 percent as the wheel is turned off center, which means that the more you turn the wheel, the faster the car responds. With this steering system, it's easy to drive the 7 Series with extreme precision on winding roads at very high speeds, placing the tires exactly where you want them. When hitting bumps, there's little or no kickback to the steering. Either of the 7 Series drivetrains is absolutely silky when cruising around. The new six-speed automatic transmission is extremely smooth, yet it's the most responsive I have ever experienced. Those are usually mutually exclusive benefits. Hit the accelerator pedal and the transmission drops a gear or two without any of that hesitation found in so many automatics. This six-speed automatic is smaller and lighter than the previous five-speed automatic. The additional gearing gives it quicker performance off the line with a lower first gear, better response in the mid range with ratios that are closer together, and improved fuel economy with taller top gears. The 745i does offer a feature allowing the driver to downshift manually using a pair of buttons on the steering wheel, but I found that feature to be superfluous. With a transmission as responsive as this one, manual shifting seems more of a toy than anything el

Final Word

The 7 Series is so smooth that full days behind the wheel are not taxing. After spending 350 high-speed miles in a BMW 745i, we were ready for 350 more. Heck, we were ready to take it home. It's very comfortable in heavy traffic. Few luxury sedans can keep up with the 7 Series at high speeds, and it's easy to drive this car well. And the interior is sumptuous. None of the 7 Series models offer all-wheel drive, which is available on both of its most direct competitors: the Mercedes S-Class and Audi A8. Yet this BMW is soaked with cutting-edge automotive technology, and with it all there's a steep learning curve. Owners should prepare themselves for serious reading time with the owner's manuals. You'll need to explain even the most basic operations (like starting) to anyone else who drives their car. The 7 Series may be ahead of its time, or it may simply be beyond the effort many buyers are willing to invest. Of course, there's always help from the dealership. Have the BMW store set all the gizmos, sit down and drive, and the annoyances will be reduced. If you embrace its styling, any of the three 7 Series models will do. Dynamically, this may be the best car in the class. And that's no small feat, given that the competition includes some of the best cars in the world.