BMW i7 xDrive60

Test Drive Notes Library

Pros
Wow. If you recently put a deposit on a Tesla Model S, see if you can run over there and get your money back. For those looking for a combination of comfort and power, this is one of the most impressive cars we’ve driven in recent memory. Powerful, smooth, a pleasure to drive, and beautiful on the inside, there’s not much to dislike about the i7. It certainly convinced us that the battery powered 7-series is the one to get, if you’re a captain of industry looking for a new ride.
Silent power. It’s a little bit awe inspiring, the combination of silence and power this thing delivers. It’s as if any speed or level of performance is available with a twitch of your right foot. With the 536 hp electric motor, it is. 0-60 takes about 4 seconds. It’s not that you’d drive like a hooligan in this luxury car. But even passing on the highway brings a small thrill in that you are suddenly and silently Starship-Enterprising by whatever is hogging the middle lane.
Style. While this is subjective, the people we surveyed were impressed with the i7’s presence. It’s hinting at Rolls Royce, without the stuffiness quotient, especially with the mildly sinister matte dark grey paint job on our tester. Now that more of the “traditional” car makers are fully into making EVs, you have a lot of choices. While Mercedes has opted to go in a whole new styling direction with its EVs, BMW has opted to stick, largely, with its ICE engine vehicle styling. And while there are packaging advantages to Mercedes approach, the i7 looks very much like a modern rendition of what we think of as a bad-ass luxury car. We like it.
Comfort. The i7 feels rock solid on the road. But the ride is anything but rocky. As you might expect from the traditional luxury maker, this battery operated ship absorbs every bump you encounter and, with electric propulsion, glides along silently. When you add in the heft, solidity, and precise handling, it’s among the most comfortable cars we can recall driving.
Enough range. We saw about 270 miles of range from the 102 kw hour battery pack. BMW says you’ll get a bit more. We didn’t time the charging, but at a working fast-charger (eureka!) we got from teens to about 80% in half an hour. That’ll do.
BMW interior. BMW does a really nice job overall with their interiors. They’ve gone a little too far in eliminating hard buttons (and we predict they’ll bring a few key ones back), but the interior is classic BMW driver-oriented luxury. The seats and driving position are great. There are two large, curved screens, one serving as the instrument cluster, the other for infotainment and, unfortunately, climate control. Materials are top notch. If you’re tired of driving yourself, there’s the latest highway self-driving software, or a reclining rear seat with a 5-inch screen on the armrest from where you can order your minions around, while being driven (chauffeur is an extra-cost option). You can also order the rear theater screen, which drops from the roof, in case you want to catch an episode of Succession, and see how your kids are doing.

Cons
Range. While the i7 xDrive 60’s range is sufficient, the added power you’re getting does cost you some distance. We saw 270 miles of range, but got well over 300 in the equivalent Mercedes EQS sedan. We imagine BMW salesmen wish for another 30 miles to hit the magic 300 mark. While 270 is plenty for day to day driving, this is a car you conceivably would want to take on a longer trip, so range may matter to some buyers in this category. The next generation of batteries, and better charging infrastructure will probably rectify that.
Too few buttons. In their zeal to eliminate clutter in the cabin, BMW moved the climate controls to the center screen. It’s just not as good. Would it really ruin your interior design to give us temperature control switches? We’d argue not. The things you use all the freaking time ought to be permanently located at your fingertips, and operable by touch, rather than with your eyes off the road.
Price tag. I guess we have to list the price. The xDrive60 version of the i7 starts at just under $125K. If you’re willing to sacrifice about 90 horsepower and all wheel drive, you can save $20 grand on the xDrive50 model. Our i7 tester rang in at an eye watering $157,000. There are plenty of options we’d happily live without — the rear seat executive package, the $5,000 stereo upgrade, etc. But it’s an expensive car. Honestly, though, if we were given a choice between this and an a Mercedes EQS sedan, we’d take i7 all day. OK, then maybe trade it in for two i5’s.