#cars #bmw #bmwx7
The BMW X7 is kind of a big deal. So big, in fact, it lets you arrive at an event in a vehicle that seems larger than the venue – and you can take six other people along for the ride.
You see, the X7 is the biggest car BMW makes, and it traverses two car classes – seven-seaters and luxury SUVs. As well as offering seemingly endless interior space, it aims to pamper its driver and passengers as attentively as the BMW 7 Series luxury limo.
But is the BMW X7 really good enough to tempt you away from its talented premium-badged rivals, including the Audi Q7, the Mercedes GLS and the Range Rover?
The BMW engine range kicks off with the mightily impressive xDrive40d, which has a 347 brake horse power six-cylinder diesel engine that helps this big SUV sprint from 0 to 62 miles per hour in a remarkably swift 5.9 seconds.

It’s our favourite of the X7’s engines, because it offers strong and smooth acceleration that allows you to demolish long journeys, yet it’s also hushed and subdued in all situations.
If you don't want a diesel, your best bet is the six-cylinder petrol xDrive40i. Its engine is quiet when you want it to be, and pleasantly snarly when you’re pressing on. It offers fractionally quicker acceleration than the 40d which goes 0 to 62 miles per hour in 5.8 seconds, but you do need to rev the engine a bit harder to access that performance – and fuel economy is nowhere near as good.
The most potent engine is under the bonnet of the M60i. It has a 4.4 litre V8 petrol with a ridiculous 523 brake horse power to help the X7 see off 0 to 62 miles per hour in 4.7 seconds. It's a great engine, too, but it’s hardly the sensible choice.
All engines are paired with an eight-speed automatic gearbox that shifts gears quickly and smoothly, but also allows you to take manual control using paddles behind the steering wheel. There can sometimes be a small delay when you plant your right foot to ask for brisk acceleration, but it’s nothing compared with the pregnant pause that afflicts some luxury SUVs.
When it comes to ride comfort, the standard air suspension does a fine job of soaking up whatever the road can throw at it.
The X7 is more comfortable than the mercedes GLS and gives the audi Q7 a run for its money on a motorway. It even edges the Range Rover for comfort (which has active anti-roll bars to help keep it more upright through corners) and stick with 21 inch wheels.
This is a big, heavy car, so it doesn't feel as light on its toes as a Porsche Cayenne or the smaller BMW X5 – even if you go for the M60i. Nevertheless, it’s surprisingly agile if you put the standard air suspension in its Sport setting.
In common with other big BMWs, the steering is accurate, smooth and reassuringly weighted. You wouldn’t describe the X7 as a fun or rewarding car to drive along a meandering country road, but few luxury SUVs are.
Plus, the X7 is one of the quietest cars we've ever tested, with very little tyre or wind noise, whether you're munching through motorway miles or negotiating urban traffic. In town, the optional four-wheel steering