2000 BMW 7-Series Luxury Car Reviews & Ratings

It's obvious to anyone who slips into either front or rear seat that the 740i is a luxury car, something that adding performance bits won't change. Back-seat passengers in the shorter 740i won't get the legs-out-straight room or footrest of the longer L models, but the 740i offers room enough for three authentic adults to be comfortable in back.

The Sport Package has its own version of sport front seats that, in addition to providing lateral support for enthusiastic driving, have an articulated backrest that flexes up to 27 degrees for more or less shoulder support as desired. Thigh support - the forward portion of the seat cushion - may be extended up to 2.4 inches. Including the other 14-way power adjustments, including 4-way lumbar adjustment, that's a total of 18 adjustments and more accommodation to one's physique than a waterbed. Full leather is standard. Appropriate to this executive hotrod, the interior is warmed with Vavona redwood trim in place of the usual burl walnut.

This may be a roomy and luxurious sedan, but that's moot for the driver who wants to see if the 740i Sport lives up to its moniker. The short answer is, "Yes, indeed." We were able to sample the Sport on the Il Potrero Highway, a sinuous California two-lane snaking through the mountains between Route 166/33 and Pine Mountain Club. The road is an excellent test of the 740's suspension, in many places broken and uneven, while twisting with some corners posted with recommended speeds as low as 10 mph. The 740i took to it like a magic carpet, whisking over the rough stuff with, if not a total absence of feel of the road, at least an insulation from the worst of the impacts. The solid chassis doesn't quiver or shake, providing a stable base for the suspension.

The suspension is remarkable for a large sedan. One might expect a safe but boring understeer designed to keep all but the talented out of trouble. Not so with the 740i Sport. The Sport turns in like a sports car, answering commands from the steering wheel with a reaction from the car as a whole unit. Instead of wanting to push straight ahead, the 740i swings around corners, taking a set, the rear end moving out to point the car in the desired direction. It's uncanny, almost as if the big car had the telepathic qualities usually found only in two-seaters. It's a perfect example of how a well-designed suspension doesn't need electronic assistance for outstanding performance. The big Bimmer also generates impressive raw cornering forces as well, with more rubber on the ground than a tire store after an earthquake. We found ourselves swinging around corners much faster than the posted advisory speeds and with more confidence than one would expect with a car this big.

There are drawbacks to the Sport Package. The ride is firmer than that of its standard siblings, and the lower final drive ratio exacts a penalty of two miles per gallon in both the city and highway EPA tests. The Sport Package adds $2,600 to the $62,400 list price of a 740i, but also requires a $1,700 gas guzzler tax.

The engine is an even match for the chassis, a rolling cornucopia of flawless torque. Silent at idle or cruise, at full throttle the engine emits a mellow V8 burble with nice round vowel tones. The 740i weighs more than two tons, but there's torque abundant to push it through a 0-60 mph sprint in a quick 6.8 seconds, according to BMW, the shorter final drive ratio clipping a tenth off the run.

Using Steptronic to control the transmission yielded a more sports car-like experience with the 740i Sport. Although it lacked the intimate feel of a conventional manual transmission, the transmission responded quickly, shifting up and down without the usual delay of an automatic gearbox shifted manually and there was no chance of overshifting, as with a conventional automatic shiftlever manually controlled. Purists will still pine for a clutch pedal, but the Steptronic is a reasonable compromise and possibly the best you'll get in a luxury car here in America. And anyone driving in stop-and-go traffic will appreciate the left thigh-saving feature of the automatic.

The $62,970 740i is the shorter member of BMW's big 7 Series sedan line. The 740iL ($66,970) and 750iL ($92,670) have a longer wheelbase for limousine-like rear legroom. While the 740i and 740iL are powered by the V8, the 750iL comes with a magnificent V12. Prices are unchanged from the 1999 model year. (All prices include destination charge.)

New to the lineup this year are the 740iL and 750iL Protection Line light-armored vehicles ($99,400 and $125,400 respectively). These two take providing extra security out of the hands of converters and make it an original equipment option. They feature armoring of "critical body panels" with Aramide cloth, bullet-resistant glass and standard luxury features, but have seating only for four.

Although the line receives no major changes for 2000, BMW ladled on standard equipment upgrades. High-pressure headlight washers, auto-leveling Xenon low-beam headlamps, "super-premium audio" with 14 speakers including four subwoofers and more, onboard navigation and rain-sensing wipers are now standard on all models. The Sport Package, available only on the 740i last year, is now offered on the 740iL and 750iL as well.

A premium sound system with a 6-CD changer is now standard. Options include a $1,100 cold weather package (heated front seats and steering wheel, headlamp washers and ski bag), $550 rear side-impact airbags (front side airbags and head protection system are standard), and $2,600 break-resistant security glass. Like other BMWs, the 740i comes with free scheduled maintenance for 3 years or 36,000 miles.