Best Car Models & All About Cars: BMW 2012 7 Series

BMW 2012 7 Series

Introduction

Choosing a flagship luxury sedan to park in your garage is an enviable dilemma. There's just about no losing when your options embrace exotic names and alphanumeric soup like A8, Panamera and S-Class. Add to the current list the 2012 BMW seven Series, one in every of the sportiest and most widespread luxury cruisers that blends a dynamic driving experience with practical, everyday utility.

For 2012, the seven Series again offers a turbocharged inline-half-dozen engine within the 740i and 740Li. Up until last year an inline-vi hadn't been seen in a very seven Series model in 2 decades. And although it's tempting to dismiss it as a pokey model supposed as dealership traffic bait, the 740i with its 315-horsepower twin-turbo inline-six is as fast from zero to 60 mph (5.8 seconds) as the V8-powered Lexus LS 460 and nearly matches the facility of the V8 7 Series from ten years ago.

The 7 Series is also one of the foremost partaking cars in the class to drive. Equipped with optional active steering, the seven Series impresses with its ability to brush around tight corners. Even in commonplace rear-wheel-drive form, it twists sharper and surer than several midsize luxury sedans. The Driving Dynamics Management (DDC) system even permits the motive force to settle on among four settings (together with transmission response and suspension calibration) to satisfy a greater breadth of enthusiasts. We have a tendency to've found it exhausting to dial in that just-right combination of all the adjustable DDC attributes however, and we tend to marvel if easier would be better.

Despite its mastery, it's arduous to proclaim the 2012 BMW 7 Series better or worse than different all-stars like the Audi A8, Jaguar XJ, Mercedes-Benz S-Class or Porsche Panamera. It's simply totally different. Depending on what you intend to spend and how abundant house you wish, we tend to'd recommend trying at all of them. And why not? There's no method to lose.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Choices

The 2012 BMW 7 Series is offered in 740i, 740Li, 750i, 750Li and 760Li trims. The Li indicates the extended-wheelbase body vogue, while the 750 models will be equipped with xDrive all-wheel drive. There also are hybrid versions of the 750i and 750Li models reviewed separately.

Standard equipment on the 740i includes 18-inch wheels, adaptive suspension dampers, back and front parking sensors, a rearview camera, a sunroof, auto-dimming mirrors, adaptive xenon headlights, foglights, automatic wipers, heated power-adjustable front seats, driver memory functions, a power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, four-zone climate management, leather upholstery and keyless ignition. Electronics options include the iDrive multimedia interface, a laborious-drive navigation system with real-time traffic, BMW Assist emergency telematics, Bluetooth and a 12-speaker surround-sound audio system with a CD player, HD Radio, digital music storage, iPod and USB audio inputs, and an auxiliary audio jack.

The 750i adds 19-in. wheels, a power trunk lid, full keyless ignition/entry, soft-shut automatic doors, fourteen-manner front seats with adjustable lumbar and facet bolsters and upgraded leather. These features are all accessible on the 740. Both the Li and xDrive models include a self-leveling air suspension.

Most options for the 740 and 750 are bundled into groups. The Premium Sound package adds a sixteen-speaker upgraded sound system and satellite radio. The Cold Weather package adds a heated steering wheel and heated seats front and rear on the 740i (they're normal on all different models). The driver Assistance package adds automatic high beams, facet and prime camera views, lane departure and blind spot warning systems, and, on long-wheelbase and xDrive models, a head-up show.

The Luxury Seating package includes ventilated front seats, active front seat aspect bolsters and power rear and side sunshades. The Luxury Rear Seating package on the market on Li models adds power-adjustable and ventilated seats with a massage feature, while the M Sport package adds a selection of 19- or 20-inch wheels, an aerodynamic body kit, darkened "Shadowline" exterior trim and a sport steering wheel. A Rear Entertainment package includes a six-CD/DVD changer and twin rear show screens.

Other than the M Sport and Rear Entertainment packages, the high-of-the-line 760Li includes all the on top of normal and optional equipment. Integral active steering is commonplace on the 760Li and a stand-alone choice on the others. Other notable stand-alone options for the seven Series embody active roll stabilization, active cruise management, an infrared night vision system, special interior color/trim schemes and BMW apps that integrate with iPhones and iPods.

Powertrains and Performance

The 2012 BMW 740i and 740Li are powered by a three.zero-liter twin-turbo inline-half dozen that produces 315 hp and 330 pound-feet of torque. As with the 750, a six-speed automatic transmission is customary along with driver-adjustable settings for the throttle response, transmission programming, steering, suspension tuning and stability management intervention. Rear-wheel drive is standard.

In Edmunds testing, a 740i accelerates from zero to sixty mph in 5.8 seconds. The EPA estimates the 740's fuel economy at seventeen mpg city/25 mpg highway and twenty mpg combined.

The 2012 BMW 750i and 750Li are powered by a 4.four-liter twin-turbo V8 that produces 400 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque, paired with a customary six-speed automatic. In Edmunds acceleration testing, the 750i and 750Li dashed from zero to 60 mph in a blink a lot of than 5 seconds. EPA-estimated fuel economy is fifteen mpg city/22 mpg highway and 17 mpg combined. Opting for the Li and/or xDrive lowers those numbers by roughly one-two mpg.

The 2012 BMW 760Li gets a 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 good for 535 hp and 550 lb-ft of torque. An eight-speed automatic and rear-wheel drive are commonplace. BMW claims a 0-60 mph time of four.five seconds. EPA-estimated fuel economy is thirteen/19/fifteen.

Safety

Standard safety options on the 2012 BMW seven Series include antilock brakes, stability and traction management, front-seat side airbags, front knee airbags, aspect curtain airbags and active front head restraints. In Edmunds brake testing, the 740i stopped from sixty mph in an wonderful 109 feet. The heavier 750i came to rest in an equally impressive 112 feet. The 750Li was concerning the identical.

Optional safety features include adaptive cruise management, lane departure and blind-spot warning, rear and sideview cameras and infrared night vision with pedestrian detection that displays the photographs either in the most dash display or in the pinnacle-up display (if thus equipped).

BMW 2012 7 Series