The current era at BMW began with the introduction of the 2002 7-Series four years ago. The new flagship was roundly criticized for overwrought, unattractive styling and overcomplicated controls, specifically the new iDrive system.

For 2006 BMW has revised the 7, cleaning up the styling, revising the controls, an enlarging the V8 engine. Not that anyone complained about the 4.4-liter, but BMW felt that another 400 cc's of displacement were called for with a new Mercedes S-Class on the horizon. The 6.0-liter V12 carries over.

As before, the 7 is available in two lengths, regular and long. At a recent Ultimate Drive event I drove the regular wheelbase sedan with the V8, now known as the 750i.

Styling

While still no beauty, the revised 7 should at least avoid criticism. The revised ends look much less frumpy than before. The more fluid forms of the revised grille and headlamps flow upward and rearward, imparting a formerly absent dynamism to the front end. The trunk's cutline still cuts downward, but tail lamps that now continue into the trunk from the fender divert the eye from it.

Stylistically, the interior remains much the same. I still don't care for the iDrive screen separate binnacle; the 5-Series' less symmetrical, more aesthetically integrated instrument panel looks better. The materials remain first-rate. While I continue to find the matte wood trim that recalls fine Scandanavian furniture an interesting touch, the also available glossy wood trim seems more popular.

Accommodations

The driving position is lower than that in the outgoing Mercedes S-Class but similar to that in other large luxury sedans. It's just high enough to see adequately over the dash.

Even in regular wheelbase form the 7-Series is hard to beat for passenger room and comfort. The "comfort seats" optional on the 750i and standard on other 7-Series models contain adjustments that most people have never even thought of, including separately reclinable upper and lower seatback segments. Their major weakness: the controls are very complicated--a memory function has never been more useful.

In the long wheelbase 750Li similarly adjustable seats are available in the rear--the better to take advantage of that car's extra half-foot of rear legroom. But even without the multiadjustable seats and extra legroom the rear seats are very comfortable and roomy. The large, high cushion provides very good thigh support. The main difference is whether you have a couple inches of space between your knees and the front seatbacks or over half a foot.

The trunk is large and well-shaped. As in other large luxury sedans, the rear seat does not fold.

On the Road

I personally found the old 4.4-liter V8 plenty powerful, even in this large, heavy car. So I cannot say I found the new 4.8, with another 35 horsepower, for a total of 360, significantly better. My favorite V8 either way. The primary advantage of the even more powerful, 438-horsepower V12 is greater low-end grunt. The 4.4 produced 330 foot-pounds of torque, the new 4.8 360, and the V12 444. It moves the car even more effortlessly. Drive the two similarly, the the transmission will shift about 1000 RPM lower with the twelve.

The transmission remains the same 6-speed manually shiftable automatic also used by Audi and Jaguar. It shifts smoothly and has a wide enough range of ratios to enable excellent acceleration from a standstill and efficient highway cruising. Even with the enlarged V8 360 horsepower moving well over two tons, fuel economy is good enough to avoid the gas guzzler tax.

The suspension tuning has been revised for 2006. BMW claims that the tuning of the sport suspension is the most aggressive ever in a 7-Series. Either because of these revisions or because the last time around I drove long wheelbase cars, the 750i with the optional sport suspension felt considerably sportier and more agile than I recall past 7s feeling. In fact, it didn't feel too far off the smaller 5-Series sedan. The balanced chassis and well-weighted steering provide excellent control. Turn-in is crisp and quick by large sedan standards. As before, the anti-roll bars' stiffness increases in turns to effectively limit lean.

In comparison, an Audi A8 feels like a nose-heavy boat. A big Jaguar is a closer match, but feels larger and less agile than the 7 despite weighing hundreds of pounds less. Both the Mercedes and Lexus (with sport suspension, highly recommended) also have a balanced, fluid feel, but neither feels as agile or nearly as "tied down" as the big BMW.

Note: the above comments are for other 2006 models. The Mercedes and Lexus have been redesigned for 2007--see links to my reviews at the end of this review--but the BMW continues to handle better than either.

Even with the Sport Package's firmer suspension and low profile tires ride quality is excellent. The trick anti-roll bars chip in here as well, decoupling when the car is not turning. The tires patter a bit over road imperfections, but otherwise noise levels are very low.

BMW 750Li Price Comparisons and Pricing

Comparing the base 750Li with HK audio to the base S550, and adjusting for features finds that the BMW is about $6,700 less at MSRP and $7,800 less at invoice. Factory-to-dealer incentives likely widen the gap.

Prices change frequently, and differences will vary based on feature level. To quickly generate these and other comparisons with the specific features you want, visit my Web site, www.truedelta.com. (It's the only site that provides true "apples-to-apples" price comparisons.)

TrueDelta's page for the 7-Series:

http://www.truedelta.com/models/7-Series.php

Last Words

I was much more impressed by the 7-Series this time around. I can now look at the car without cringing. And the suspension revisions yield a car that handles with almost as much agility as a 5-Series. Note that I drove a car with the regular wheelbase--which is just four inches longer than that of a 5-Series--and the optional sport suspension.

The new 4.8-liter engine is excellent, but then so was the old 4.4. Seat comfort and room remain exemplary. On the other hand, the seat controls and iDrive remain as complicated as ever.

Add it all up, and this is the large sedan to get if you care about driving enjoyment. The main reason to get an Audi or Jaguar is their styling. And a Lexus? Lower price and superior reliability, but certainly not driving enjoyment.

A Note on BMW 750Li Reliability

I cannot practically cover reliability within the context of this review. However, many people are interested in such information, so I've started collecting my own data. Results, once they are available, will be posted to my site, www.truedelta.com, with updates every three months.

Unlike other sources, TrueDelta will clearly identify what difference it will make if you buy a BMW 750Li (or BMW 750i or BMW 760Li) rather than another vehicle by providing "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats (among others). You will be able to specify the number of years, annual miles, and types of repairs to include in BMW 750Li reliability comparisons (or BMW 750i reliability comparisons or BMW 760Li reliability comparisons, for that matter).

Before I can report results, I need data on all cars--not just the 7-Series--from people like you. To encourage participation, those who help provide the data will receive free access to the site's reliability information. For non-participants, this access will cost $24.95.

For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.

A link to this website and alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.

If you're an Epinions member, and you want to receive an email alert from Epinions when I post a new review, click here.

Some of my reviews of related vehicles:
Audi A8 review
2002 BMW 7-Series review (2002 V8)
2004 BMW 7-Series review (V8 and V12)
Cadillac STS review
Jaguar XJR review
Lexus LS 430 review
Lexus LS 460 review
2001 Mercedes S-Class review
2007 Mercedes S-Class review