Driving Impressions

BMW, in the 7 Series at least, seems to suffer from a problem of ambition. The engine is brilliant, incredible. All that horsepower, torque and smoothness, and we got 19.0 miles per gallon overall. Can't say enough good things about the engine. It is flawless. Not just the 400 horsepower, but 450 pound-feet of torque at 1800 rpm. The suspension is nearly as flawless as the engine, whether cruising in a straight line on a rough road, or tossing the big Beemer through curves. BMWs are known for that. The front suspension is all new for 2009, the first double-wishbone suspension ever in a BMW passenger car, believe it or not. The rear multi-link suspension is redesigned for 2009, with an innovated vertical link that BMW calls the Integral System. The 750Li comes standard with electronically self-leveling air springs. The Sport Package offers four suspension modes: Comfort, Normal, Sport and Sport Plus. The only problem is all those decisions. Using the Driving Dynamics Control selector (located near the iDrive controller and E-shift lever), the car will change its performance characteristics, in the areas of shock absorber firmness, throttle response, transmission shift characteristics, power steering assist level, and Dynamic Stability control points. The Sport Package also included the gorgeous 19-inch alloy wheels with performance tires, and Active Steering to tighten the aggressive cornering. The six-speed automatic transmission seems over-engineered, or at least over-programmed. It insists on doing far too many things for the driver, in Normal mode and with the DDC in Normal. We're not talking about our usual frequent complaint, that the manual mode isn't very manual; we're talking about a relentless number of downshifts. Basically, the transmission won't let the car glide. Around town, it feels like the emergency brake is on. Back of the throttle, and some program says: The driver wants to slow down. Let's help him! You're going 20 mph and ease off the gas for a redlight, intending to coast there, and it downshifts so eagerly that you have to get back on the gas to get there. It's like the 7 Series is a pickup truck with its transmission in perpetual tow/haul mode. We had to accelerate to go down our steep hill, because the transmission held the car back so much. Going up our less steep hill, one-half mile at 25 mph, it downshifted three times and upshifted twice. All in the name of keeping the car in the optimum gear. It's like since there are six gears, the car has to use them. With all that torque, it makes no sense. Four hundred and fifty foot-pounds at 1800 rpm, and the transmission won't allow it to be used. What's more, the kickdowns are often not smooth. Lurch is the word that popped up in our tape recorder, three times. Out on the highway, this annoyance goes totally away. It's only poking around town that it won't glide smoothly. It seemed better with Driving Dynamics Control in Comfort mode, so we suggest staying there, and avoiding Normal altogether. Normal seems like an inappropriate word to apply to this very special car anyhow. The xenon headlights may be the best in the world, adding greatly to safe nighttime driving.

Final Word

The BMW 750Li may be the ultimate luxury car. The 750i has a shorter wheelbase. The 2009 7 Series is a redesign, the fifth generation, featuring a brilliant new twin-turbocharged V8 engine that makes 400 horsepower yet is still EPA rated at 14 to 22 mpg (we got 19). The ride and handling are flawless, featuring a double-wishbone front suspension, and the comfort is superior. Sam Moses filed this report to NewCarTestDrive.com after his test drive of the BMW 750iL in the Northwest's Columbia River Valley.