When a car is considered a company's flagship model, as the 7 Series is with BMW, there's quite a bit said car has to live up to. And while some do, some clearly don't; thankfully (and not shockingly) the 2013 BMW 740Li lives up to the flagship hype with ease.
Built with a purpose: luxury sedan cruiser, the 2013 BMW 740Li does nothing less than live up to that. With a base price a touch over the $100k mark, this luxury cruiser comes at a cost on par with its key competition: Audi's A8, Porsche's Panamera and Mercedes-Benz's S-Class.
Large and in charge, these flagship sedans are loaded to the brim with gadgets, gizmos and sophisticated luxury ideal for those who prefer to be chauffeured.
But make no mistake: the 2013 BMW 740Li isn't just enjoyable from the backseat, it's also a pleasure to drive. It is, after all, a BMW.
Living large
In it's long wheelbase trim, the 2013 BMW 740Li adds approximately 200mm to it's length which doesn't seem like much, but will have rear passengers living in the lap of large luxury every time they take a seat. With enough room to stretch out no matter how tall front-seat occupants are, complete with foot rests, the back seat is a fabulous place to be.
Individual vanity mirrors for each passenger, privacy/sun visors in each rear window and a middle armrest complete with storage and cupholders ensure the most powerful of businessmen will find comfort in the 2013 BMW 740Li.
And it turns out, so will young children. While installing a rear-facing BRITAX car seat in the 2013 BMW 740Li proved difficult (thanks to the recessed seat hooks and angled seat), once in place the large seat barely took up any room at all, and the front passenger seat wasn't affected at all. Brilliant.
Driving large
Despite the long stature of the 2013 BMW 740Li, it's a breeze to drive. Once a comfortable seating position is found (by way of a too-many-ways-to-count power adjust system), visibility is stellar and you feel like king of the road... No, emperor.
The oh-so-smooth TwinPower turbocharged I6 powers the 2013 BMW 740Li, supplying the driver with 315 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque. For such a large, heavy car (nearly 2,000kg) it's just the right amount of power to keep the driver happy (and on all four wheels at all times thanks to xDrive) without upsetting the passenger in the back. Coupled with BMW's 8-speed automatic transmission, the 740Li is a comfortable cruiser with a need for speed (when asked).
A lack of paddle shifters indicates the car's not-sosporty nature and that's fine. The 2013 BMW 740Li is not a track-bred Beemer.
My only disappointment from the drive would have to do with the steering wheel. Not the steering (which is precise, and requires minimal effort), but the wheel itself. Compared to the rest of the vehicle it seemed cheap. Small and made of hard plastic, it was very un-BMW-like.
Living in the lap...
The interior of the 2013 BMW 740Li is a fabulous place to be. There are many other adjectives to use, but fabulous seems the best as luxury is paramount and the class and sophistication dripping from every surface was enough to make me feel the need to sport heels and business attire every time I got behind the wheel. Jeans and Chucks just weren't good enough.
All the prerequisite BMW bells and whistles are present: iDrive, lane-departure warning, front-crash warning, laser-guided cruise control, head-up display; as well as a few 7 Series specific touches such as the soft-close doors (which I absolutely adore) and the privacy shields all around.
Looking the part
For once, I've left the look of a car till the very end, and here's why: The 2013 BMW 740Li has so little wrong with it, I feel you'll get nothing out of my "criticisms" in this department. Classy from nose to tail, there's no denying the 740Li's heritage or its good genes.
Signature BMW headlights adorn the elongated, shapely nose. And the Armani-suit-like look continues straight through to the rear where symmetrical chrome bars offset BMW's L-shaped taillights perfectly above the rectangular dual exhaust housed in the masculine rear bumper.
If the 2013 BMW 740Li were a person, he'd be the high-powered, good looking president of a Fortune 500 company -- with the great personality to match the riches.
This 2013 BMW 740Li xDrive review was originally published on Auto-Venus.com.
Built with a purpose: luxury sedan cruiser, the 2013 BMW 740Li does nothing less than live up to that. With a base price a touch over the $100k mark, this luxury cruiser comes at a cost on par with its key competition: Audi's A8, Porsche's Panamera and Mercedes-Benz's S-Class.
Large and in charge, these flagship sedans are loaded to the brim with gadgets, gizmos and sophisticated luxury ideal for those who prefer to be chauffeured.
But make no mistake: the 2013 BMW 740Li isn't just enjoyable from the backseat, it's also a pleasure to drive. It is, after all, a BMW.
Living large
In it's long wheelbase trim, the 2013 BMW 740Li adds approximately 200mm to it's length which doesn't seem like much, but will have rear passengers living in the lap of large luxury every time they take a seat. With enough room to stretch out no matter how tall front-seat occupants are, complete with foot rests, the back seat is a fabulous place to be.
Individual vanity mirrors for each passenger, privacy/sun visors in each rear window and a middle armrest complete with storage and cupholders ensure the most powerful of businessmen will find comfort in the 2013 BMW 740Li.
And it turns out, so will young children. While installing a rear-facing BRITAX car seat in the 2013 BMW 740Li proved difficult (thanks to the recessed seat hooks and angled seat), once in place the large seat barely took up any room at all, and the front passenger seat wasn't affected at all. Brilliant.
Driving large
Despite the long stature of the 2013 BMW 740Li, it's a breeze to drive. Once a comfortable seating position is found (by way of a too-many-ways-to-count power adjust system), visibility is stellar and you feel like king of the road... No, emperor.
The oh-so-smooth TwinPower turbocharged I6 powers the 2013 BMW 740Li, supplying the driver with 315 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque. For such a large, heavy car (nearly 2,000kg) it's just the right amount of power to keep the driver happy (and on all four wheels at all times thanks to xDrive) without upsetting the passenger in the back. Coupled with BMW's 8-speed automatic transmission, the 740Li is a comfortable cruiser with a need for speed (when asked).
A lack of paddle shifters indicates the car's not-sosporty nature and that's fine. The 2013 BMW 740Li is not a track-bred Beemer.
My only disappointment from the drive would have to do with the steering wheel. Not the steering (which is precise, and requires minimal effort), but the wheel itself. Compared to the rest of the vehicle it seemed cheap. Small and made of hard plastic, it was very un-BMW-like.
Living in the lap...
The interior of the 2013 BMW 740Li is a fabulous place to be. There are many other adjectives to use, but fabulous seems the best as luxury is paramount and the class and sophistication dripping from every surface was enough to make me feel the need to sport heels and business attire every time I got behind the wheel. Jeans and Chucks just weren't good enough.
All the prerequisite BMW bells and whistles are present: iDrive, lane-departure warning, front-crash warning, laser-guided cruise control, head-up display; as well as a few 7 Series specific touches such as the soft-close doors (which I absolutely adore) and the privacy shields all around.
Looking the part
For once, I've left the look of a car till the very end, and here's why: The 2013 BMW 740Li has so little wrong with it, I feel you'll get nothing out of my "criticisms" in this department. Classy from nose to tail, there's no denying the 740Li's heritage or its good genes.
Signature BMW headlights adorn the elongated, shapely nose. And the Armani-suit-like look continues straight through to the rear where symmetrical chrome bars offset BMW's L-shaped taillights perfectly above the rectangular dual exhaust housed in the masculine rear bumper.
If the 2013 BMW 740Li were a person, he'd be the high-powered, good looking president of a Fortune 500 company -- with the great personality to match the riches.
This 2013 BMW 740Li xDrive review was originally published on Auto-Venus.com.
Article Gallery