Base Price (MSRP) $69,900
As Tested (MSRP) $74,080

Few mainstream automobiles in the past 20 years have stirred controversy to the extent that BMW's ambitious 7 Series has. The BMW 7 Series still sparks debate three years after it was introduced, but we can assure you this: BMW's largest car is a luxury sedan in the truest sense, and it's impressive to drive. Its responsive engine and six-speed automatic transmission, its magic-carpet ride quality, excellent handling and awesomely powerful brakes deliver the ultimate in big-sedan driver control.

Whichever 7 Series you choose, starting with the standard 745i, you'll get a sedan that's big, smooth, fast and inspiring. It's also equipped with the latest safety technology. No matter where you sit, you'll experience a cabin that's beautiful and wonderfully comfortable. The 745Li and 760Li (L for long) offer even greater legroom in the back seats. All the 7 Series models are exceptionally powerful and responsive, and if the V12-powered 760i and 760Li don't stir something inside you, you may as well call a cab.

The 7 Series has stirred controversy as well as enthusiasm that revolves around two issues: styling and its iDrive interface. Known for brilliant high-performance sedans with conservative styling and straightforward interiors, BMW stepped out of the box with the introduction of this latest-generation 7 Series. The three years since the 7 Series launch have tempered controversy over its stunning styling only a little, and the styling direction introduced on 7 can now be seen on the 5 Series sedan, 6 Series coupe, Z3 sports car, as well as the 2006 3 Series models. One thing is for sure, the 7 Series has presence, something that cannot be said of the previous-generation models.

Virtually everything in the cabin is controlled through a single mouse-like interface called iDrive. BMW's controversial system controls the heater, the radio, the navigation system, and it demands some study to master. Once that's accomplished, however, driving the 7 Series cars is easy and quite satisfying. It will achieve your wishes quickly and efficiently, occasionally bending the laws of physics in the process. BMW says its goal with the 7 Series was building the safest car in the world.

The whisper-quiet cabin is a great place for quiet conversation or magnificent solitude. The 7 Series has a superb-sounding stereo, so it's an insulated sound studio where you can hear Mozart concertos, crystal clear vocals or crisp acoustic guitar notes. And the level of technology the 7 Series offers is mind boggling. Silent, hidden fans and heating elements cool or warm your rear end or your soft drink; microchips can instantaneously detect a skidding tire or apply the brakes full force just in case you were distracted by a phone call; power sunshades keep the sun off your rear passengers. Adaptive headlights turn with the car.

Among the big luxury sedans, the BMW 7 Series is indeed the ultimate driving machine.

Four 7 Series models are available for 2005. The 745i ($69,900) and long-wheelbase 745Li ($73,900) are powered by a 4.4-liter V8 with 325 horsepower, gobs of torque and a six-speed automatic transmission. The new 760i ($109,900) and 760Li ($117,300) share their transmission and most of their engine technology with the 745 models, but get 438 horsepower from 12 cylinders. The 760 models are two of the quickest, fastest, normally aspirated 2.5-ton vehicles in the world.

The 745i and 760i ride on a 117.7-inch wheelbase, while the 745Li and 760Li stretch that measurement to 123.5 inches. The long-wheelbase Li models are 5.5 inches longer bumper to bumper, and nearly all of that is directed into more rear-seat legroom.

Not surprisingly, all 7 Series sedans come standard with a long list of luxury features, including interiors trimmed in a choice of rich leathers and woods. The 745i has dual-zone automatic climate control with activated-charcoal microfilter ventilation, matte-finish black cherry wood trim, BMW Assist emergency and information communications, 14-way power seats, a power moonroof, tilt/telescoping steering wheel, a climate-controlled front console compartment, and single-CD audio with 10 speakers. The 745Li adds 20-way power front Comfort Seats with articulated upper backrests, passenger-seat memory and active head restraints. Both 745 models come standard with V-speed-rated 245/50VR18 tires on 18-inch alloy wheels; 19-inch wheels with performance tires (245/45 front, 275/40 rear) are optional ($1,300).

The 760i and 760Li have most everything BMW offers. The base price covers a choice of light or dark high-gloss Ash trim with inlays plus leather on virtually all interior surfaces (except the dash). The V12 models include soft-touch door-closing assists, heated and ventilated seats front and rear, Park Distance Control to keep track of those hard-to-see obstacles and power privacy shades. The only options available on the 760 models are radar-managed Active Cruise Control ($2,200), Adaptive Headlights ($300) that aim around corners when you turn the steering wheel and satellite radio prep ($75). The 760i comes standard with 20-inch alloy wheels and performance tires (245/40R20 front, 275.35R20 rear). The 760Li can be ordered with rear climate control with a cool box ($1,800). The V12 models earn the government-imposed gas-guzzler tax ($1,300).

Most of what's offered on the 760i and 760Li is available on the 745i and 745Li through individual options or packages. The six option packages for the V8s include: the Sport Package ($3,200) with 19-inch wheels and tires, sport-tuned suspension, more aggressively bolstered sport seating and specific exterior and interior trim; the Adaptive Ride Package ($1,900) with a self-leveling rear suspension and Electronic Damping Control that automatically adjusts shock damping according to conditions; the Cold Weather Package ($1,100) with a heated steering wheel, heated front and rear seats, and a ski bag; the Convenience Package ($1,000) with the soft-close doors that suck themselves shut and power trunk-lid operation; the Luxury Seating Package that adds 20-way adjustment, front and rear seat heating, fans to blow air through the seating surfaces and an automatic massager; and the Premium Sound Package ($1,800) with increased audio power, two subwoofers, Digital Sound Processing and six-CD changer.

BMW's iDrive interface system is standard on all 7 Series models, and can operate virtually everything in the car, from stereo to climate controls to telephone to navigation, with a single mouse-like control.

Ten airbags are available. The standard array includes dual frontal airbags, driver and front-passenger side-impact airbags, and BMW's Head Protection System, which amounts to a full-length, tube-shaped curtain on both sides of the cabin for front and rear head protection in a side impact. Also standard is BMW's Active Knee Protection, unique inflatable airbags that protect front passengers' knees. BMW claims these offer several advantages over conventional foam knee padding: they are more effective than foam padding; they reduce the amount of space occupied by the knee protection, leaving more room for in-dash features, not to mention occupants' knees; they allow finer tuning of the safety belts and front airbags for maximum protection depending on the circumstances of an impact. Rear-seat side-impact airbags are optional ($385). The available 20-way Comfort Seats include active head restraints, which move closer to the occupants' head in an impact and eliminate the need for heads to be resting against the restraint for maximum effectiveness. All 7 Series variants include sophisticated anti-lock brakes, traction control and electronic stability control designed to help drivers maintain control and avoid accidents.

BMW stepped out of the box and produced a revolutionary blueprint with its 7 Series sedans. The objectives were to create a luxury sedan with presence and curb appeal. Indeed, the current 7 Series look more agile and muscular than the previous-generation models, which looked bland. Though the trademark twin-kidney grille and long hood make it clear that this is a BMW, the 7 Series is a dramatic departure from BMWs past in nearly every respect.

The 7's styling has not pleased everyone, however. The overall design, and particularly the rear half, have generated controversy among design critics and automotive media. BMW claims its buyers love it. With time in the car and detailed explanations from BMW as to why it looks like it does, we can tell you that the 7 Series styling is based on rational objectives.

Underneath the styling are a number of hard parameters: This 7 Series is substantially taller than its predecessor (by 2.2 inches), giving its occupants more head room, more rear-seat roominess and a larger trunk. The greatest increase in height is along the outer edges of the roof, increasing head room and improving safety for occupants. The 7 Series is also slightly longer (1.8 inches) and wider (1.6 inches), and its wheelbase is significantly longer (2.3 inches) than before. It's a much bigger car than before. With these dimensional changes, BMW had to re-work the proportions and redesign the surface details. In other words, the styling had to be changed.

To maintain good proportions, the 7 Series was given a fast greenhouse with a very fast C-pillar (All of the roof pillars are much thicker for enhanced safety in the event of a rollover). Bigger wheels were fitted on all models. The rear-wheel-drive BMW 7 Series uses a long hood and a swept rear glass, intended to create a sporty, coupe look.

The rear end has been the focus of the controversy. Much of its design can be traced back to an attempt to handle the substantially raised rear deck height. Because the roof was raised dramatically, the rear deck needed to be raised to help the 7 Series achieve its excellent aerodynamics, which is crucial in reducing wind noise, improving fuel efficiency and increasing stability at high speed. Because the tail needed to be raised so high, a sculptured appearance was used to maintain the lines of the car.

The back end does not look like previous BMWs, and that's a big reason people have been talking about it. The L-shaped taillights extending across the trunk lid are a departure: They're intended to draw the eye across the back, making the car look wider. The lights themselves are a technological marvel, employing a feature BMW calls adaptive brake lighting. Under normal braking, the outboard and third brake lights illuminate as usual. Under hard braking or when ABS is activated, the taillights join the brake lights for a significant increase in visibility of the brake lights. The distinction is designed to signal following drivers that you are stopping very quickly. A monitoring system indicates when a bulb is burned out. And while waiting for you to have it replaced, the system will commandeer other bulbs in the taillamps to use as brake lights.

Up front, the outer edges of the 7 Series headlamp clusters sweep up, instead of down as they've traditionally done on BMWs. (All of the latest BMWs have adapted this styling cue.) Set relatively low, the headlamps are trimmed by turn signals above them, looking like the eyebrows of a hawk. High-intensity discharge headlamps are used for both low and high beams on the outboard lamps; the inboard lamps are conventional halogen high beams. The Adaptive Headlight option allows the outboard lights to turn with the car, focusing their beams into a curve, rather than off the edge of the road.

The exterior mirrors can be retracted inward with the touch of a button, reducing the parking width more than a foot. It's a great convenience for drivers with narrow garage entrances or when parking in a crowded city garage.

The hood and front fenders are made of aluminum, allowing a near perfect 50/50 weight distribution over the front and rear wheels, and contributing to the outstanding handling.

High-quality materials and elegant design make the 7 Series cabin an exceedingly pleasant place in which to conduct the business of driving. The dash looks particularly clean and elegant because the iDrive system eliminates so many switches and knobs. Beautiful, buttery leather trim is used throughout, and a variety of materials create interest without making the interior look busy. Wood trim is spread tastefully on the dash, center console and elsewhere. BMW offers light- or dark-stained Black Cherry with a matte finish, or light or dark high-gloss Ash. I loved the light Black Cherry for its timeless elegance. (I did not care for the optional strip of wood on the back dash, however.)

The two cup holders up front are handsome, high-tech and practical. The standard roof liner in the 745i reminds us of fine suit material, something you might encounter on a woman's business jacket, and BMW says many of the interior materials were inspired by the fashion industry. The 760Li's roof is lined with suede-like alcantara. The sun visors do not appear to live up to the quality of the rest of the interior, though.

The front seats are supportive and comfortable, and by that we mean all of them. The standard seats in the 745i adjust 14 ways. The available Comfort Seats adjust in 20 directions. Some adjustments are automatic, including the headrests, which change height according to the position of the seat. The sport package seats have bolstering on par with those in a sports car. Active Seat Ventilation cools the front and rear seats in the summer by blowing air through micro-perforations in the leather; the system includes a vibrating feature and comes with complementary perforated leather trim elsewhere inside the cabin.

All 7 Series sedans feature dual-zone temperature and airflow adjustment for the front passengers; the 760Li adds separate temperature adjustments for each side of the rear seat. The climate controls were improved in 2004 with an automatic humidity control that maintains relative humidity near an optimal 40 percent. A new rain sensor detects misting on the windshield and automatically wipes it off.

The rear seats are roomy and comfortable. The long-wheelbase L models provide as much rear legroom as you'll find this side of a stretch limo. Waterfall LED atmosphere lighting inside the C-pillars adds to the evening elegance of the rear seats. For bright days, the 760Li includes power sunshades for the rear windscreen and rear side windows. Comfort Seats for the rear come standard on the 760Li and are available for the 745Li. Rear Comfort Seats include electric heating and 14-way power adjustments, with a control that allows rear-seat passengers to move the front passenger seat forward, a great feature. Having a skilled professional drive you around while you luxuriate in back is not the worst way to travel. Rear Comfort Seats make the BMW 7 Series the ultimate riding machine.

Under power, the 7 Series cabin remains whisper quiet. The only sound we could hear while driving the 745i over San Antonio's busy freeways was the tires whacking over expansion joints or humming across grooved concrete. Ambient noise is wonderfully deadened inside, making conversation easy and pleasant.

The quiet cabin provides a perfect environment for a superb stereo that delivers crisp highs, sharp bass, and clear mid-range tones. BMW's Premium Sound Package, developed by Harman Kardon's Lexicon, is truly sensational. Unless you have a state-of-the-art stereo at home, you'll hear things in your favorite songs you've barely noticed before. The premium package delivers seven channels of surround sound through 13 speakers, including a pair of subwoofers ingeniously integrated into the chassis itself; it includes a CD changer.

Sirius Satellite Radio offers 60 commercial-free channels of music and 40 of news, sports and talk. It's great for tuning into FoxNews or CNN or a myriad of sports channels and you need never switch from your favorite music channel when driving across the country.

The 7 Series provides more interior storage space than some of its competitors, but storage isn't one of its strengths. The center console lid is split down the middle to create a pair of leather-covered access doors. Our console was filled with CD storage, a cellular telephone and the owner's manual, and we decided that it would be preferable to eliminate the CD storage and put the owner's manual someplace else. Likewise, much of the space in the elegantly designed glove box was taken by the CD changer. We'd prefer putting the CD changer in the trunk, or eliminating it altogether in favor of the single in-dash CD, to gain easily accessible storage.

BMW's voice-activation system works reasonably well for people willing to take the time to learn how to program and use it. You could use it to call home, check voice mail, or to switch among two or three favorite radio stations. It'll do much more than that for those willing to invest some time in it, however. To use it, press the SVS button and give it a command. A command to remember is "Options," because that will prompt the system to call out a list of recognized commands you can use. "Radio on" turns the radio on. Saying "106.7" switches the station to FM 106.7. You can also tell it to play CD track number five. You can really impress friends (and kids) even if you set up just a few functions.

Technology is everywhere inside the 7 Series, and this embrace of technology separates it from other cars. Working the systems inside the 7 comes closer to operating a computer than any mainstream production car we've seen. There's a downside to all this technology, to be sure. It requires familiarization (and effort) to begin to master it, and many will find the learning curve steep. Even simple, intuitive operations that we learned the first time we drove a car no longer apply in the 7 Series. You'll have to relearn old techniques just to start this sedan, release its parking brake and back it out of the driveway.

To start the car you insert the key, except that it's an electronic device rather then a traditional key. Then you press the start button next to the key slot. Press another button to release the electronically controlled parking brake. To shift into reverse, pull a small lever on the dash toward you. Snick the lever down into drive to go forward. The "shifter'' feels more like a switch or an electronic stalk than a mechanical shifter because it is, indeed, an electronic switch. There is no mechanical link between the selector and the transmission. It's controlled "by wire," and takes some practice to use as quickly as a traditional gear selector. This immediately became clear while trying to make a quick Y-turn on a street in downtown San Antonio, a move that was not performed as quickly and elegantly as we had intended. We had trouble avoiding a level of jerkiness when shifting from Drive to Reverse and back to Drive. However, once mastered, the 7 Series shifter may end up being quicker and less troublesome than a traditional automatic shifter, most of which require that the driver look down to ensure the proper gear is selected, troublesome when in a hurry.

BMW's iDrive takes automotive operation closer to a computer interface than we've come before. iDrive relies on a big, round aluminum knob on the center console to operate most everything in the cabin, including climate controls, automotive functions, entertainment, communications and navigation.

The iDrive knob turns like a volume knob, presses down like a switch, and slides in eight directions (left and right, forward and back, and diagonally). Corresponding menus are presented on the video screen. From the main or start menu, sliding the big knob toward each of the eight compass points selects a different sub-menu, or the primary menu for a system. Slide the knob due east (toward the passenger seat), for example, and you'll leave the main menu for the stereo menu. Now rotate the knob to move around the stereo menu, and then press down as with a mouse when the cursor lands on the appropriate function (e.g. Preset Stations). As with a menu system on a computer, you may immediately reach the function you're after, or you may get another sub-menu with more selections to spin through.

BMW says it improved iDrive for 2004 based on what was learned through two years of production and customers' ownership experience. The improvements include two new buttons just behind the main iDrive control: one that automatically returns the display screen to the main menu, and another that can be programmed with whatever sub-menu the user prefers. The first button should substantially reduce frustration levels. The second button should add convenience so that the user can quickly get to the most often-used function (audio or climate, for example).

The iDrive knob is easy for the right hand to locate without a glance; the display screen is big, and can be viewed without completely removing your eyes from the road ahead. Yet, improved or otherwise, iDrive takes a fair amount of practice just to get a rudimentary grip on its operation, and you'll need to do some reading to fully exploit it. It can be frustrating when you're at the bottom of this learning curve. During our first 350-mile test drive, for example, I could not figure out how to pull up a map, in spite of considerable effort exercised while sitting in the passenger seat. That said, we expect most owners master iDrive to the point where they use it intuitively. But learning isn't the only problem. Even when you've mastered iDrive, you'll have to wade through various menus and sub-menus to finally get to the function that needs adjustment. That function may be one that simply requires you to flick a switch on a conventional dashboard. Whether that's progress is debatable.

A split screen on the display can show all kinds of information depending on the mode selected by iDrive, and the display can be customized according to owner preferences. But it's not ideal. I found the temperature readout nearly impossible to read while wearing brown-tinted polarized sunglasses.

The same issues apply throughout the 7 Series, because many controls simply don't function in the traditional fashion. I struggled to operate the turn signals, wipers and windshield washers smoothly, a struggle that would disappear with familiarity.

Park Distance Control has been taken to a new level in the 7 Series with a graphic display. Sonar sensors in the front and rear bumpers detect objects near the car and beep with increasing frequency as you get closer. A solid tone means you're almost touching. Different tones for the front and rear provide great assistance when parking in tight locations, making your parking quicker and more confident. The system can keep you from accidentally backing into or over something that cannot be seen from inside the car, like a child on tricycle. The 7 Series takes park-assist a step further with a pictograph of the car that graphically displays the distance and location of the offending object. It sounds like a gadget, but park-assist adds convenience in daily driving and can help prevent an annoying or even tragic accident.

In terms of driving dynamics, there's no controversy here. BMW's 7 Series has been widely lauded for its outstanding performance and ride. It's hard to rave about a vehicle that drives so well. There are only so many ways you can say great, and the 7 Series does everything extremely well.

The first thing we noticed about the BMW 745i was its wonderful, magic-carpet ride. This car smoothes out bumps, even speed bumps, to a point of astonishment. It's incredibly comfortable, yet the driver does not feel completely isolated from the road. The 745i senses when it's being driven hard, retuning the suspension appropriately for improved handling.

BMW's Active Roll Stabilization, a system of computer-controlled active anti-roll bars, increases roll resistance in hard cornering to keep the body flat in turns. At the same time, the system maintains enough suspension compliance to keep the tires planted on the road. Bumps in the middle of a high-speed corner do not upset the handling balance one whit. Several factors are at work here: a near-perfect weight distribution of 50 percent front and rear, which means neither end of the car is more prone to slide than the other; a highly rigid chassis that allows precise suspension tuning; and minimal unsprung weight, thanks to lightweight aluminum wheels, brake calipers and aluminum suspension components.

Remember: weighing up to 4900 pounds, depending on equipment, the 7 Series is not a small, lightweight car. But in some respects it feels smaller than it is. Anti-skid technology makes adjustments to maintain handling balance whenever grip is lost to any one tire. By applying braking force to individual wheels, it almost seems to bend the laws of physics. Just steer this thing where you want to go and the 7 Series takes you there. I felt this on a fast, greasy corner over a sharp crest that un-weighted the suspension. All four wheels lost grip, but we simply motored around the corner, drifting just slightly wide of the intended line. I never lifted my foot off the accelerator pedal nor made any adjustments in the steering. No special action on my part was needed. The 745i did all of that for me. The anti-skid system is transparent, in that you can't feel it kick in and out. BMW's system is less obtrusive and more performance-oriented than similar systems found in Mercedes and Lexus automobiles.

Steering the 7 Series cars is a joy. The rack-and-pinion steering is super sharp and precise. It's very light at low speeds for parking lots, but firms up at higher speeds for improved driver feel. It also steps up response by 10 percent as the wheel is turned off center, which means that the more you turn the wheel, the faster the car responds. With this steering system, it's easy to drive with extreme precision on winding roads at high speeds, placing the tires exactly where you want them. When hitting bumps, there's little or no kickback to the steering.

The drivetrains, V8 and V12, are absolutely silky when cruising around. The new six-speed automatic transmission is extremely smooth, yet it's among the most responsive we have ever experienced. Hit the accelerator pedal and the transmission drops a gear or two without any of that hesitation found in so many automatics. The additional gearing of the six-speed allows a lower first gear for quicker performance off the line, closer ratios in the middle gears for better mid-range response, and taller top gears for improved fuel economy. The 745i has a feature allowing the driver to downshift manually using a pair of buttons on the steering wheel, but I found that feature to be superfluous. With a transmission as responsive as this one, manual shifting seems more of a toy than anything else. Even on a racetrack, I'd probably put it in Drive and leave it there.

The 4.4-liter V8 engine is superb. It's very smooth when cruising. Combine the smooth drive train with the smooth ride and the 745i feels deceptively slow. While rolling out of a jerkwater town in the Hill Country outside of San Antonio, I was preparing to put the accelerator pedal down to gain speed, until a glance at the speedo revealed that I was already cruising at 80 mph. This car feels happy cruising at 80 to 100 mph all day. I found myself coming into both sweeping turns and tight corners carrying more speed than I initially realized, then having to get on the brakes a little harder than originally planned. It wasn't a scary thing, because the 7 Series almost never loses its composure. Just kind of a whoa, Nellie, slow this baby down. This combination of outstanding dynamics and deceptive travel speeds says something about both the joy and the trepidation in a car as capable as the 7 Series. You need to watch your speed in this car.

Punch the accelerator and the 745i leaps into action. BMW claims it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.9 seconds. The V8 is rated at 325 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque yet is rated by the EPA at 18/26 mpg City/Highway. Its sophisticated Valvetronic system has eliminated the throttle completely, eliminating pumping losses for improved efficiency by letting the valves, which benefit from BMW's double VANOS variable timing, control the airflow through the engine.

If that's not impressive enough for you, try the V12. The 760Li was launched as a 2003 model with a 6.0-liter V12 engine that shares its basic architecture and most of its technology with the V8. For 2004, BMW introduced the sportier 760i to the North American market, with the shorter wheelbase shared with the 745i, and 20-inch sport wheels and low-profile tires. The V12 engine adds an innovation of its own. With direct fuel injection (something previously reserved largely for diesel engines), BMW's V12 delivers fuel directly into the cylinders, rather than to intake ports on the cylinder head. This improves power and reduces emissions. The V12 generates 438 horsepower and an impressive 444 pound-feet of torque. The V12 is turbine smooth, and whisks the sumptuously luxurious 760i from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.4 seconds.

Modulating the brakes is easy, and the 7 Series can stop in a big hurry when necessary. Massive ventilated disc brakes, among the largest and most powerful BMW has ever used, are fitted with aluminum calipers at all four corners. Electronic brake proportioning ensures that the meaty tires are making best use of all available braking traction by transferring braking force to the tires with the best grip. Dynamic Brake Control reinforces the driver's pedal effort in emergency braking to help the car stop in the shortest possible stopping distance, even if the driver mistakenly relaxes pressure on the brake pedal. The Hill Hold feature will automatically hold the car at a stop until the driver presses on the accelerator pedal, and set the parking brake when the car is turned off. Hill Hold can be switched on or off using the iDrive menus.

The 7 Series is so smooth that full days behind the wheel are not taxing, and it's very comfortable in heavy commuter traffic. It's easy to drive this car well and few luxury sedans can keep up with it at high speeds. And the interior is sumptuous.

The 7 Series models are soaked with cutting-edge automotive technology, and with it all there's a steep learning curve. Dynamically, this may be the best car in the class. And that's no small feat, given that the competition includes some of the best cars in the world.