BMW 750Li

Though the subject of some aesthetic criticism when launched in 2002, BMW’s current 7 Series has still sold well. The imperious 750i arrived with the range-wide revisions on 2005 - we put a long wheel base version through its paces here

Challenging Mercedes-Benz’s dominance of the luxury saloon market has always been one of BMW’s priorities since the early 1970s with the emergence of the original 7 Series.

With each successive generation of Seven, BMW made inroads into Mercedes-Benz’s territory – and now we’re on the fourth-generation model (E65, launched 2002), it’s clear that the Munich marque is an established player.

However, in a typically BMW-esque way, the Seven was developed as the driver’s limousine – and so it was; acclaimed as a superb steer with uncompromised refinement. However, one factor caused world domination to elude it: the challenging styling.

The controversial direction Chris Bangle has taken BMW started with the Seven and, despite jarring in the first instance, buyers have generally accepted it with BMW’s sustained growth continuing almost unabated. However, the Seven’s fortunes have not been as great as the rest of the range – and that means lower residuals. Bad for new buyers; but great news for the second-hand market.

Specifications

The 750Li sits comfortably towards the head of the range – resolutely V8 powered, and impressively capable. As part of the 2005 facelift of the Seven, which ushered in watered down styling and a few dynamic tweaks, the 745i was dropped in favour of the larger engined car. Other changes range-wide included an updated 4.0-litre V8 in the 740i (to replace the 735i), and an all-new ultra light weight straight-six for the 730i.

As we’re concentrating on the 750Li, it’s also worth noting that the 4.8-litre V8, producing a healthy 367bhp, is an effective way of bridging the gap between the ‘real world’ Sevens, and the impressive V12 760Li, which boasts an amazing 445bhp and can play with all but the fastest supercars on the road.

The 750Li (as does the £61,785 standard-wheelbase 750i) comes pretty fully featured as standard, but the options list still includes a few impressive extras. The £2,270 Adaptive Drive set-up includes continuously adjustable damper control and Dynamic Drive (to reduce body roll), while other goodies include active cruise control (£1,265), adaptive headlights (£465) and a rear-seat entertainment pack (£2,450) including TV (with rear iDrive control) aimed at the chauffeur-driven.

On the road

For a full-sized limousine – especially in this Long Wheelbase form – the 750Li is actually pretty capable dynamically. Following the revisions in 2005, the ride and handling were tightened slightly, lending an extra dimension of feel for the driver.

Okay, you might not think that sporting dynamics are a priority in a large limousine, but the way that the 750Li maintains balance and poise at high speed are impressive… After all, being able to cover ground quickly while leaving the plutocrat in the rear unflustered is what buying one of these cars is all about. And that’s even without specifying Dynamic Drive.

And in a direct comparison with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, it feels altogether more honed, and alert to driver input.

Performance is just about in the commanding league, commensurate with its mighty road presence. With a 0-60mph time of 6 seconds and a 155mph maximum speed, it certainly makes the numbers. The six-speed auto is vice-less (although we didn’t rate the button mounted Steptronic), but the mushy throttle made it seem a bit hard work.

Living with the Seven takes some getting used to, though. The electronic parking brake and column-mounted gearshift are a bit different, and you’ll either love or hate the fully-featured iDrive system. We rate it, but would understand anyone who finds the idea of menu-hopping (as opposed to button pushing) a bit of a turn-off. It’s much better than the Mercedes-Benz COMAND system, but not quite up with Audi’s MMI (multi-media interface). As for the rest of the dashboard – it’s standard BMW, but with more stowage space, and a pair of cheesy cup holders.

Importantly, the rear cabin space is massive in the Li version, and despite typical Teutonic minimalism, it’s welcoming and pleasant. Especially, with the rear digital TV and iDrive control package, which make the rear passenger feel special – and in control. The audio and sat-nav system is a step above the rest of the BMW range and, with integrated ‘phone control and motorised controls for just about everything, the stocked cabin caters for everyone.#

The V8 power unit certainly sounds good when extended, accentuating the sporting-limo feel of the car – and if you option your Seven with the visually stunning19in alloys, you’ll get the ride to match. However, noise in the cabin is so well contained, that you’ll always feel a cut above – whether you’re in the front or the rear compartment.

Market impressions

Let’s not beat around the bush – this is a big V8-powered luxury saloon, and therefore, it’s going to be a bit of a disaster in terms of depreciation. With a retained value of 35 per cent after three years’ use and average mileage, you’d need to be brave to buy one new – especially if it’s not on the company.

The trouble with cars of this breed is that for residual strength, canny buyers are choosing the diesel version instead – especially as there’s the added bonus of lowered running costs and 30mpg potential. Also, the continued excellence of BMW’s 3-litre diesel engine doesn’t help.

However, fast depreciation works in your favour when buying used – especially if the car is a bit of a showroom wallflower. Haggle hard, don’t be too fussy about colour and spec (although do for the Li version if you want to make it easier to resell down the line) and you’ll do very well –
even on a car with nominal mileage. As can be seen from our used price guide, you can pick up a two-year old 750Li for £30K, as opposed to £64,535 new.

A reputation for niggles also dogs the Seven (rather unjustifiably, these days), and that has eroded confidence in the earlier models. However, the 750i/Li should be unaffected, given that these issues were sorted by the time they were introduced.

Conclusion

Faults, flaws and fixes

We’ve brushed on near-near BMW reliability several times already, but it’s worth repeating the situation with the 750i/Li. Okay, in terms of running costs, it’s not going to hammer you like an Audi A8 would – even more so, if you take the route of getting it looked after by an independent specialist, of which there are many.

However, there are a number of issues with older Sevens which are worth repeating in case you’re looking at a higher-mileage 750i/Li as, although these are believed to be trouble free, it pays to be cautious.

The oldest cars’ engines and running gear are rock-solid and seldom give trouble, but the gearboxes and electronics which control them can cause aggravation. We’ve heard plenty of stories from owners who’ve complained about non-functioning gearboxes as well as other oddities, such as brakes that won’t disengage.

Older cars have also suffered from iDrive system maladies, which on the later generation system that features in the 750i/Li, shouldn’t happen. However, other points that could affect the car in later years are the climate control system, which would fail at short notice, and the electrical boot release (and closure system) which can jam. You’ll probably be okay with these cars, but make the checks, anyway.

Servicing is expensive and should be with main dealers on nearly new cars – but again, in time, don’t be afraid to go to the specialist independents to keep costs down.

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