Insurance Group: 48
MPG: 41.5
CO2: 178
0-62 Mph: 7.2 secs
BHP: 245 BHP
Range: 730 miles
This is a great luxury saloon with considerably cheaper running costs than the other 7 Series models. The only downside is the smoothness of the drive, which is not as good as it should be for such a top range car and the suspension is particularly uncomfortable over rough patches of road.
The M Sport trim is an unnecessary additional cost to the car, as the cheaper SE version is virtually the same, bar a few style differences and the sport suspension.
PROS: A powerful engine providing fantastic economy and low CO2 emissions, making it much better value for money than the petrol version and a great luxury saloon option.
CONS: Not as powerful as the petrol engine and the suspension is quite uncomfortable on the 7 Series.
The 7 Series is a great car to drive and the engine is powerful, smooth and refined. However, the suspension is not perfect and the drive can feel a little unsettled over rough patches of tarmac.
The 7 Series is a noisier saloon than some of its rivals, as there is some wind and outside road noise that penetrate, although not enough for it to be an issue of note and the engine always sounds smooth and polished.
The 730d has a 245bhp engine delivering 395lb-ft of torque at 1750-3000rpm and reaches 0-62mph in 7.2 seconds with a top speed of 153mph.
The BMW cabin is arguably one of the best available and the 7 Series is made with high-quality materials and is beautifully finished, offering the elegance and practicality of the BMW badge on top of great performance from the engine. However, it is not much different from lesser BMWs.
The iDrive system is much easier to get to grips with than before and all the controls are angled towards the driver, with perhaps the only downside being how many generic looking buttons there are for the stereo. The system also features electronic controls for seat adjustment.
The 7 Series saloon comes with leather seats, metallic paint, power steering, stability control, cruise control, climate control, 19 inch alloy wheels, stereo, MP3 connectivity, rear parking sensors, satellite navigation and Bluetooth as standard.
BMW are manufacturers that have a great track record when it comes to reliability, so that shouldn’t be too much of a concern.
Safety is top rate, too with standard equipment including eight airbags, Dynamic Stability Control inclusive of ABS, corning brake control, dynamic brake control and dynamic traction control. The 7 Series also comes with an alarm, deadlocks and an engine immobiliser as standard.
The 7 Series saloon is spacious in the front and back, with a sizeable, although narrow, boot offering 500 litres of space.
The ‘Efficient Dynamics’ technology that keeps the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions low includes an automatic stop-start system, brake energy regeneration, tyres with less rolling resistance, along with improved aerodynamics. Manual gearboxes also have an Optimum gearshift indicator to help drivers know when to change gears.
The 7 Series benefits from BMW’s Efficient Dynamics technology, which lowers the emissions and provides good fuel efficiency for an engine this size. The 730d model costs an expensive £62,695 and has a combined economy of 41.5mpg and CO2 emission rate of 178g/km.
The diesel makes much more sense to buy than the petrol version, despite it offering slightly less power. For a 7 Series, the fuel efficiency and emissions are really impressive and offer a big cut on the taxes to pay for the petrol engine.
The M Sport trim, however, is an added expense that you don’t really need as the SE trim comes with all the equipment to match. The only extras you get with the M Sport are a few exterior features and the sport suspension.
A BMW is a good car to invest in due to the assured quality and service, but all luxury limos tend to lose their value quite quickly and this is the case more than ever with rising fuel prices. However, the diesel engine does hold its value more than the petrol version.
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