Motors

70: BMW 7 Series – Luxury from the front seat (where you can’t see that grille)

Top cars for 2020: entertaining to drive if you’re in the driver’s seat and supremely comfortable if you’re in any other

Find the Comfort Plus setting in the iDrive menu to set the air springs to their softest and you have a car that does a convincing impression of a 1970s Citroen in the ride comfort stakes

Wed Nov 6 2019 - 00:31

BMW's luxury limo was given a facelift this year, but it was sadly rather of the Jocelyn Wildenstein variety. What once was a handsome, understated luxury car has been turned, by the addition of some honkingly large new radiator grilles, into something rather more trashy and vulgar.

Blame the Chinese and middle-eastern car markets - such blingification plays better there than it does in more sober, more restrained Europe. At least under the skin the 7 Series remains a car at the very top of its game.

If it misses out on beating the Mercedes S-Class at the luxury game, then it’s not by much. The 7 is entertaining to drive if you’re in the right, front, seat and supremely comfortable and relaxing if you’re in any other.

Find the Comfort Plus setting in the iDrive menu to set the air springs to their softest and you have a car that does a convincing impression of a 1970s Citroen in the ride comfort stakes.

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Diesel 740d has a remarkable breadth of capability, able to intimidate at high speeds on the Autobahn or, equally, gently sip fuel on Irish motorways. 740e plugin-hybrid is probably the more apposite choice these days though, although every car enthusiast must surely crave the weapons-grade M760Li with its mighty V12 engine.

Best model: 745e M-Sport for €108,418

Price range: €97,035 to €144,685 Finance from POA per month.

Co2 emissions: 56 to 217g/km

Sum up: True luxury, and you can't see the nose from the inside.

* A note on Co2 figures: For almost all the cars in the Top 100, we’ve quoted the stricter WLTP figures for Co2 emissions. A few are still quoted on their older NEDC2 figure, and that’s the number they’ll be taxed on. If you’re confused at all, just consult your local dealer for specific data for the make and model in which you’re interested.
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