Elegance. Size. Sophistication. Luxury. 

If you like any of those above adjectives you will be impressed by the new BMW 740Li xDrive.

The 7 Series is BMW’s flagship car that undeniably grabs a lot of attention as you cruise through your neighbourhood. It can be a status symbol and some might spend its six-figure price tag for that very reason. 

Let’s break down the vehicle starting with the Li attached to its name. The Li denotes that it’s the long-wheel base version of the 740 allowing for more legroom in the rear seating area. The car is stretched out between the door pillars and the trunk creating a limousine-type look without exactly looking like one. I must admit that it’s one of the only vehicles that I’ve wanted at times to sit more in the back seat than the front. As a regular road tester that’s hard to say, but it’s so comfortable and you are provided with your own climate control and foot rests, yes foot rests! All I needed was a television and some snacks and I was ready to go for a long and relaxing road trip.

Don’t get me wrong there’s plenty of room in the front seat, but the 740Li isn’t something you buy to commute and drive solo in. It’s meant as a passenger vehicle built for transport whether it’s from a business or personal end. 

As for the front seats – there’s also ample amount of headroom and legroom and the dashboard complements the roominess as it’s shaped like an airplane cockpit. You’re greeted with a beige leather interior throughout with hints of brown wood that accent the door handles and surround the gear shift. On both doors you can set yourself up with your ideal sitting position utilizing its 16-way power seat and power tilt/telescoping steering wheel adjustments. The front seats are bigger than any in the BMW line-up complemented by heaters and ventilation. Comfort achieves off-the-chart high marks regardless if you’re in the front or back seats of the 740Li and is a massive factor in choosing this vehicle.

The entertainment push buttons below the control panel are a touch basic and in need of some refinement to go more with the modern styling of the rest of the vehicle. However, the electronic system controls placed near the gear shift makes it easy for the driver to navigate while still staying focused on the road. Those controls are for the redesigned LCD panel known as iDrive that’s situated on the dashboard. It takes a little time to get used to, but once you get the hang of it – it becomes a nice addition to the driving experience.

Getting away from its luxury and comfort that sure seemed to maintain my focus – the BMW 740Li is powered by a twin turbocharged, 3.0L inline six-cylinder engine. It’s not the most powerful engine that BMW has to offer producing 315 horsepower and 332 lb.-ft. of torque, but it suits this luxury sedan. The 3.0L engine works well with the eight-speed Steptronic automatic transmission that it comes fitted with as the only option. Keep in mind that the 740 is a luxury car meant for a smooth ride without much noise which it effortlessly achieved. Its quiet-running drivetrain allows for a rare calm ride which is needed from time to time and exactly what your passengers are looking for. And if you’re in the mood to showcase its speed and power you will be instantly gratified as BMW boasts that it goes from 0-100 km’s in 5.9 seconds – so you get the best of both worlds.

Not only is the 740 smooth and powerful – there’s been significant upgrades made in fuel consumption and emissions.  With assistance from the auto start-stop system and brake energy regeneration, I averaged 13.1 L/100 km in my week of testing that combined city and highway driving. This may not seem like a great number, but compared to other long-wheelbase vehicles – it’s not too shabby.  

Handling isn’t the 740’s strong-suit and shouldn’t be compared to your typical four-door sedans. For the 1,973 kilograms that it carries it surprisingly handles well. BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive system steps in and manages the drive well by splitting the power evenly to all four-wheels creating mostly fluid steering. Steering can be a little slow, but precise. The all-wheel drive system can also be very useful when it comes to the Canadian snowfall – a nice added bonus.

The 740 also has five different driving modes for whatever driving style you feel like. You can choose from Eco Pro, Comfort, Comfort-plus, Sport and Sport-plus. After testing out all-five you can really tell the differences instantly. While cruising in comfort mode go into Sport mode and see an instant jolt of speed that wakes you up and jerks you back with its power boost. If you’re more environmentally conscious – Eco Pro would be the drive mode of choice and works well with the 740Li as it cruises comfortably to your next destination in style. In Eco Pro mode fuel consumption can be reduced by 20 percent, so why not have it save you more money at the pump? 

That’s about the only savings you will get as the base 740Li starts at $106,600 and that doesn’t even include the executive package, technology package and the vision package that my tester had bringing the final price to $121,850. I was surprised that the executive package wasn’t standard as most manufacturers at this level would have a rear view camera, automatic trunk, sunshades, seat ventilation and SIRIUS satellite radio included. I would think an inclusion would only be fair. 

The technology package adds active blind spot detection, driving assistant plus and head-up display. While the vision package provides you with active LED headlights and fog lights, high-beam assistance, surround view and night vision with pedestrian detection. Some of these should fall as options, but it’s almost assumed by BMW that whoever is buying a 7 Series won’t have a problem throwing in a few more shekels for these features. 

The BMW 740Li xDrive has the look and feel of a limousine, but what makes it special is that it drives like a lighter luxury sedan. This Li version is geared more for transportation, so if you’re thinking about a luxurious vehicle to own for an everyday commute – the 740Li isn’t for you. Now if you transport people, conduct business or you like to be driven around I suggest you give it a test as I don’t think you can go wrong. The price tag can get up there especially when you start to add up those options which you know you will want, so be cautious of that. If comfortable luxury is what you desire – the 740Li has that covered and then some and the different drive modes can create a different experience each time. When grouping together luxury, comfort and BMW’s safe and smooth xDrive system what’s not to enjoy? The 740Li makes you want to set off and leave your worries behind – I call back seat!