By: Sami Dallas
Images courtesy of Dallas, Beauty & Keys, and BMW USA
During the opening night of Beauty & Keys, I had the pleasure of obtaining the luxurious BMW X7 via a raffle. They partnered with BMW USA held a drawing for a chance to drive the SUV for 1 week, and yours truly won. (I NEVER WIN ANYTHING! Ever.) But I digress.
The 4.4-liter, 8-cylinder was both parts comfort and super fierce beast. Separated only by the press of a haptic SPORT button, this SUV surprised the heck out of me.
The BMW X7 exterior
If you have ever stood by the X7 in person, you’ll know what I mean when I say… “This SUV is MASSIVE.” My new loaner came equipped with the M Sport Package. The big brakes and sleek 21-inch wheels provided a good silhouette against the rest of the car.
The grille got more comments from others than any other feature of the car. And not in a good way. When you look at it from the front, the grille swallows the entire front end. It’s like one of those pictures where if you look at the person one way, they are looking at you, but when you move…they are still looking at you. It’s a bit much.
The BMW X7 interior
As a person of the shorter variety, I didn’t find it comfortable having to launch myself off of the seat from my driving position to exit the vehicle. As well, one feature that shorties also pay attention to is the seatbelt. It’s usually too high, cutting into the neck in a way that makes you nervous to turn your head at a stop sign. I thought it was the worst thing until I experienced the BMW thoughts on this issue. Now, when you begin your journey your seatbelt will pull you back and LOCK you into position, kind of like you’re being strapped into a straitjacket. Then releases you in a fashion that triggers the flight or fight response. And I forgot about it. Every. Morning.
(More below gallery.)
The rear bucket seats were comfortable in a way no passenger has experienced before. They have pillows to rest your head and a large touch screen where you can play your tunes for all to hear. Don’t feel like entertaining? You can turn on individual mode, where you can grab your headphones and close out the world.
The BMW X7 engine
The M50i had the perfect match of hp and torque. It allows you to truly forget about the size of the X7 as you experience effortless acceleration. You can be Earth-friendly and drive in ECO mode, but what fun is that? I was only ballsy enough to pop out of COMFORT and venture to SPORT mode a couple of times. But boy oh boy. I still smile ear to ear when I think about how fun that was.
Overall
The technology in the X7 is far superior to most. The vehicle drives itself! I mean, come on! But overall, I would take all of the annoying tech and turn it off permanently, for a chance to launch that beautifully equipped SUV all over town. It truly was the most comfortable ride in a car/SUV that I have ever experienced.
