2024 BMW X7: Luxury Redefined

So today we've got BMW's top-dog SUV, the 2024 X7. And even though it was just refreshed last year, BMW has continued to throw in some updates to make it even better. So what are those updates? Let's go ahead and find out, right? 

So the one I’m reviewing today is the 40i model. For 2024, prices are going to rise quite a bit. The M40i is $4,000 more than the 2023 model year. Even the M60i model has received a price increase of $5,000.

When it comes to warranty information for the BMW X7, you're going to be protected by the BMW signature warranty, which is for your 50 000 miles of basic and powertrain. You also get three years of complementary maintenance, which is a really nice benefit that you don't see on Mercedes-Benz, and we all know how expensive these German vehicles can be to maintain.

So that's going to be a little bit of a benefit that you get for going for this BMW X7. 

Exterior Design

So when it comes to the exterior design, like I mentioned at the beginning, this was refreshed last year, which means it has the latest and greatest BMW design language and looks pretty similar to the flagship 7 Series sedan. Up front, we've got our large signature kidney grills.

The one I’m reviewing comes with the M Sport package, so those grills are blacked and look really nice. 

That also means we have a much more aggressive lower fascia. So if you choose one of the luxury-oriented trim levels, this will all be kind of smooth, and you'll have some chrome elements.

The headlights have the latest BMW design, which means we have a split look. The bottom section has the standard LED headlights, which are going to be adaptive, and the top section has the LED turn signal indicator, which is fading, and our daytime running light.

Now, what is new? Well, you can now opt for crystal headlights the same as you can on the 7 Series sedan, and it doesn't really get any fancier than that. Unless, of course, maybe they offered diamond headlights in the future. 

The rear design was also updated last year, but we do have one small update for 2024. Again, we have a fully blacked-out design. That's because we have the M Sport package with the extended shadow line, which makes the connecting piece between the tail lights black and gives it a nice stealthy look. 

So our brake lights are LED. We have an LED reverse light, and not that any of you BMW drivers will use it, but we do have an LED turn signal indicator as well, and it does have the really cool kind of fading in and out animation. I really like the way this looks. It has a very premium vibe to it that was with the refresh last year. 

The rear bumper, just like the front, is going to be very aggressive because we have the M Sport model. Of course, if you go for the regular X7, it's going to have a little bit more of a luxurious look, but this is the most aggressive look. 

It comes with a dual-integrated exhaust on each side. They're going to be quite large in trapezoidal form. If you go for the M60i, it's going to have quad exhaust, and as far as your tow rating, we're looking at 7,500 pounds. 

As you would expect from a BMW, there are tons of different wheel options. You start with 21-inch alloys. You have a lot of 22-inch alloys, such as the gloss black M Sport alloy wheels, and you can even get 23-inch alloys if you want something just absolutely enormous. 

By looking at the side of the X7, you can tell this is a long vehicle, and indeed, it is 203.3 inches in overall length. Now, one thing worth noting is that these German large three rows do not offer any long wheelbase form, so this is just going to be the only configuration you can get the X7 in. 

Luxurious Interior Experience

The X7’s beautiful cabin was just updated last year with the latest technology, but let's first talk about the seats and the materials on them. So you do have standard Sensafin leatherette. However, the model I’m testing comes with extended Merino leather, which is absolutely beautiful. The quilting details on this are really beautiful, and like I said, it feels super upscale and premium. 

Now, as far as these seats themselves, they're very adjustable, standard 16-way, but we have the exec package, which means they're 20-way power-adjusting. You also have power thigh extensions, eight ways of massaging, and two-person memory seating. 

Once you climb inside the X7, it's just a very luxurious experience, and let's talk about the overall materials. So on the door trim, you're going to find a fine selection. You have leather through most of the panel as well as all along the top.

That’s because with the Marino leather, you also have the extended leather, which is going to go up on the door trim as well as all across the upper dashboard with the nice stitching detail. 

When it comes to the steering wheel, there's going to be a couple different designs if you choose the M Sport model that's going to get you the sporty three-spoke design. You also have a four-spoke option if you prefer the more traditional look. regardless though you will have standard power adjustment and you also have standard heating. 

The center section of the dashboard has a beautiful wood trim. Just below that, we have one of the things they added last year: an interactive light bar that works with the virtual assistant; it also has different animations when you get in and out of the vehicle.

Most of the center console also has more of the beautiful wood trim; you have your glass controls and then leather running along the console now. The very small and subtle glass nub shifter looks really elegant. It’s very easy to use, too. Just pull back for a drive. Press forward for reverse, and when you do, you will find a 360-degree camera system pop-up if you've chosen the parking assistance package. 

Now this system does have some really cool features, including a 3D view. Everyone really likes this. You can spin all around the vehicle to see your surroundings. There are really nice-looking graphics on board with this, and you can also press the auto-park button, which will automatically parallel and perpendicular park. 

Great Sound System

In terms of the audio systems, you can select between three different sound systems. The one I’m reviewing comes with the highest-end, 20-speaker, 1500-watt Bower and Wilkin sound system. And as you would expect from a flagship luxury SUV, the sound quality is absolutely stunning. Plus, it also includes these beautifully detailed speaker grilles.

As you would expect we do also have a standard panoramic sunroof. a very large piece of glass goes all the way back to the rear seat. The model I have comes with a sky Lounge system, so basically it's ambient lighting built into the glass and lights up at night.

Dual Screen Setup

We'll start off with our gauge cluster. So last year, we got the updated dual display set up. First, we have a 12.3-inch digital cockpit system. fully reconfigurable with all types of different settings and designs, and the same also goes for the standard head-up display. So you have a lot of different functions for this head-up display, and each drive mode also gives you a different design.

The infotainment system is the latest version. We have a 14.9-inch display. It is slightly curved and kind of floats out here on the dashboard, and it's running the latest BMW iDrive 8.0. If you've had a previous BMW operation, it is not radically different from the previous iDrive versions.

You do have things like wireless Android auto and Apple CarPlay, so you can load that up and see what that looks like. You also have the built-in navigation system. 

Second And Third Row Are Filled With Features

Sitting in this X7's rear seat certainly makes you feel special, because this is a special place to spend some time. Now, as far as the figures are concerned in terms of space, you get 37.6 inches of legroom and 39.9 inches of headroom.

If you're keeping tabs on what this vehicle is compared to, it's going to be a little bit less than some of the big three-row GM SUVs like the Tahoe and Escalade, but it's going to be right on par with what you get out of something like a Mercedes-Benz GLS for reference.

As far as features are concerned, there are a lot of them. You get your own air vents, along with climate controls. You also get heated rear seats as an extra. You get a couple of USB ports along with a 12-volt outlet as well. The second-row passengers also get rear window sun shades. They are going to be powered, so you can have a completely shaded rear area for your perfect naps.

Captain Chairs Are Really Comfortable

BMW also offers a captain's chair, which is really nice and comfy. You get armrests that are really nice; you can just really relax, and as far as the seat itself is concerned, you will notice that it's also power-adjusting. So talk about a really nice feature. 

This and the Mercedes GLS are really some of the only SUVs that offer a power-adjusting second row, and you are going to get that included on every X7. Additionally, we do have this really nice pillow, so I mean, I can take a nap almost as good as the ones that I had in Calculus class when I got a little bit bored now. 

Easy to get into the third row

In order to get the third-row seats, it's really nice and easy. You have to just lift a lever on the second-row seats, and when the seat senses that you've done that, it will go ahead and slide out. As far as the space is concerned, back in the third row, we're looking at about 33 inches of legroom and 30 6 inches of headroom. 

These are good figures for this segment of vehicle. It's not quite as big as something like a Cadillac Escalade, but it is still very large. It’s plenty comfortable, too.

In terms of features, you get air vents along with climate controls if you opt for the climate comfort package. That means we have five zones of climate. You can also get heated seats. 

Moonroof For The Third Row!

The last thing you’ll get is your own moonroof. So yes, the third-row passengers are not going to get screwed in terms of seeing the stars at night. You can open this moonroof up and have a full open-air experience even in the third row. a very nice feature.

Cargo Space

As you would expect, hands-free power is standard equipment on the BMW X7. So just kick your foot under the bumper to open it up. When you do, it will work really well to seamlessly open up the top portion of this tailgate. We also have the bottom portion, so in signature X7 and X5 fashion, you do have that two-part opening tailgate design, which is really fantastic for tailgating. So if that's something you do regularly, you will enjoy that in the X7. 

Now, as far as the cargo capacity figures, 12 cubic feet behind the third row seats. If we fold the third row down, we're going to have 48 cubic feet, and as a maximum, we're going to have 90 cubic feet of cargo capacity. We do have standard power folding in the third row.

Don’t Opt For The Captain Chairs If You Want The Maximum Cargo Space

Now, one thing I do want to point out is that since you have the power to adjust Captain's chairs on this X7, they don't fold fully flat. So do keep that in mind. If you're looking for maximum utility, you might want to opt for the different chair setup in the second row because that does impact your usability for this X7. 

Additionally, there is underfloor storage that I want to point out. It's plenty enough to store some floor mats or whatnot underneath, which is actually a pretty good amount of space. 

Supremely Refined Powertrain

Last year, BMW enhanced the turbocharged inline-6 cylinder that this 40i model has, bringing the total to 375 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque, which is about 40 horsepower more than it was previously. Honestly, that just really enhances the way we feel about this buttery smooth inline-6 cylinder. It is just so nice behind the wheel. It's delivered in a very effortless way, and it's also just supremely refined. 

Now there is another engine option, which is the M60i, but it is completely unnecessary. It's definitely not one of those things you need to upgrade to because this standard engine configuration is really exceptionally good. 0-60 on this one is 5.6 seconds, so it's already very quick to start with, but if all of that doesn't sound good enough to you, they do offer the M60i.

That's a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 plus the mild hybrid setup. 523 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque. 0–60 is four and a half seconds on that model.

This thing is, honestly, shockingly quick. Because this is a large luxury three-row SUV, you just don't expect it to feel this quick, and we have the base engine. I really love this turbo inline six; it is just great all around. 

When it comes to the transmission, we have an 8-speed automatic transmission on board. very smooth, just like the engine. really makes itself pretty much unknown; it just kind of goes in the background, exactly what you want in a vehicle like this. We do have standard all-wheel drive, and this is a mild hybrid. 

So it comes with a 48-volt mild hybrid system. So what that does is essentially power, and an advanced auto-start-stop system is its main benefit. So this can actually shut off the engine when you're coasting before you come to a stop like that to really save as much fuel as possible. and it is one of the best auto-start-stop systems that money can buy right now. 

That does contribute to your really excellent fuel economy figure. We're sitting at 21 city, 25 highway, and 22 miles per gallon combined for the 40i model. very good fuel economy. Actually, a lot of three-row mainstream products come in less than that and have about half as much horsepower, so very impressive fuel economy figures.

The M60i model is going to drop that down to 18 miles per gallon combined. So you're going to have a little bit of a fuel economy deficit for that V8 one, but that's expected, of course, if you go for that.

As Luxurious As It Can Get

This, of course, is a very luxury-focused model, but that doesn't mean that it gives up all of its BMW DNA. Since we have adaptive air suspension, when I click it into sport mode, we have a lot of things to change about the character. 

So first and foremost, enhanced throttle response: the steering gets heavier, but the suspension kind of gets more buttoned down, and it really works to control the body roll in this mode—a remarkable amount—so that this feels pretty sporty for a large three-row SUV. That being said, even in the sport mode, I am still not giving up on the comfort, which is fantastic.

In terms of ride quality, I would say this BMW X7 is one of the best riding vehicles that money can buy, period. When you get into this, it's just so buttery smooth. Really, everything just works in combination so well. The powertrain is buttery smooth, and then that just translates really nicely into a buttery smooth ride quality and a really quiet cabin. 

This is truly one of the most luxurious riding vehicles and driving experiences that you're going to get, regardless of how much money you're going to pay anywhere. It is an exceptional night. 

Safety

As far as your safety systems are concerned we do have an update for 2024. So BMW is going to throw in two out of your four active safety features as standard equipment, which include forward emergency braking system and auto high beams. And if you go for the driving assistance professional package that will throw in your remaining two systems adaptive cruise control and Lane keeping assist. 

Now the new feature is that you have a Highway Assistance similar to what we've seen on the BMW 7 Series that allows for semi-autonomous hands-free highway driving at speed speeds of up to 85 miles per hour.

Highs And Lows

The one highlight of the 2024 BMW X7 is the all-encompassing luxury experience. You can tell that BMW really went into all the details and thought about everything you're going to want in a luxury SUV, and they really delivered. And when it comes to the one downside of this car, thats probably going to be the space now. It does have pretty much exactly the same space as its biggest competitor, which would be the Mercedes GLS. 

That being said, I imagine one of the biggest reasons I might not pick this is because things like an Escalade are going to be quite a bit bigger. Of course, those do serve different purposes. But you know, it's just something to keep in mind when you're looking at luxury three-row SUVs; they're not all the same size, and this one's going to be, you know, a smaller size. Yeah, and you don't have the extended wheelbase option that a lot of those models do have, so just keep those things in mind.