2024 BMW X7

Pros

• Both types have engines that work well.
• A ride that is smooth and easy.
• The style and equipment of the interior are perfect.
• Shows of creativity.

Cons

• It’s pricey for what it is.
• Some rivals offer more room for people and their things.
• On the tablet, there are way too many things to do.

How do you move the X7? We put the six-cylinder engine in the X7 xDrive40i through its paces. No matter how fast you press the accelerator, the X7 will move forward quickly. On our test track, it took the X7 xDrive40i 5.1 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph. That’s a lot of power for a three-row SUV with six cylinders. With its 420-hp V8, the last Cadillac Escalade we tried took 6.7 seconds to reach 60 mph.

For such a big SUV, the X7 crossover turns pretty well, especially when compared to options that are based on trucks. Everyday driving is easy and smooth with the X7. Changes in transmission happen quickly and out of sight.

How comfortable is the X7? The X7’s smooth ride is made possible by clever electrical work. Our test car had the Dynamic Handling option, which comes with a camera that looks for bumps in the road and adjusts the suspension dampers to make the ride as smooth as possible. That’s the main point. The suspension is almost floating in the Comfort setting. When the X7 was set to Comfort, the ride was too bumpy. Changing it to Sport made the ride smoother without sacrificing Comfort.

The movable top backrest on the high-end BMW seats makes finding the best driving position easy. BMW makes some of the best high-end seats on the market. There is no outside noise except for the delicious growl of the inline-six engine when the car is going fast.

The only big problem is the way the environment works. Because the air vents are small and have already set settings, they may only sometimes keep you warm. We also found it strange that this high-end SUV doesn’t have ventilated second-row seats like the Kia Telluride does. However, given how poorly the front seats are ventilated, we think everyone would notice them.

How does the inside look? The house is easy to get into and out of because it has big doors. There are great seats in the first row, and people who are 6 feet tall have plenty of room in the second row. Even though the third row has much less space, headroom can be worked out by talking to people in the second row. Even though the sloped roof means that taller backseat guests have less headroom, it’s unlikely that an entire team of NBA forwards will fly with them.

The X7’s functions could be better. Many of the settings on the screen are hard to use because they are buried in menus and hard to find. We like actual buttons over digital ones. Another problem is that there is no button on the steering wheel to change how far behind the car the adaptive cruise control stays. The driver can change the space between the vehicles in front of them to make adaptive cruise work in different traffic situations. We need help figuring out how to use voice orders to change adaptive cruise, and the on-screen controller is hard to use while driving. It’s a big mistake that wasn’t planned.

How good is the tech? The X7 has a lot of different kinds of technology. There are USB-C ports in every row, plus an older USB-A port up front. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto can also be used wirelessly. But sometimes, our smartphones need help to connect to the internet wirelessly. The extra money for the 16-speaker Harman Kardon system is well worth it, but even the most cynical audiophile will be happy with the Bowers & Wilkins system, which costs a fortune.

BMW’s speech-activated virtual assistant is better than other voice-control systems because it reacts faster and can change settings like climate control. But some of our drivers needed help with the tracking system in their cars. They were unhappy that the system didn’t give a starting direction to a place and that there were too many streets on the map. It can be hard to tell if a site is ahead, behind, or two kilometers off your planned route.

What about putting things away? When parked on an incline in a garage, the X7’s split tailgate keeps items from rolling out the back. A button also lets you lower the air suspension if you need to carry something huge. Comparable to crossovers in terms of cargo space (12.8 cubic feet behind the third row, 48.6 cubic feet behind the second, and 90.4 cubic feet behind the first). But big SUVs that are built on trucks, like the Escalade, have more room.

Each pair of doors has a big pocket and a place to put a cup. The front cupholders can be heated or cooled, an excellent feature rarely found in inexpensive SUVs. With so much room and LATCH anchors and tethers that are easy to reach, loading car seats is a breeze.

How well does it use gasoline? The EPA says that the X7 xDrive40i gets 22 mpg in both the city and on the highway. This upscale three-row SUV is near or at the top of its class.

Is it wise to buy the X7? Inside our test X7 was a lot of leather and wood, as well as exciting features like glass controls and a panoramic sunroof that lit up. At first look, the name of our tester’s paint, “Sparkling Copper Metallic,” seems wrong, but we like it. From far away, it looked like a light blue or gray, but you can see hints of gold or copper up close and in bright sunlight. That’s cool. The X7 is priced like other cars in its class. The X7 doesn’t do anything new, but it’s a good deal for the money.

Even the most basic X7 is valuable and fun to drive. The strong inline-six engine in this powertrain makes it a good deal because you don’t have to choose between efficiency and performance. Even though it’s not precisely an M4 on stilts, the X7 is a good performer, while its rivals are happy to plod along.

But the X7 should look better. Also controversial are the grille and the most current squinting headlights (X7, did you put Botox in your cheeks again?). Still, the X7 has a few minor improvements that will likely make owners and their friends happy.

The M60i’s loud V8 engine is appealing, but we chose the xDrive40i instead. It is well-equipped and has more power than you’d think from a six-cylinder engine. The Driving Aid Professional package stands out because it has some essential driving assistance features.

Different kinds of the BMW X7

The three-row 2024 BMW X7 has room for seven people and comes in xDrive40i and M60i trims. There is also the Alpina XB7, a version of the BMW X7 with better speed and more style. It has its review on Invoice Pricing. The 3.0-liter inline-six turbocharged engine in the xDrive40i makes 375 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque. The 4.4-liter turbocharged V8 engine in the M60i makes 523 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. All-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic gear move the power from each machine to the wheels.