2024 BMW i7 M70

　　

2024 BMW i7 Review

byJosh JacquotCorrespondent

　　Josh Jacquot is an automotive journalist at zzdcar., rating written byJosh JacquotSenior Reviews Editor

　　Brian Wong has worked in the automotive industry since 2010, writing over 1,000 car-related articles and testing and reviewing hundreds of vehicles over the course of career. Brian is a senior reviews editor at zzdcar and has also contributed to Cars.com, Motor Authority and Green Car Reports. Brian has also been featured on MotorWeek as an expert for several car comparisons. He loves convertibles (the smaller the better) and hates paying for parking, so Los Angeles is both the right and wrong city for him.

　　The 2024 BMW i7 is a full-size all-electric luxury sedan. It debuted last year and is based on the current 7 Series. The i7 is available in rear- or all-wheel drive, and even the base trim comes loaded with standard tech, driver assistance and luxury features. Accordingly, the i7 competes with the upper echelon of luxury vehicles and offers a silent cabin, unmatched ride quality, and an opulent yet tech-laden interior.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below

　　

BMW i7 EV Insights

Trim:i7 M70

　　M70 4dr Sedan AWD (electric DD) (Most Popular) - $168,500 MSRP

　　

Range

　　291 miles

　　EPA Estimated Range

　　EV batteries lose 1-2% of range per year. Est. range for this car is 247 miles after 8 years.Electric cars typically experience 1-2% of range loss per year with slightly faster degradation over the first 50,000 miles as the car settles into its long term state, according to Recurrent's study of 15,000 EVs.

　　Estimated range mapThis map is a visual representation of the possible one-way and round-trips by this vehicle (on a full charge) from the geometric center of Rutland, North Dakota. The depicted ranges are based on the estimated new vehicle range value provided by the EPA, rounded down to miles for one-way and miles for round-trip. Actual range will vary depending on the condition of this vehicle’s battery pack, how you drive, driving conditions and other factors.Map display generated using: © openrouteservice.org by HeiGIT | Map data © Recurrent contributors | Recurrent

　　from 58067

　　

EV Battery Warranty

　　8 yrs or 100,000 milesThe federal government requires that EV batteries be warrantied for a minimum of eight years or 100,000 miles. The EV battery warranty includes replacement if your battery capacity drops below a certain percentage of the original capacity.

　　

Charging at Home

　　11 hours

　　Total Charging Time (240V outlet)

　　SAE ComboStandard port for most electric models. Supports Level 1, Level 2, and DC Fast charging.

　　Plug Type

　　

EV Tax Credits & Rebates

　　$3,000

　　Available Rebates. Restrictions apply.

　　Complimentary Charging Offer

　　$2,600

　　Restrictions: BMW of North America offers customers, who purchase or lease a new BMW i7 from participating dealers, a complimentary Level 2 BMW Wallbox EV charger worth $600 MSRP and a charger installation credit of up to $2,000 for installations through QMerit. If the BMW dealership does not have the BMW Wallbox in inventory, a future delivery will be arranged. For the installation credit, must be scheduled through Qmerit and installation completed within 90 days of vehicle lease or purchase contract date. Qmerit will only bill the customer if the installation amount exceeds $2,000. Installations at or below this amount are no cost to customer. Offer is non-transferable. See your participating dealer for details.

　　Utility EV Charger Offer

　　$400

　　Restrictions: Otter Tail Power offers EV owners a rebate of up to $400 towards the installation of a Level 2 charging station. To qualify for this rebate, the customer and/or charging station must meet the following requirements: Receive electricity from Otter Tail Power.

　　To learn more, visit Recurrent

　　Complimentary Charging Offer

　　Restrictions: This program is a charging agreement between BMW of North America and Electrify America. Customers who purchase a new BMW i7 will receive 3 years of complimentary charging on the Electrify America network. Participation requires the MyBMW app. Plug & Charge functionality will be available for use with this plan. Complimentary charging expires 3 years from vehicle purchase date. Offer is non-transferable. See your participating dealer for details.

　　

Cost to Drive

　　$88/mo

　　i7

　　vs

　　$198/mo

　　Car Avg.

　　Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　

Am I Ready for an EV?

　　EV ownership works best if you can charge (240V) at home or at work This typically means a 240V home installation, but you could also have a similar setup at your office or other places your car is already parked for several hours each day. Don't expect a regular household outlet (120V) to suffice unless you've got a plug-in hybrid, in which case overnight charging at home is feasible.

　　If you can’t charge at home, charging at a charging station could take at least 10x longer than at a gas station With public charging infrastructure still in its infancy, the user experience can be maddeningly inconsistent. Tesla owners tend to rave about the reliability and speed of the company's proprietary Supercharger stations, but rival DC fast options have thus far been plagued by technical issues and overcrowding. It's an evolving landscape and our best advice is to do your research on the available options for the EV you want to buy.

　　Adding a 240V home charging system could cost up to $1,600 or more If your existing electrical service can handle the additional demands of EV charging, you may be able to add Level 2 charging at home for less than a grand, including installation. But your costs will multiply if you need to upgrade your electrical panel or add a dedicated circuit.

　　

zzdcar spotlight: Two new tech-heavy trims for 2024

For 2024 BMW is rounding out the i7 line. The 536-hp all-wheel-drive xDrive60 introduced last year is being flanked by a 449-hp rear-drive base model called the eDrive50 and a 650-hp all-wheel-drive flagship called the M70. BMW has made most of the equipment that came on last year's xDrive60 standard on the base eDrive50 trim, making it among the most technologically advanced cars on the planet. An air suspension with adaptive dampers and rear-axle steering are standard as are a suite of driver aids including adaptive cruise and forward collision warning. Screens are a theme in the i7, which even includes them in the rear doors. A massive 14.9-inch infotainment touchscreen is standard and 31-inch 8K screen for the rear seats is optionally available.

　　

Competitors to consider

The i7 will compete with other luxury electric sedans such as the Mercedes-Benz EQS and the Tesla Model S. Though it comes up a little short on maximum range, it outshines both in comfort and silence. Read our Expert Rating below for all the details on the new and more complete i7 lineup.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Great

　　8.4

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

8.5/10

　　How does the i7 drive? The i7 is quick for a big sedan. In our testing, our xDrive60 test car sprinted from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.3 seconds. While that does lag behind the performance-focused Mercedes-AMG EQS sedan and Tesla Model S Plaid, it's got more than enough power for day-to-day driving.

　　The i7's agility will surprise you. It's got plenty of grip, and the suspension does a good job of keeping the sedan's weight from causing excessive body roll. Turn the car in aggressively and it remains on balance, with the instant torque from the electric drivetrain ready to shoot you out of a corner. The i7 is also easy to drive smoothly, as you'd hope a large luxury sedan would be. The regenerative braking is equally dialed in and smoothly transitions to the conventional brakes when needed. All in all, this is a great car to drive.

　　

Comfort

9.0/10

　　How comfortable is the i7? Ride quality in the i7 is astounding. An auto-leveling air suspension is standard, and our test car also featured a road preview system that can read the road ahead of you and prepare the car to handle any bumps or potholes that are coming up. Combining those systems allows the i7 to deliver an incredibly poised and confident feel to the driver, with enough softness in the suspension that any road imperfections vanish. This is one of the best-riding and quietest cars we've tested, Mercedes S-Class included.

　　The front and rear seats are also remarkably comfortable. Some of our drivers thought the i7's air vents didn't blow enough air for a given fan speed, but the cabin still cools or heats up quickly. You also get lots of options to split temperature and fan speed for different parts of the vehicle.

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