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Ultimate Driving Machines deserve ultimate test drives. This week I put the all-new 2006 BMW 750Li to an extreme driving test. When tickets to a Chicago Cubs game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field were offered to me, I jumped at the chance to make a long weekend trek from Kansas City to the Windy City. The 2006 BMW 750Li was the ultimate road trip vehicle. BMW Currently makes three series of four-door sedans, simply named the 3, 5 and 7 Series. The next two numbers denotes the engine. The BMW 760i is powered by the 6.0 liter V-12 engine and the recently christened 2006 BMW 750i obtains motivation from a 5.0 liter V8 engine. The "i" is a useless designator as all BMW engines have been fuel-injected since Jimmy Carter was President. The "L" as in the "750Li" means this is the long wheelbase version. While the 2006 BMW 760Li may be the ultimate flagship, the big V-12 requires an extra forty grand, starting at $118,900. The more affordable V8 provides adequate performance with the standard 750i starting at $71,800. This year the 745Li became the 750Li due to an increase in engine power and displacement. Up 35 hp from last year's model, the 2006 BMW 750Li cranks out 360 horsepower and 360 lb. ft. of torque. But numbers don't tell the story. The real beauty of this engine is that even in freeway driving environments it's silky smooth with remarkable passing power. Moving over 4,500 pounds of luxury sedan from a dead stop to 60 MPH in 5.8 seconds is an impressive feat. I can shave that 0-60 time down .4 seconds to 5.4 seconds with the V12 but for an extra $40K, my money would stay in my pocket. I'm not sure that I got the advertised 17 City 25 Highway MPG on this trip, but I wasn't far off the mark. This is not an economy sedan and 21 to 25 miles to the gallon on the highway seems quite reasonable to me. The BMW 750Li is an exceptional luxury sedan with an impressive rock solid ride. The legendary value of the 7 series commanded tremendous respect even in a city populated by high dollar cars. You simply feel like a million bucks cruising down Lake Shore Drive in this car. I like everything about the styling of the new 7 series. The styling is modern but clean, with just the right touch of chrome. While the 2006 BMW 750Li has been stretched five and a half inches longer than the standard 750i, it still measures slightly less than 17 feet. With Park Distance Control for both the front and rear, parallel parking is a snap. Technological safety features abound such as Adaptive Brake Lights with added illumination in a panic or hard stop. Inside the 2005 BMW 750Li, drivers and passengers are enveloped in leather and real American Walnut trim. The 20-way power driver's seat may be the most comfortable seat I have ever experienced. After several hours of seat time it's hard to give up the active massaging seat even though the massage action could have been more aggressive. What's not to like? Actually limitations are minor. While I am one of the few that actually like the iDrive system, I am not a fan of BMW's navigation system. I find that I can zoom in and out on the map but I cannot move the screen ahead on the route. Of course my Sprint Bluetooth compatible phone doesn't sync with the BMW enabled vehicles. This may be more of a limitation of the Sprint phone than BMW, but it would be nice to use the hands free feature. The 2006 BMW 750Li has an entry level MSRP of $74,500, an extra $4,000 above the standard 750i sedan. As equipped my test vehicle was priced at $83,390 with several options that in my opinion should not be options. Adding $150 for a heated steering wheel is simply impolite at this level. Obviously, I hated to give this car back. I will long remember this drive and this vehicle. If you are going to spend some serious time behind the wheel of a car, this is a serious contender for the ultimate driving machine.
2006 BMW 750Li Large Luxury Sedan
4.8 Liter V8
MSRP as tested $83,390 17/25 MPG Additional Web only Information and Resources For Additional Reviews: |
©2005 - Stan Risener