When I was switching up from an EQS, it honestly was a debate between Lucid, Rivian and BMW. BMW lost my vote due to no frunk and the grill design, but it’s still interesting to see the final result here:
BMW i7 EV - Reviews
- Thread starter thecodingart
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Wow, that’s a phenomenal luxury car. I still wouldn’t choose it over the GT because range and performance is more important to me.
I didn’t realize that BMW had such competent driver assistance. That part made me a little envious, but hopefully I don’t feel that way as we get more updates.
I didn’t realize that BMW had such competent driver assistance. That part made me a little envious, but hopefully I don’t feel that way as we get more updates.
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I have been a BMW enthusiast for 30+ years. I drive one now. My favorite was my M5 circa 2005. Former BMWCCA member and club racing enthusiast. I find the current BMW design ethos sickening. What was once the ultimate driving machine and adorable because it was not so stylish is now dying because it is overly styled but with no ultimate purpose. Brand strategists would say BMW has lost its authenticity. The i7 weighs nearly 6,000 lbs. Think about that. How can that be the next gen ultimate driving machine? It cannot.
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Maybe BMW will change course. For me, it’s just the grill. I love all the other styling aspects. Others may disagree.
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What a contrast!!
Steveinarizona
Active Member
I am a BMW owner/driver and I like the way BMWs handle. I really wanted to stick with BMW and I did a test drive in the IX but I couldn't get past how ugly it is (not just the entirely unnecessary Bugs Bunny grille but the entire vehicle).
BMW already makes different front ends depending upon whether one orders an MSport model or a regular model. It could easily have done the same thing with the Bugs Bunny grilles but it chose not to (probably the design executives were afraid of the results which would have been like those for "new coke").
In a world of scarcity, BMW is riding high selling everything it can make. I think that has led to a hubris when, in fact, pretty much every car company is selling everything it can make.
BMW already makes different front ends depending upon whether one orders an MSport model or a regular model. It could easily have done the same thing with the Bugs Bunny grilles but it chose not to (probably the design executives were afraid of the results which would have been like those for "new coke").
In a world of scarcity, BMW is riding high selling everything it can make. I think that has led to a hubris when, in fact, pretty much every car company is selling everything it can make.
At 212 inches long, the i7 is considerably larger than the Lucid, and has no frunk. But it does have about 5 inches more rear legroom.
I usually like BMW designs, even the modern ones, but the i7 looks like an appliance to me.
I usually like BMW designs, even the modern ones, but the i7 looks like an appliance to me.
Steveinarizona
Active Member
My gawd. The MB EQS is a size larger than the Lucid which is about the same size as my 2018 BMW 530e. The I7 is a whole size larger than the EQS. I guess the I7 is designed for folks with a driver as it won't fit into many eastern parallel parking spaces.
Team Geezer
Member
Since I can't say anything nice about the I7, I just won't comment. 
Two minutes into Doug DeMuro’s explanation of the doors on this thing and I was already done with this car. Talk about over-engineered. Yikes. Three different buttons on each door to operate them. THREE.
And boy, that’s just about the ugliest exterior (and interior) BMW have ever produced. It’s like they looked at the EQS and said “Hold my beer.” Just hideous. Gauche. Vomit-enducing ugliness.
The theatre mode is a cool gimmick. But I wonder how comfortable it is to watch TV on a screen set so high up like that. Feels like you’d be bending your neck way too far upwards for it to be comfortable for more than a few minutes.
This may be the Air’s most obvious actual competition. And I say “No worries here.”
And boy, that’s just about the ugliest exterior (and interior) BMW have ever produced. It’s like they looked at the EQS and said “Hold my beer.” Just hideous. Gauche. Vomit-enducing ugliness.
The theatre mode is a cool gimmick. But I wonder how comfortable it is to watch TV on a screen set so high up like that. Feels like you’d be bending your neck way too far upwards for it to be comfortable for more than a few minutes.
This may be the Air’s most obvious actual competition. And I say “No worries here.”
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Sounds like I'm in the minority here, but I think the i7 doesn't look too bad overall. The kidney bean grill is definitely not my favorite design choice, but I think it looks okay when it's blacked out. My impression is that the interior is going to feel nicer and more comfortable than the Air and that overall fit and finish will be better. I really like the idea of having a full set of massaging seats and a glass roof with a retractable shade, which I cannot have in my Touring. I'm actually planning on going into a dealership soon to see if I'm really interested. I'll probably stick with my Touring order, but the more complete luxury package of the i7 is appealing to me.
I definitely think this car leans far more luxury, less sporty compared to Touring. It’s slower. It has 100 fewer miles of range. But it does have a ton of bells and whistles. And no doubt some real refinement.
I agree, the interior probably feels better than it looks. I just find it such an eyesore.
But when you look under the bonnet and see there’s all this crap where a frunk should be, you’re reminded that ICE companies are still just converting their ICE designs into EVs without putting in the extra time to take advantage of everything an EV has to offer. Roomy as that interior is, and for as long as this car is, there’s so much wasted space up front.
I wouldn’t quite say that for the interior (the ICE comment). There’s something to be said for different preferences in styles of luxury like minimalism versus gaudy. As for the outside, it is clear that the chassis is designed with ICE and BEV in mind which is irritating.
I can also say the iX did not take a good swing at EVs as their first “real” attempt, and historically BMW fell face flat on other past attempts in this area.
Don’t know if you saw Doug’s video, but at one point he pops the hood and shows what’s underneath. And it’s a steaming pile of crap where the frunk should be.
If you look at that giant front end of the car, the passenger compartment area starts well behind the front wheels. It’s basically the opposite of Lucid’s Space Concept. That’s what I mean about wasted space.
Sure, there’s technically more room inside the i7, but the car has to be two class sizes longer in order to achieve that. Because it’s a converted ICE design.
And BMW’s excuse for not having a frunk boils down to “people don’t use frunks.” Really? I use mine daily.
