LONG TERM UPDATE: Uber limousine wins the ‘mine is bigger than yours’ contest:
The truth is, very few people actually need as much legroom as you get in a Seven Series. Unless you’re built like Bakkies Botha a BMW Five Series has all the interior space you’ll ever need, and the super-sized Seven is really just a status symbol in a mine’s-bigger-than-yours ego contest.
A rather cynical view of BMW’s limousine, I concur, but that’s because I’ve come to detest parking the 730d long-termer I’ve been piloting for the past month or so. Every time I have to squeeze this behemoth into a parking bay I get cold sweats, and feel as if I’m doing my driving licence test again with a surly metro cop marking my score on a clipboard.
It’s just as well that this oversized specimen is equipped with every parking aid under the sun, and each parking manoueuvre is accompanied by a theatrical extravaganza of beeps and digital animations warning of its proximity to other objects. For now I’m happy to say I’ve successfully avoided bumping or scraping starship seven. For now.
My little hissy-fit aside, the 730d really is one fine conveyance outside of a parking lot, with a ship-like demeanour as it imperiously cruises along the freeway. It’s always impressively quiet and composed, and silent enough so you can hear a mozzie sneeze in the cabin.
The car’s uber size is masked pretty well in its driving dynamics. Sure, you can always tell it’s a big piece of hardware but the typical BMW traits of stable handling and meaty steering are there – this ain’t no soft, wallowy limousine. Integral Active Steering controls the steering angle of the rear wheels to ensure a much tighter turning circle than you’d expect from such a titan, and also makes the car more stable in a sudden high speed lane change.
Driving Dynamic Control lets you set the suspension stiffness, gearshift and steering settings, traction control intervention and throttle response to suit your mood. In Comfort mode the ride is plush, if not quite magic-carpet comfortable due to our test car being fitted with ultra-low-profile 20-inch mags.
Admittedly the wheels look great and fill the arches well (as they should at a cost of R29 000), but they make the ride harder than it should be and they’re vulnerable to rim damage by potholes. Personally I’d stick with the standard-fit higher-profile 18 inchers.
Also, there’s a distinct knock from the front suspension over bumps, which may be partly attributable to the low-profiles. We’ll have this checked out at a BMW dealer and report back on it.
The powerful but economical 3.0 turbodiesel engine is a gem of a powerplant, offering effortless cruising with a 245km/h top speed, a brisk pulloff and creamy smoothness. The six-speed Steptronic auto transmission is smooth and quick on the draw, and makes a perfect partner to the torquey engine.
If you have the means to afford this car’s R951 959 pricetag you’re probably not too perturbed by cost of ownership, but it has this part covered too by sipping fuel like a 1.6-litre petrol hatchback. On a town/freeway combination the 730d averages 8.9 litres per 100km, and it managed a quite astounding 6.6 litres on our trip from Joburg to Port Shepstone this past December holiday.
One thing that’s not needlessly oversized in this car, I must admit, is the spacious boot which happily swallowed all the suitcases, beach umbrellas and camping chairs we could muster.
This German limo has quite a number of high-tech toys as you’d imagine, and not all of them simply for bragging rights when you’re chatting cars at the golf club. I‘ve especially become a fan of the Active Cruise Control and use it all the time. It automatically maintains a safe following distance to the car in front, even emergency braking by itself when necessary. It makes driving much less stressful in heavier traffic, and can bail you out of a bumper bashing should you get distracted.
I’m also a fan of the head-up display which lets you check info like speed and navigation instructions without taking your eyes off the road – though interestingly the readout becomes invisible when you wear polarised sunglasses.