2009 750li versus 750i

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01-24-2009, 08:28 AM

#11

Richard in NC

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My Ride: 2008 BMW 550i 2006 BMW X3

Either car would make a great choice. The E66 750Li certainly still handles quite well. A friend drove one on the Tail of the Dragon, one of the twistiest roads in the US (318 curves in 11 miles). I followed him with the 550i and could easily hang with it but we were still running pretty darn hard. The new 7 should handle even better in either version.

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01-24-2009, 10:38 AM

#12

sunny_j

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My Ride: 2003 760li

Quote:

Originally Posted by markt540i' post='776195' date='Jan 24 2009, 08:26 AM

Thanks for the comments. All have been very helpful. Performance is very important, but I hate to buy a new car and have the same rear leg room I have now. Reading about the new 7 I think performance will be very good in both Li or i form. 550sport brings up great points. I am obviously the typical American, bigger is better. For that reason I will likely get the Li. LOL. I wonder about the sport package. With the adjustable suspension, is the sport package really worth nearly $5,000. You can upgrade wheels for a couple grand. I guess I will have to look at that more closely. Very good points on the over all additional room, not just more leg room. That will be nice, as the shoulder and head room in the 5 is a bit too intimate when you have passengers. Hopefully our dealer will get an i for me to look at. It seems almost silly not to get the Li though since I am looking for more room. One encourging thing is the 4 wheel steering. My Dad has an '07 Li and when he parks in tight spaces I can tell the turn radius is not that good. I assume the active steering in the 7 is the same as in my 550i, which I love. The ease of turning at low speeds will spoil you and makes steering all other non active steering cars seem almost sluggish at low speeds and requires so much "work" with the steering wheel. It is hard to describe if you have never driven active steering. I plan to get the HUD too. I love it in my 5.

Thank again for your help.

i would rather get a 7 with EDC so you can switch between comfort and sport suspension. i really liked the EDC function on my 7 because i always didnt want a harsh ride so it was easy to switch between the two suspenstion types. as far as the rims go i would go with aftermarket or OEM 20,21 or 22's. one thing about the sports package that is appealing is the shadow line trim but im sure you can always switch it out later.

just my $0.02

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01-25-2009, 06:31 AM

#13

markt540i

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My Ride: 2010 750Li M sport

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunny_j' post='776315' date='Jan 24 2009, 01:38 PM

EDC being Electronic Damping Control? I think the new 7's come with damping control as standard with up to 4 settings I think. Acocrding to the BMW USA website, standard features include driving dynamics control and dynamic damping control.

I looked up the sport package components...Roof Trim Strips in body color (I guess this is different than shadow line trim), Integral Active Steering (I believe this is the 4 wheel steering unlike active steering in the 5), Active Roll Stabilization, 19" syle 252 or 235 wheels with performance tires, and sports leather steering wheel. All for $4,900. As stand alone options you can get active roll stabilization for $1,800 and 19" style 235 for $1,300. So, the sport package is probably worth it.

Now I just need to hurry up and put miles on my 5 so I can get this bad boy.

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01-25-2009, 07:38 AM

#14

Heloha

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My Ride: 2006 550i SMG

I am itching to drive the new 7! I need it cause my family is so big (5 kids). When I test drove an 08 sport (both i and Li) I really couldn't tell the difference...but I did feel considerably less sporty than my 550, much like the same difference between the 3 series and 5 series. I hoping the 4 wheel steer makes the new 750Li much more nimbler in the turns!

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01-27-2009, 07:57 PM

#15

manithemoneyman

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Get the Li!!!

Trust me the space, especially in the rear, is by far one of the best things about the car. Everytime I ride with friends they always comment about how nice and comfortable they are back there and most times they prefer to ride in the back than the front.

By the way, the 7 is one of the best handling luxury sedans out there but its still luxury before sport. Yes you can do mods to get it pretty damn sporty (like coilovers and lightweight wheels) but it'll never be a sports car.

Now seriously though, where are you guys going to be driving that hard anyway? Its not a sports car and most of you want the 7 for family reasons so I dont see many instances where you would need to be barreling down a narrow twisty road to really test the car's limits. Unless you live on a mountain...