Anyone have any experience with the current 7 series..

how it compared to the 5 series ?

 

more luxurious, and less connected to the road

 

To me, the 7 is to the 5 what the 5 is to the 3: more money, more luxury, still sporty, but more conservative. I have had a 3, a 5 and a 7. The 3 (a coupe) was a blast to drive but a little less civilized. The 7 is a big, luxurious boat that was still sporty and fun to drive, but more about prestige, luxury and convenience. The 5, to me, is the perfect balance of the 2.

 

I had an 01' 740i sport and I have driven an E65 7 series in almost all configurations, sport, V12, Li, i, 745, 750 etc... And on two or three occasions I had the car for a day or more. The 7 is a luxobarge. It is twice as comfortable as a 5, a little quieter and more effortless. It doesn't offer any more technology or features really. It looks are aggressive, but they are misleading. From the driver's seat (even in the sport package cars) it is a car that places luxury way above sport. It is in essence a German Cadillac that can take corners quickly due to good weight distribution (like all BMWs), fat tires and BMW's hydraulic anti-roll bars. The reason I could not bring myself to buy one had nothing to do with price. It feels very large from the driver's seat. It doesn't feel as though it should be hustled down a back country road, although if you do its performance will surprise you. The steering is frankly quite dead feeling. My wife observed me from the back seat while I was driving a friend's Li (non-sport but with the 19s) on the highway for a hour or two. She commented afterward on how bored I looked, and I was 100% bored behind the wheel. Acceleration is good, braking is powerful, but the car lacks a soul and the real deal breaker for me is the fact that if you drive this car hard (as you should be able to do with every BMW) it feels like your abusing it, all 4500+ lbs of it. The old 740i sport with the M technik suspension drove like an oversized 3 and just loved the abuse. But if its luxury you're after, the 7 has it in spades along with cornering ability second only to a Maser Quattro.

The 5 is he middle bowl of porridge in Goldilocks, just right..Sporty feeling and looking but still luxurious.