We live in an era where one can call a 5,660lb SUV a performance vehicle with a straight face and not a hint of irony or sarcasm. Why? Because machines like the 2020 BMW X7 M50i actually live up to the expectation of what any engaged and performance minded driver would want despite the fact that it is the size of a small home and is even more comfortable than that. This Mineral White Metallic example would mangle any 1960s muscle car from the factory, out handle any vintage sports car of half its weight, and do so with the premium sound blaring and the engine asking for more on every straight away. It’s astonishing and proof of how far the technology of vehicle dynamics have come over the decades.
We’ll get to the BangShifty stuff first. With a twin turbocharged 4.4L V8 that makes 523hp, the eight speed sport automatic transmission which makes lightning fast shifts and has launch control, and all wheel drive, this rig will run 12.60s at the drag strip all day long. It is dynamic and fun to drive around town as well. Strictly sticking to the conversation of power and control, the engine and transmission are to perfectly matched that we found it more fun to have both in their respective Sport modes to let the computer map out the shifting for us. The paddles are instant and cool but we were never able to get it as right as the electronic brains of the operation were. When you have six people in this monster and use the launch control you should be able to charge them all admission. It’s that fun.
As we all know, BMW has touted themselves as “The Ultimate Driving Machine” for many years now and while this is not like driving an M3 it is certainly a whole lot different experience than say a comparably sized and powered Jeep Trackhawk. There’s not much to compare this machine to in terms of high performance large SUVs so that’s the best line we can draw and the X7 M50i makes the Trackhawk feel like a dump truck in terms of the crispness of the steering, tautness of the suspension, and overall driving feel. We love the Jeep as it has charm in being unrefined but for something to settle into and actually drive everyday? There’s no comparison. Like the engine, the suspension can be tuned through multiple levels of aggressiveness and we spent most of our week in the BMW with the Sport setting engaged. With the rutted roads of New England we were pleasantly surprised to find that even with big 275-width front tires and monster 315-width rears the BMW did not tramline on the road and we didn’t find ourselves needing constant corrections to the wheel in order to keep ourselves straight and true in the lane as we drove. Normally larger front rubber makes for an active driving situation as every undulation causes the vehicle to pick a different direction.
When it comes to styling, the opinions of the 2020 X7 M50i ranged in the family. The younger guys were parroting the internet when they voiced their dislike of the larger split BMW grills on the front of the X7. These larger grills seem proportional to the size of the X7 than the smaller, older set and we all agreed that the wheels are great looking and that the overall shape of the X7 is representative of its muscled up internals. Subtle contours help break up the classic “box on box” SUV design and the stance is aggressive enough to let anyone who’d notice know that this isn’t the typical mom-buggy they are looking at. The large size and relatively low ride height create that performance visual that we really dig.
At the end of the day, most people who are buying this car won’t be buying it for the styling or the launch control, they will be buying for the luxury interior experience and the overall feeling they get behind the wheel. So where does that land? To us it lands on the mark for an SUV that carries with it a $113,845 price tag (as tested). It is like a vault inside, the room is copious, the passenger compartment is very large, very airy, and most of all, it is exceedingly comfortable. The material quality is extremely high, and everything you see and touch inside the X7 exudes class and certainly won’t upset the neighbors when thy climb in. After all, when you buy the X7 M50i you ARE trying to impress them, right?
The steering wheel is small in diameter and really fat, adding to the driving experience as it’s the most tactile thing that you handle in a car and a wheel that was thin, large, and cheap feeling would take the whole program down a few notches. The crystal shifter is a little over the top but looks cool at night when it is lit up. Our X7 had the Congac Vernasca Leather which we found to be of high quality and we liked the color as well. This X7 also carried the optional second row captain’s chairs which carry an $850 premium and the ventilated front seats which added $500 to the price as well. Other options include the Bowers and Wilkins stereo ($3,500), the leather dashboard ($850), Dynamic Handling Package ($3,450), Cold Weather Package ($1,200), and Executive Package ($1,300).
One more interior element that should be mentioned is storage space. With the third row down, there’s copious amounts of room for whatever you need to move. This is a full-size SUV in our book and that means you can help someone move, haul your home improvement supplies home, or get the entire family’s luggage back there for a road trip. There’s NO lack of space in the rear of an X7.
This is a large, expensive, powerful, fast, and dynamic SUV. The 2020 BMW X7 M50i is not a vehicle for the masses, it’s a vehicle for those who can afford it and the competition in this segment of the automotive landscape is hotter and higher volume than most people can conceive of. There are Chevrolet and Ford models you can option into the general neighborhood of the X7 but primarily the competition comes from Mercedes, Audi, Land Rover, and Porsche. Premium SUVs that command premium prices and that ned to deliver for buyers who seemingly want it all and can pay for it.
It can tow, it can haul, and it doesn’t just keep up with the Jones’s, it’s blow their doors smooth off.
