2006 BMW 7 Series New Car Buyer's Guide

What's New for the 2006 BMW 7 Series?
Styling gets revised, and the result is a toned-down appearance that's actually appealing. Either that, or we've gotten used to the wacky design cues that BMW has been using for almost half a decade. A new 4.8-liter V8 engine supplants the old 4.4-liter motor, creating 750i and 750iL models where before there were 745s. The new V8 makes 360 horsepower, 35 more than before. Also, BMW says that the iDrive system has been made simpler to use, suspension changes will improve stability and handling, and that a new Brake Force Display taillight design will warn other motorists whether the 7-Series is braking softly or hard. Slightly revised interior panels and new exterior colors summarize the changes for 2005.

Advantages of the 2006 BMW 7 Series:

• Incredible performance on back roads
• Incredible comfort on highways and city streets
• Impressive quality of cabin materials

Objections to the 2006 BMW 7 Series:

• Fussy iDrive control system
• Befuddling ignition, gear selection and turn signal functions

Editor's Advice:
In the super-luxury sedan arena, BMW owns the field when it comes to vehicle dynamics. The 2006 BMW 7-Series must surely be "the ultimate driving machine." However, despite a freshened appearance that improves matters, attractive is not the word that comes immediately to mind when viewing the BMW 7-Series from afar or up close. Frustrating is the word that comes to mind when trying to perform the simplest of tasks from behind the steering wheel. Of course, once acclimated, the controls of the BMW 7-Series become second nature. But isn't luxury supposed to be about simplicity? If an owner's manual were required to open the mini-bar or to turn on the shower of your suite at the Four Seasons, would you stay there?