Test drive BMW 7 E65 E66 2001 - 2005 sedan

BMW 745LI

So far, there is not a single BMW 760LI in Russia, so 745LI remains the top model until March. But the copy that the autopilot received is close to the flagship of the concern.
Partly precisely the change of generations of the seven, Russian sales of the BMW in 2002 rose by 43 percent: the volume of supplies of the seventh series increased by about four times! The reason, of course, is, first of all, that for the representative car, novelty is one of the main factors in success, especially in our country. The S-Klasse experienced almost the same thing at one time: replacing the 140th series on the 220th caused a sharp rise in sales in Russia. It’s bad or good, but it is still customary to meet on clothes, and the car is one of the main elements of the latter. However, it is unlikely that BMW is worth counting only on this-the fashion is fleeting, and expensive cars even now, when the pace of updating models is growing, seven to eight years are produced. Demand for such a long period can only be maintained with a fairly high quality.
This is the first. The seven looks somewhat strange. For a year now he has been traveling along our streets, but still unusual. After all, the conservatism in design and in style in general has become an unspoken standard for the highest class - experiments are allowed, but traditional features are usually outweighed. Of course, this does not apply to units and systems: for them, new and the best are usually synonyms. And for the structural elements of representative cars, both are mandatory. Here, avant -garde technical solutions are combined with non -trivial appearance. Apparently, the BMW decided to leave the classic style behind the Rolls-Royce brand, the rights to which they switched to it from January 1 of this year. Accordingly, the nearest gamut neighbor should minimally compete with the flagship brand. Here it is, the first reason for leaning towards unusual design. The second is that new solutions, running on a prestigious model, will quickly find a response from customers on more modest representatives of the same brand. Well, the third: why not? Someone should be the first!
   
Nevertheless, we admit that while the exotic lines of the trunk are still seemingly excessively extravagant. Perhaps the reason for this was the impossibility of using the promised 500 liters: the trunk is wide, rather deep, but low. This drawback was inherent in the former seven, and according to the silhouette of the new one, one might think that now this problem was not. Alas...
RTMF! Read The Manual First - Read the instructions first! This advice is so often found in the discussion of problems with the operation of various computer technology that it has long turned into an abbreviation understandable to many. Before the first trip on the seven, he should certainly be remembered and implemented, well, or at least overlook the first chapters of the massive operating manual.
With the transmission lever on the steering column, you can understand intuitively - even if there is no experience with American automatic machines, sooner or later you will guess that it is transferred from neutrals into drives to himself and down. The car itself will remind the fact that at the same time it is necessary to press the brake pedal. But you can guess that the modest button without designations is just the volume control and the audio system switch is not so simple. I had to rummage a little on the menu of the famous idrive - there are also these functions. Its handle is extremely pleasant, but this does not compensate for the painful search for the desired item in the menu.
In the end, you get used to this thing in a couple of days and then mechanically pull the joystick to the left when you need to access the climate control settings. Among which there are exotic ones as the distribution of heat between the pillow and the back of the chair.
Driver's Car or ...? Theoretically, such cars, especially in a long -drawn design, are designed so that the owner in them is carried in the back seat. Fortunately, there is a separate TV, and the individual control of the air conditioner, and the functions of the seats are almost as much as the front ones, and even the control panels are similar, on the folding armrest. For maximum privacy - curtains on the windows with electric drive, although there are enough standard tinting so that the interior is not particularly visible from the outside.

Nevertheless, the driver’s workplace here is perhaps the best among the rear -wheel drive German sedans of this class - the optimal combination of avant -garde and traditions. If the designers worked a little with the turn of the turning indicators ... For some reason, from the first attempt to put it in a neutral position, it is difficult to put it. Well, it would be logical that Parktronic remained on default as the main competitor - we still have a lot of traffic jams, where the movement is very dense. On the 745th, if you want to receive information about the distance, Parktronic must be turned on the button every time. Or move in reverse.
RUSSIAN WINTER. Neat overlays on the thresholds should improve the aerodynamics of the car. As it should be for this class. However, in combination with more than a three -meter base and a 120 mm road clearance, this can cause some problems. For example, with a race on curbs. Of course, such situations are not characteristic of the highest class car, but everything happens.
And it is very bad that the outer door handles get dirty. Of course, it is difficult to expect absolute purity with the intensive movement of the Moscow winter, and even in snowfall. However, the fact that the internal, working surface of the handles is sprayed is an unpleasant surprise.
Text Valery Chusov, photo Alexey Ilyin

Model/Modification BMW 745LI
Manufacturer/country BMW AG/Germany
ENGINE
Type/number/location of gasoline cylinders/8/V-shaped
Working volume (cubic cub) 4398
Power, kW (L.S.) at about./Min. 245 (333) at 6100
Moment (Nm) at about./Min. 450 at 3600
TRANSMISSION
The rear drive
Automatic gearbox 6-speed
Brakes, safety
Front/rear circular ventilated/disk ventilated
ABS, assisting electronic systems 4-channel with EBD systems; ASC (anti -boom system), CBC (stability of movement in the bend), etc., combined in the DSC (Dynamic Stability Control)
Safety pillows 10: two front and four side, pillows to protect the head
Dimensions/mass
Length/width/height (mm) 5169/1902/1491
Wheel base (mm)/clearance (mm) 3130/120
Tires (per .// Rnov.) 245/50 // R19/275/40R19
Mass weight/full (kg) 1910/2490
The volume of the fuel tank (L) 88
Maximum speed (km/h) 250
Acceleration to 100 km/h (c) 6.3
Fuel consumption (city/highway/mixed, l/100 km) 15.9/8.5/11.2
Price in Moscow $ 136 575

Costs (January 20 - February 15)
Mileage city/highway - 1200 km
 
Gasoline A-98 (240 l) $ 90
Autocasco insurance plus g $ 14,800
Moika $ 100
Washing liquid $ 4
Total $ 14,994

 

Source: "Autopilot"