Test drive BMW 7 E65 E66 2005 - 2007 sedan
Seventh measurement
BMW sets new standards in the representative class ...When a smiling girl meets you at Malaga airport and escorts to the BMW 7th series, you suddenly understand that the day was a success. Things somehow find themselves in the trunk, the rear seat takes the body weary of two flights, as the best midwife of the heir to the throne. A cute blonde driving carefully aware of whether the temperature in the cabin is suitable and whether the gentleman will want the time that will take the road, to see the wonderful version of Figaro on DVD. All! I am surprised to feel that I instantly thawed after Moscow cold, that Mozart’s music is beautiful, and life is the greatest gift, and it never ends. And I also catch myself thinking that I am already wondering: how much more needs to be earned so that fabulous sensations become, if not everyday, then at least regular. Yes, Bavarians are able to present the product and organize tests. Acquaintance with the updated BMW flagship is actually better to start with a VIP sort in the cabin.
The journey of Sibarita
With a minimum desire, the rear seats can be turned into a good office on wheels. At least an hour I wanted to feel like a rich loafer, looking only for entertainment on the road. But for starters, you still need to work hard and choose the most suitable position of the chair - it is this word that is suitable, given the pleasant softness of the back and pillows. Labor means the need to move a finger: everything that can move in a particular plane is equipped with servo drives. Including headrests and curtains on the windows. And the monitor located at the end of the central tunnel between the front seats? Here is the bad luck - to expand him in your direction, you have to pull your hand After this tedious movement, it remains to relax and pay attention to the impeccable quality of the decoration materials and the accuracy of the gaps. So be it, I will give advice to future owners: it seems to me that it is better to choose cream or white skin in combination with a dark color of the body and chrome inserts on the central panel and door sidewalls. Such a salon looks very stylish. And in the dark, a soft red light flows from under these chrome parts, which is especially good on light upholstery. This creates an additional feeling of comfort.
If the opera does not take attention entirely, you can experiment with the Idrive system, all the functions of which are available to the rear passengers. At one time, I devoted a lot of time to acquaintance with her, but now it has become easier to use. Next to the metal joystick (and it is sheathed on top of the skin!) Two additional buttons appeared. One takes immediately to the main menu, the other will do what you order it, that is, what function you yourself program. By the way, the Mode and FM/AM buttons appeared on the central console. So now it is not necessary to go to the Idrive menu in order to move from listening to the CD on the radio frequency, or vice versa. In addition, different menu systems differ in colors, and increased contrast allows you to see the image even when sunlight is directed on a screen. So, the passenger sitting behind can independently change the settings of the climatic installation, turn on the compact disk player, and Cheleger, located in the trunk, is able, by the way, to read all types of discs-DVD, CD-R, CDRW and even play mp3 files. I noticed only one nuance that I did not quite understand during the experiments with Idrive in the back seat. If you bring a map of the terrain to your monitor, then the card will disappear from the large screen on the front panel. However, for Russia this is not relevant - regular navigation systems still do not work for us.
Carried away by Idrive, I did not have time to notice how we got to the magnificent golf club in Marbelle, where we were offered to stop, and from where the full test drive began the next day. But before you drive, it should be concluded by Sibarite for an hour: it does not rock the back seat, and in general, there you feel the care of a person who is accustomed to using the services of the driver.
Behind the wheel
Of course, I did not immediately sat on the seat, but carefully examined the seven. Designers changed the shape of bumpers, front and rear lighting, hood, wings and trunk lids. To my personal taste, their work deserves the highest rating. Therefore, in particular, that, despite the height of the trunk cover increased by 3 mm, the car began to look more dynamic in profile. This impression is created due to a slightly more steep rise in the hood and tilt of the windshield. Yes, and an increased over 14 mm track of the rear wheels was affected in the best way not only on the behavior of the car. In general, the appearance of the 7th series after restyling, I think, absolutely corresponds to the image of the BMW. I get in the car and spend five minutes on adjustments. Not because it doesn’t get them, but just the opposite - it seemed to me that I could choose from a dozen convenient positions at the wheel, it remains only to decide in what style to lead the car. I don’t know if there will be versions with mechanical adjustments, but in an elongated 750LI everything is done using electric drives.
An attentive reader probably drew attention to the index 750. Yes, the range of power units and, accordingly, the indexation has seriously changed. Only the flagship 760th with a 12-cylinder engine under the hood remained. The 745th gave way to the 750th, the 735th became the 740th, and the 730th complemented the ruler. In my case, the volume of the power unit increased to 4.8 liters, which increased the capacity by 10% to 367 hp, and the torque increased to 490 nm. What is noteworthy at the same time: fuel consumption remained at the same level, and harmful emissions decreased.
However, dry numbers are not able to convey the sensations from the dynamics. When, after 6 seconds after a brisk start, the speedometer arrow crosses the mark of 100 km/h nothing happens. Because in the cabin, the speed is not felt, as in the first grade of a good airliner floating at an altitude of ten kilometers. And if the engine speed does not reach 4000, you can’t hear it. Only when the tachometer arrow crawls to the red zone, is the rumble of a mighty V8 to the ears, pleasing to the hearing of an understanding person no less than Mozart chords.
But here again I catch myself thinking that I am too often forced to overtake Spanish drivers. I glance at the speedometer, and I do not believe my eyes - 180! And I didn’t feel the truth, with an active, say, driving the seven shows me, it seemed to me an excessive tendency to drift gas and, secondly, at speeds under two hundred, an inaudible connection on the steering wheel begins and the car allows itself a hint of scouring . However, everything is obvious: the front axle is too unloaded. And in this regard, I have two considerations. First: on a car of this class to drive a foul still Moveton. Second: if you really want to light, it is useful to get an aerodynamic body kit, and the problem will be solved. In general, the BMW of the 7th series and from the point of view of the driver is a very pleasant and easily predicted car in any situation. In addition, the DSC dynamic stabilization system is standard equipment.
Having drove a good hundred kilometers along the winding paths, I seemed to understand why he was not rocking in the car. Engineers seriously worked on the settings of pendants, finding a middle ground. Plus, all test cars had the Adaptive Drive system - it constantly monitors the speed of the car, the quality of the roadway, the rolls of the body in vihi and recognizes the driving style. Correctly changing the settings of shock absorbers. Let's go quickly - the electronics made the pendants noticeably tougher, slowly defile - feel softness. You can choose the settings and manually, using the same idrive. There are two modes - Comfort and Sport, and, believe me, the transition from one to another significantly changes the character of the machine. For the most dynamic drivers, there is simply a sports suspension - the clearance in front decreases by 20 mm, 10 mm behind, the reactions to the steering wheels become sharper, the shock absorbers openly transmit all the bumps of the roadway. But no matter what configuration you choose, you can always count on the striking tenacious of the brake system and the magnificent operation of the automatic gearbox. In the sports mode, the automatic transmission independently and quickly switches to reduced gear at the right time, and if desired, it provides an opportunity to independently choose the ranges. Only now to do it is not too convenient. There is no familiar selector handle, handle transmission is selected using buttons on the front (they are located above) and the back (lower) side of the steering wheel. Perhaps the pianist who is able to take complex chords is such a decision and will have to taste, I am not used to dissolving fingers by fan while driving. On the other hand, few owners of such a car will bother themselves with this troublesome occupation.
On the freeway, I checked in the action of adaptive cruise control, which turned out to be pleasant and funny. I go to the high -speed highway, set the necessary speed and preferred distance to the in front of the coming car, and just twist the steering wheel. I catch up with the short -rope - the electronics drops the speed and begins to slow down. The path has been freed - it provides acceleration. True, in Russia-I can imagine what will happen if some homegrown street-player suddenly emerges before you.
The market is waiting
Someone liked or not the previous seven, which debuted in 2001, and she managed to win excellent positions in the market, finding herself in 160 thousand garages of companies and individuals. Personally, I have no doubt that the updated version will only fix this success. Prices for Russia will become known in the near future, and I hope they will not be too different from the previous ones.
