Used BMW 7 Series 2015-2022 review

Great long-running rivalries have littered history throughout the years, and the same is true in the top-flight luxury car world.

For years, BMW has been churning out its impressive 7 Series luxury limo, and for years it’s always had to play second fiddle to the imperious Mercedes S-Class. However mighty and unbeatable BMW’s more lowly cars have been, executive icons such as the 3 Series and the 5 Series, the flagship 7 Series has never quite lunged far enough forward into the public’s affections to topple the Merc phenomenon.

This one, the sixth-generation model that was launched in 2015 and ran until 2022, is so loaded with high-quality tech and all of the engineering prowess the Munich firm can muster that it could only have emerged as a truly impressive car, and it did. It used carbonfibre and aluminium extensively to make it both stronger and lighter, so this large car could jink through bends like a much smaller one, while its occupants go around in unabashed luxury and in the utmost refinement.

There’s a range of strong and hushed engines, starting with the 261bhp 3.0-litre and 315bhp diesels in the 730d and 740d, then going up to the four petrol options including the 321bhp 740Li, the 444bhp V8 750i and the four-cylinder hybrid 740e. Heading the range is the 592bhp 6.6-litre V12 M760Li, which is capable of 205mph.

There are three main trim levels in the range. Of course, they are all well appointed, with the standard trim getting a 10.25in infotainment screen with BMW Professional Navigation, front and rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera, four-zone climate control, Nappa-leather seats with heating all round, a massaging function in the front seats and a rear-view camera. Exclusive trim adds BMW Gesture Control to operate the infotainment with a swipe of your hand, soft-close doors and massaging seats in the rear. M Sport models just offer a sportier look with bigger alloy wheels, more aggressively styled bumpers and darker wood on the inside.

Performance is pretty effortless in all of these, and elsewhere much work has been done to make this long limo handle as well as those smaller Beemers. There is a hint of uncertainty to its low-speed ride, but otherwise it glides supremely.

On top of this refinement, comfort and isolation, the interior of the 7 Series is also rather splendid. The driving position is excellent, and there’s plenty of space within its opulent and leather-lined cocoon, its seats are supportive and the design is first class.

If you fancy an alternative to an S-Class the time has come to consider this 7 Series. It will please the driver, the passengers will be cosseted and as a good used buy it’ll make itself an invaluable companion to many looking for a luxury-car bargain.

As a bonus, the 7 Series received a mid-life facelift in 2019, complete with a bigger grille, more efficient engines, extra sound deadening and an updated infotainment system. Engine choices became the 730Ld MHT (mild-hybrid technology), the 740d MHT, the 740i, the 745e plug-in hybrid, and the 750i.

If you'd like to buy a used BMW 7 Series, or any of the other cars mentioned here, check out our used car classified site here.

Entrance to the 7 Series’ club starts at around £20,000, this for an early 2015 car with an average to high mileage for the year and a full service history, bought from an independent dealer. Up the folding stuff to between £21,000 and £25,000 and you should find good 2016 and 2017 models, again with an average mileage and a full history from an independent or franchised dealer, this representing a good saving on the new price. Look to spend £25,000 to £30,000 on 2018 cars, and between £30,000 and £35,000 on a good 2019 car. You'll need upwards of £35,000 to buy a post-facelift car from 2020 or 2021.

If you ignore the outrageous claimed fuel economy figure of the petrol-electric hybrid model, it’s the 730d diesel that is the cheapest to run of the models currently available used, at a claimed 60.1mpg in its best trim, as recorded under the older NEDC fuel tests that were prevalent at the time. However, the latest 7 Series features the 725d, a newer model that features a 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel that claims 61.4mpg in its most economical version. The 740d will claim 55.4mpg, and the 740Li petrol 41.5mpg, while the swift petrol 750i averages 35.3mpg.

The later post-facelift 7 Series was tested under the newer WLTP tests, where the 730d MHT averages 50.4mpg, the 730d xDrive 47.1mpg, the 7401 35.8mpg, the 745e 156.9mpg and the 750i 26.9mpg.

All 7 Series registered after April 2017 will attract a premium payment on top of the standard road tax, as they all cost more than £40,000 new. Cars registered before will have commensurately high annual road tax as they have relatively high CO2 figures. Current road tax costs are £155 a year, and luxury car tax £335 a year.

Insurance groups are high at between 44 and 50, while servicing at a BMW main dealer is expensive.

BMW’s superb 3.0-litre diesel engine offers 457lb ft of torque, and with a standard eight-speed auto there's plenty of instantly available power.

All trims are all well appointed, with the standard trim getting a 10.25in infotainment screen with BMW Professional Navigation, front and rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera, four-zone climate control, Nappa-leather seats with heating all round, a massaging function in the front seats and a rear-view camera.

Our favourite BMW 7 Series: 730d

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is the car that strides across this class like a colossus. It mixes a supremely comfortable ride with superb refinement. The interior is a spacious and sumptuous delight.

The Audi A8 is a high-tech statement that offers a good, punchy range of engines, all of which give the car impressive speed and refinement. It’s quick, handsome, clever and refined with a high-quality interior.

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If you'd like to buy a used BMW 7 Series, or any of the other cars mentioned here, check out our used car classified site here.