So, the question is… would you choose the Range Rover of the BMW X7?? Check out John’s article here: driven.site/words/bmw-x7-m60-still-better-than-a-range-rover
X7. I’ve got the M40D with the Ultimate package. Basically every option ticked. Over 350 BHP, 750 NM torque and over 50mpg on a long run. It’s quick enough. I agree, the X7 is a daft, oversized, OTT car, I actually never liked SUVs before or large cars……. But went in 1 as a passenger and loved it.
I own a hotter Version of this M60 - the Alpina XB7. And one year later I am still in Love and love this beast like no other X3 or X5 I have owned before.
I test drove both the range rover and x7 and GLS. And no matter how the sales person at the dealership tried to sell me how Range Rovers are just on another level of luxury, that the ride is incomparable, I just can't seem to tell much of a difference. The BMW rides just as well as the range rover, maybe the range is just a tad bit softer, but you crash over some bumps in the range rover, it's really annoying. BMW doesn't do that. In terms of drivability. BMW all day, every day... In many ways, the x7 is the PERFECT 3 row SUV...
Officially speaking... I probably shouldn't have favourites... but I completely agree with you. If it were me and my money, I'd be in an X7 every day - over the Range Rover. Thanks for watching! - John
@@giannivega242 I'd driven the q7 with air suspension, but I have never driven the sq7. The X7 definitely felt more luxurious, the ride is more plush than the q7 with air suspension though
It is not the exact same powertain in the Range Rover despite making the same horse power and torque figures. The RR gets the previous generation N63 V8 engine. The X7 M60i has the brand new M engine "S68."
I have to work on these quite often at work as they love electrical problems, not surprised with the fact they have almost 50 separate control units. That’s over double what a top spec 1 series has. I like driving them, but working on them is a pain.
That’s interesting to know. Perhaps unsurprising with all the gadgets. Maybe John’s aspirations for a 2nd/3rd hand one in a few years time isn’t the best idea after all. 😬
@@driven.videos I'd say definitely avoid any of the diesels, they've got 2 or 3 recalls at the moment for anything from before mid 2023 related to the EGR cooler's (yet again) - For the petrol's as well, it's little hiccups with software on older models from say 2020/21 or so, nothing too major, but out of warranty could get expensive. Also the electric 2nd and 3rd row of seats love to lose calibration. But it's the same with all higher end BMW's really.
A good SUV is pointless until you drive one. And I say this as a purist having owned and driven some serious cars both on and off track. I daily a mummy front wheel drive pram pusher Lexus NX (the 1st gen) in a humble but very good business spec. It's one of the top 3 cars I've ever had. And I enjoy driving it.
suvs are awesome. so are big houses. so are a lot of things. people that don't have them will often put that thing down. I'm not saying you should advocate for them, but to dismiss the positives is just flat out lying.
@@SumYungGai1 No the point was a that no matter how much you like this SUV it’s not going to sell very well in Europe for many of the reasons he described from the onset.
@@Marc-nc9yv I’m amazed at how many people have taken offence (directly, it would seem) from a humorous take on a type of vehicle. The video is literally titled “I’ve fallen in love with an SUV” and yet you still seem to think you need to defend your adoration for SUVs. It’s okay, I think they’re great too! Thanks for watching and commenting ❤️ - John
@@sweetpo1 true. parking is an issue too. having said that, a bmw m5 is 10cm less in width than this large modern day suv. Imagine 5cm on either side of the car. That's about half of your hand's length. Its really not that big. Suvs are taller, but the sky isn't getting any closer. A honda accord is actually greater in lenght than a bmw x5 suv. I don't think the cars are at all the problem. Just that the infrustructure is that bad. If you live in a city in europe, anything larger than a toyota yaris is uncomfortable anyway. On country roads, I see more SUVs than in cities. The roads are tiny and that hand length difference isn't going to stop you from having to reverse a long way back with a que of cars lined up behind. Some of these two-way country roads struggle to fit a regular car one-way. I don't think an SUV is any harder to maneuver than a bmw m5 or an accord. Then again, I guess that could be why the UK doesn't have many accords. Honda stopped selling them in europe in 2015 due to the demand being for SUVs or smaller cars. They still sell the regular car models outside of europe. SUV's are easy targets but I'm not disagreeing with you. Its definitely harder to drive compared to a small car. But a small car is also harder to drive with its road noise and general discomfort (not because its a small car, but because people just put up with it and so the manufacturers don't put in any effort). In a bigger country though, an SUV is amazing. Will come in handy a lot of times too.
The BMW X5 50e is a better package. Just as dynamic, just as quick, much better fuel consumption, just as luxurious, just as practical, and £30k cheaper, and £60k cheaper than the Range Rover.
I do see the value and personally would pick the 50e if I were buying... However, acceleration is definitely not the same (m60 > 50e), v8 vs i6 (in terms of engine dynamic and perception), and probably the biggest difference while operating the vehicles is 4 wheel steering. You can't get it on the 50e and that's disappointing. The 50e would be a perfect vehicle if they offered 4 wheel steering and more Bowers and Wilkins optioned vehicles. Very hard to find with the Bowers and Wilkins
@@LIMITED_ACCESS-w this car with the options mentioned is £122,000 (as mentioned in the video). If you’re talking about the cost with more options, your best bet is to check out the BMW configurator and add them all on to the website 😎 - John
I never thought even in my wildest dreams that BMW would ever have to copy Hyundai designs. Front of this X7 looks like Hyundai SantaFe. BMW designers are out of ideas it seems!
So basically you’ve watched James May et al a thousand times and mimicked, style, cadence and the old “switcheroo” of, “I should hate it but I love it”. Yawn, I mean…it was great when they did it in the 90’s and early 00’s, but I really think that you can bring something new to the table. Also, anytime I watch a British car journalist who doesn’t like an SUV, it really shows that they just don’t get out the country much. BMW was not thinking strictly about the UK market when they developed this car, if you drive in other parts of the world, Dubai, the States, large SUVs are absolutely the way forward. As someone who appreciates motor journalism, I’d really like to see something that doesn’t follow the Clarkson formula.
@@DeadlyDizzle-yn1vz for the European market it’s amazing the car as you can’t really get much bigger than this in the USA market I understand if you ferrying adults you need an Escalade etc
I was sooner have a skoda topple the rain stoder to pay 122,000 for a vehicle is. astronomic I think you have to live in a practical world today. No, I'd buy a Skoda instead.
I don't know why BMW has lost their freakin marbles when it comes to their SUVs. They have incredibly and thankfully refused to follow the crowd with their cars, keeping the dashboard simple, and only a small perfectly mounted information screen. Then, for some explicable reason, they decided to screw the pooch on their SUV and put the wide screen tv on the dash, making it so butt ugly like the others that I can't stand to look at it. I went shopping for an SUV, and was so happy with my M8 that I went straight to BMW, took one look and left. Went to Lexus and while the performance is certainly lacking, the dash is pleasingly simple and non distracting with no big screen to distract my attention from the road.
Why so negative at the beginning? Quite annoying...there are people who don't want the small peasant cars but wan't a proper car with a proper engine. Are car guys going woke now or what is happening?
I find it amazing how many people have interpreted the opening line as negative and taken offence to it. The Review is literally titled "I've fallen in love with an SUV." It's a positive review. Just because I've made a personal observation about my preference in car styles doesn't mean it needs to be interpreted as an attack. Also, I think you might be mixed up on the word "woke" - regardless, thanks for watching and commenting! - John
So, the question is… would you choose the Range Rover of the BMW X7?? Check out John’s article here: driven.site/words/bmw-x7-m60-still-better-than-a-range-rover
X7. I’ve got the M40D with the Ultimate package. Basically every option ticked. Over 350 BHP, 750 NM torque and over 50mpg on a long run. It’s quick enough. I agree, the X7 is a daft, oversized, OTT car, I actually never liked SUVs before or large cars……. But went in 1 as a passenger and loved it.
@@jonb4248 that sounds like a superb choice!
I own a hotter Version of this M60 - the Alpina XB7. And one year later I am still in Love and love this beast like no other X3 or X5 I have owned before.
@@725NM Oh, amazing! the XB7 is a genuine dream car for me! - John
I test drove both the range rover and x7 and GLS. And no matter how the sales person at the dealership tried to sell me how Range Rovers are just on another level of luxury, that the ride is incomparable, I just can't seem to tell much of a difference. The BMW rides just as well as the range rover, maybe the range is just a tad bit softer, but you crash over some bumps in the range rover, it's really annoying. BMW doesn't do that. In terms of drivability. BMW all day, every day... In many ways, the x7 is the PERFECT 3 row SUV...
Officially speaking... I probably shouldn't have favourites... but I completely agree with you. If it were me and my money, I'd be in an X7 every day - over the Range Rover. Thanks for watching! - John
@@driven.videos great review btw!
Agreed the ride is flawless
Curious how it would compare to an sq7 prestige
@@giannivega242 I'd driven the q7 with air suspension, but I have never driven the sq7. The X7 definitely felt more luxurious, the ride is more plush than the q7 with air suspension though
At 6'4", 72 years old with a bad back and neck, suv's are a god send!
I love my uncles X7! It's genuinely an under rated SUV, just the best
I sat once in the middle row of a X7 and it feels so good!
It is not the exact same powertain in the Range Rover despite making the same horse power and torque figures. The RR gets the previous generation N63 V8 engine. The X7 M60i has the brand new M engine "S68."
Well done. I bought mine yesterday (to be delivered in December). Your review was simply spectacular, funny, charming, and informative.
@@chancehammer326 this is wonderful to read! Thank you for sharing and congratulations on the new car! - John
I have to work on these quite often at work as they love electrical problems, not surprised with the fact they have almost 50 separate control units. That’s over double what a top spec 1 series has.
I like driving them, but working on them is a pain.
That’s interesting to know. Perhaps unsurprising with all the gadgets. Maybe John’s aspirations for a 2nd/3rd hand one in a few years time isn’t the best idea after all. 😬
@@driven.videos I'd say definitely avoid any of the diesels, they've got 2 or 3 recalls at the moment for anything from before mid 2023 related to the EGR cooler's (yet again) - For the petrol's as well, it's little hiccups with software on older models from say 2020/21 or so, nothing too major, but out of warranty could get expensive. Also the electric 2nd and 3rd row of seats love to lose calibration. But it's the same with all higher end BMW's really.
A good SUV is pointless until you drive one. And I say this as a purist having owned and driven some serious cars both on and off track. I daily a mummy front wheel drive pram pusher Lexus NX (the 1st gen) in a humble but very good business spec. It's one of the top 3 cars I've ever had. And I enjoy driving it.
suvs are awesome. so are big houses. so are a lot of things. people that don't have them will often put that thing down. I'm not saying you should advocate for them, but to dismiss the positives is just flat out lying.
Rumour has it that John is *still* waiting for the seat motors to finish... 😊 14:32
3:21 Big is useful - especially with kids, luggage and dog. What is your issue with big??
Love my x7 m60 had it for 2 years
"It could be a lot worse" (referring to price) - brilliant.
I agree about the value!
You are in Europe! SUVs are dominating the market in other markets.
Think you missed the point
@@SumYungGai1
No the point was a that no matter how much you like this SUV it’s not going to sell very well in Europe for many of the reasons he described from the onset.
So odd Brit’s think SUV pointless. In US they out sell cars and pickup trucks combined by 3:1. The SUV is perfect for everything
@@Marc-nc9yv I’m amazed at how many people have taken offence (directly, it would seem) from a humorous take on a type of vehicle. The video is literally titled “I’ve fallen in love with an SUV” and yet you still seem to think you need to defend your adoration for SUVs. It’s okay, I think they’re great too! Thanks for watching and commenting ❤️ - John
Loads of single-track country roads, city roads are rarely a grid system and also narrow, smalller car parks...
@@sweetpo1 true. parking is an issue too. having said that, a bmw m5 is 10cm less in width than this large modern day suv. Imagine 5cm on either side of the car. That's about half of your hand's length. Its really not that big. Suvs are taller, but the sky isn't getting any closer. A honda accord is actually greater in lenght than a bmw x5 suv. I don't think the cars are at all the problem. Just that the infrustructure is that bad. If you live in a city in europe, anything larger than a toyota yaris is uncomfortable anyway. On country roads, I see more SUVs than in cities. The roads are tiny and that hand length difference isn't going to stop you from having to reverse a long way back with a que of cars lined up behind. Some of these two-way country roads struggle to fit a regular car one-way. I don't think an SUV is any harder to maneuver than a bmw m5 or an accord. Then again, I guess that could be why the UK doesn't have many accords. Honda stopped selling them in europe in 2015 due to the demand being for SUVs or smaller cars. They still sell the regular car models outside of europe. SUV's are easy targets but I'm not disagreeing with you. Its definitely harder to drive compared to a small car. But a small car is also harder to drive with its road noise and general discomfort (not because its a small car, but because people just put up with it and so the manufacturers don't put in any effort). In a bigger country though, an SUV is amazing. Will come in handy a lot of times too.
Looking at the Alpina version in the US seems to be too good to be true a super luxurious X7 M60
Such a beautiful car,how on earth would you not want one??.great video just subscribed 👍
The first car was an SUV, so stop hating on the formula that launched the automotive industry
The BMW X5 50e is a better package. Just as dynamic, just as quick, much better fuel consumption, just as luxurious, just as practical, and £30k cheaper, and £60k cheaper than the Range Rover.
I do see the value and personally would pick the 50e if I were buying... However, acceleration is definitely not the same (m60 > 50e), v8 vs i6 (in terms of engine dynamic and perception), and probably the biggest difference while operating the vehicles is 4 wheel steering. You can't get it on the 50e and that's disappointing. The 50e would be a perfect vehicle if they offered 4 wheel steering and more Bowers and Wilkins optioned vehicles. Very hard to find with the Bowers and Wilkins
@@charlesmadrid4912 Hi charles in the real world the 50e is just as quick I have got one.
Nice job on this review.
@@johnvillamil3138 thanks, John! - John
It’s not pointless if you need 7 seats surely
How much with all packages please reply this could really help me out LOVE IT❤❤❤
@@LIMITED_ACCESS-w this car with the options mentioned is £122,000 (as mentioned in the video). If you’re talking about the cost with more options, your best bet is to check out the BMW configurator and add them all on to the website 😎 - John
I never thought I'd have 'John Marcar's buttocks individual going up & down' on my UA-cam bingo card... but here we are! 😂😂😂
He was unusually proud of that feature. It’s all he spoke about for a week!
Let's get this trending... #JohnMarcarLovesSUVs 😂
🤣
*As long as they have Turbocharged V8’s
Every hybrid car has way over 500hp… so it’s really not that absurd lol. Absurd is the trucks in excess of 700hp built for a soccer mom.
I never thought even in my wildest dreams that BMW would ever have to copy Hyundai designs. Front of this X7 looks like Hyundai SantaFe. BMW designers are out of ideas it seems!
😢 I remember when a Rolls Royce was £6k to £7k😂
So basically you’ve watched James May et al a thousand times and mimicked, style, cadence and the old “switcheroo” of, “I should hate it but I love it”. Yawn, I mean…it was great when they did it in the 90’s and early 00’s, but I really think that you can bring something new to the table. Also, anytime I watch a British car journalist who doesn’t like an SUV, it really shows that they just don’t get out the country much. BMW was not thinking strictly about the UK market when they developed this car, if you drive in other parts of the world, Dubai, the States, large SUVs are absolutely the way forward. As someone who appreciates motor journalism, I’d really like to see something that doesn’t follow the Clarkson formula.
The lack of leg room in the 3rd row seat is the deal breakers for me.
I am 5'10 and have sat in the third row its perfectly roomy you have your own climate control, heated seats, sunroof, lots of usb c chargers
Right… that’s why
Push the second row forward a little and there’s ample room. There’s already tons of room in the middle to accommodate this.
Do you ferry 6 large adults around daily? If not, this car has plenty of room for you.
@@DeadlyDizzle-yn1vz for the European market it’s amazing the car as you can’t really get much bigger than this in the USA market I understand if you ferrying adults you need an Escalade etc
I was sooner have a skoda topple the rain stoder to pay 122,000 for a vehicle is. astronomic I think you have to live in a practical world today. No, I'd buy a Skoda instead.
I don't know why BMW has lost their freakin marbles when it comes to their SUVs. They have incredibly and thankfully refused to follow the crowd with their cars, keeping the dashboard simple, and only a small perfectly mounted information screen. Then, for some explicable reason, they decided to screw the pooch on their SUV and put the wide screen tv on the dash, making it so butt ugly like the others that I can't stand to look at it. I went shopping for an SUV, and was so happy with my M8 that I went straight to BMW, took one look and left. Went to Lexus and while the performance is certainly lacking, the dash is pleasingly simple and non distracting with no big screen to distract my attention from the road.
Looks like they’re finally sorting out the terrible most recent design trend…
Bad 3rd row
Lies
Why so negative at the beginning? Quite annoying...there are people who don't want the small peasant cars but wan't a proper car with a proper engine. Are car guys going woke now or what is happening?
I find it amazing how many people have interpreted the opening line as negative and taken offence to it. The Review is literally titled "I've fallen in love with an SUV." It's a positive review. Just because I've made a personal observation about my preference in car styles doesn't mean it needs to be interpreted as an attack. Also, I think you might be mixed up on the word "woke" - regardless, thanks for watching and commenting! - John
Calm down
so ugly interior.
So many incorrect facts in this review it’s quite hard to watch
@@LudovicoNiccolini hit us with them! We’d love to hear what we got wrong 👍🏼
x7's resale value is falling like crazy.
Hope so, then i can afford one by 2040 🤣😂🤣