2009 BMW 750Li

Months in Fleet: Two
Mileage to Date: 10,862

Our 2009 BMW 750Li has only been in the Automobile Magazine Four Seasons fleet for two months, but it's already been driven the entire breadth of the continental United States. I took delivery of our new 7-series in San Diego in late February and drove back to Automobile Magazine's editorial offices in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The driver's seat barely had a chance to cool off before Editor-in-Chief Jean Jennings departed on a mega trip from Ann Arbor to Atlanta, Georgia; to Amelia Island, Florida; to New Orleans, Louisiana; to Huntsville, Alabama, and back home. After barely a month in our hands, the 750Li blew past the 8000-mile mark.

These long-distance jaunts provoked universal praise for the twin-turbo V-8's excellent power and modest fuel consumption, but comments on the seat comfort are divided: I've never been able to find the perfect seating position, but Jean Jennings calls the 16-way power adjustable driver's seat "absolutely supreme." The fact that this car has been driven more than 1000 miles in a single day, with no stops longer than fuel, food, and restroom breaks, is a real testament to its overall comfort and drivability.

A few lucky staff editors managed some time behind the wheel before Jennings snagged the 7-series yet again, for her annual drive to the New York Auto Show. Those who have sampled the 750Li praised the new iDrive interface and overall intuitiveness of the car. Copy editor Rusty Blackwell remarked, "Wow, this car is a bit overwhelming at first, although most things are remarkably intuitive, especially for a BMW." And then he decided that he still needs to set aside some time to thumb through the owner's manual to learn exactly what the car is capable of doing. Senior Editor Joe Lorio agreed: "I look forward to learning - or having someone else learn, and then explain to me - all of the 750iL's special features and capabilities."

One of our favorite attributes of BMW's flagship sedan is its range. As Jennings put it, "Range is almost as important as fuel economy." The EPA rates a 750Li at 14/22 mpg, but we've seen real world fuel economy of nearly 23 mpg on trips without really trying hard, and that means our average is more than 400 miles per tank of fuel. Lorio was quick to praise the car's ability to isolate the effects of dismal roads without ruining the steering, "Steering is beautifully weighted, and it even allows a modicum of feel."