2009 BMW 750Li

This 2009 BMW 750Li is virtually identical to our long-term test car, except for the addition of nineteen-inch wheels and high-performance tires. I've spent a lot of time in this generation of 7-series, and I'm generally very pleased with it. The interior is luxurious and most of the controls are very intuitive to use. Despite the fact that I've driven more than 2500 miles in a 7-series, I still don't know everything the new iDrive system is capable of controlling. There are so many functions that relate to the incredibly advanced technology in this BMW, it would take a lot of effort to really learn them all. Thankfully the controls relevant to daily driving (things like the radio, navigation system, and transmission and suspension settings) are easy to find and take almost no time to master.

I didn't notice a big difference in the ride quality of the car with these nineteen-inch wheels, but I haven't driven our Four Seasons 7-series in a couple months, since it's on the road almost nonstop. I can say this luxury sedan is perfectly comfortable with the suspension set to normal, but I don't think a car this large needs performance tires. You'll be much happier maximizing the comfort of a car like this than you would be going for outright performance. Maybe the forthcoming 760i (and its twin-turbo V-12) will be more enjoyable with the full complement of sport options, but the 750 family is more at home gobbling up highway miles than carving canyon roads.

Phil Floraday, Senior Online Editor