2019 BMW X7 Review
2019 BMW X7 xDrive50i
Base MSRP: $92,600
Engine: Twin Turbo V8
Horsepower/Torque: 456 // 479
0-60: 5.2 seconds
MPG: 16 as observed
Text: Yousef Alvi // Photography: Alexander Grant
The 2019 BMW X7 comes into the full size luxury SUV market swinging. It’s filled with tech, size and presence. But is it going to be enough to take on the upcoming Mercedes-Benz GLS and the underrated but excellent Lincoln Navigator? In one word. F*cking yes. Okay that is two words but still…yes.
Most full size luxury SUVs for sale are not the newest and greatest on the road. Most of them have been around the proverbial block for about a decade or so and it shows. The mainstays like the current Mercedes-Benz GLS, Infiniti QX80, and Cadillac Escalade are not just old…they are on the verge of being ancient. All of the above are riding on chassis, drivetrains and tech from the last decade and unfortunately it is readily apparent when you step inside and drive either one. BMW comes into the arena with a full onslaught advanced well…..everything. The 2019 BMW X7 is not just the newest player on the block…it’s light years ahead of the rest.
So we know most of the X7 competitors are old…but is the X7 any good? Absolutely. It can fit 7 people in absolute comfort, the ride quality is outstanding and the technology renders most server farms obsolete. But is it a BMW? Does it have a profound connection from driver to road? Kinda? But in the purest sense of the word…no. But it doesn’t need to be. If you are in the market for a 5000 pound SUV to carry your family in…skidpad numbers and 1/4 mile times are probably 10th on your list. The average consumer is looking for the following: safety, technology, usability and quality. The X7 delivers on all of that but the crazy thing is…the X7 does actually perform!
The X7 is downright quick! This thing will rocket to 60 in 5.2 seconds! That’s faster than most so-called sport sedans on the road today. All of that grunt is attributed by a glorious twin turbo V8 making 456 horsepower and 479 ft/lbs of meaty torque. Coupled that with a constantly varying AWD system (shuffles torque from wheel to wheel all the livelong day), the X7 defies its generous heft with ease. From the first turn of the wheel, you will immediately forget its gigantic proportions and approach corners that would scare you otherwise. All of that is riding on a rip snorting V8 snarl that will scare the minivan next to you into the nearest McDonald’s. It’s just utterly fantastic.
Aesthetically it’s a mixed bag. The front is dominated by a grill that is so oft putting to me that I get horrible flashbacks of the 2016ish MDX’s beak. I’ll be honest, I’m giving the X7 a lot of crap for it but you do get used to it. By the end of our loan…I honestly started to like it…kinda? Call it Helsinki syndrome or something but it’s not as offensive as everyone makes it out to be. It’s probably because everything looks superb and portrays power, poise and presence like nothing else on the road.
The interior on the other hand is exemplary…hell that’s not even the right word. The interior is class leading. All rows of seating are comfortable, the cabin is bank vault quiet, it offers a sense solidity and safety that no other full size SUV can match. BMW at this juncture has leaped frogged Audi into making the best cabins on the road today. Bra-effing-Vo BMW.
So what do I think of the 2019 BMW X7? It’s the best full size SUV on the market right now…if you can get over the grill…which makes it looks like a walrus. Okay i’ll stop.
