2009 BMW 730d Reviews

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the used 1994-2014 BMW 7 Series.

The BMW 7 Series is a large, prestigious German saloon aimed at travelling long distances while pampering its passengers with a smooth ride and near silent interior.

The BMW 7-Series launched in 2009 was a return to the finer things in life after previous models had diverted down a side road on which performance was a premium.The F01 and its long wheelbase F02 sibling echoed the old ethos of elegance and driving enjoyment that marked the old BMW flagship out from its great rival from Stuttgart.With its carefully crafted lines and timeless proportions the new 7- Series returned to the elegance of old; it was certainly less confronting then the earlier model. Inside, it was a mix of classic style and modern practicality. It was quiet, comfortable, refined, and the driver was surrounded with all the mod cons, including BMW's iDrive system, Bluetooth, voice commands, and useful systems like active cruise control and a heads- up speedo display as well as all the expected features.There was plenty of choice of engines, from the 3.0-litre turbo- diesel, through the twin-turbo six, the twin-turbo V8 and the mighty V12. All were turbocharged, BMW's thinking being that a turbocharged engine could be economical and environmentally friendly when tootling along, but would still have plenty of punch when you planted your right foot. The six-speed auto that is mated to all but the V12, which has an eight-speed auto, has tough shifting and adaptive shift programming.Less visible were the stiffer, but lighter body and the lightweight aluminium suspension. More obvious were features like night vision, lane-change warnings, heads-up display, improved run-flat tyres and variable light distribution.IN THE SHOPThe F01/F02 models are still relatively new out of the box, most will have done less than 50,000 km, and so failures and issues are few and far between. While solidly built BMWs are not immune to problems, particularly as they age, but it's fair to think the 7-Series will be relatively trouble-free for another 100,000 km or so. Servicing is important to keep on top of any problems that do crop up, so check for a service record for proof of regular oil changes.IN A CRASHThere is no ANCAP rating for the 7-Series, but it's fair to assume it would come in at the top end of the five-star scale if it were tested. With dual front, side and curtain airbags, ABS brakes and electronic stability control it has the best of everything in the safety world.UNDER THE PUMPThe big Beemer is a heavyweight of the auto world and that has to be reflected in the fuel consumption. The turbo-diesel is the one to go for if fuel economy is your priority. It returns a claimed average of 6.8 L/100 km, impressive for such a big car. The petrol options aren't as thrifty when it comes to fuel economy, the twin-turbo six averages 9.9 L/100 km, the twin-turbo V8 averages 11.4 L/100 km, and the V12 averaged 13.0 L/100 km. All petrol engines require premium unleaded.AT A GLANCEPrice new: $198,800 to $386,000Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cylinder turbo-diesel, 180 kW/540m Nm; 3.0-litre turbocharged 6-cylinder, 240 kW/450 Nm; 4.4-litre turbocharged V8, 300 kW/600 Nm; 6.0-litre turbocharged V12, 400 kW/750 Nm.Transmission: 6-speed auto, 8-speed auto (V12); RWDEconomy: 6.8 L/100 km (730d), 9.9 L/100 km (740i), 11.4 L/100 km (750i), 13.0 L/100 km (760i)Body: 4-door sedan (LWB), 4-door sedan (SWB)Variants: 730d, 740i, 740Li, 750i, 750Li, 760LiSafety: N/A.VERDICTA return to greatness after the 7-Series had lost its way.

Why do rich people buy diesel-fuelled luxury cars? It's not that they can't afford petrol and one would think that forking out $200,000-plus for a big oil-burner would be pointless. But well-heeled people buy diesel cars — in fact, more than one-third of all BMWs sold in Australia are diesel, making the marque the most popular luxury diesel maker — for three main reasons.In no particular order, a diesel needs about a third less visits to the bowser as its petrol-fuelled equivalent. Less time filling up equals more time doing other things, like reading the newspaper over a cup of coffee while thinking about ways to make money.The second reason is the subjectively warm and cuddly feeling you get from driving a big, fuel efficient and (relatively) low-polluting car. The fact that a diesel has substantially lower fuel consumption also means it pumps out far less carbon-dioxide. Most European cars also have particulate and oxidation filters to dramatically cut other nasties such as nitrous oxides and hydro-carbon soot. Then there's performance. Though you'd probably never expect it, diesels can really get up and fire.Now to the BMW 730d. The Europeans who can afford a car like this love them because they'll run long and hard over international freeways on fuel that — unlike Australia — is cheaper than petrol. Buyers miss nothing in the way of luxury and even clever soundproofing makes the 730d as quiet as its petrol equivalent.Variants and pricing The 730d costs $198,800 to make it the cheapest 7-Series, $4200 less than the 3-litre petrol six-cylinder 740i. The 740i is faster to 100km/h by 1.3 seconds but averages 9.9 litres/100km; more than the diesel's 7.2 l/100km average.So there's sense in choosing the diesel 7-Series rather than the petrol. But to most buyers, that's not the point. It's all about convenience. You'd squeeze 1111km out of the diesel's tank and 828km out of the petrol before needing a refill. You won't miss out on any luxury and you'd be hard pressed to notice the slightly less acceleration time.Engine and technology The diesel engine is a new unit that is shared with the 330d and will soon begin to appear in other BMW models. Compared with its predecessor, it gets an aluminium block, a turbo with a variable-pitch impellor and a higher pressure injection system. Power and torque is up and fuel consumption is down.Clever body aids — including air flaps in the grille that only open when the engine needs additional cooling — cut air drag to a slippery 0.29. Anything under 0.30 is excellent. Most body panels are aluminium which makes big savings — the roof alone saves 7kg and the doors add up to a 22kg saving.The 730d also has brake-energy regeneration, automatically engaging the alternator only when the car is coasting or braking. That boosts the battery power and reduces the engine's commitment to running ancillary components. For the driver, all this is academic. The 730d may be big but a plethora of electronic aids makes it feel nimble and light to operate.EquipmentMost drivers will take it as it is and luxuriate in the comfort features. More curious owners will start playing with the buttons, finding the ‘dynamic driving control’ as being the key to changing this car from limousine status into something akin to a sports sedan. Granted, a big sports sedan. This control offers comfort, normal, sport and sport-plus settings that adjust the suspension, throttle and steering response.The effect is as predicable as the names of the setting, with comfort soaking up and insulating every road imperfection while sport tightens up the car, extends the gearbox upshift points and firms the suspension. Sport-plus sharpens everything to razor-blade fineness and even turns off the electronic stability control to turf out the nanny. The sport-plus setting, though tempting, isn't recommended for the road. The sport switch is perfect for a bit of exhilaration but the comfort suits the car and will, possibly, better suit the maturity of the owner.As you'd expect, standard equipment is extensive. It includes head-up display speedo, headlights that turn into corners, auto door and boot closing, TV and DVD satellite navigation, heated and ventilated front seats and a reverse camera.The BMW feels exclusive yet has active rivals in the recently-released upgrade of the S-Class, the Audi A8 and the Lexus — even though the Lexus isn't a diesel. What's so alluring about the 730d is the ease at which it does everything and the ability to go so far between fuel top-ups. That alone is worth more than money to some buyers.Verdict: 93/100BMW 730d Price: $198,800Engine: 3-litre, in-line six-cyl turbo-dieselPower: 180kW @ 4000rpmTorque: 540Nm @ 1750-3000rpmPerformance: 0-100km/h: 7.2 secondsEconomy (official): 7.2 litres/100km, (tested): 7.9 litres/100kmEmissions: 192g/km (Corolla: 175g/km)Transmission: 6-speed automatic, sequential; rear-driveRivals: Audi A8 3.0TDI quattro ($172,900) — 91/100Lexus LS460 ($201,000) — 90/100Mercedes S320CDI ($201,810) — 92/100

Over the past few weeks we've sampled some interesting turbo-diesels.The Jaguar XF S impressed with its whisper-quiet operation, performance and fuel economy, while the Renault Laguna turbo-diesel delivered impressive levels of refinement.Now it is the $198,800 BMW 730d's turn.After overcoming the doubt that anyone spending $200,000 on a car would not necessarily be worried about fuel economy, the refined 730d makes a compelling case for frugal luxury motoring.On the road, the 730d behaves as you would expect of a luxury limousine with a performance edge.The 3.0-litre diesel delivers its silky torque from so low down the rev-range that you do not feel like the poor cousin in performance or driveability terms.Response is instantaneous and the ground-swell of torque builds right up to the legal speed limit.Overtaking in the critical 60km/h to 100km/h area is dispatched with haste but without drama.With the dynamic driving control activated, the 730d feels like an agile and much smaller car.If you prefer your driving experience to be sharp but still with an eye on economy, you can leave the shift change points the same but stiffen the dampers and degree of steering assistance.Over a mix of country roads and constant highway cruising we managed 7.6 litres/100km with the promise of better.Perhaps most importantly for a luxury buyer, the BMW diesel sounds like a regular six cylinder petrol engine.It is so quiet at idle that few people would have any idea there's a diesel under the aluminium bonnet.Inside the cabin is suitably equipped to justify the pricetag.There are lashings of soft leather, wood trim and the quality and ambience you expect.The latest generation runflat tyres too have come a long way from the harsh-riding examples of a few years ago.Improvements to the controversial iDrive system have also streamlined the systems functions. It's far easier to navigate now and even the car's manual, with easy to use pictorial reference points, is available via the system.BMW says it is not expecting a huge number of converts to luxury diesel motoring in the 7 Series.But perhaps they are preparing for the day when engines like the six-cylinder 3.0-litre turbo diesel start making some petrol V8s redundant.The 730d also goes some way to redressing the whole ‘hybrids are better’ argument.Around town hybrids may well rule but the 730d is born to run a long way before you need to refuel.Our 730d showed we had 1288kms to go before needing to top up the tank.Until now, the hype over hybrids has overshadowed the fact that many diesels deliver just as good fuel economy, without the need for two drive systems.So German carmaker BMW is prepared to dive into the whole hybrid argument by declaring that its new 3.0-litre 730d returns better fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions that the hybrid Lexus LS600hL.It has some compelling figures to back up its claims.The 730d emits 192g/km of harmful C02, compared to the LS600hL's 219 g/km and consumes 7.2 litres/100km compared to the LS600hL's figure of 9.3 litres/100km.And then there's the question of weight. The more you have the harder the drivetrain has to work.But the 730d makes extensive use of alloys and tips the scales at 1865kg compared to the Lexus's porky 2375kg.BMW Australia spokesman, Toni Andreevski, says more luxury buyers are becoming conscious about fuel economy and emissions."With a car like the 730d they can make a quiet statement about these things," he says.To add fuel to the flames it also says the 730d has more standard equipment at a $54,000 lower price that the $252,900 Lexus.The 730d's equipment list is similar to the 740i, but comes in $4200 under its petrol sibling.Standard features include head-up display, high beam assist, adaptive bi-Xenon headlights with daytime running lights, active headlights, soft-close doors, rain-sensing wipers, 18-inch wheels with runflat tyres, automatic variable light technology that controls headlight beam intensity in city and country driving, rear view camera, and cruise control with brake function.The 730d also gets four-zone climate control, sunroof, full leather cabin, heated and cooled front seats and a 250 watt 12-speaker CD stereo and a USB audio interface.BMW also parrots the fact that some features standard in the 730d, like the automatic boot, soft-close doors, sunroof and rear view camera, are optional on its two key rivals, the Audi A8 and Mercedes-Benz S-Class diesels.Like the 740i, the 730d gets dynamic damping control including dynamic driving control. At the flick of a button on the centre console the dampers, gearshift pattern and throttle and degree of steering assistance can be changed to suit the driver. There is a choice of comfort, normal, sport and sports-plus settings.Dynamic damping control allows infinitely variable control of the damping effort for compression and rebound, across all settings.The 730d shares its next-generation in-line alloy 3.0-litre six cylinder turbo diesel with the 330d, which arrives next month.It is has third generation common-rail direct injection with piezo injectors and a maximum injection pressure of 1800 bar.The turbocharger uses variable turbo geometry with a diesel particle filter as standard.The 3.0-litre diesel generates 180kW at 4000revs and 540Nm between 1750 and 3000 revs.Even in the heavier 730d, it will still hit 100km/h in 7.2 seconds.Like all of the 7 Series models the 730d gets a six-speed automatic equipped with optimised gearshift dynamics for faster shifting.The car also comes with a host of efficiency measures, including BMW's ‘efficient dynamics’ technology that has active air vent control ahead of the radiator and brake energy regeneration.To keep weight down, load bearing body components are steel, while the roof, doors, bonnet and side panels are aluminium.The alloy roof alone saves 7kg in weight over conventional steel, and the doors save 22kg.The 730d has a double-wishbone front axle and integral V rear axle, made largely of aluminium.