BMW X7 vs Tesla Model Y

What's the difference?

When lined up against its direct rivals, the expensive X7 xDrive40d represents reasonable value for money.

It has a unique and bold look and a sumptuous, visually striking and well-appointed interior that has acres of space for family, friends, or for ferrying frequent flyers to the airport. 

That wallop of performance from the big beefy diesel is the cherry on the top. This is how you do a mid-life update. 

If you like the five-seat Model Y, then you'll like the six-seat L version even more. I think this the best example of Tesla's electric SUV to date, and the cabin layout just makes a lot of sense, and would suit plenty of families who don't need to squeeze someone into a compromised middle seat.

Note: The author, Andrew Chesterton, is a co-owner of Smart As Media, a content agency and media distribution service with a number of automotive brands among its clients. When producing content for CarsGuide, he does so in accordance with the CarsGuide Editorial Guidelines and Code of Ethics, and the views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.

There’s quite a bit that’s interesting about the X7’s design. Especially looking at it front on.

BMW certainly took a bold step when it introduced its toothy grille design for the X7 and the 4 Series range. 

But the Bavarian brand has made some even braver design moves recently by introducing a blocky front-end with split headlights on its new-gen 7 Series flagship sedan. That look has now found its way onto the face of the updated X7.

As with the 7 Series, it won’t be to everyone’s taste. But you can’t deny it has a lot of presence. 

The tail-lights have been tweaked and look good, but the sheer size of the X7 - it’s 5.2 metres long and 1.8 metres tall - means there’s no disguising the fact that it is a big, boxy SUV.

Inside the update ushers in significant design changes. The old dash and cowl is gone in favour of the ‘Curved Display’ that connects the instrument cluster and multimedia. 

New slimline air vents, LED backlit ‘X7’ graphics on the passenger side of the dash, and a new gear shift toggle that replaces the old shifter elevate the cabin and give it a much more modern vibe than the old X7 - one that’s in keeping with the excellent iX electric SUV.

Spoiler alert - it looks a lot like a five-seat Model Y, doesn’t it, albeit a slightly bigger one. And you’d have to be a bigger Tesla head than me to immediately spot the differences at a glance.

The wheelbase is longer, the rear doors are bigger as are the rear 3/4 panels and the roof line is higher, helping with headroom in the third row.

Still, safe to say if you like the look of the five-seat Model Y, you’ll like this one. And if you hate it, well, good luck.

The alloys are 19-inch and shaded by the aerodynamic caps and there are light bars front and rear which debuted on the updated five-seat Model Y when it arrived mid-last year.

The bigger changes are inside, of course. I promise we’ll get to the second and third rows in the Practicality section, but let’s talk about the look and feel first.

There’s a love/hate relationship with Tesla’s stripped-back aesthetics, and I’m probably somewhere in the middle. I like the airiness of the space in the cabin, and I think it feels nicely put together, and I really dig the contrasting fabric used on the doors and dash which add a little visual interest to the cabin.

But I hate using the central screen to select a gear and I hate not being able to see how fast I’m going without turning my head. A head-up display would work wonders in the Model Y L cabin.

Regardless of the price point, a three-row SUV needs to be super practical and capable of family duties. 

And if you want a BMW X5 but need a lot more space, this is the next logical step.

Let’s start in the front row. As mentioned, the new X7 gains the screen and tech set-up from other new BMW models like the iX and updated 3 Series. The Curved Display combines a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with digital speedo and a 14.9-inch multimedia screen.

You can customise the cluster layout and move things around on the multimedia screen, too. The latter is a touchscreen but you can also find what you need via the 'iDrive' controller in the console.

I have had some experience with this system in the iX and while it’s not without its flaws, it is a top notch system. There’s a lot to wrap your head around, but the use of app icons helps. And you can swipe through to your chosen screen.

It took far too long to work out how to find the trip computer, something that should be much easier to access, as well as a couple of other functions. And the climate controls are housed in the digital screen. I would always prefer a separate space with buttons for air-con.  

But the graphics and displays - including the excellent head-up display - are excellent. 

Other tech you get with the X7 includes the BMW’s 'Digital Key', which is an app that allows iPhone users to lock and unlock their car remotely, and BMW ID driver profile.

If you buy this car, just allow yourself some time to familiarise yourself with all that tech.

Elsewhere up front there’s a lovely new three-spoke steering wheel, and cute touches like the metal air vent toggles, black and metal touches and the choice of inserts.

The front seats are luxurious and comfortable and offer loads of side and thigh support. They have memory functions, too. There’s no shortage of headroom up front, either.

Storage-wise, the door will fit the largest of bottles, as well as other items thanks to generous door bins, while the central lidded box is also sizeable. 

What about that second row?

The X7 xDrive40d usually comes standard with seven seats, but our test car was fitted with the $1500 captain’s chair option which drops seating capacity down to six people.

If you need the extra seating this is not the option for you, but it is great for families with bigger kids, and it would make for an excellent airport transfer car. 

The seats are unbelievably comfortable and can be adjusted to suit your preference. They also have ISOFIX points and armrests. 

Rear seat occupants have access to their own climate controls, air vents, USB ports, cupholders and ample door storage.

There is a massive amount of occupant space as well - stretch those legs out and enjoy it!

One of the X7’s selling points is that it is a genuine three-row SUV. That third row is not just for occasional use for very small children, like so many seven-seat SUVs. That row can be used every day. 

Even with my six foot stature, I could easily climb in and out of the third row. That’s made even easier thanks to the mechanical seat functions.

Just hit the lever at the top of the second row seat and the motor moves the seat forward and up to ensure there’s a big enough aperture to get in and out of the rear seats. 

You can also raise and lower the third row electronically via buttons on the boot wall - and they stow flush into the boot floor. Neat!

Once in the third row, there’s air vents, USB ports, bottle holders and storage and quite comfortable seats with more than enough leg and head room.

There’s even a third row section of the sunroof, operated from the second row. Lots of clever touches that people who use the third row will appreciate.

The boot has a few cool features, too, including a split tailgate.

You can even sit on the lower section - it can handle a load of up to 250kg - a perfect place to sit and watch the polo.

You can lower the suspension to aid loading larger items, and the X7 comes with a space-saver spare wheel.

Capacity is 300 litres with all seats in place, and I easily fit a pair of smaller suitcases in with that configuration. It increases to 2120L with the two rear rows folded. 

Captain’s chairs are simply a more luxurious version of second-row seating. With that there is no argument and the heated and cooled chairs that occupy the second row of the Model Y L are pretty good examples of them.

Space, both knee and headroom, is ample, and you can adjust each seat individually if you want to grant a bit more space to any third row occupants. Armrests deploy at the push of a button — as do the two hidden cupholders — and it really is easy to settle in and get comfy.

The third row is a bit more hit and miss. I’m 175cm and found I had enough legroom and headroom, but the big plastic mouldings that emerge from each side of the Model Y (which house a cupholder) are a miss. They end up pushing you into the seat next to you, and I can foresee a lot of arm rubbing with anything like two adults back there.

Also confusing is how to actually get out of it. You can fold the seat in front of you flat, but then you have to climb over it. I found it easier to just walk out between the seats.

There are another two USB-C ports in the rear row and you get air vents but no temperature controls. 

The Model Y L stretches 4969mm in length, 1668mm in height and 2129mm in width, which is roughly 18cm longer and 4.5cm taller than the five-seat model. The extra space doesn’t sound like that much, but start dropping rows and you find a heap of storage space.

Both the second and third row stow electronically from the boot, but with them in place you’ll find 420 litres of storage in the double-layer boot. Drop the third row, and that number grows to 1076 litres. With the third row folded there is a massive 2423 litres of space. The frunk serves up another 116 litres.

There’s also room (and the ISOFIX attachment points) for four child seats.

The Model Y L sits smack bang between the $68,900 Long Range AWD and the $89,400 Performance, setting you back $74,900, before your on-road costs. It’s also the only three-row option in the Tesla family.

Aside from people movers, we’re not swimming with options in the three-row electric space, either. The Kia EV9 will get it done from $97,000, the Hyundai IONIQ 9 starts from around $120K and the Volvo EX90 is more expensive again (from $124,990).

Anyway, in Tesla land, the Model Y L rides on 19-inch alloy wheels, has a glass roof, automatic wipers and Tesla’s smartphone access key, as well as the little credit-card swipe.

Inside, there’s a 16.0-inch central screen that handles everything. And I mean everything. It's your gear selector, your speedometer, and everything else, too. There’s no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but you can access things like Spotify and podcasts through the in-built apps and the on-board navigation system is a good one, too.

All of that pairs with a 19-speaker sound system, and there are dual wireless charge pads. All three rows of seats are heated, while the first and second row get ventilation, too.

A second 8.0-inch touchscreen in the middle row then handles things like the seat heating or cooling, music and games to amuse the kids. And the Model Y L also debuts V2L, or Vehicle to Load, for Tesla in Australia, using a connector in the external charger.

The X7 xDrive40d is powered by a 3.0-litre, in-line six-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, that gets a boost in power - it pumps out 259kW of power and 720Nm of torque - 64kW/100Nm more than the 30d.

It now also comes with 48-volt mild hybrid tech, which uses an electric motor integrated in the eight-speed automatic transmission.

It drives all four wheels via BMW’s 'xDrive' all-wheel drive system and it is fitted with air suspension for a cushy ride. Towing capacity is rated at 3.5 tonnes braked or 750kg unbraked.

If you are keen on off-roading in the X7, it has a 221mm ground clearance, and a fording depth of 500mm, but maybe best to keep it on the tarmac.

The Model Y L gets Tesla’s dual-motor AWD powertrain, with two electric motors producing a total 378kW and 590Nm. That’s enough, Tesla says, to knock off the sprint to 100km/h in five seconds flat.

According to BMW, the official combined cycle fuel figure for the X7 40d is 8.0 litres per 100 kilometres.

Our fuel figure after nearly a week of mixed city, freeway and country driving was 9.0L/100km, which isn’t too far off the mark.

It has an 80 litre fuel tank and an approximate driving range of 1000km.

Tesla is always a little vague when it comes to the size of its batteries, but reports point to the Model Y L carrying a 84Wh (useable) NMC battery.

Whatever the specifics, the range is strong, with Tesla promising a 681km driving range on the WLTP combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle.

It’s also set up for 250kW DC fast charging, which should see you take on 288km in 15 minutes, according to Tesla.

With a big plush SUV like this, you’d expect a comfortable ride. And for the most part, the X7 delivers that, while offering more than a bit of grunt, as well.

The X7’s height ensures a high driving position, and there’s plenty of glass for decent visibility. 

Propelling a 2.5-tonne SUV could be a struggle for a lesser engine, but the meaty diesel offers ample torque and the mild hybrid set-up helps to reduce initial turbo lag significantly - that means it is responsive from a standing start.

I wouldn't have thought a vehicle of this size and shape was capable of a 5.9-second 0-100km/h time, but here we are.

As a result of all that torque and power, overtaking is a breeze - providing there is enough room on the other side of the road for both cars to fit.

That size and heft have an impact on cornering and dynamics. You simply can’t carve through tight corners in this car, but with that said, it’s more entertaining than you’d think. 

Steering feel is weighted on the heavier side and it’s as sharp as it needs to be in a car like this. It would be weird if the steering was too pointy. 

Ride quality is top notch - as it should be - and while the massive optional 23-inch wheels and low profile tyres mean you’ll notice potholes and the like, it largely soaks up imperfections with ease.

That level of refinement extends to the hushed ride, too. The cabin is a quiet and serene place to spend time - but not quite to the same degree as a 7 Series. 

Parking in tight spots is a challenge, and manoeuvring in narrow streets could take a while, too. But you could tell that just by looking at the X7.

Honestly, it feels like the Tesla Model Y has grown up. I didn’t love earlier iterations of this car and I found the Performance to be fast but lacking any emotional fizz.

This one, though, feels solid and composed, and the power on tap (of which there is ample) is more about effortless progress than it is attempting to offer sports car excitement.

The steering is now nicely weighted and feels direct enough without being too sharp, and the cabin is well insulated, with often the slightly off-putting sort of rubbing noise the steering wheel makes when you turn it the only intrusive sound.

One drawback is a ride that definitely errs on the side of firm. This Model Y L gets electronic damping designed to iron out some of the more jagged stuff, but it still feels brittle in places, and you can definitely feel some sharpness in the cabin. Now, to be fair, it’s not too firm for me, but it might be for you.

Another is a bizarre turning circle which constantly reminds you you’re driving a big bus, especially when you try to complete a tight three-point turn.

But despite its stretched dimensions, I found the Model Y L easy to drive and park in the city, and once you're up to speed with Tesla's operating system (there's no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto), then the screen is pretty easy to use, too.

The Model Y L gets the same maximum five-star ACNAP safety rating as the rest of the Model Y range, with nine airbags (up from seven in the five-seat model), and things like AEB (Auto Emergency Braking), lane-keeping assist, 'Forward Collision Warning' and blind-spot monitoring all along for the ride.

Interestingly, the curtain airbags from the five-seat version haven't been replaced, with coverage still only extending to the second row. New airbags have instead been added for third-row occupants.

One more analogue quirk of the Tesla Model Y L is the thick B-pillar, which does a good job of almost completely obscuring driver-side blind-spot checks (for those of us who still like to do those manually).

After copping a bit of flack from motoring media and buyers, BMW finally increased its warranty terms last year from three years to an industry standard five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty on its vehicles, including the X7.

Rather than a set servicing schedule, BMW offers condition-based servicing which is when the vehicle’s computer alerts the owner that it requires a service. 

BMW doesn’t offer capped-price servicing, but does have a pre-paid 'Service Inclusive Package' with terms ranging from three years/40,000km to five years/80,000km and beyond. 

A five-year basic package for the X7 costs $2800, which is not too bad considering the positioning of this model.

Tesla warranty is a these-days-underwhelming five years and unlimited kilometres, while the high-voltage battery is covered for eight years or (a wildly specific) 192,000km.

There’s also five years' of roadside assistance, including puncture repair (a good thing, given the lack of a spare wheel). I also couldn’t find a puncture repair kit and later research suggests Tesla sells them, rather than provides them as standard.

Tesla servicing is condition-based, so there’s no fixed schedule, with a summary on the car’s touchscreen providing a record of when vehicle maintenance was last carried out and prompts for when they should be performed next.

In the absence of a combustion powertrain the emphasis is on things like wheel rotation, balancing and alignment, brake fluid testing, air-con servicing, camera precision, radiator cleaning and high-voltage battery maintenance.

Expecty a ‘Vehicle Health Check’ to come in under $300 with ‘General Diagnosis’ at around $270 per hour.