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Hi all. So I had my car at the dealer for some miscellaneous issues and took home a fully electric i7 xdrive60 as a loaner. I jumped at the chance to try something electric to compare to other brands that I’m not really sold on. Here are my impressions:

1) This has to be the plushest car I’ve ever driven. The combination of 7k lbs and air suspension just seems to work. It also has something called road preview where it predicts road surface imperfections and adjust damping. It’s noticeable. It also hides its weight well, especially in Sport mode where the dampers firm up.

2) The instant torque is addicting, although the regenerative braking when letting off the accelerator as you come up to a car in front of you is jarring if you’re not expecting it (I wasn’t when I first drove it and feel like I was brake checking people as I let off). I got used to slowly rolling off the throttle so it wasn’t as aggressive.

3) Technology abounds. The screens are everywhere. Huge screen in the front for idrive/IP, 31” screen in the back (the kid pleaser over the last several days), and touch screens in each of the rear door handles. There’s a real lack of buttons I had to get used to and finding options in the new idrive was a chore. There are haptic buttons placed in different contextual areas that would open the menu for that item like a button on the door for the seat adjustment/massage, a button on the overhead console for the blinds/lighting, etc.

4) Luckily I have 220v in the garage with 40a which gave me 9kw of charging. This means a full charge in about 12-14 hours. Also 300 miles of range on full charge. Never really had range anxiety while I had it.

In conclusion, the driving experience is fun but lacks any emotion I’m used to from punching the throttle and hearing/feeling the German V8 come to life. I’m not sure I can give that up just yet. If I were in my 50s and ready to just cruise around in an electric land yacht, I could see myself getting one of these, although would shoot for the M70 of course 😂. BMW did something right with the i series of vehicles and I feel that they’re a good combination of luxury and green. Looking forward to seeing what they do over the next few years with the range (come on refreshed i8 &#128578

[wesleyan92]

Good write up but there cannot be a more hideous car in the market. I have never warmed to it, regardless of all the bells and whistles.

[Beemer5to3]

Yes it is positively gopping, as is the LCI X7.

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I intentionally left off any comments about its looks because they are definitely polarizing. I will say that it does have quite a presence when you see it coming down the road.

[Velvet Fog]

The salesguy picked me up at the airport in one when I flew in to buy my 850. That thing was over the top with all the screens, touch controls, automatic door open and closing, etc. It felt like a spaceship out of a sci-fi movie. The shiatsu massage feature was pretty cool.

On the way back to the airport, I rode in the back with the mega screen down and played with the touch controls on the door. You should have seen the people in the drop off lane looking at me wondering who the F I was.

Imposing looking on the outside, I'd take one as a loaner every time but spending my own hard cash, not so much. I'm not ready for a full electric.