2015 BMW 740Ld xDrive Laughs at Mother Nature
The 2015 BMW 740Ld xDrive is a tank that just laughs at what Mother Nature has thrown us this winter.
Where do these chuckles emanate from? Topping the list would be its 3.0-liter, inline-six, advanced diesel engine with BMW’s TwinPower Turbo technology that’s mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Point its nose where you want to go, and it plows through heavy winter snow.
That’s thanks to 255 horsepower at 4,000 rpm and 413 lb.-ft. of torque from 1,500¬–3,000 rpm. Sure, the BMW 740Ld xDrive will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds, but it also just eats up snowy highways and side streets with aplomb. There’s no need to drop below the posted speed limits when you have the advanced all-wheel-drive system. This car just inspires confidence in foul weather. There’s no stopping it.
Well, actually, it does have good stopping power with 13.7-inch ventilated disk brakes up front and 13.6-inch disk brakes in the rear. Published reports put its stopping distance at 126 feet, which is more than respectable for a car weighing 4,684 lbs.
Another standout feature of the BMW 740Ld xDrive is its driving dynamics control that offers five options for setting your driving experience. Sure, there’s an Eco Pro setting, but with this much torque and horsepower Sport Plus is the order of the day.
Most surprising about this car is the absolute lack of diesel sensation. It’s as smooth as any gas engine car I have ever driven. Even a wind chill of minus 26 one morning (ah, the joys of living in New England) didn’t challenge its ability to start.
Also, even though this was the long wheelbase version of the 7 series, it handled itself like a much nimbler 5 series. The wheelbase is stretched 5.5 inches, with all the legroom going to rear passengers. This feels like a car in which business leaders are meant to be driven. Surprisingly, though, not much is added in the way of creature comforts in the rear area besides the heated seats that are part of the available cold weather package.
As part of that package a heated steering wheel is included. I forced myself to test it at 4 degrees one morning. It could have warmed up a bit faster for my taste, but my fingers survived.
Are there other quibbles? I continue to be frustrated by BMW’s stereo system. It’s a pain to move up or down one channel on the radio. If you’re in presets, you have to jump out to the regular listings. If you’re in the regular listings, you have to jump back to presets to quickly find a preferred station. I lament the lack of preset buttons on high-end vehicles.
Another quibble would be the door handles—there really aren’t any. Instead, you grab a ridge in the door to pull it closed. It wasn’t intuitive until after the fourth day of driving. My seven-year-old also got frustrated by it.
Then again, kids aren’t the target market for a BMW 740Ld xDrive. Successful grown-ups are with its $82,500 starting price before the $950 destination charge. But it was easy to get the price up to $98,250.
The big additional cost was the M Sport package that added $4,000 but included things like 19-inch alloy wheels, steering wheel paddle shifters, multi-contour seats, and an aerodynamic kit.
2015 BMW 740Ld xDrive
THE BASICS
Price, base (with destination): $98,250. Fuel economy: 23 city/31 highway/26 combined Drivetrain: 3.0-liter, inline six, turbo diesel, four-door sedan.
THE SPECIFICS
Horsepower: 255 @ 4,000 rpm. Torque: 413 @ 1,500 rpm. Overall length: 205.5 in. Wheelbase: 126.4 in. Height: 58.3 in. Width: 74.9 in. Curb weight: 4,685 lbs.
THE GOOD
The 2015 BMW 740Ld xDrive is a tank with its 3.0-liter, turbo diesel, inline six that produces a massive 413 lb. ft. of torque.
THE BAD
Typical complaints with high-end luxury cars: audio system is over-engineered. Also, heated steering wheel was slow to warm and doors were unwieldy to close for first few days.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The 2015 BMW 740Ld xDrive, in spite of its unwieldy name, is a nimble driving, foul-weather-devouring, luxury sedan that laughs at what Mother Nature throws its way.
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