{"id":1789,"date":"2015-07-16T08:25:04","date_gmt":"2015-07-16T08:25:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/luxurycarmagazine.com\/en\/?p=1789"},"modified":"2015-07-15T18:35:50","modified_gmt":"2015-07-15T18:35:50","slug":"review-2015-bmw-740ld","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/luxurycarmagazine.com\/en\/review-2015-bmw-740ld\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: 2015 BMW 740Ld"},"content":{"rendered":"

As completely backwards as a long-wheelbase, German luxury sled with diesel power may seem to North Americans, it makes complete sense.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_8011<\/a><\/p>\n\tReview: 2015 BMW 740Ld<\/span><\/span>\r\n\t\r\n\t

As completely backwards as a long-wheelbase, German luxury sled with diesel power may seem to North Americans, it makes complete sense. Of course, we have few problems with diesel power in our pickups\u2014witness the popularity of the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel\u2014because diesels make big torque and can handle the big weights asked of them, from the …<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n\t

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Review Overview<\/h2>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Styling - 7<\/h5>\r\n\t\t\t<\/span><\/span>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Driving Pleasure - 6.5<\/h5>\r\n\t\t\t<\/span><\/span>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Performance - 9<\/h5>\r\n\t\t\t<\/span><\/span>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Driving Comfort - 9.5<\/h5>\r\n\t\t\t<\/span><\/span>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Interior Space - 9<\/h5>\r\n\t\t\t<\/span><\/span>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Fuel Economy - 9.5<\/h5>\r\n\t\t\t<\/span><\/span>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Winter - 8<\/h5>\r\n\t\t\t<\/span><\/span>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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8.4<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t

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User Rating: <\/strong> <\/span> Be the first one !<\/small> <\/span>
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Of course, we have few problems with diesel power in our pickups\u2014witness the popularity of the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel\u2014because diesels make big torque and can handle the big weights asked of them, from the curb weight of the truck itself, to that of the loads it has to haul. Heck, the 740Ld xDrive you see here weighs almost as much; why shouldn\u2019t it get a diesel? That\u2019s all without even considering how well big diesel sedans sell overseas, where every manufacturer seems to offer one. In Canada, only two do, and they\u2019re both Germans: Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.<\/p>\n

So what\u2019s BMW\u2019s offering all about?<\/p>\n

Well, for starters, there\u2019s the power. That\u2019s 413 lb.-ft. of torque at a lowly 1,500 r.p.m., enough to haul you and your cattle to–or away from–the ball, lickety-split. The horsepower figure isn\u2019t quite as impressive at 255, but when you\u2019re either shuffling \u2018round town or taking to the highway, torque is paramount, and there\u2019s plenty on tap.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s fed to all four wheels, in a 40\/60 front\/rear split most of the time, or 100 per cent to either axle if need be. It\u2019s sent through an eight-speed automatic (your only choice), with shifts carried off with hardly a hitch or noticeable shuddering. Very smooth, this car.<\/p>\n

While not quite as velvety as the transmission, the engine, coupled with smart active noise reduction and a well-insulated interior, does a pretty good job of hiding its diesel-ness. Of course, that kind of thing is why diesels get such a bad rap, so BMW knew that if it was going to put one in a $125,050 car, it was going to have to be refined. Indeed, unless you really listen for that telltale rattle, it won\u2019t drone on and bother you. Yes, bursts of heavy acceleration do give away the diesel power under the hood, but in a comfort cruiser like this, I don\u2019t know how many brake stand starts any chauffeur is going to attempt.<\/p>\n

Of course, bystanders will know it\u2019s a diesel, but there\u2019s only so much you can do, really.<\/p>\n

On the quick start thing: while it\u2019s not really a car made for the stoplight grand prix, it\u2019s interesting that BMW has still decided to provide a sporty driving mode. Most Bimmers have it, so it stands to reason, but still; I\u2019m a fan of actually using the various drive modes cars provide pretty regularly and almost evenly, but I may have selected \u201csport\u201d once during my week with the car.<\/p>\n

Indeed, \u201cECO Pro\u201d is probably more apropos for the 740Ld. It deadens the throttle input and how aggressively the transmission changes gears, all in an effort to get as much mileage as possible from the 80-litre tank.<\/p>\n

Having said that, even when using \u201cComfort\u201d most of the time (that\u2019s one level above ECO Pro), we were rewarded with some sterling fuel economy figures: 7.3 L\/100km on the highway, 10.7 in the city and 8.2 combined. That\u2019s pretty impressive, considering just how hefty the 740Ld is.<\/p>\n

Much of that heft comes from the interior accoutrements.<\/p>\n

The seats are finished in some serious cowhide, the carpets are nice and think and the available tech is substantial.<\/p>\n

You know that iDrive infotainment wheel up front that has made headlines since its inception? Well, in the 740Ld, back seat occupants get one, too, and their own screens (buttons mounted either side of the wheel determine which passenger is in control). It does come as part of the $3,500 Multi Media package, however. When you think about it, though, when a car already costs over 100 grand at base, you\u2019d think a package like that would be an easy sell.<\/p>\n

Of course, that\u2019s just the beginning of the packages optioned on our tester; The $5,950 Executive Package provides niceties like soft-close doors, rear sunshade, active seats (whose side bolstering adjusts as you turn) and ventilated front seats. The $5,000 M Sport Package, meanwhile, provides special 20-inch wheels, special bumpers and rocker panels and ceramic iDrive wheel, which lets you spell out place names on its surface.<\/p>\n

More than just interior and styling additions, M Sport also adds Dynamic Drive. This uses active stabilizers on both the front and rear axles. They add more direct steering, but more in-keeping with this car\u2019s chauffeur-driven digs, they help keep the big sedan flat during cornering and when accelerating or decelerating. The result is a properly smooth ride, diesel engine or no.<\/p>\n

In addition to the Multi-Media Package, back seat passengers benefit from $4,500 Rear Comfort Package which provides ventilated and massaging seats. Of course, they also get the benefit of an additional 137 millimetres of legroom\u2014for a total of 1,124 mm–over non- \u201cL\u201d models. It really is cavernous in the back, but that\u2019s where the size differences end; things don\u2019t change up front, but the 1,048 mm you do get is generous nevertheless.<\/p>\n

Really, \u201cgenerous\u201d is one of the best words used to describe the 740Ld; it\u2019s got generous fuel economy, generous diesel torque and of course, generous room inside. Yes, it\u2019s a little tougher to attach \u201cgenerous\u201d to the price tag\u2014unless you\u2019re talking about the consumer being \u201cgenerous\u201d to BMW\u2014but you do get what you pay for, and if you factor in the costs savings associated with diesel power, well, the 740Ld makes a whole lot of sense.<\/p>\n

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As completely backwards as a long-wheelbase, German luxury sled with diesel power may seem to North Americans, it makes complete sense. Of course, we have few problems with diesel power in our pickups\u2014witness the popularity of the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel\u2014because diesels make big torque and can handle the big weights asked of them, from the …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1794,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[33,283,262,40,284,42],"yoast_head":"\nReview: 2015 BMW 740Ld | LuxuryCarMagazine En<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/luxurycarmagazine.com\/en\/review-2015-bmw-740ld\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Review: 2015 BMW 740Ld | LuxuryCarMagazine En\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As completely backwards as a long-wheelbase, German luxury sled with diesel power may seem to North Americans, it makes complete sense. Of course, we have few problems with diesel power in our pickups\u2014witness the popularity of the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel\u2014because diesels make big torque and can handle the big weights asked of them, from the ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/luxurycarmagazine.com\/en\/review-2015-bmw-740ld\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"LuxuryCarMagazine En\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-07-16T08:25:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2015-07-15T18:35:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/luxurycarmagazine.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/IMG_8011-1280x853.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"853\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Dan Heyman\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Dan Heyman\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/luxurycarmagazine.com\/en\/review-2015-bmw-740ld\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/luxurycarmagazine.com\/en\/review-2015-bmw-740ld\/\",\"name\":\"Review: 2015 BMW 740Ld | LuxuryCarMagazine En\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/luxurycarmagazine.com\/en\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2015-07-16T08:25:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2015-07-15T18:35:50+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/luxurycarmagazine.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/ca716a205f4336f1869079db1eef50d1\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/luxurycarmagazine.com\/en\/review-2015-bmw-740ld\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/luxurycarmagazine.com\/en\/review-2015-bmw-740ld\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/luxurycarmagazine.com\/en\/review-2015-bmw-740ld\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/luxurycarmagazine.com\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Review: 2015 BMW 740Ld\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/luxurycarmagazine.com\/en\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/luxurycarmagazine.com\/en\/\",\"name\":\"LuxuryCarMagazine En\",\"description\":\"Luxury Car Review and News\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/luxurycarmagazine.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/luxurycarmagazine.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/ca716a205f4336f1869079db1eef50d1\",\"name\":\"Dan Heyman\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/luxurycarmagazine.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/58afb210faece156e79338d6e6a8ebac?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/58afb210faece156e79338d6e6a8ebac?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Dan Heyman\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/luxurycarmagazine.com\/en\/author\/dan-heyman\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Review: 2015 BMW 740Ld | LuxuryCarMagazine En","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/luxurycarmagazine.com\/en\/review-2015-bmw-740ld\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Review: 2015 BMW 740Ld | LuxuryCarMagazine En","og_description":"As completely backwards as a long-wheelbase, German luxury sled with diesel power may seem to North Americans, it makes complete sense. 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