BMW sedan is the ultimate in luxury, perks, technology

This review first appeared in the August 2026 edition of the Cruisin' News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

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Sacramento, California -- How much do you expect from a car? What makes you sit up and pay attention?

How about a BMW 760i xDrive sedan stickered at $174,725?

I have been reviewing motor vehicles for decades and climbed into hundreds of cockpits. But this one intimidated me from the start.

And no, not because of the price ... although the words HANDLE WITH CARE accompanied me from the moment I saw it.

What intimidated me was that the car was packed with so much ... and stood ready to take on more.  In a full week with the vehicle, I'm not sure I really scratched the surface.

Sure, the windshield wipers worked and the variable driving modes were spot-on.

But beyond that were dozens upon dozens of features to try out.  I eventually got to a lot of them, but only for a short time.  Those that I did get to and liked included voice head-up display, nearly head-to-toe massaging seats and a cool parking assist.

And there were other perks that were interesting, but I'm not sure I needed some of them, even at my advanced age.  That would include automatic soft-close doors.

Did I get a chance to program various functions into the vehicle?  How about software updates/upgrades? Nope.  Ran out of time.

Bottom line: This BMW is so packed with technology, electronic marvels and luxurious perks that one is inclined to ask if special permission is needed to drive it.

Oh, as for driving, it's amazing.  How to describe it?

Picture yourself in a rolling bank vault that doubles as a  presidential suite in a five-star hotel.  Yeah, solid and secure to the max, with super-spoiling luxury.

You want power?  Plenty of that too.

The 4.4-liter, TwinPower Turbo V-8 is rated at 536 horsepower.  Torque tops at 553 foot-pounds at a mere 1,800 revolutions per minute.

It's a different kind of power, however.

The vehicle is so solid and noise-reducing that hard accelerations feel like an easy jog in the park. You do get a realization of the power when you are quietly blowing past cars that seem glued to the pavement.

While it takes some juice to get this big-shouldered sedan moving, the fuel mileage rating is not terrible: 18 miles per gallon in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.

It's a superb highway cruiser.  Frankly, if it was mine to keep, I'd probably avoid taking it into tight city parking garages, lest a careless motorist would scratch the exquisite paint job.

So, there you have it: the ultimate luxury machine for the financially fortunate pleasure seeker.

A bit beyond my means.  But I enjoyed my week on Fantasy Island.