This seems to be a recurring complaint for the past 3-4 years -- BMW diluted the formula that made them The Ultimate Driving Machine, ironically in pursuit of more Lexus-like ride quality. Now you have Lexus trying to assimilate more BMW traits into its product portfolio. Soon we won't be able to tell BMW and Lexus apart.

 

Lol yep. Some Lexus cars actually drive better than BMWs do now, but the Lexus faithful including myself wants the old Lexus creampuff cars back. That's what's funny, too.

I'd give anything if the current LS were anything like a 430 or 460 updated with the same ethos those cars had. (i.e. luxury first, smooth V8, etc.)

 

you should try the new Audi A8 I’ve heard great things about the suspension and I personally love the interior and exterior design.

 

Yikes, doesn't seem like it drives anywhere like a sedan, as some suggested here...

Apperantly GLS drives much better. Sad times.

 

Bmw has done what it had to do to survive. Unless you want to go way up market like bentley or something and sell in tiny numbers at huge prices, you have to become more mainstream to sell in enough volumes that you can achieve margins adequate to prosper. Trying to think of many 'independent' luxury brands at this point... yeah, yeah, someone's going to say tesla, but the 3 is at best a (very cool) 'premium' technology car that musk knew had to sell in much higher volume to be profitable. Anyone else, that isn't part of some bigger entity?

 

Thanks to this post that was e-mailed to me curiosity got the best of me so I looked a bit at the website of the X7. Watched the dumb commercial (Car commercials seem to get dumber and dumber, including Lexus). Now I haven't driven one, looked at one personally. But the only thing I see in it that I like better than the LX is the back seat entertainment system. I wonder if it costs $5000 for a screen if one breaks. But my overall impression is that it is too much of a car. I'm not sure it could stand up to the rough 2 miles of dirt and gravel roads to get to my house. Not much room between the tires and the wheel wells to clear mud off the tires. Can it raise itself up like an LX? Or Landcruiser? I'm sure the tech is much better then the LX. Lexus and Toyota seem to behind the times with tech stuff. My 2019 F150 XLT has better tech than our 2017 LX. So no doubt the X7 does. I've also heard to many times of BMWs having troubles starting at 50k miles. Too many times to doubt that there must be some truth to it. I would never lease, but that's mostly due to no lease able to allow the miles we put on.

 

lots to unpack there... even if the lx is more off road capable, i'm not sure i want to take it over 2 miles of dirt and gravel each day i go out... i'd rather do that with a beat up old truck

Or get the 2 miles paved.

 

There are three flavors of the X7 - the base 40i, 50i and m50i, and the review was of the base model.

 

When opening the MT link I saw the link for CR's. They say the X7 felt planted. If someone is really shopping the segment they'd be best served to look at multiple reviews.

 

These guys can still tell them apart.

 

Its a huge SUV, it has body roll lol. No different than a Range Rover, etc...in fact it has less body roll than the Range Rovers I've driven. Considerably less body roll than a big BOF SUV like a Navigator or LX.

Its not about "wanting a sports car and driving an SUV" its about having a vehicle that can have sporty attributes and still be a practical SUV. The X5 is a great example, as is the X7 to a lesser extent on the sporty side.

As for "Americans prefer BOF" thats true with pickups, but not SUVs. Unibody crossovers FAR FAR outsell body on frame SUVs in America.

 

CR saying an X7 feels planted would be like me judging a fashion show.

 

I've driven it, its very nice. Great ride and very quiet. I don't mind the plain exterior. I don't care for the angular austere interior though.

 

I agree that, with good engineering, there can be some compromises.....I've noticed that myself, on test-drives. The SRT Jeep Grand Cherokee is probably a good example, even though I have not directly sampled one. But, IMO, there are some organizations (and individuals) that simply expect too much compromise, and complain when they don't have enough to suit them. If one wants a sports-car....get one.

 

Yeah there has to be some logic. Its a 5,500 lb SUV that is sprung for comfort, there WILL be body roll.