The system abruptly turns the car off when stopped, and it jerks and shudders back to life when you hit the gas.
I echo Wes in that it reminds me of Lexus's. But, I wasn't getting the sensation of the rubber meeting the road in this 750Li hybrid.Īnd speaking of the hybrid system-it is anything but smooth. Yes, the power is strong and smooth and stays that way at speed and beyond. But, this BMW felt floaty over the roads, especially on the expressway and while topping 80 mph and then some-without even realizing it. In the end all was fine, and we made the trip downtown and back home in fine style. And, I had to readjust a couple of times pulling into a corner parking spot when we headed off to a Detroit Tigers baseball game. I was a little extra careful around curves and corners to avoid any scrubbing of the tires. Yes, it's luxurious and comfortable and cosseting and all, but it's big. OROSCO-WRIGHT: This is one large vehicle. The interior is huge and comfortable and the build quality is up among the best in the business.ĬOPY EDITOR CYNTHIA L. Of course, it's silent and smooth-and fast-on the freeway And on the road it's nimble and light on its feet for such a big luxury boat. Acceleration is more than brisk (after that initial hesitation), and the rolling kickdown when one stomps on the gas is impressive, to say the least. Once under way it drives fine, like any other7-series. It's not as bad as the big Lexus, but somewhat disconcerting nonetheless.
This car is hard to drive smoothly in stop-and-go traffic. Then, press the gas after sitting at a light, and there's a definite hesitation. Like the Lexus LS hybrid, applying the brake seems to make the car actually pick up speed for a second before the car starts to slow down-the brakes are inconsistent at best. The herky-jerkiness of the hybrid system is disconcerting. EDITOR WES RAYNAL: This 2011 BMW 750Li ActiveHybrid is a weird car.