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2003 BMW 7 SeriesThe top luxury full-size 4-door sedan from BMW is the 7-Series. Offering the best in luxury and performance but designed to be both practical and drivable, the 2003 BMW 745i and the 2003 BMW 745Li are comfortable, stylish and useful.
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9 Reviews from Shopping.com
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Controversial and Outstanding
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Pros: Top-notch performance, handling, and comfort
Cons: Controversial styling and interior ergonomics
The Bottom Line:
If you value handling and performance in a top-of-line luxury car, then the BMW 7-Series might just be the car for you.
Introduced for the 2002 model year, the latest iteration of the BMW 7-Series has sparked intense controversy regarding its styling and interior features. Feelings are strong on both sides of these issues, but there is little doubt that BMW has created a superb car that provides outstanding handling and performance with a great dose of luxury.
Having owned a 2003 745i for just over two months, I can tell you that the acceleration and performance are outstanding; when you're behind the wheel, it's clear that you are in control of an exceptional car worthy of the BMW badge. Passenger comfort also gets high marks, especially when equipped with the Luxury Seating Package. The Logic 7 sound system is also highly recommended -- it's better than most home sound systems, and fills the cabin with sparkling sound through its 13 speakers.
The iDrive system, which controls most major car functions, is much maligned but far better than you you may have heard or read about it. Could it be simpler to use? Yes. Is it hard to use? No, not really. The real challenge is entering all of your preferences into the iDrive system when you first get the car (much as you would set-up a computer after you take it home from the store). Once you get past this, however, it's fairly intuitive. I was a near-expert at it after just 1-2 days of use.
The styling, especially the rear, is non-conventional. I bought the car for its performance, handling, and luxury; for me, the styling was a secondary consideration. I will say that the trunk is HUGE and so from a functional standpoint the designers did a great job. Is it eye-catching? Well, it gets noticed. My wife really likes the styling and so does my 13-year old son. I didn't buy the car to impress anyone, so I guess I'm just a bit less sensitive to this concern.
The car is expensive, but still not nearly as much as a similarly-equipped S-Class -- and it drives much better than the comparable Mercedes.
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