Car review: Luxury, refinement dazzle inside BMW 760i

Reclining rear seats, V8 power among amenities.
The BMW 760i is a car for those who want all the creature comforts and to live like royalty. CONTRIBUTED BY JIMMY DINSMORE

The BMW 760i is a car for those who want all the creature comforts and to live like royalty. CONTRIBUTED BY JIMMY DINSMORE

How does the other half live? I’m not sure, but I might’ve gotten a glimpse of it this week driving around in the BMW 760i. The six-figure price tag aside, this is a car for those who want all the creature comforts and to live like royalty.

This full-size sedan may not look that special from the outside. Sure, the exterior still boasts that classic BMW styling and the longer body shows an impressive posture. But to the average person, it may get overlooked as something truly special due to the understated styling.

In all truthfulness, the exterior styling suits this car. Trust me, there’s plenty of garishness inside that it didn’t need bold styling that might not age well or might be too divisive. Rather the 760 is expertly and precisely designed as an executive car and the looks match that vibe.

If the exterior is understated, the power underneath the hood is not, at least in my tester. There are three powertrains, including two 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engines (one with a hybrid). However my tester was the oh-so-powerful 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine with a mild hybrid. This engine with its 536 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque makes the 760i a real sleeper if someone was only judging this car by how it looked.

It’s not lumbering or underpowered, rather it screams off the line, but does so smoothly and controlled. All 536 horses are refined and the eight-speed automatic transmission helps keep all that power shifting smoothly. For a car with more than 500 horsepower, the 760 is cool, calm and collected. It does not drive like a sports car with a similar amount of power, it maintains all its composure.

Inside, the luxury and refinement are abundant. If the exterior is understated, the interior is the opposite. Every touchpoint, everywhere you look there are special features. The Executive Package ($3,700) adds crystal headlights and front massaging seats. The Rear Executive Lounge Seat package ($7,500) adds reclining rear seats with a footrest and the BMW Theater Screen. This feature is so lavish and amazing I had to do a couple of videos of it on my Instagram. It got a lot of views as I kicked back in the rear seats, put my feet up while a huge TV screen drops down.

See the executive reclining seats in this Instagram video. And see the huge TV screen drop down in this Instagram video.

It’s called the Executive Package because that’s exactly who the demographic is for this car. Executive who want to drive clients around and impress them. And they will be impressed. Without a single bit of hyperbole, I make this statement: the interior of the BMW 760i is the most lavish, most special and most memorable interior of any vehicle I’ve driven (and I’ve driven a lot of vehicles, including brands like Bentley).

Now for the big numbers. The base price of my tester (before those executive packages) was $113,600. After all those extra perks and niceties were added, the final MSRP of my tester was $149,045.

Additionally as a V8, the fuel economy is what you’d expect. It is rated at 18 mpg/city and 26 mpg/highway. I averaged just over 20 mpg. You may think this is a little on the guzzling side, and it might be. But if you can afford a six-figure car, you don’t care about extra trips to fill up the tank.

Everything about the BMW 760i made me wish I had the bank account to afford this car. That executive lifestyle is not really for me, but I can certainly get on board with driving around like some big-shot executive.

Jimmy Dinsmore is a freelance automotive journalist. Email him at jimmydinsmore73@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @driversside

2024 BMW 760i xDrive

Price/As tested price................................................ $113,600/$149,045

Mileage.......................................... 18 mpg/city; 26 mpg/hwy

Engine............................................. 4.4-liter twin turbocharged V8

Horsepower................................. 536 hp/553 lbs./ft.

Transmission................................. 8-speed automatic

Drive Wheels................ All-wheel drive

Final Assembly Point................ Dingolfing, Germany

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