Nearly new buying guide: BMW X7

Go big or go home is the mantra of the BMW X7.

The largest and most luxurious car that BMW makes, this gargantuan SUV is unapologetic in its identity. You certainly won’t blend in, then, but you will be cruising inside a plush paradise.

Allowing you to cruise is an engine range mainly comprising 3.0-litre petrol and diesel straight sixes.

Initially, there were 30d, 40i and quad-turbocharged M50d variants with 261bhp, 335bhp and 394bhp. The diesels were replaced a few years after the X7’s 2019 release by the 40d with 335bhp. Meanwhile, the M50i took over from the M50d as the most powerful X7.

It has considerably more poke than its diesel predecessor, what with its 4.4-litre V8 putting out a hefty 523bhp. This affords a 0-60mph time of 4.7sec (it does weigh in at 2480kg, after all).

The M50i didn’t get the mild hybridisation that the 40i and 40d received in 2021 (not that it would turn into a Toyota Prius if it did) and so drinks like there’s no tomorrow, averaging 22.1mpg officially. That’s the price of performance right there.

On the other hand, the diesels are fairly efficient (for such a luxobarge of an SUV). The 40d averages 36.2mpg, while the 30d that came before achieves 33.6mpg.

It’s worth noting the recent 2022 facelift, too, although few of those cars have hit the used market.

Besides styling changes, the engine range has been revised, giving the 40i and 40d added power. The M50i has also been succeeded by the M60i, which retains the 4.4-litre V8 but now with that 48V mild-hybrid system.

You should know which engine you want by now, so what about the trim level? Fortunately, there are only a few you need to ponder, and those are the base trim, M Sport and full M, which adds a limited-slip differential on the rear axle to increase cornering traction.