2019 BMW X7 Interior Review: 6 Superficially Satisfying Details

No one needs full-size luxury SUVs like the BMW X7; consumerswantthem. In the X7's case, entering the three-row segment late has its benefits—the new BMW offers high-tech features that will impress buyers (and their kids). The driving experience and interior versatility are incredibly important buying considerations, but if you seek higher attention to detail to distinguish your luxury SUV from a mainstream brand's attempt at luxury, check out the following fun features plus one way the X7's interior could improve.

Read our2019 BMW X7xDrive40iFirst Test reviewHERE.

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Glass controls are a $650 upgrade we wouldn't buy the X7 without. Diamond-cut glass trim dresses up the iDrive controller disc, shift stalk, engine start button, and volume knob. When the light hit the iDrive controller in just the right light, the option helped justify our tester's as-tested price of just over $100,000.

We've seen see-through shift stalks in other luxury cars such as Volvos, but that makes it no less special in this X7.

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Go all-out on the options list, and you'll find yourself listening to a 20-speaker, 1,500-watt Harman Kardon sound system. The sound quality is great, and the kids will love the way the speakers on the doors illuminate behind the silver speaker grilles. Depending on your view, the touch is either gaudy or gorgeous.

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The $750 Panoramic Sky Lounge LED roof is a large two-panel moonroof that can be illuminated in six colors. The only thing missing is a seventh option that automatically changes the light from one color to another. We've seen the colorful moonroof tech on the 7 Series, but it makes even more sense on a three-row SUV like the X7.

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Our X7 tester wore BMW's white-and-blue interior color scheme, which looked fantastic. But how will a mostly white interior hold up over time? That concern and the option's price—$3,700 or $5,150 depending on whether your X7 is an M Sport or Luxury model—might lead us to another interior color.

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Some X7s offer impressively intricate seat piping that matches what we've seen in the 7 Series. The interweaving piping design is a step up from piping available from mainstream brands, and it looks great.

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If convenience is more important to you than speed, the X7's power-operated seats should be a great perk, especially when a second-row passenger is adjusting the seat. Second-row captain's chairs are available, turning the X7 into a six-seater (the standard version seats seven). Overall, there's a respectable amount of space in the third row, especially if the second-row passengers move forward a tad. Getting in and out, however, is still not as easy as it is a minivan.

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The X7 won't handle like a 3 Series, but the two BMWs do share one interior design element we hope to see improved. You must look down at the center console to change drive modes; the flat buttons can't easily be distinguished by touch so you can keep your eyes on the road.

One other issue: Like associate road test editor Erick Ayapana found with a 2019 BMW X5 and his iPhone XR, I had occasional connection difficulties with our X7 tester's Apple CarPlay system (using an iPhone 6S).

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Assuming you have enough space to park a 203.3-inch SUV … maybe. The X7's good EPA fuel economy ratings and large fuel tank mean the six-cylinder model has a long driving range, and except for one detail, the BMW drives well, too. Get the full story in our 2019 BMW X7 xDrive40i First Test here.