The BMW 7-Series has its biggest beefs with the likes of the Audi A8 and Mercedes-Benz S-Class, but the Jaguar XJ, Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide are all legitimate prey, too.
The S-Class still looks imposing in its last years of life, and its AMG-gone-wild editions are numerically superior to BMW's Alpina-tuned 7er.
The new Audi A8 looks less convincingly different than we were promised, but it's a swift, stable performer with a marvelous interior--despite our serious reservations about its Palm Pilot-like controller for audio and navigation.
The Jaguar XJ sexes up the class with an aero body and a swinging interior, but the new shape zaps rear-seat room and not all of the new interior bits feel rich and expensive.
Remove half the backseat room from the XJ, make it even more gorgeous and expensive, and you have the utterly fantastic but impractical Aston Martin Rapide.
Double the rear-seat room, and add on impossible amounts of tire-smoking performance, and you arrive at the rather lumpy-looking Porsche Panamera, which obliterates all these cars with a 0-60 mph time of about 3.3 seconds for Turbo models.
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 2011 BMW 7-SeriesBrowse Used Listings |  2011 Audi A8Browse Used Listings |  2011 Jaguar XJBrowse Used Listings |  2011 Mercedes-Benz S ClassBrowse Used Listings |  2011 Porsche PanameraBrowse Used Listings |
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| Quick Specs | ||||
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Call us converts: The latest BMW 7-Series turns our eyes more than ever and drives with real big-guy brio. |
Suave styling, an impeccable cabin, innovative cabin tech, and a lean, athletic driving feel earn the 2011 Audi A8 a spot in the top tier. |
The 2011 Jaguar XJ severs ties with its past, and rocks a mod new look that suits its dynamic personality. |
From earth-friendly to exclusive and exotically fast, the 2011 Mercedes-Benz S-Class does it all in superb comfort. |
There's not much ordinary or traditional about this phenomenal fastback, and that's mostly a good thing. |
| MSRP From | ||||
| $70,650 | $78,050 | $72,700 | $91,000 | $74,400 |
| Gas Mileage | ||||
| 13 MPG City / 25 MPG Hwy | 16 MPG City / 27 MPG Hwy | 15 MPG City / 23 MPG Hwy | 12 MPG City / 25 MPG Hwy | 15 MPG City / 27 MPG Hwy |
| Engine | ||||
| Turbocharged Gas I6 | Gas V8 | Gas V8 | Gas/Electric V6 | Gas V6 |
| EPA Class | ||||
| Large | Large | Large Car | Large | Large Car |
| Style Name | ||||
| 4-Door Sedan 740i RWD | 4-Door Sedan | 4-Door Sedan | 4-Door Sedan S 400 Hybrid RWD | 4-Door HB |
| Drivetrain | ||||
| Rear Wheel Drive | All-Wheel Drive | Rear Wheel Drive | Rear Wheel Drive | Rear Wheel Drive |
| Passenger Capacity | ||||
| 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Passenger Doors | ||||
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Body Style | ||||
| 4-Door Sedan | 4 Door Sedan | 4 Door Sedan | Sedan | 4 Door Hatchback |
| Transmission | ||||
| Automatic | Automatic | Automatic w/OD | Automatic | Automatic w/Manual Shift |
| Detailed Spec Comparison | ||||
| 2011 BMW 7-Series vs. 2011 Audi A8 | 2011 BMW 7-Series vs. 2011 Jaguar XJ | 2011 BMW 7-Series vs. 2011 Mercedes-Benz S Class | 2011 BMW 7-Series vs. 2011 Porsche Panamera | |
