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.
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.
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.
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 2012 BMW 7-SeriesBrowse Used Listings |  2012 Audi A8Browse Used Listings |  2012 Jaguar XJBrowse Used Listings |  2012 Mercedes-Benz S ClassBrowse Used Listings |  2012 Porsche PanameraBrowse Used Listings |
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| Quick Specs | ||||
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The 2012 BMW 7-Series is the Bavarian automaker's flagship model, and it cleverly wraps vast interior space, industry-leading tech, and the expected BMW fleet-footedness. |
The 2012 Audi A8 models might still be fighting for the most prestige among flagships, but they're in the top tier from inside, thanks to their impeccable cabin, innovative cabin tech, and a lean, athletic driving feel. |
Cutting its ties with its illustrious and not so charmed past, the 2012 Jaguar XJ now rocks a swinging style that really suits its dynamic handling. |
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class has a wide range of personalities--all of them superbly comfortably, some of them outrageously powerful. |
Bucking tradition and the ordinary, the 2012 Porsche Panamera mostly succeeds in being an excellent large fastback sedan. |
| MSRP From | ||||
| $71,000 | $78,750 | $73,700 | $91,850 | $75,200 |
| Gas Mileage | ||||
| 13 MPG City / 25 MPG Hwy | 14 MPG City / 28 MPG Hwy | 15 MPG City / 23 MPG Hwy | 12 MPG City / 31 MPG Hwy | 15 MPG City / 30 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 | Sedan | 4 Door Sedan | 4 Door Sedan | Hatchback |
| Transmission | ||||
| Automatic | Automatic w/Manual Shift | Automatic w/OD | Automatic | Automatic w/Manual Shift |
| Detailed Spec Comparison | ||||
| 2012 BMW 7-Series vs. 2012 Audi A8 | 2012 BMW 7-Series vs. 2012 Jaguar XJ | 2012 BMW 7-Series vs. 2012 Mercedes-Benz S Class | 2012 BMW 7-Series vs. 2012 Porsche Panamera | |
