The BMW 7-Series takes on its German rivals, the Audi A8 and Mercedes-Benz S-Class, most readily, but it also matches up against the Jaguar XJ, Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide.
Even though it's near the end of its current generation, the S-Class still looks imposing, especially in hot AMG guise.
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 Porsche Panamera has a surprisingly spacious backseat, yet it obliterates all these cars with a 0-60 mph time of about 3.3 seconds for Turbo models.
Perhaps the sexiest entry here is the Jaguar XJ, which has an especially swanky interior, but it's not all that functional as the new shape cuts rear-seat room.
Remove half the backseat room from the XJ, make it even more gorgeous and expensive, and you get the stunning (and stunningly impractical) Aston Martin Rapide.
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 2013 BMW 7-SeriesBrowse Used Listings |  2013 Audi A8Browse Used Listings |  2013 Jaguar XJBrowse Used Listings |  2013 Mercedes-Benz S ClassBrowse Used Listings |  2013 Porsche PanameraBrowse Used Listings |
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| Quick Specs | ||||
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The 2013 BMW 7-Series is exceptionally fleet-footed for such a spacious, luxurious, and technologically advanced car. |
Peerless cabins, advanced connectivity, and athletic road feel give the 2013 Audi A8 a few weapons in its battle with the luxosedan titans. |
Swinging style and newfound traction and gas mileage make the 2013 Jaguar XJ a more complete offering than it's ever been. |
Covering its wide range of performance personalities, all with superb comfort and some of the world's top in-car tech, the 2013 Mercedes-Benz S Class is one model you'll be as happy to be in as to be seen in. |
The 2013 Porsche Panamera continues the success of the brand's unusual-looking fastback sport sedan. |
| MSRP From | ||||
| $73,600 | $72,200 | $73,200 | $92,350 | $75,850 |
| Gas Mileage | ||||
| 13 MPG City / 30 MPG Hwy | 13 MPG City / 28 MPG Hwy | 15 MPG City / 27 MPG Hwy | 12 MPG City / 31 MPG Hwy | 15 MPG City / 30 MPG Hwy |
| Engine | ||||
| Turbocharged Gas I6 | Supercharged Gas V6 | Gas V6 | Gas/Electric V6 | Gas V6 |
| EPA Class | ||||
| Large Cars | Large | Large Car | Large | Large Car |
| Style Name | ||||
| 4-Door Sedan 740i RWD | 4-Door Sedan 3.0L | 4-Door Sedan RWD | 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 | ||||
| Sedan | Sedan | Sedan | Sedan | Hatchback |
| Transmission | ||||
| Automatic w/Manual Shift | Automatic w/Manual Shift | Automatic w/Manual Shift | Automatic | Automatic w/Manual Shift |
| Detailed Spec Comparison | ||||
| 2013 BMW 7-Series vs. 2013 Audi A8 | 2013 BMW 7-Series vs. 2013 Jaguar XJ | 2013 BMW 7-Series vs. 2013 Mercedes-Benz S Class | 2013 BMW 7-Series vs. 2013 Porsche Panamera | |
