The rationalisation of the iDrive system is a welcome feature of the 730d SE’s cabin, but in the event it’s just one of many improvements inside. The electric switches for the two amply supportive front seats have also been simplified, as has the entire dashboard, and there’s more space in every direction for all occupants. Even the boot is bigger than before.
Having said that, the interior is far from perfect, even if it has been redesigned to be both more appealing to look at and more intuitive to interact with.
The new door handles, for instance, are especially baffling to begin with, having been hidden from view within the doorcaps. Even once you’ve found them they are infuriatingly odd to get on with.
The same goes for the new gear selector, which is initially quite confusing in its operation. You get used to it eventually, in the same way you get used to driving a left-hand-drive car, but the point is you shouldn’t have to; flicking between Reverse, Drive and Park should be entirely natural right from the word go.
On the other hand, there’s no doubting the fundamental quality of the 730d’s cabin or its lavish specification.
As standard you get full Dakota leather upholstery, climate control, sat-nav, iDrive, Bluetooth connectivity and voice control of the multimedia system. Add £405 for a six-pack DVD changer and £325 for the test car’s high-gloss anthracite ash wood finish.
Otherwise what you see is what you get. Impressively opulent it all feels, too. There’s no question that the 730d, particularly in SE guise, is an awful lot of car for the money.
It has virtually every goodie you could ever want as standard, and when it comes to fuel consumption, range and emissions it’s just about unbeatable at the money. But in the current climate there’s one aspect that could kill this car stone dead, and that’s depreciation.
