Chinese technology giant Huawei was the second-largest smartphone maker in the world at this time last year, but its fortunes have taken a downturn in 2019. The US government hit the firm with a trade ban last spring, but a temporary exemption allowed US companies to continue working with it. Now, the government has signaled that there will be no more extensions — the export ban is likely to go into effect soon.
In May of this year, the US Commerce Department added Huawei to its “entity list.” The people and businesses on that list are considered a threat to US interests, and as such, US companies cannot provide technology or other resources to them. The government granted US firms a temporary 90-day reprieve from the trade ban to help them transition their business activities away from Huawei. Huawei got that reprieve extended in August by another 90 days.
The current exemption expires on November 19th, and government officials say there most likely will not be another. That would mean all US companies have to sever ties with Huawei in just a few weeks, and that is sure to devastate Huawei’s business. The company reported a small impact on its business in Q2, but the ban only happened a few weeks before the end of that quarter. We expect its Q3 numbers will be much, much worse.
The Mate 30 is the first Huawei phone to lack Google apps outside China.
Even without the full ban in effect, Huawei was unable to pursue any new business deals with US companies like Google. Therefore, its new Mate 30 Android phone is launchingwithoutGoogle apps and services. Things will only get worse when the exemption expires. While Huawei has more in-house technology than most smartphone makers, it still relies on US technologies like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and ARM chip designs. It may also be unable to certify Android updates for existing smartphones in the future. The US has also suggested it will punish allied nations that use Huawei telecom equipment for 5G networks.
Google has been lobbying for a special license to continue working with Huawei on Android devices. It’s not the only company looking for such a license, either. However, the government has thus far failed to process any of those applications. It looks like Huawei is going to have to limp along as the US-China trade war continues to rage.
Today’s top deal will get you up to speed with the latest in ultra-fast wireless networking technology. This router from Netgear features support for the new 802.11ax Wi-Fi standard that offers some of the fastest data transfer rates we’ve ever seen on a networking device.
This new Wi-Fi router from Netgear features support for the new 802.11ax wireless networking standard that offers blistering fast data transfer speeds of up to 6Gbps across its two bands and eight streams. The router also has excellent range that extends up to 2,500 sq. ft. Despite being relatively new, this router is on sale from Amazon marked down from $399.99 to $295.99.
Apple’s aluminum-clad MacBook Pro comes sporting a dual-core Intel Core i5 processor that operates at 2.3GHz. The system also has an integrated Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650 iGPU, which is among the most powerful iGPUs on the market today with sufficient power to run some modern games with low settings. Currently, you can get it from Amazon marked down from $1,499.00 to $1,199.99.
Dell’s Alienware Aurora pairs a fast Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 graphics card with an immensely powerful Intel Core i7-8700 processor. This combination makes the system excellent for gaming. Not to mention it also comes with a fast 256GB NVMe SSD and a 2TB HDD that gives you plenty of storage space. This system typically retails for $1,804.99 but right now you can get it for $1,199.99 from Dell.
The iRobot 680 is one of Roomba’s more affordable robot vacuums that features a three-stage cleaning system with multi-surface brushes that are able to pick up larger bits of debris in addition to small specs of dirt. This model typically retails for $299.00, but today you can get it for $229.99 from Walmart.
This inexpensive HP notebook comes equipped with one of AMD’s new Ryzen 3 3200U processors that have two SMT-enabled CPU cores and an integrated graphics processor capable of running older games. If you mostly just browse the web, watch videos, and play some older games then this system should work well for you. Right now it’s marked down from $379.99 to $269.00 from Walmart.
This set of Apple’s AirPods comes with a wireless charging case. Simply set the earbuds into the case whenever you are finished using them and they will automatically start charging. They also have support for Siri to quickly access your iPhone, and they can last for over 24 hours while listening to music. Amazon is offering these AirPods currently marked down from $199.00 to $169.00.
Note: Terms and conditions apply. See the relevant retail sites for more information.For more great deals, go to our partners at TechBargains.com.
The rumor mill has been abuzz about Motorola’s supposed folding phone all year, and a new report says the device is still on track for a 2019 debut. Motorola initially wanted to launch the phone over the summer, but that didn’t work out. It’s now expecting to announce the device at the very end of 2019.
Foldable phones are a popular diversion among smartphone makers right now. Samsung just re-launched the Galaxy Fold, and Huawei has shown off the Mate X foldable a few times. The high price tag and general fragility of these devices have made them a tough sell, though. The Motorola foldable might have a leg up because it’s allegedly a bit less ambitious and will cultivate technology nostalgia.
A Motorola patent showing a Razr-style folding phone.
Based on leaks and a recent Motorola patent filing, we expect the foldable to be a revamp of the classic Razr flip phone. Instead of a small screen and a keypad, the new Razr will have a large folding OLED inside. There will reportedly still be a small display on the outside like the classic phone. The Galaxy Fold and Mate X both have giant tablet-sized folding displays, which no doubt increase the cost. While we don’t expect the Razr to be cheap, it’s not going to cost $2,000 like the Fold — previous leaks have pointed to around $1,500.
We don’t know why Motorola pushed back the launch of its foldable, but it might have something to do with Samsung. Analysts speculate that Motorola is watching how consumers respond to the Galaxy Fold to help it decide how to position the new Razr. Samsung delayed the Fold to rework its design, so Motorola decided to hold off as well.
A render of the alleged foldable Razr.
This timeline matches previous leaks, and it fits makes sense in the context of Motorola’s current product lineup. Over the summer, Moto announced the Moto Z4, which is a mid-range phone rather than a flagship. There are no flagship phones in its 2019 lineup at all. The foldable Razr might have been meant as a summer blockbuster that would distract from the company’s yawn-inducing G and Z phones.
The source for this report can only say the announcement is currently on the books for the last few weeks of the year. It’s possible the phone won’t be available for purchase until 2020.
Don’t feed the sheriff’s horse tonight and Blaze won’t much feel like chasing cattle rustlers tomorrow. Don’t gas up the Ford Interceptor and you not make it much farther than Dunkin in the morning. Now the cops are learning: If you don’t charge your Tesla police car, the next shift won’t mount a very long high-speed pursuit. It happened this month in Fremont, California. The police department’s Tesla ran low on juice and the chase was called off after about eight miles. The Fremont PD said it was for reasons of public safety.
The 2014 Tesla Model S, purchased used, is believed to be the first electric police car placed on patrol duty in the US. It’s part of a pilot program for the city to determine how well EVs can slot into mainstream police work. EVs are already used for peripheral use, such as patrolling metered public parking lots.
Tesla Model Model S 85 when it was acquired. (Photos: Fremont Police
Department)
Here’s what happened: Sept. 20, the Tesla was on patrol. It began pursuit of what police described as a “felony vehicle” on Interstate 680 South in Fremont. The chased reached peak speeds of 120 mph. Several minutes into the chase, officer Jess Hartman noticed the Tesla was low on power. He radioed the dispatcher and said, “I am down to six miles of battery on the Tesla so I may lose it here in a sec.” Moments later, he added, “If someone else is able, can they maneuver into the number one spot?”
Shortly after Hartman reported his low-battery condition, traffic began to clog up and the driver of the pursued vehicle took to the breakdown lane. That led the Tesla to break off the chase and exit the highway in San Jose. Hartman radioed, “I’ve got to try to find a charging station for the Tesla so I can make it back to the city.” That he did, took on some more juice, and drove back to headquarters.
The pursued car was later found crashed in bushes and abandoned. The driver apparently fled on foot. He was wanted on a felony warrant from Santa Clara, police said.
As to what went wrong, a police spokesperson said that “[officer] Hartman was monitoring the charge and responsibly notifying everyone of its status.” (The cops don’t like to say somebody messed up.) While the car is being driven, the officers inside are responsible for checking the fuel or battery level, although it’s seldom an issue in urban/suburban patrols. Larger police departments typically have maintenance workers responsible for refueling. In smaller departments, it may be an end-of-shift task. The Fremont PD did note the car somehow hadn’t been plugged in to charge at the end of its previous shift.
The Fremont Tesla is part of a pilot program to determine the suitability of EVs for patrol duty. This one was bought in 2018 for $61,000 directly from Tesla — which has its main factory in Fremont — and a year and $20,000 was spent getting it ready for first police use in March 2018. The 2014 Model S 85 is rating as having a range of 265 miles on a full battery. Urban police work is ideal for an EV because of the frequent starts and stops that regenerate power. Fremont police say a typical shift involves 70-100 miles of driving. Fremont Police Captain Sean Washington told the East Bay Times in July:
Things were going well with the Tesla pilot program, which had already been involved in at least one other pursuit at that time. “So far so good,” Washington said, noting there is usually about 40 to 50 percent battery life left after a normal shift. “We are easily able to make it through an 11-hour shift with battery power to spare.”
No matter what an EV’s stated range is, running at high speed causes a huge hit on the battery.
Ford Police Interceptor Utility Hybrid SUV.
Ford is currently the leading seller of police cars, more of which are SUVs these days. The company is promoting the hybrid as the ideal police car, in particular, a Ford Explorer modified as a “Police Interceptor Utility” with a 3.3-liter V6 and a hybrid battery.
The car can run off battery power for the better part of an hour with radios and computer active; 10-15 minutes of engine-on time brings the hybrid battery back to full charge. Ford says its hybrid gets 40 percent better mileage than a gas-only vehicle and reaches 137 mph. Ford still recommends a non-hybrid V6 turbo — sorry, no V8s — for rural and highway pursuits of up to 150 mph.
It was just this year that we got our first real look at a black hole, and it matched many of the theoretical predictions that came before the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) project made history. An impressive new NASA simulation shows us what that black hole might look like if we were closer.
A black hole pulls in all the matter and energy around it, so we can’t directly visualize the structure itself. However, we can see what it does to the space around it. What we’re looking at in the new NASA simulation is the accretion disk, the super-heated remnants of other objects as they fall into the black hole. Some aspects of the simulation don’t look right, but it’s all intentional. The physics of a black hole are just so extreme that it seemswrong.
The image depicts a black hole seen almost edge-on, with the accretion disk extending toward and away from the observer. The top and bottom humps aren’t really there — they’re the result of the black hole’s extreme gravity altering the path of light (a type of gravitational lensing). We’re actually seeing warped images of the top and bottom of the flat disk from the opposite side. This effect is most pronounced when looking at the black hole edge-on. You may also notice the left side of the disk looks brighter than the right, but that’s not a mistake. The glowing gas on the left is moving toward us, and Einstein predicted that would make it look brighter. Indeed, the EHT image showed the same effect.
According to NASA, the banding in the accretion disk comes from the churning magnetic field and the acceleration of matter near the event horizon. Gas nearest to the black hole orbits at almost the speed of light, but the outer areas move much slower. This stretches out the brighter sections, producing bands of light and dark. And what about that stationary bright line inside the main accretion disk? That’s the photon ring, a sort of “reflection” of the black hole’s accretion disk caused by photons that orbit very close to the event horizon two or three times before being thrown out where an observer can see them.
Inside the photon ring is the black hole “shadow,” which is about twice the size of the event horizon itself. Gravitational lensing and the capture of light makes this region pitch black. Anything that passes the event horizon is stuck there. Images like this help us visualize the extreme environment around a black hole, and we can be much more confident in their accuracy thanks to the EHT project.
Samsung was one of the first companies to embrace virtual reality with its Gear VR platform, and it looks like it might be among the first to give up on the technology. With the company’s latest flagship phone lacking VR support, Oculus CTO John Carmack is sounding the alarm over this “missed opportunity.”
Carmack’s comments came at the annual Oculus Connect developer conference. During his keynote, Carmack spoke frankly about the state of mobile VR in general and Gear VR in particular. While Gear VR istechnicallystill supported, and developers can release games for it, Carmack admitted its days are probably numbered.
Samsung first partnered with Oculus on mobile VR back in 2015 when it released the “Innovator Edition” headset for $99. This device required a Galaxy Note 4, which slotted into the front to run and display VR content. The headset itself contained lenses and dials to adjust the phone position. Later versions of the Gear VR headset cost less, but Samsung had to release frequent hardware revisions to accommodate its ever-changing phone lineup.
The Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ are the first Samsung flagship phones since the Note 4 that lack Gear VR support. There’s also no Google Daydream VR support, which Samsung only added with the release of the Galaxy S8. Samsung is clearly over mobile VR, and it’s not hard to see why. Even Google has gone more than a year without so much as mentioning mobile VR even though the Pixel 3 had support for Daydream.
The Oculus Go offers mobile-style VR without the phone.
Carmack expressed regret that mobile VR was dying, but he brought up several lingering issues that made it a tough sell. For example, running VR content on a phone was extremely hard on the battery. Phones also struggle to create truly immersive, realistic VR experiences without overheating. So, most people set the headsets aside after using them once or twice. Carmack considers this a missed opportunity because of the low barrier to entry. The Gear VR sold in large numbers (more than all standalone Oculus headsets) because it was so cheap compared with other ways to try VR.
Oculus has moved on to the standalone Oculus Go headset, which offers similar features to the Gear VR, but it doesn’t require a smartphone to be the brain of your VR experience. Now, Carmack seems ready to let Gear VR fade away, but he’s not happy about it.
Your first thought upon viewing the BMW X7: The massive front grille turns this amazing full-size SUV in the direction of self-parody. But step into the cockpit, where you don’t see the schnozz, and you’ll find a wealth of performance, handling, and driver-assist features that make this the best big SUV you can buy, at least until the next-generation (2020) Mercedes-Benz GLS arrives in quantity. What makes the X7 worth the better part of $100,000 is the seamless Level 2 self-driving with automatic lane changes, the big cockpit displays, the camera systems, the fabulous seats, the ride and handling, and reasonable third-row room.
The biggest (non-grille) downside is cockpit switchgear that has become at once prettier, harder to use, and harder to read. Also, a car this big would be more socially conscious if a plug-in hybrid version was offered in the first wave of X7 shipments rather than waiting for 2020 or 2021. And: Before you commit to lease payments up to $1,600, make sure you really need the marginally bigger interior the X7 provides. The BMW X5 is nearly as big in most ways unless you must have that third seat. On price, the X7 is clearly bigger, as much as $122,000, and even something of a public service: BMW is doing more to claw back money from the rich than Bernie and AOC combined.
Fabulous on Highways and Back Roads
I test-drove the 2019 X7. The 2020 model is virtually the same, adding a higher-power M design version. The BMW X7 is in its element gliding along the highway on 400-mile treks, whether you drive it yourself or engage the Active Driving Assistant Pro self-driving feature and let radars, cameras, and microprocessors do the work. Perhaps surprisingly — if you don’t know BMW-Audi-Mercedes-Porsche SUV engineering — it’s also quite at home on country roads as long as you factor in the 5,500 pounds of weight.
There are a lot of cars that have Level 2 self-driving, meaning your car paces the car in front up to the speed you set using adaptive cruise control and keeps the car in the middle of the lane (lane centering assist), while you lightly keep hands on the steering wheel. BMW does it as well as anyone. I was impressed by the auto-lane-change feature. Tap the turn signal, the car checks to the rear and side, and if the coast is clear, shifts lanes left or right. Not once was there an issue with the car trying to shift lanes at the same time a car behind was coming up quickly. Although it doesn’t hurt to look in the side mirror just to be sure, as some Tesla drivers have learned.
An X7 slides through the primordial soup. Actually, an off-road course at the BMW Performance Center outside Palm Springs, California. The X7 fords up 20 inches of water.
Long-haul driving is helped by the quality of BMW’s seats, the optional seat massagers, the side window shades in row two, heated and vented seats, and even the pillows attached to the headrests. At night, the mood lighting makes the car feel like a private jet. The console cupholders warm or cool drinks. USB jacks are abundant. Onboard Wi-Fi is available. Many of these features are optional (and desirable, and not cheap), and BMW’s close competitors offer many of the same features and options.
The mondo front grille is mostly trompe l’oeil (trick of the eye) that makes you suspect the X7 is bigger in every way than BMW’s other SUVs. It took me a day of driving to realize that the X7 is fine on twisty back roads because it’s no wider, just a bit longer, and about 500 pounds heavier than the X5, a happy back-road-warrior.
Among European automakers, there’s an arms race to have the family SUV be an off-roader and river-crosser. BMW has a package that lets you climb rocks and then cross a stream 20 inches deep. It’s an option. If you want to tow a trailer, you can, and with the trailer package, you can tow 7,700 pounds.
BMW’s self-driving suite, the Driving Assistance Professional Package, is slick; it even changes lanes by tapping the turn signal. (Note that mail truck is being towed and not wrong-way driving.) And only Wikipedia presents more information than BMW’s head-up display.
BMW in the Lead on Tech
BMW in the US has been the ultimate driving machine for half a half-century. Now it dazzles you with technical brilliance as well. Example: If you get the surround camera package, when you park, you see the view ahead (if you’re pulling in going forward) on the big center stack display side-by-side with a stitched 360-degree overhead view; as you get closer to the car in front or to the garage wall, the view-ahead camera angle rises up to help gauge the final couple feet, all automagically. Or if you get the parking assistant option, you can let the car ease itself into parallel or perpendicular spaces. If you do it yourself, nearby vehicles, walls, raised curbs, or light stanchions shown onscreen radiate green-yellow-or-red force fields outward to indicate how close you are. When you’re away from the car, the cameras let you monitor its well-being from your phone. At a time when even some mainstream cars — Ford Explorer, say — have auto-parking, BMW marshals overwhelming-show-of-force technology to make the case for premium cars.
The dual 12-inch displays (instrument panel and center stack) allow multiple panes of information. If you want, the center display can be dialed back to, say, just the moving map. The iDrive controller works well and you have multiple ways to interact: the control wheel, a finger-writing pad on top of the wheel, adjacent buttons to summon common features, voice input, and gesture controls including a Tinder-like swipe to answer the phone. Okay, gesture control may seem like a stupid pet trick, but BMW’s point is: We give you every way possible to interact with the car. The modes you don’t like? Don’t use them.
The head-up display is big with lots of information that you can choose to show or hide. When the HUD maps out the lanes you need to be in for the exit, it’s pretty hard to mess up. BMW monitors the driver for inattention via an instrument panel camera, which is faster and more accurate in determining if your attention has drifted. You won’t like being ratted out, but you’ll live longer. Most of BMW’s USB jacks are Type C, which is the way the industry is heading. You may need to buy a $5 adapter now, but your next phone will probably be Type C at both ends, and you’re ready.
And this is tech of a sort: the Panoramic Sky Lounge LED Roof creates six LED light patterns in the roof — white, blue, orange, bronze, lilac, and green — for more enjoyable nighttime driving.
BMW X7 center console: The function selectors forward of the iDrive controller are blocked by the optional crystal shifter, and the button cluster lost its find-by-shape pronounced vee-design.
Cockpit Controls Won’t Please Everyone
When a car costs this much, the owner has high expectations. Repeat buyers may be disappointed with the direction taken by the interface to the iDrive controls and control surfaces. Function buttons to control entertainment, phone, map, and navigation were arrayed in side-by-side vee shapes with the home button in between. You could tell without looking if you were touching the front or rear button by the way it sloped, and the left or right button set by where the flat home button was in relation. The buttons now are hard to access because the driver’s hand has to reach around the gearshift selector.
On the steering wheel, buttons are now finished in brushed satin chrome with black lettering that glows a weakish red at night. Drivers over 40 with imperfect eyesight may find them a challenge, especially those who don’t use their reading half-glasses while driving.
The X7 includes no adaptive cruise control in the base version, reserving it for the $1,700 self-drive package called the Driving Assistance Professional Package. BMW should include adaptive cruise control in the base price as Honda and Toyota do so the basics are all there: ACC as well as the provided lane departure warning, blind-spot detection, forward collision warning, and auto-emergency braking.
BMW does give you 10 free years of telematics service (not 10 years of free data) so emergency calling and crash notification are always there, BMW can download software updates, and you can reach out to the dealer to set up service. But there is no Android Auto, and access to Apple CarPlay costs $80 a year (after a free first year).
Cockpit fit and finish are fabulous on the X7.
BMW X7 Trim Walk
A basic X7 is $75K. But move up the ladder to the V8 and the M version, and/or add in as much as $20K in options, and you can easily surpass $110,000. The X7 SAV, or sports activity vehicle, as BMW calls it, comes in three variants with an eight-speed automatic transmission and air suspension. Plus lots of options packages and standalone options. All models are all-wheel drive with three rows of seating along with with Active Driving Assistant (daytime pedestrian protection, frontal collision warning with city collision mitigation, lane departure warning, active blind-spot detection, and rear cross-traffic alert), adaptive LED headlamps with auto high beams, panoramic moonroof, ambient cockpit lighting with 12 lighting themes, telematics with a Wi-Fi hotspot, and 21-inch alloy wheels.
BMW X7 xDrive 40i ($74,895 including $995 freight). The 3.0-liter 335 hp turbo inline-six-cylinder engine is rated at 5.8 seconds 0-60 mph with an EPA rating of 20 mpg city / 25 mpg highway / 22 mpg combined on premium fuel. The base audio system has 10 speakers, a 205-watt amplifier, satellite, and HD radio.
BMW X7 xDrive 50i ($93,95). The 4.4-liter turbo V8 reaches 60 mph in 5.2 seconds and is EPA-rated at 15 / 21 / 17 mpg. Audio is branded Harman Kardon with 16 speakers (464 watts).
BMW X7 M50i ($100,595). The V8 hits 523 hp and goes 0-60 in 4.5 seconds (EPA rating pending). Standard alloy wheels are 22 inches. There even-nicer upholstery and trim choices. Note to enthusiasts: While there’s an M in the name, this is not the same as an M in front of the series number (M3 versus X7 M50i). But it will still outperform every most other big SUV currently on the road.
There are a half-dozen options packages for the X7 from $800 to $4,100. The Premium Package ($2,800) has the HUD, rear side shades, soft close doors, 12-speaker Harman audio, soft-close doors, and gesture control. The Executive Package ($4,100 on the six-cylinder) incorporates the Premium Package plus the Panoramic Sky Lounge LED Roof, heated and cooled cupholders, and “hand-made, diamond-cut glass trim elements” for the shifter, audio volume control, start button, and iDrive wheel.
The Driver Assistance Package ($1,700) is a must-have twice over: once because BMW omits adaptive cruise control from the base price and secondly because BMW rolls in a raft of other truly useful assists including Level 2 self-driving. The Cold Weather Package ($1,200) has heated front seat armrests and steering, and five-zone climate control. A Luxury Seating Package is $1,600.
You can order one or the other of these two: an Off-Road Package ($1,650) has specific modes for sand, rock, gravel, and snow); or the Parking Assistance Package ($800) with automated parallel parking, surround-view of the car while driving or while parked and way from the car, plus a video drive recorder.
Standalone options included Night Vision ($2,300), a trailer hitch that boosts towing capacity to 7,500 pounds ($550), a leather dashboard ($850), scented cockpit aromas (350), second-row captain’s chairs ($850), Alcantara (synthetic suede headliner, $1,000), “Shadowline” trim ($350), rear entertainment ($2,200), M Sport brakes ($650), and integral active steering ($1,150). All these have some degree of utility and can also drive the six-cylinder version to $87,000. More if you add premium paint (up to $1,950), pothole-finder 22-inch wheels ($1,300), specialty seat leathers ($3,700), or an M Sport design package ($4,350) that is about show more than go (it does include an aero kit to glue the car to the road at near-Autobahn speeds). The most costly X7 I managed to price reached $121,845, about $1,600 a month on a lease.
BMW X7 is 203 inches to the X5’s 194 inches. Width and height are essentially the same.
The Big SUV: What Took BMW So Long?
The Berlin Wall had barely come down when BMW first pondered an SUV, the X5. It arrived in 1999 and was a more immediate hit than the first Mercedes-Benz ML (now GLE) that rode like a truck (because it was built on a truck frame), or the first Lexus RX, 1998. BMW added the compact X3 as a 2004 model, the subcompact X1 in 2008, and fastback SUVs (X6, X4) along the way. The X7 was almost a decade in gestation if you count the years of internal deliberations and the five years from public announcement to first shipments this year. In the meantime, Mercedes-Benz ruled with the full-size GL (now GLS) that dates to the 2007 model year. The first X7 barely beat the third-generation GLS to market.
Why did BMW wait? For certain, BMW wanted to be sure the big honker would handle decently. Perhaps it had doubts about the propriety of building such a big vehicle at a time when many parts of the world have concerns about the car’s impact on the planet. You might approach 30 mpg in very cautious highway driving with the six-cylinder if you stick to the speed limit), and with a 21.9-gallon tank, cruise 550 miles or more between refills. Actually, if you gauge your speed by the amount of road and wind noise, you’ll think you’re doing 55, look at the speedometer, and realize you’re rolling at 85.
When you parallel park the X7, you’ll know it’s bigger: 203 versus 194 inches long. The 122-inch wheelbase, 5 inches more than the X5, smooths out the highway ride. Interior head, leg and shoulder room are no more than an inch better for the X7. Rear legroom, often the measurement that most determines rear-seat comfort, rounds to 38 inches for both, fair-to-good for a full-size SUV, but almost 7 inches less than the decade-only Ford Flex. Put all but the front seats down and the X7 trumps the X5 on cargo space, 90 to 72 cubic feet. But with all the seats up, there is a puny 13 feet behind the X7’s third-row versus 33.9 for the X5.
Be sure to try the third row for comfort. I’d describe it this way: good headroom, decent legroom, seat too low to the floor (but that allows for decent headroom). If you want a comfortable third row, either go to something like a Ford Expedition that is 2 feet longer, or get a — gasp — minivan. In other words, the third row is okay but you might have expected a little more room. The third row does get its own sunroof.
BMW offers two V8 engines with 523 or 465 hp (X7 M50i, X7 xDrive50i) or or an inline six 335 hp (X7 xDrive 40i). Choose your 0-60 time: 4.5, 5.2, or 5.8 seconds 0-60 mph.
BMW X7 vs. Mercedes GLS and the Field
Lincoln Navigator.
Among full-size luxury/sport SUVs, they all do a good job wrapping you in leather seating surfaces and making the straight-line driving experience joyful. Take a look at the direct and wannabe competitors:
The US-flagged brands, for the most part, do not pretend to be SUV versions of the brands’ sport sedans. Most come in big and bigger editions, including the Cadillac Escalade (204 and 224 inches long) and Lincoln Navigator (210 and 222 inches long), with the ability to tow at least 7,900 pounds. They weigh 5,500-6,200 pounds and use body-on-frame rather than a weight-saving unibody construction. The Navigator is new for 2019 and gets high marks for luxury appointments (even in this class), straight-line acceleration, second- and third-row room, and highway ride thanks to wheelbases of 123 and 132 inches. (The new Lincoln Aviator is more X5-sized.)
The Chevrolet Suburban, Ford Expedition, and GMC Yukon (especially Denali trim line) can be considered luxury vehicles: You can easily get the price over $70K, twice the average of a new car. The unibody Buick Enclave (204 inches long) and new Cadillac XT6 (199 inches) are less bulky than the Escalade-Yukon. Some reviewers found the XT6 didn’t match the luxe feel of the equally new, and larger, Navigator.
The Audi Q7 at 199.6 inches is borderline full-size with a tasteful cockpit and excellent technology; it is more of an X5 competitor. The Audi Q8 is a fastback Q7 that is shorter despite the higher numbering, and more of a BMW X6 competitor. The Porsche Cayenne is a midsize model with only two rows, but it is a Porsche, which means handling and cachet (also a pricey options sheet).
There are also off-road-centric big SUVs such as the aging Toyota Land Cruiser living off the same design since the 2008 model year and the sibling Lexus LX, with V8 engines and snug third rows. The Land Cruiser has reliability and exclusivity on its side: US sales average just 3,000 a year (although global sales dating to 1951 just passed 10 million). These vehicles are not remotely BMW X7 / Mercedes GLS competitors except that if you buy one, it will probably be the only such vehicle in the prep school pickup lane, and exclusivity has value. Just remember: 15 mpg on a good day.
Acura’s biggest SUV, the MDX, is more of a midsize three-row SUV at 196 inches, it’s aging (the third generation dates to MY 2014) and the next-gen MDX arrives within the year, but it’s a solid value. The well-regarded Lexus RX 350 L is an even smaller, still midsize, three-row. From Korea, the new Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride are also midsize three-row SUVs and exceptionally well outfitted for the price, offer Level 2 self-driving, for less than $50K; they define “class above” SUVs. That reduces to one the significant Asian competitors: Infiniti, with the 210-inch QX80 featuring a roomy interior, good cargo capacity, and outstanding fit and finish; handling will not be as inspired as the X7’s.
The Land Rover Range Rover has evolved to a beautiful car inside with plenty of room (especially the $110K long-wheelbase model), and superb off-road and wading capabilities.
The 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS is the closest competitor to the X7.
That leaves the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS, now arriving at dealers. It offers six- or eight-cylinder engines and dual 12-inch dashboard displays (same as BMW), excellent handling and safety, and a starting price, like BMW, in the low- to mid-$70s, in part because so many desirable features are extra, such as the E-Active Body Control that scans the road ahead for bumps and continuously adjusts the adaptive suspension. A loaded V8 GLS 550 reaches $120,000 and the AMG version starts at $125K. Specs suggest the GLS will be more comfortable for passengers aft of the first row compared with the X7, and a look at the front end shows one of the few big SUVs that haven’t succumbed to the big-grille fetish.
What to choose? Right now, the 2019/2020 BMW X7 is the best premium big SUV you can buy. Most likely the X7 and GLS will separate themselves from the field for those whose criteria include great handling, a tasteful interior, good passenger room in all three rows, state-of-the-art driver-assist features including Level 2 autonomy, and comprehensive safety features to avoid, deal with, and reach out after accidents. Look at the Lincoln Navigator long-wheelbase if you need to carry three rows of people most of the time and you’re less concerned about spirited driving on country roads. Or about getting it in the garage at night.
Before you commit, take one last look at the X5. Unless you must have three seating rows or need 7,500 not 6,600 pounds of towing capacity, the X5 is a match for the X7 in interior spaciousness (first two rows), technology features, and engines. Either one, X7 or X5, is fine with the six-cylinder engine. Where the BMW X5 and X3 are the top SUVs in their categories, the X7 may wind up sharing the crown.
