[zzdanny]

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I've heard mixed reviews on ride comfort for the x7. Im looking into a used one, 2019-2021, possibly 40i, but some say to go for the 50i or m50i, since if it has the DHP package with active comfort drive. For those who have driven both, is there a difference, ik its subjective cause some x7s dont have run flats and others do, plus 21 vs 22 inch wheels are another factor. Im coming from a gl550 which is pretty soft and i prefer soft. I know theres also "comfort plus" mode that can be coded in, make the dampers a bit softer, has anyone done that specifically to the 40i. Let me know your thoughts.

[MR_M2]

So after driving 2023 40i with m sport 22 inch wheels and my own 2022 M50i with DHP, the difference is very noticeable on grainy and rougher surfaces so much so that they feel like very different cars.

The easiest way to describe the car with DHP is that it provides a magic carpet ride as it soaks all the high frequency jolts from the road surface.

Turning radius and handling are the very obvious things you will notice - probably when taking the first turn or when you try to park.

[zzdanny]

Originally Posted by MR_M2

So after driving 2023 40i with m sport 22 inch wheels and my own 2022 M50i with DHP, the difference is very noticeable on grainy and rougher surfaces so much so that they feel like very different cars.

The easiest way to describe the car with DHP is that it provides a magic carpet ride as it soaks all the high frequency jolts from the road surface.

Turning radius and handling are the very obvious things you will notice - probably when taking the first turn or when you try to park.

v8 model seems enticing, how was reliability and whats the highest mpg u got with them m50i?

[omnid00d]

Originally Posted by zzdanny

v8 model seems enticing, how was reliability and whats the highest mpg u got with them m50i?

Only had my M50i for 6m but mpg is pretty bad as you can probably imagine. Stop/go traffic commute gets about 15mpg while long highway drives, I've gotten up to 25mpg at 75mph. BUT that v8 is quite intoxicating and I love how I get a rush of power at 70mph to 100mph

I haven't driven a model without DHP but comfort is a firm/controlled comfort compared to the GLS580 I test drove IMO. Sport mode on the MB is closer between comfort and sport but more on the comfort side on my M50i. IT's great on rough roads, I still kind of feel the road but it's very controlled and on long drives, it's plush enough. Given that you can code comfort plus, I can only imagine is more plush in that setting.

[Tinbad]

Driving an M50i with DHP is indeed like a magic carpet ride to the point where it can almost make you sleepy driving it. Not that one without DHP isn’t comfortable but DHP definitely takes it to next level. Were on our 2nd M50 with DHP (I wouldn’t buy one without it) so gotten pretty used to ride however every once in a while when a relative drives it they all compliment the amazing, tranquil ride. Also agree with the previous poster it’s a lot less of a floaty drive as GLS. As soon as you need to take a corner at speed, the active stabilization system keeps it super flat unlike the Benz that seems to have more difficulty hiding its weight in corners.

[AvGeek]

I'm actually finding the ride to be fairly floaty on the highway. Not sure if it's the DHP or if the rebound/suspension is just too slow/soft for the 5900lbs of this car. Sport mode makes it marginally better on the floatiness but obviously doesn't do well over potholes. I have a bigger truck and it feels just fine on the highway so I'm not a stranger to heavy cars.

[zzdanny]

Originally Posted by AvGeek

I'm actually finding the ride to be fairly floaty on the highway. Not sure if it's the DHP or if the rebound/suspension is just too slow/soft for the 5900lbs of this car. Sport mode makes it marginally better on the floatiness but obviously doesn't do well over potholes. I have a bigger truck and it feels just fine on the highway so I'm not a stranger to heavy cars.

I would try adaptive mode, I've heard in another post that adaptive mode is how the active comfort drive works with the cameras scanning the road, and is more controlled than comfort mode.

[Young04]

Originally Posted by AvGeek

I'm actually finding the ride to be fairly floaty on the highway. Not sure if it's the DHP or if the rebound/suspension is just too slow/soft for the 5900lbs of this car. Sport mode makes it marginally better on the floatiness but obviously doesn't do well over potholes. I have a bigger truck and it feels just fine on the highway so I'm not a stranger to heavy cars.

This is my main complaint with the X7 - with or without DHP. Something about the damping is a little off. My iX (which is heavier than the X7) has so much less float and manages to handle much better in the corners. I get the EV to ICE comparison isn't a direct one but it still illustrates my general point.

[AvGeek]

Originally Posted by zzdanny

I would try adaptive mode, I've heard in another post that adaptive mode is how the active comfort drive works with the cameras scanning the road, and is more controlled than comfort mode.

What is this adaptive mode you speak of?

[rjabend]

I don't have DHP, but my X7 has the best ride and lowest noise level of anything I have ever owned.

[Madsen203]

Originally Posted by rjabend

I don't have DHP, but my X7 has the best ride and lowest noise level of anything I have ever owned.

I second this. While I really wanted DHP, I found a deal I couldn’t pass up on a nearly new x7 with ample warranty left from a private seller with many of the options I wanted.

Can’t go wrong either way. My next X7 will definitely have it. I didn’t have time to pick and choose and finding as used one originating and maintained in California was important to me (extended emission warranty for the 48v system).

[Brendon]

I have 22" summer tires on my '19 40i and I'm pretty impressed but the ride quality. I'm sure it would be better with DHP, but I don't find it lacking.

[MR_M2]

One more I would add, which many would oversee is that the 40i doesn’t suit the car.

I drove the 40i for a week when my m50i was in the shop; I can’t seem to understand how the transmission is programmed in the 40i model but it always seems to pull a higher gear than my 50i.
I live around the hills and every time the 40i would go over a slightly inclined road the transmission would immediately blip into a lower gear and the inline six seem to struggle with the weight of the car and rpm’s would shoot up, making the cabin noisy.
The v8s torque helps a ton in such scenarios and truly makes it feel like a luxury car.

[Madsen203]

Originally Posted by Brendon

I have 22" summer tires on my '19 40i and I'm pretty impressed but the ride quality. I'm sure it would be better with DHP, but I don't find it lacking.

Same here. 22” just out on DWS06+ and they smoothed out the ride substantially compared to the Summer RFT’s.

Originally Posted by MR_M2

One more I would add, which many would oversee is that the 40i doesn’t suit the car.

I drove the 40i for a week when my m50i was in the shop; I can’t seem to understand how the transmission is programmed in the 40i model but it always seems to pull a higher gear than my 50i.
I live around the hills and every time the 40i would go over a slightly inclined road the transmission would immediately blip into a lower gear and the inline six seem to struggle with the weight of the car and rpm’s would shoot up, making the cabin noisy.
The v8s torque helps a ton in such scenarios and truly makes it feel like a luxury car.

I disagree. If you’re looking for power, then yes, the 40i can be underwhelming. But it’s a 6k people hauler and goes plenty quick as is. I found using “adaptive” mode tends to run a gear lower than comfort which does its best to get to highest gear it can carry.

I found the noise of the V8 to be intrusive and takes away from the quiet ride that the X7 is known for. Also, low speed stop and go the shifting is rougher and not as smooth as the 40i. I’m not sure why this is but it has been validated by many m50/60 owners in various threads on the forum. If you don’t live in a place with lots of stop and go or stop signs, probably a non issue.

[ledphut]

Get the Alpina. Comfort Plus with the stock 21’s is as close to Rolls Royce ride quality as you can get for under $300K.

[mattsrs]

I picked up my 25 X7 40 with DHP yesterday and even with freaking RFs, it drives so so smooth and plush. I don't know if it is because of DHP or not but love the ride.

[NGT2]

I have a 2021 40i. M Sport, 21” runflats, no DHP. It rides pretty good but honestly a little rougher on some bumps than I’d like it a car that size. My M550 has DHP and I think it rides better. Wife daily drives the X7.

But don’t get me wrong. It drives great. We preferred it to the Mercedes drive. The BMW just drives with more engagement and fun, even in a car that big. We both drove a 2025 LCI 40i today and we both agreed it was smoother and quieter than our 2021, but not as fun to drive for some reason. It drove slightly heavier. I don’t think it was slower but we felt the sensation of the acceleration less. To the point she thought it was slower but I disagree. Maybe some of the undesired difference was because it wasn’t M Sport like ours? Either way, she didn’t feel motivated to pay up for an LCI at all. Quite the opposite. And the engine was quieter, which many would like but she prefers hearing the engine noise.

I agree with others that the B58 inline 6 has enough power for the car, if you’re not primarily focused on power. And the I6 engine makes the front end feel really light, which I think makes it drive nice around town.

All that said - we happened to test a 2020 M50 today and it’s fantastic. I’ll be looking for a CPO 2022 M50. Totally different animal. It had DHP and it was a game changer, along with the V8.

I’d say the 40i and M50 are just two different cars in the same suit. It was more than just a faster version of our current X7. And the spec was very similar, otherwise. I came from a 2018 540 to a 2020 M550 and had the same experience when I first test drove the M550. Totally different car. Went hunting and had one a few months later.

Final thoughts - get the DHP. It’s harder to find on a 40i but you can find it. Based on what you’re coming from and looking for, you’ll appreciate it. I think either powertrain X7 with DHP will give you a more engaging drive than the Benz but offer enough of the comfort that you’re used to.

[tkelley86]

I came from a MB S560 which is arguably one of the most comfortable riding cars on the planet.

My 21' M50i with non run flat 21" Pirelli Scorpion tires, DHP, and ASD coded off is pretty dang close to that experience. And I don't even drive it in comfort mode because I find it to "floaty".

I almost exclusively run Adaptive with one click down on suspension height and its perfect. It's almost like the car knows what I'm about to do when turns pop up, then it helps me make them.

[toddwalton]

Originally Posted by zzdanny

I've heard mixed reviews on ride comfort for the x7. Im looking into a used one, 2019-2021, possibly 40i, but some say to go for the 50i or m50i, since if it has the DHP package with active comfort drive. For those who have driven both, is there a difference, ik its subjective cause some x7s dont have run flats and others do, plus 21 vs 22 inch wheels are another factor. Im coming from a gl550 which is pretty soft and i prefer soft. I know theres also "comfort plus" mode that can be coded in, make the dampers a bit softer, has anyone done that specifically to the 40i. Let me know your thoughts.

We're in our 6th year with our 2019 40i and it's the most comfortable SUV we've ever owned.

No, you don't need DHP, because you're not going to try to make this into some slot car. You're going to embrace the luxury, the sumptuous Captain's Chairs, the quiet glass, the smell of the leather, the gloss of the wood, and the air suspension. Just flip it into Sport mode each time you drive off. It's a dream.

[coastal2]

Originally Posted by Madsen203

I found the noise of the V8 to be intrusive and takes away from the quiet ride that the X7 is known for.

What year was it? MY2021+ suffer from significant quality issues although things are getting better, and the insulation is still the #1 complaint. I’ve had passengers complain that it feels weird to go 90 in sport mode and feel like “we’re in a sealed space pod library and there isn’t even a road” in my 2020 m50i. The inside of my wife’s 2024 iX is louder both stopped and on the highway, and the light hum of the electric engine is more noticeable than the V8 in mine as long as you turn down the fake engine noise.

[Madsen203]

Originally Posted by coastal2

What year was it? MY2021+ suffer from significant quality issues although things are getting better, and the insulation is still the #1 complaint. I’ve had passengers complain that it feels weird to go 90 in sport mode and feel like “we’re in a sealed space pod library and there isn’t even a road” in my 2020 m50i. The inside of my wife’s 2024 iX is louder both stopped and on the highway, and the light hum of the electric engine is more noticeable than the V8 in mine as long as you turn down the fake engine noise.

I can’t recall if it was 2020 or 2021. I half wonder if the piped in engine noise was turned up or there was an exhaust leak or something. It was quiet at cruising speed but under throttle, the bass of the motor intruded heavily and under throttle you could barely keep conversation as it was very intrusive. The 40i had similar pep to 30-40mph but then the the V8 shined through until I let go where as the 40i acceleration rate started to slow down heavily at about 85mph.

[NGT2]

Originally Posted by coastal2

What year was it? MY2021+ suffer from significant quality issues although things are getting better, and the insulation is still the #1 complaint. I’ve had passengers complain that it feels weird to go 90 in sport mode and feel like “we’re in a sealed space pod library and there isn’t even a road” in my 2020 m50i. The inside of my wife’s 2024 iX is louder both stopped and on the highway, and the light hum of the electric engine is more noticeable than the V8 in mine as long as you turn down the fake engine noise.

I see a lot of posts saying 2020 is the best year and 2021+ suffer from lower quality, etc. Is this really significant? I’m looking for another X7 now and was going to try to find a 2022, 2021 at the oldest. Mainly so I’ll have at least a year of warranty left to go with the CPO. Forget the options deletions, for the purpose of this question. Would you guys say the differences are enough to buy a 2020 over a 2021-2022, assuming the mileage is the same, even if you have to then fool with finding a third party warranty? Shopping for an M50.