[Lindsaykoehler]

I just went from a 2019 X7 50i M sport to a 2021 X7M 50i If anyone has any questions about differences. This was my husband's choice he is a M guy and he we always knew that when the M came out we were going to be trading up. But if you're curious about any of the changes or the comfort and convenience that is definitely my wheelhouse because I had issues with my 2020 X7. If it's anything about the motor I can ask my husband if I can't answer because that is his department. . I will say it drives SO much better! My 2020 had every option as does this 2021 M so I am comparing apples to apples. I attached pictures the new one to this post, will attach the older one down below

* I also went from bucket seats to a bench seat. The bucket seats look really cool and are very comfortable but you can barely get a mosquito between them!! and there's not as much legroom. The bench gives it a lot more room in the backseat.

[Cabby]

Originally Posted by Lindsaykoehler

I just went from a 2020 X7 50i M sport to a 2021 X7M 50i If anyone has any questions about differences. This was my husband's choice he is a M guy and he we always knew that when the M came out we were going to be trading up. But if you're curious about any of the changes or the comfort and convenience that is definitely my wheelhouse because I had issues with my 2020 X7. If it's anything about the motor I can ask my husband if I can't answer because that is his department. . I will say it drives SO much better! My 2020 had every option as does this 2021 M so I am comparing apples to apples.

That sounds like an expensive trade-up in such a short time. If your old car had issues, I wouldnt call it apples to apples.

[Lindsaykoehler]

Originally Posted by Cabby

That sounds like an expensive trade-up in such a short time. If your old car had issues, I wouldnt call it apples to apples.

Well my husband is a "car guy" and we have car dealerships ( not a BMW one) and so trading and buying is normal in our house🙃. And honestly the price was very close to the same since we had all options on the 2020 and the 2021 took some of the options off it was close in price.

When I say had issues since it was the first run of the x7 I think they worked some little kinks out.

[m344]

Isn’t it the same car? There ist no real M X7! It is an X7 50i with the M Package. Not more... so I wonder if there are any differences... I speak about X7 in Europe, we can only buy the 50i with the M Package! Maybe there are different specs in USA then here?

[Lindsaykoehler]

Originally Posted by Lindsaykoehler

I just went from a 2020 X7 50i M sport to a 2021 X7M 50i If anyone has any questions about differences. This was my husband's choice he is a M guy and he we always knew that when the M came out we were going to be trading up. But if you're curious about any of the changes or the comfort and convenience that is definitely my wheelhouse because I had issues with my 2020 X7. If it's anything about the motor I can ask my husband if I can't answer because that is his department. . I will say it drives SO much better! My 2020 had every option as does this 2021 M so I am comparing apples to apples. I attached pictures the new one to this post, will attach the older one down below

The old one 2019

[Lindsaykoehler]

Originally Posted by m344

Isn’t it the same car? There ist no real M X7! It is an X7 50i with the M Package. Not more... so I wonder if there are any differences... I speak about X7 in Europe, we can only buy the 50i with the M Package! Maybe there are different specs in USA then here?

Honestly the big difference is the engine hp. My husband says it's still not a "true" M but the engine went from 456 to 523. It handles a lot better, sounds better, and is "smoother".

[MystroX5]

Originally Posted by m344

Isn’t it the same car? There ist no real M X7! It is an X7 50i with the M Package. Not more... so I wonder if there are any differences... I speak about X7 in Europe, we can only buy the 50i with the M Package! Maybe there are different specs in USA then here?

The 2020 X7 M50i has a new higher hp/torque engine over the 2019 X7 50i. I believe BMW also claimed they tweaked the suspension more on the M50i. Exhaust in the M50i has crackles and pops. The iDrive 7 has been tweaked as well over the 1st year iDrive 7. I went through this with a 2019 X5 50i M-Sport to a 2020 X7 M50i. There is lots of little changes that were not reported. The first year production of the G05/G07 were all over the place with various options and parts shortages for its 1st year production teathing pains. Besides the obvious hardware power plant upgrades, the iDrive 7 is noticeably faster and has more options. The 2019 had some features that were suppose to be upgraded with firmware but still hasn’t. BMW absolutely screwed over the first year owners beyond the V8TT engine change. The promised features and dangling corrections with firmware updates that still are not available. I am noticing little things that are different all the time. The massaging seats in my new X7 are stronger than in my last 2019 X5. Both have the merino luxury seats but the massage setting 2 on the 2020 X7 feels like the massage setting 3 in the 2019 X5. Alcantara headliner wast availability in early 19 X5 Executive package.
In general I felt like a forum iDrive 7 beta tester in Jan 2019. Many of use had weeks of time working with BMW tech to fix all kinds of initial bugs. BMW sent out the wrong vehicle phone numbers for the first half of the 2019 model year. It was a nightmare.

[Lindsaykoehler]

Originally Posted by MystroX5

The 2020 X7 M50i has a new higher hp/torque engine over the 2019 X7 50i. I believe BMW also claimed they tweaked the suspension more on the M50i. Exhaust in the M50i has crackles and pops. The iDrive 7 has been tweaked as well over the 1st year iDrive 7. I went through this with a 2019 X5 50i M-Sport to a 2020 X7 M50i. There is lots of little changes that were not reported. The first year production of the G05/G07 were all over the place with various options and parts shortages for its 1st year production teathing pains. Besides the obvious hardware power plant upgrades, the iDrive 7 is noticeably faster and has more options. The 2019 had some features that were suppose to be upgraded with firmware but still hasn't. BMW absolutely screwed over the first year owners beyond the V8TT engine change. The promised features and dangling corrections with firmware updates that still are not available. I am noticing little things that are different all the time. The massaging seats in my new X7 are stronger than in my last 2019 X5. Both have the merino luxury seats but the massage setting 2 on the 2020 X7 feels like the massage setting 3 in the 2019 X5. Alcantara headliner wast availability in early 19 X5 Executive package.
In general I felt like a forum iDrive 7 beta tester in Jan 2019. Many of use had weeks of time working with BMW tech to fix all kinds of initial bugs. BMW sent out the wrong vehicle phone numbers for the first half of the 2019 model year. It was a nightmare.

THIS!! Exactly! It feels like a upgraded car. I felt like a test run dummy also. Can't wait to try out the massaging seats because the 2019 were pointless!

[DSM517]

* I also went from bucket seats to a bench seat. The bucket seats look really cool and are very comfortable but you can barely get a mosquito between them!! and there's not as much legroom. The bench gives it a lot more room in the backseat.[/QUOTE]

I am going back and forth about ordering the 2nd row bucket seats. From the pictures and videos I have seen, you have to move the bucket seats forward to access the third row. Is it as easy or easier with the bench seat, because I have to removable boosters that the kids use.

[Lindsaykoehler]

Originally Posted by DSM517

* I also went from bucket seats to a bench seat. The bucket seats look really cool and are very comfortable but you can barely get a mosquito between them!! and there's not as much legroom. The bench gives it a lot more room in the backseat.

I am going back and forth about ordering the 2nd row bucket seats. From the pictures and videos I have seen, you have to move the bucket seats forward to access the third row. Is it as easy or easier with the bench seat, because I have to removable boosters that the kids use.[/QUOTE]
Honestly if you have more than one kid or booster seats the bucket seats are useless. You cannot walk between them and with the cupholder in the floor you lose floor space. Like I said, it looks nice but the bench is much better in functionality. I will say on the 2019 the seats move so slow that it was awful. The seats in the 2021 are faster but still slow. If you're putting a car seat in the third row it is not a quick easy in and out.

[DSM517]

[/QUOTE]
Honestly if you have more than one kid or booster seats the bucket seats are useless. You cannot walk between them and with the cupholder in the floor you lose floor space. Like I said, it looks nice but the bench is much better in functionality. I will say on the 2019 the seats move so slow that it was awful. The seats in the 2021 are faster but still slow. If you're putting a car seat in the third row it is not a quick easy in and out.[/QUOTE]

I am not putting any car seats in the third row. They are 8 & 9 and will be out of the boosters sooner than later. Does the whole bench seat move forward or one side moves at a a time? My wife has a 2020 Volvo XC90 with the bucket seats and there is a fair amount of room to pass in between the seats. I might just go with the bench,as I don't do a lot of the car pooling, but still want the room if we go on a trip or have the grand parents with us. I still have a few months to go before I order. My current lease is not up until March.

[Tinbad]

I'm probably the only guy here with 4 kids under 5 (4 yr old twins and newborn twins)... insert minivan joke here.... and after taking the both bench and captains chairs home on extended test drives and trying all possible child seat / configurations we ended up with captains chairs.

The main issue with the bench is with how large child seats are nowadays there was no way to fit 2 (let alone 3) car seats on the 2nd row and still allowing (part of) the bench to move forward. Maybe with booster seats it would've worked but if you have 3 kids and 2 are in boosters, you probably want the younger (non booster) in the 2nd row anyway, as it's a pain to get to the 3rd row to help them (while they are not able to strap themselves) and rear facing seats won't fit on the 3rd row at all.

However, with the captains chairs our 4yr olds can easily crawl under the 2nd row seat and between the captains chairs to the back. Given the door is huge it's also easy to help them get strapped in if needed without moving the 2nd row (or slightly just moving the seat forward). Also, having the space between the captains chairs means more stuff can go there if needed like groceries. Pro tip: the arm rests can be easily removed if needed to to create even more space.

One thing I will say is it doesn't hurt to try your car seats as they all come in different shapes and sizes. We have Peg Perego toddler/convertible seats and Maxi Cosi infant seats and especially the Peg Peregos seem bulkier than other car seats I've seen. Hope this helps and happy to provide pics of our setup if anyone's interested.

[MystroX5]

We are beyond car seats now but we got rid of our 2 Recaro child seats.
They were huge. Sunshine kids car seats were the most narrow. You could easily fit 3 across on a bench seat.

[jmciver]

Originally Posted by DSM517

* I also went from bucket seats to a bench seat. The bucket seats look really cool and are very comfortable but you can barely get a mosquito between them!! and there's not as much legroom. The bench gives it a lot more room in the backseat.

I am going back and forth about ordering the 2nd row bucket seats. From the pictures and videos I have seen, you have to move the bucket seats forward to access the third row. Is it as easy or easier with the bench seat, because I have to removable boosters that the kids use.

One other consideration is cargo capacity. If you think you would ever need to have the seats folded down for max cargo capacity, the captains chairs do not fold flat, but the bench does.

[f30er]

Thanks for your thoughts! We've got 3 kids under 5 and I've been looking for a new car. Wife drives a X5M and I've got a Yukon XL. My thought was putting our 4y/o twins all the way in the back, and our 5y/o in the middle row. I also want enough space in case we have someone else with us, they can just hop in...
The struggle is real...

Originally Posted by Tinbad

I'm probably the only guy here with 4 kids under 5 (4 yr old twins and newborn twins)... insert minivan joke here.... and after taking the both bench and captains chairs home on extended test drives and trying all possible child seat / configurations we ended up with captains chairs.

The main issue with the bench is with how large child seats are nowadays there was no way to fit 2 (let alone 3) car seats on the 2nd row and still allowing (part of) the bench to move forward. Maybe with booster seats it would've worked but if you have 3 kids and 2 are in boosters, you probably want the younger (non booster) in the 2nd row anyway, as it's a pain to get to the 3rd row to help them (while they are not able to strap themselves) and rear facing seats won't fit on the 3rd row at all.

However, with the captains chairs our 4yr olds can easily crawl under the 2nd row seat and between the captains chairs to the back. Given the door is huge it's also easy to help them get strapped in if needed without moving the 2nd row (or slightly just moving the seat forward). Also, having the space between the captains chairs means more stuff can go there if needed like groceries. Pro tip: the arm rests can be easily removed if needed to to create even more space.

One thing I will say is it doesn't hurt to try your car seats as they all come in different shapes and sizes. We have Peg Perego toddler/convertible seats and Maxi Cosi infant seats and especially the Peg Peregos seem bulkier than other car seats I've seen. Hope this helps and happy to provide pics of our setup if anyone's interested.

[DSM517]

Originally Posted by jmciver

One other consideration is cargo capacity. If you think you would ever need to have the seats folded down for max cargo capacity, the captains chairs do not fold flat, but the bench does.

That is something definitely to consider. I would rather have the cargo room, when the seats are folded flat. I still have time to weigh all my options. Hopefully by the time I get my car in March, the kids will not need booster seats anymore.

[stockguru]

Honestly if you have more than one kid or booster seats the bucket seats are useless. You cannot walk between them and with the cupholder in the floor you lose floor space. Like I said, it looks nice but the bench is much better in functionality. I will say on the 2019 the seats move so slow that it was awful. The seats in the 2021 are faster but still slow. If you're putting a car seat in the third row it is not a quick easy in and out.[/QUOTE]

I am not putting any car seats in the third row. They are 8 & 9 and will be out of the boosters sooner than later. Does the whole bench seat move forward or one side moves at a a time? My wife has a 2020 Volvo XC90 with the bucket seats and there is a fair amount of room to pass in between the seats. I might just go with the bench,as I don't do a lot of the car pooling, but still want the room if we go on a trip or have the grand parents with us. I still have a few months to go before I order. My current lease is not up until March.[/QUOTE]
Is this confirmed? I haven't seen anything about '21 seats moving faster. The speed on my'20 is infuriating. Supposedly BMW made it slow on purpose for safety reasons. How it's safer to have people waiting on the street for the seats to move so they can get in or what injuries happen from moving seats is beyond me.

[Tinbad]

Originally Posted by f30er

Thanks for your thoughts! We've got 3 kids under 5 and I've been looking for a new car. Wife drives a X5M and I've got a Yukon XL. My thought was putting our 4y/o twins all the way in the back, and our 5y/o in the middle row. I also want enough space in case we have someone else with us, they can just hop in...
The struggle is real...

Wow, 4 yr twins and a 5 yr old... those must've been quite a busy last 4 years for you! Makes me feel I have it easy

[Bobx7]

I'd love to know the difference in driving comfort, acceleration and overall feel. I've wondered if a 20 50i msport with a tune is the easy way to get the m50 without spending an extra 20-30k.

There are several loaded low mile 50is on autotrader for 80k. I'd love to have the m50, but not sure of the differences.

I have not driven a new 21 m50 however.

[jmciver]

Originally Posted by stockguru

Honestly if you have more than one kid or booster seats the bucket seats are useless. You cannot walk between them and with the cupholder in the floor you lose floor space. Like I said, it looks nice but the bench is much better in functionality. I will say on the 2019 the seats move so slow that it was awful. The seats in the 2021 are faster but still slow. If you're putting a car seat in the third row it is not a quick easy in and out.

I am not putting any car seats in the third row. They are 8 & 9 and will be out of the boosters sooner than later. Does the whole bench seat move forward or one side moves at a a time? My wife has a 2020 Volvo XC90 with the bucket seats and there is a fair amount of room to pass in between the seats. I might just go with the bench,as I don't do a lot of the car pooling, but still want the room if we go on a trip or have the grand parents with us. I still have a few months to go before I order. My current lease is not up until March.

Is this confirmed? I haven't seen anything about '21 seats moving faster. The speed on my'20 is infuriating. Supposedly BMW made it slow on purpose for safety reasons. How it's safer to have people waiting on the street for the seats to move so they can get in or what injuries happen from moving seats is beyond me.

The bench is a 60/40 split and they can move together or independently when moving them to allow people to get into the 3rd row. Just depends on which button you use to move the seats for rear entry - either the switch on the drivers door or at the actual seat.

As far as the speed at which they move, I will speculate this is a safety thing. The safety concern about waiting in the street is not really a concern because technically you can move the 2nd row seats from the driver seat so in theory the occupants can wait "on the curb" until the seats are in position to access the 3rd row. However, there are probably pinch concerns which is why the BMW lawyers don't want the seats to move too fast. That said, it seems like the seats move faster in my 2020, than when the X7 first debuted - so BMW may have tweaked this in later software variants for the X7. Although I will admit that is a very unscientific observation as I did not use a stopwatch.

I don't think the speed of the seats is that bad. Once you get used to them as part of your daily routine, you will probably never really notice it as the X7 has so many other redeeming qualities. That said, if I found some coding that could speed up the seat motors I might give it a try out of curiosity...

[gotzillar]

We have 2 car seats on the bench seat and it can move/tilt independently to make 3rd row accessible and usable. We also tried bucket/captain seats which are NO way to tilt forward with cat seats installed.

[Lindsaykoehler]

Originally Posted by Bobx7

I'd love to know the difference in driving comfort, acceleration and overall feel. I've wondered if a 20 50i msport with a tune is the easy way to get the m50 without spending an extra 20-30k.

There are several loaded low mile 50is on autotrader for 80k. I'd love to have the m50, but not sure of the differences.

I have not driven a new 21 m50 however.

The 2021 M is much much better. Don't get me wrong the 2019 M sport Is a great car and is fun to drive but the 2021 M handles even better drives easier, smoother, faster, and feels like a better car. Helpful?