Compare the2024 BMW 7 SeriesVS 2023 Lexus LS

Both the 7 Series and LS have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The 7 Series has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The LS’ child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the 7 Series are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The LS doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The 7 Series has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The LS doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the 7 Series and the LS have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The 7 Series’ corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the LS’ (12 vs. 6 years).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the 7 Series for 2 years and 26000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the LS (3/36,000 vs. 1/10,000).

There are over 44 percent more BMW dealers than there are Lexus dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the 7 Series’ warranty.

The 7 Series has more powerful engines than the LS:

As tested in Motor Trend the 740i 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Lexus LS:

On the EPA test cycle the 7 Series running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the LS:

The 750e can travel with zero emissions for 35 miles. The LS has to start its internal combustion engine after only .6 miles.

Regardless of its engine, the 7 Series’ engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. Lexus only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the LS Hybrid, and doesn’t offer a disable button.

The 7 Series’ launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The LS doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the 7 Series’ standard brake rotors are larger than those on the LS:

The 7 Series stops much shorter than the LS:

For better traction, the 7 Series has larger tires than the LS (F:255/45R20 & R:285/40R20 vs. 245/50R19). The 7 Series’ tires are larger than the largest tires available on the LS (F:255/45R20 & R:285/40R20 vs. F:245/45R20 & R:275/40R20).

The 7 Series’ standard 255/45R20 front and 285/40R20 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series front and 40 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the LS’ standard 50 series tires. The 7 Series’ optional 255/40R21 front and 285/35R21 rear tires have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile than the LS 500 F Sport’s 45 series front and 40 series rear tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the 7 Series has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the LS. The 7 Series’ optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the LS.

The front and rear suspension of the 7 Series uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the LS, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The 760i offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Lexus doesn’t offer an active suspension on the LS.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the 7 Series’ wheelbase is 3.6 inches longer than on the LS (126.6 inches vs. 123 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the 7 Series is 1.4 inches wider in the front and .7 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the LS.

The 760i xDrive handles at .89 G’s, while the LS 500 AWD pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The 740i executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the LS 500h AWD (26 seconds @ .71 average G’s vs. 27 seconds @ .65 average G’s).

The front grille of the 7 Series uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The LS doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the 760i xDrive is quieter than the LS 500 AWD (73 vs. 74 dB).

The 7 Series has 2.5 inches more front headroom, .2 inches more front legroom, 2.2 inches more front shoulder room, 1.3 inches more rear headroom and 4.4 inches more rear legroom than the LS.

The 7 Series’ instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The LS does not have an oil pressure gauge.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the BMW 7 Series has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console and for the rear passengers. The LS doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The 7 Series’ Parking Assistant can parallel park by itself, with the driver only controlling the transmission and speed with the brake pedal. With its available fully controlled system, the driver just activates it and it parks autonomously, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Optional Remote Control Parking will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The LS doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the 7 Series first among upper midsize premium cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The LS isn’t in the top three.

The BMW 7 Series outsold the Lexus LS by over two to one during 2022.