Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2013 BMW 7 SERIES VS 2013 Rolls-Royce Ghost Near Scottsdale, AZ

The 7 Series’ front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Ghost doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The 7 Series offers all wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Ghost doesn’t offer all wheel drive.

The 7 Series’ driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Ghost doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

The 7 Series has standard BMW Assist, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Ghost doesn’t offer a GPS response system, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the 7 Series and the Ghost have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control and electronic stability systems to prevent skidding.

The 7 Series’ corrosion warranty is 8 years longer than the Ghost’s (12 vs. 4 years).

There are over 13 times as many BMW dealers as there are Rolls Royce dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the 7 Series’ warranty.

On the EPA test cycle the ActiveHybrid 7 gets better fuel mileage than the Ghost (22 city/30 hwy vs. 13 city/21 hwy).

Regenerative brakes improve the 7 Series’ fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Ghost doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the 7 Series (except 760Li)’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. (Start/Stop isn’t accounted in present EPA fuel mileage tests.) The Ghost doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The 7 Series stops shorter than the Ghost:

The Alpina B7’s 245/35R21 front and 285/30R21 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Ghost’s optional 45 series front and 40 series rear tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Alpina B7 has standard 21-inch wheels. The Ghost’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The 7 Series offers active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Ghost doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The 7 Series SWB offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Rolls Royce doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Ghost.

The 740i handles at .91 G’s, while the Ghost pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The 750Li goes through Road & Track’s slalom 8.6 MPH faster than the Ghost (68.7 vs. 60.1 MPH).

The 750Li performs Car and Driver’s emergency lane change maneuver 8.5 MPH faster than the Ghost (68.3 vs. 59.8 MPH).

The 740i executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Ghost (25.8 seconds @ .73 average G’s vs. 26.3 seconds @ .72 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the 750Li’s turning circle is 4.2 feet tighter than the Ghost Extended Wheelbase’s (41.7 feet vs. 45.9 feet).

The BMW 7 Series may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 550 to 1150 pounds less than the Rolls Royce Ghost.

The 7 Series is shorter than the Ghost, making the 7 Series easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces: