Few mainstream automobiles in the past 20 years have captured the world's attention or stirred controversy to the extent that BMW's ambitious 7 Series has. Yes, the 7 Series still sparks debate two years after it was introduced, but we can assure you this: BMW's largest car is a luxury sedan in the truest sense, and it's impressive to drive. Its responsive engine and six-speed automatic transmission, its magic-carpet ride quality, excellent handling and awesomely powerful brakes deliver the ultimate in big-sedan driver control.

Whichever 7 Series you choose, starting with the standard 745i, you'll get a sedan that's big, smooth, fast and inspiring. It's also equipped with the latest safety technology. No matter where you sit, you'll experience a cabin that's beautiful and wonderfully comfortable. The 745Li, for Long, offers even greater legroom in the back seats. If the recently launched, V12-powered 760Li doesn't stir something inside you, you may as well call a cab.

All the 7 Series models are exceptionally powerful and responsive. The level of technology borders on overkill. There are silent, hidden fans and heating elements to cool or warm your rear end, or your soft drink; microchips to instantaneously account for a skidding tire or apply the brakes full force just in case you don't; power-deployed shades to keep the sun off your rear passengers' brows. A single, mouse-like interface, BMW's controversial iDrive, controls virtually everything in the cabin, from the heater to the radio to the navigation system. To be sure, these systems can require serious commitment to master, but most are genuinely useful. The 7 Series has the best-sounding stereo we've experienced in a car. The whisper-quiet cabin is a great place for quiet conversation, ripping electric guitar solos, Mozart concertos, or magnificent solitude.

Known for brilliant high-performance sedans with conservative styling and straightforward interiors, BMW stepped out of the box with this design. The two years since the 7 Series launch have tempered controversy over its stunning styling only a little. Like it or not, the design is based on rational objectives, and we are growing to appreciate it.

BMW filled out the 7 Series line in 2003 with launch of the 438-hp 760Li, but it didn't sit still for 2004. This year, the iDrive has been simplified, er, improved, er, ummm, changed. The already sophisticated climate control has been improved with precise humidity management, and the side mirrors fold in at the touch of a button to squeeze this big sedan into tight parking spots. Adaptive headlights that turn with the car and a Sirius satellite radio receiver are now optional.

This car pushes the limits of driving technology over the horizon. Never mind the density of the owner's manuals (that's plural); owners may get tired of teaching valets how to start the car and put it in gear, to say nothing of the electronic parking brake. Once that's accomplished, however, driving the 7 Series cars is easy and quite satisfying. It will achieve your wishes quickly and efficiently, occasionally bending the laws of physics in the process. BMW says its goal with the 7 Series was building "the safest car in the world,: and we don't find much to quibble with there. Comparably equipped, the 7 Series even costs less than its primary competitor, the Mercedes S-Class.

As big luxury sedans go, the BMW 7 Series is indeed the ultimate driving machine.