Would you look at the size of that trunk? I mean, that sucker is huge. Maybe it's just the petite size of the girls clothes that News Editor Toepke left in the trunk, but still there's clearly room to spare in there.
Now, there are still some problems. I mean, there are small cargo nets on the sides, but what about stuff that's loose in the middle? Where the net for that?
And the liftover height isn't all that low. The lid doesn't close on its own either. Petty quibbles maybe, but this is a $90K car, shouldn't have to ask for anything at that price.
Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor, Inside Line @ 27,579 miles
ptcdawg says:
03:55 PM, 03/16/10
How does it compare in size to an LS460's 18 cubic feet?
It looks to me like it needs more room, to carry extra tires. :)
lazyhater says:
03:56 PM, 03/16/10
We went thru that before, the power trunk lid is one of the few options that this particular car don't have. That's how the European does it, everything is À la carte, regardless of how much the car itself cost. That's why I prefer the Japanese, they offers combo meal for normal people like me. Oh and I got 3 cargo nets in the trunk of my Japanese car. With all that being said, I would drive an European car too if I can afford it.
wobbly_ears says:
04:16 PM, 03/16/10
You can stuff probably 2-3 bodies in there. Perfect for the demographics that seems to buy these - your local mafia boss.
thedream21479 says:
05:45 PM, 03/16/10
Evidently there's not enough room in this trunk for Kelly's goggl..er..sunglasses.
mercedesfan says:
05:46 PM, 03/16/10
I'm also surprised BMW doesn't provide the power trunk-lid as standard fare. I can't think of a flagship sedan that doesn't have it as standard equipment anymore. Oh well, it's the BMW way.
@lazy,
The LS still reigns supreme for cargo space. Outside of a Taurus or Towncar the LS460 has the biggest trunk I've ever seen.
@wobbly,
I don't know how it is where you live, but out here the only people I ever see driving 7s are 40-50 year old housewives (all blonde, all botox-ed).
sm42 says:
08:12 PM, 03/16/10
but will it hold all the gear for a photo shoot?
bc1960 says:
08:16 PM, 03/16/10
I know the difference between SAE and DIN trunk space was discussed, but even so, for a 4650-lb car that's 17 ft long and 6.25 ft wide, 14 cubic ft SAE isn't that impressive, especially compared to what cars of similar size used to have and what some smaller cars have today. Like the Accord, it seems particularly narrow between the suspension towers--although that's more forgiveable for a RWD car. Dad's criteria was always whether a foursome could fit their golf bags in one car. I see space for two, and probably three; a fourth looks like it would take some creative cramming. Then where do the overnight bags for a golf weekend go? Yet, we used to do this with cars like a 1990 Mazda 626--smaller than the current 3-series. A Caprice of similar vintage had 1.5 times this volume. The trunk of a mid-60s Buick Electra could probably house a family of four--to load the back you had to climb inside.
_markvgti_ says:
09:47 PM, 03/16/10
Isn't the trunk on the BMW 7-series smaller than the Jetta's?
1487 says:
05:45 AM, 03/17/10
the trunk on this car is small considering its size.
dougtheeng says:
05:56 AM, 03/17/10
agree about the cargo net. I wish more cars had that standard.
ed124c says:
07:05 AM, 03/17/10
I like that they are using gooseneck hinges that are circular and not elongated. You can load the trunk all the way up to the top and not crush anything when you close it. At least, that's the way it looks from the picture. As a bonus, the trunk opening is wider, since the use of hydraulic struts would necessitate the use of more space to nest.
Having said that, the trunk, as officially measured, seems quite small for such a large vehicle. As someone suggested, a Jetta trunk is much larger, as are the Sonata, Mazda 6, and Fusion.
jbsacks says:
07:47 AM, 03/17/10
Is that a green kiddie-leash???
bodyblue says:
08:57 AM, 03/17/10
It is a tiny trunk for such a big car.....My Stratus has one that is just as big and it has struts that enhance the space and yes it makes the opening a bit smaller but it is a better design. The 7 series continues to not impress me in many ways. There are many other big cars on the market that look to be designed much better. For how much it costs it is very lacking.
ktoepke says:
09:08 AM, 03/17/10
@jbsacks: No, that's a green jump rope with the handles cut off. Became a make-shift lasso for my daughter's Annie Oakley presentation.
felonious says:
09:33 AM, 03/17/10
"Petty quibbles maybe, but this is a $90K car, shouldn't have to ask for anything at that price."
That pretty much sums up the entire long-term test of the 7 series right there.
lmbvette says:
10:23 AM, 03/17/10
@ed124c
I'm a bit surprised to see that type of hinge selection used in this car. That looks to be a colossal amount of space lost.
My CTS-V has the hinges built into the sides/top of the exterior of the trunk, so no part of the hinge assembly impinges inside of the trunk or takes up any room.
@Edmunds.....can you guys throw some golf clubs back there? That is the true measure of trunk size. I suspect the trunk is not nearly as big as you suspect.
1487 says:
10:46 AM, 03/17/10
most high end German cars use hinges like this because it allows you to have a power trunk lid and it allows a non powered trunk to spring open upon release. A strut supported decklid generally will open no more than a couple inches when the latch is released and to my knowledge no vehicle with a power decklid has struts.
The Lacrosse switched to a similar system to facilite a wider opening when the release button is hit.
athens says:
12:49 PM, 03/18/10
Question remains whether the F01 7 series trunk carry THREE 29" (full size) suit cases in the trunk with room to spare?
Like the old BMW E32 7 series did?
Didn't Inside Line realize that the reason the long cargo net for loose items was never considered was that it would deprive dealers of the revenue from dealer sold/ installed trunk cargo trays.