Of course, engineering and performance are not bargain-priced commodities. The base price of the 2019 BMW X7 xDrive 40i is $73,900. At that price, though, you do get a lot for your money:

3.0-liter twin-turbo inline six.
Eight-speed Sport Automatic transmission with sport and manual shift modes, steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters and launch control.
Driving dynamics control with ECO PRO, COMFORT, SPORT and SPORT+ modes.
Dynamic stability control.
Brake fade compensation, start-off assistant, brake drying and brake stand-by.
Dynamic traction control.
Dynamic brake control.
Two-axle self-leveling air suspension.
Four-wheel ventilated disc brakes with anti-lock braking system, brake pad wear indicators and cornering brake control.
Adaptive LED headlights.
LED foglights.
Power-folding, heated side mirrors.
Heated 16-way power front seats including four-way lumbar support and driver's memory.
Hi-Fi audio system with HD Radio and a one-year SiriusXM All Access subscription.
Apple CarPlay compatibility with a one-year subscription.

About that. Apple CarPlay is rapidly becoming standard equipment on even the least-expensive cars. BMW has chosen to lock it away in an app store, and charge its buyers $80 a year after the first year to use it. In this price class, eighty bucks is the very definition of nickel-and-diming, and BMW should be ashamed. Another issue before we continue---in any other car, you plug your phone into the USB port, it asks if you want to use Apple CarPlay and that's it. But---maybe because of the app and subscription thing---BMW, at least in the X7, routes Apple CarPlay through Bluetooth. Which is kinda what Apple CarPlay replaced, for most of us. Sure, there's the advantage of your phone not leaving your pocket, and you can charge the phone wirelessly instead of through the USB cord---but, at least on first setup---and, to be honest, a few times during the past week, it's taken a lot longer to get to what I wanted via Apple CarPlay while Bluetooth was trying to connect.

Now back to the standard equipment:

BMW Live Cockpit including navigation with iDrive 7.0, a 12.3-inch touchscreen, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, natural voice control and traffic and on-street parking information (in selected cities).
Remote software upgrade capable.
Panoramic moonroof.
Comfort access keyless entry.
Power tailgate.
Park distance control front and rear.
Rearview camera.
Active Driving Assistant including frontal collision warning, lane departure warning and active blind spot detection.
Sport leather steering wheel.
Runflat tires.
Satin aluminum exterior trim.
Universal garage door opener.
Fineline brown wood trim.
Luggage compartment package.
Automatic high beams.
Active protection.
Decoding for no-dazzle high-beams.
Active guard.
Wireless charging.
WiFi hotspot.
CD player prep.
Anthracite Alcantara headliner.
Individual door sill finishers.
Refrigerant.

Again, all standard. So, for $73,900, you could have a very well-equipped large, luxury SUV. But our test vehicle didn't stop there. There were extra-cost options:

Cold Weather Package (heated front seats, armrest and steering wheel, front and rear heated seats, five-zone automatic climate control): $1,200.
Ivory White/Night Blue Merino leather interior: $5,150.
Drivers Assistance Pro Package (Traffic Jam Assist, Steering and Lane Control Assistant, Emergency Stop Assistant, Evasion Aid): $1,700.
Luxury Seating Package (20-way powered multi-contoured seats, front ventilated seats, front massaging seats): $1,600.
Off-Road Package (Mechanical differential lock, four off-road driving modes that adjust vehicle height, accelerator response and transmission control): $1,650.
Parking Assistance Package (Drive Recorder, which keeps a video of the vehicle surroundings, Surround View with 3D View, Parking Assistance Plus): $700.
Premium Package (Gesture Control, head up display, remote engine start, soft-close automatic doors, rear electric side window shades and a 12-speaker, 360-watt Harman Kardon surround sound system): $3,000.

There's an additional charge of $300 on the window sticker for "remote engine start", though that's included in the Premium Package.

22-inch multi-spoke performance wheels: $1,300.
Display Key: $300.
Running boards: $400.
Glass controls: $650.
Leather dashboard: $1,250.
Panoramic sky lounge LED roof: $750.
Rear seat entertainment: $2,200.
20-speaker, 1,500 watt Bowers & Wilkins surround audio system: $3,400.

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