Several of us have been interested in this, so I thought I'd start a dedicated thread with what we're finding.
Printed specs for the 1st and 2nd row seat dimensions are virtually identical between the G05 X5 and the G07 X7. Specifically, the 2nd row legroom is 37.4 and 37.6 inches respectively, a difference of only 0.2 inches. That's nothing.
[IMG]
https://g05.bimmerpost.com/forums/at...8;d=1539778327[/IMG]
However, as first reported by
Influence here:
https://g07.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1585984 it seems that the X7 2nd row can actually slide BACK from that stated 37.6 inches of legroom as well, at the sacrifice of room in the X7 third row. Influence has tested this with the bench seat, and I have tested this with captain's chairs, both with the 3rd row down, and 3rd row up.
Why is this important? Well for folks taller than average (average USA male is 5'10"), if there's someone tall in the front seat, the G05 2nd row seat is rather tight. This pic comes from my writeup on the G05 X5 here:
https://g05.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1544186
[IMG]
http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/o...psf5i7uchi.jpg[/IMG]
As you can see from the picture, I'm a big guy, and 6'3". My family is also tall, including growing teen kids. When I'm in the driver's seat, I need them to have good 2nd row leg room. For this picture, I put the X5 driver's seat in a reasonable driving position for me as a driver. Not optimal though--if I were driving, my legs would not be fully comfortably stretched out, but still reasonable and I could drive. Even still, as you can see in the pic, when I got into the X5 2nd row, I still had to straddle the back of the front seat with my knees, jammed up against the seat. The front seat, though, is not even all the way back.
Now, compare that with this picture in an X7 rear seat. Same guy. This time, the X7 front seat is all the way back, so legroom should be even worse. But with the X7 second row seat slid all the way back, there's several extra inches of legroom, which make all the difference. Now, my knees don't even touch the front seat, much less have to straddle it to fit.
[img]
https://i365.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0kyjygxn.jpg[/img]
For taller folks, the G05 X5 second row is ok for a 25 minute ride to church or the grocery store. But not a family road trip. I could see the X7 being nice and comfortable for a taller family long road trip.
Granted, moving the 2nd row seats all the way back would be at the expense of 3rd row X7 seating. But since the 3rd row is really for smaller people anyway, and in my case we wouldn't even need the 3rd row at all, this 2nd row capability does make all the difference.
For me, this is huge, and very good news. May be the deciding factor, for me to purchase an X7.
For what it's worth, my full writeup of initial X7 impressions is here:
https://g07.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...php?p=24438360