SUVs with third-row seating are popular for hauling plenty of passengers, and many automakers produce models that fit that bill. BMW jumped on the bandwagon when it debuted its X7 seven-seater.

But despite its luxury status, the 2020 BMW X7 has frustrating and annoying seats.

The BMW X7 is the new kid on the block

The BMW X7 is the newest full-size luxury SUV on the market, MotorTrend reports. Debuting with the 2019 model, it’s also the largest passenger car the German automaker has ever produced. And like most Beemers, it offers impressive performance. It comes standard with all-wheel drive and a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine harnessing 335 hp.

That engine gets about 20/25 mpg city/highway and allows the X7 to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in a respectable 5.4 seconds, MotorTrend reports. A more powerful but less fuel-efficient 4.4-liter V8 is also available, but both options are pretty good. 

However, what’s really luxurious about the BMW X7 is its interior. The 2020 X7 starts around $75,000, Edmunds reports, and its interior lives up to that price. MotorTrend says that the 2020 model has “a beautifully finished cabin” and that all three rows are luxurious. BMW used high-quality materials in the X7’s cabin, along with plenty of tech features.

The 2020 BMW X7’s luxurious interior

At the center of the 2020 BMW X7 are two large 12.3-inch displays, MotorTrend reports. One of them is a gauge cluster display, and the other is a part of the infotainment system. Features such as GPS, a sunroof, and heated front seats are also standard on the X7.

Plus, the BMW X7 boasts several advanced safety features. For example, it comes standard with forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and front and rear parking sensors, to name just a few. 

With that being said, the 2020 BMW X7 isn’t without its flaws. One of those drawbacks involves the seats. Though the X7 has fancy leather seats riddled with advanced features, MotorTrend points out a couple of problems. 

The frustrating seats

The whole point of a full-size SUV with third-row seating is to carry a bunch of people comfortably. But the X7 doesn’t do that very well. According to MotorTrend, the rear seats are cramped compared to its competitors. Frankly, there’s not tons of legroom, headroom, or shoulder room.

Not only that, but the sliding seats are annoying. “And that’s assuming you could conveniently get in the third row, as the motors that slide the first row seats and second-row bench forward for third-row access are painfully slow,” MotorTrend notes. “Worse, when the first two rows motor back, they don’t return to the starting position.”

In addition to all of that, the BMW X7 doesn’t provide significant cargo space. According to MotorTrend, cargo capacity measures less than 13 cubic feet when the seats aren’t folded. That’s actually less cargo space than the BMW 3 Series compact sedan offers. That basically means the X7 can’t really multitask by carrying a bunch of people and all of their stuff.