Is It Just Me Or Are BMW's Designs Making The Competitors Rides Look Old Fashioned?

I think Jaguar's new XF and the new Cadillac CTS are actually better than anything BMW has out.

Will also admit Audi and MB are as you say though to my eyes also.

It is exactly the other way around! BMW's designs are actually nothing special with exception of couple.

uh. it's not just you. notice the headlights. more clear, more neat. just better.

I beg to differ....the 335i coupe or M3? 550i with sport pack or M5? M6? I think the XF is a giant leap for Jag and the CTS is a great achievement in design but I wouldn't place them as clear cut winners.

the bimmer doesn't deserve a pole obstructing its photogentic style.

The headlights on the XF is a serious weakpoint. The XF's headlights look like they came from a Chrysler.

Too bad its junk.

I agree about the Xf being the new standard, though the front is a little overdone.
I can understand what you mean about the bmw lookin modern, but I don't think it makes the new c-class or the new a4 lok a generation older. In fact, the newest c-class, and a4 sedans are both brilliant.

Yep. Jag XF design is garbage. If you want that look you could get a 2004 Chrysler Sebring and save some cash.

Stop smoking the pipe!

LOL!

001

better yet, pass it along.

BMW designs might appear innovative and interesting, but they no longer follow function and in my view are inferior.

That's right. Everyone dogs the BMW design, yet they are people still buy them in droves and their competitors copy them and call them out in ads. Go figure. I see this continuing. For those of you sitting in your rocking chairs, if you want a boring, dated-looking car buy a Lexus.

Actually I see it the other way around. BMW's competitors are making BMW's look old fashioned.

*Especially on the inside.

+++1

BMW's styling holds up well over time but is nothing special, very conservative like a navy suit and red tie. I prefer a more progressive look. Don't get me wrong, I still think they look great, especially the front of the 5-Series. The Bangle butt need some work.

Their interiors are a serious weakpoint.

I think your sniffing too much LA Smog

Its just you :P

the c in that photo looks too plasticy and modular, whereas the 3 look has more of a jewel like attention to detail with smaller individual parts.

wow, i must have said something really wrong! anyway, whose for getting those window switches back to the center console where they belong!? anyone?

guess the whole industry is against me on that one though.

Its you dude!!!
T

Get off the bandwagon, and the pipe. I'm sick of all the bmw hype, those "great" engines and powertrains are balanced off with bland interiors, expensive options, leatherette, and expensive repair and maintenance bills after the warranty is up.

Just like American vehicles are balanced with mediocre powertrains, lackluster warranties and boring designs. By balanced I mean consistently behind the competition

hey blakura.

it's ok that you don't get it.

Expensive repair and maintenance bills?

The BMW reliability myth seems to be in full swing? LOL! Always spawned by BMW haters.

I've had a BMW that's been out of warranty for 2 years.

Guess what. No expensive repair bills. Next time try to post something that is actually factual.

Wow, someone doesn't like me.

Hey Lexsucks - I love my BMW too, but anyone who has had one for any amount of time, knows that post-warranty maintenance and repairs are VERY expensive. Have you put brakes on your BMW yet? YOWZA!!

I put on my own brakes. step one jack up car. step two remove tire. step 3 remove two bolts. step 4 lift cal;iper. step 5 remove old pads. step 6 spread piston. step 7 put on new pads. step 8 instal caliper and install two bolts from step 3. step 9 install tire. step 10 repeat on other side. for mercedes, remove two pins rather than bolts on step 3. total time about 20-30 minutes to do both front wheels. cost of parts about $40 less or more depending on the quality of the pad. Super easy and almost completely idiot proof. brake jobs are some of the quickest money makers. I know I am a mechanic. Oh yeah, dont forget to change the $4 brake pad wear sensor. All of my BMW's have been very reliable, especially my old 87 325e. All I have ever done is tires and oil changes and periodic checks of fluids and belt conditions. and I run the living piss out of that car.

001, It's just you.

Recent BMWs look more Asain than actual Asian cars do these days!

I think they forgot all about Form Following Function.

Agreed, but this is by intent, though...luxury auto sales in Asian markets are growing very quickly, relative to other, more "mature"/"saturated" markets like US & Europe.

Yeah, I know what you mean. I always confuse the rear of the new 3-Series with a Hyundai Elantra.

001 you were driving up to Hollywood to meet your bud connect.

You probably had some in the car before you got there and that is why the BMW designs were making the competitors rides look old fashioned.

Lay off the weed, 001.

It's just you Agent 001!

Do this: put the BMW photo beside a 2008 Caddy CTS photo. I this this will correct your vision.

I think the Caddy CTS is better looking than the A4 (Even the new one) and the C-Class, but the 3-Series with Sport pack sends them all to the back of the bus.

001

caddy better than a a4. what a laughfable concept. if its the cts-v the you are on to something

I said I thought it LOOKED better than an A4, not BETTER than an A4.

001

I like BMW's designs. They have better engineered cars (safety, looks, etc) than some of their competition.

what you talkin' 'bout willis?

Above comment, lol...and...

It;s just you. And both cars pictured look stunning anyway!

I agree with you. BMW design are polarizing but they have a very difined modernity to them.

MB seem to be slipping back in to attractive but safe designs.

As much as I love Audi and think it's design are still the most beautiful, the seem to be growing staid in their designs. I think is because of two factors; first Audi is copied a lot, second the have seem to adhered with the same design movement for a very long time, opting for more for evolutionary than revolutionary.

Modern and beautiful are two separate things.

Copied what? Generally, Audi is acknowledged for setting its own design trends and everyone tends copy them. Sorry, but your statement doesn't fly with the general accepted norm.

The beauty is in the eyes of the behoder. To my eyes BMW looks fine but I prefer MB, however M3 is an eception to the rule it is the best looking BMW.

001 are you blind!?! Maybe its time to get that precription up'ed a bit in those glasses of yours...

It's just you.

If for one agree with 001. BMW is the design leader! Always cutting edge and risky. A lot of people don't appreciate that though.

Audi's sedans haven't changed much since 2000. Which means that the new ones look like the old ones.

Mercedes strong suit is the SL and CL - even the GL is growing on me. The SL and CL are clear leaders but the new SL is going in the wrong direction! The C looks Camry-ish and the rear is disproportionate to the rest of the car. Don't even get me started on that POS CLC.

CTS is a great looking car. Interior is inferior!

And to all those that swear BMW has bland interiors - lay off the bud. BMW interiors are great with quality materials. You may not like them, but that by no means makes them cheap!

haters!

you are correct.

take the 3-series for example. in comparison the A4 looks ancient and the IS blends into the woodwork. the C-class looks good but not considering it's brand new.

I think the new A4 is beautiful!

E90 3 series is one of the boring looking car from BMW.

Their coupe version, E92, is actually much much better in every angle.

The MB C-class puts the BMW 3 series sedan into shame with their design. C-class looks 10000 times better than the girly looking E90 3 series, especially the hideous tail lights.

from the front, the new C and new A4 demolish the E90 sedan (and I have one, so it pains me to say that). But the side view of a sport E90 kills the others -- the wheels and shoulder line give it an aggressive look the others can't match. From the back frankly none of them are that great. I'd give the edge to the A4 but can't because a Civic and an Audi are indistinguishable from behind. So they all tie for last place.

They are classic because they dont overdo. I love the BMW look because it doesnt have too much going on. The cars that are too busy age fast.

thankfully, you are in the minority. and the people who agree that BMWs are well-designed is growing quite nicely. revenue up 14% for 2007 and expected to beat that for 2008! amazing growth for a huge company.

I Agree w/you. I must say..I think almost evey BMW looks really good. Im from L.A its not the smog.

WOW the BMW haters are out today.

I agree 001, they are the standard for modern cars, and as many others have pointed out, everyone is trying to catch up with them. Everyone.

Their engines are amazing, the exterior design flawless, build quality superb and they drive like nothing else on the road. Add in high resale value, amazing technology, excellent reliabilty for a german car, and that "magic feel", and you have one hell of a car. Mercedes, Audi, Infiniti, Lexus etc dont have that "magic feel" no matter how hard they try,

Im on my 4th BMW and I dont plan on switching anytime soon.

"Please don't switch because BMW loves taking your money."- And I love driving their cars

"You are making the Quandt family richer and richer every single day!" - I know tell me about it, they have really proven themselves with their fantastic products.

"You are a servant of BMW, you will do what they tell you, bow down to them loyal subject. You will buy the next car they produce, and give them your money."- You bet your sweet ass I will.

And your point?

Breaking new ground in aesthetics only. The actual driving experience is still better with the BMW.

imitation is the greatest form of flattery.

thank you lexus for the compliment.

BMW has the best designs.

It's like:


Funky or Casual

The only opinions which really matter are from those who open their wallets.
I just traded my 2003 BMW Z4 for a new BMW 128i Cabrio - and I like all of the Bangle era designs...
And yes, my Z4 looked as fresh after 5 years as it did when I first saw pics of it in the summer of 2002...

True - I still think the Z4 looks great, and it's amazing how well the polarizing 7 series design has stood the test of time.

Well the BMW 3 series looks plain and non attractive when in comparison with the robust and sculpted looking Cadillac CTS, gosh even the Lexus IS and the Infiniti G35 looks better to the eye. Problem with BMW design is that they have a crease here and a bump there and overall the design does not look to be part of one whole structure, but rather looks to be made of bits and pieces from somewhere. I mean just look at the 5 series and the 6 series, both have crease lines that run on the sides but nothing to go along on the front or back, and then you have humped backs with the trunk lids bumped above the line of the surface that contains the lights, which until now was on the same plane as the rest of the body. And take a look at the crooked eyes of the 5 sereis, makes the car look like a panda face. 001 how can you make such an outrageous claim for a design theme that put simply looks plain ugly, well if you have eyes. Besides look at the direct competitors to the 5 series and 6 series, the Audi A5, Jaguar XF, and the Jaguar XK, all have a much tauter body with strong stance and but still managing to look desirable. Especially the Jags, the new design theme is very upscale modern with the cars looking to made of glossy sheetmetal wrapping around a beautifully finished body and the design is pure, sculpted, and simply aesthetic rather than the mundane and out place designs of the BMWs. BMW should have fired Bangle a long time ago.

I like a good looking car as much as the next guy,but its more important how it drives and the quality of materials inside the car.

"Modern" or "trendy" does not necessarily equate to a lasting or meaningful style statement. Take a look at some of the classic Mercedes from the 1960s, which are still considered beautiful (though not modern) by today's standards, four decades later! That's the "test of time" that "Agent 001" referred to a while ago in one of his postings.

I don't believe that time will be so kind to today's "styling language" from BMW. That's not to say that BMW's current cars are ugly (though they are not attractive to my eye). It just means that some fashion trends are fleeting.

A Canali suit is always fashionable, even though it may not reflect the latest fashion trend.

"Style Is Timeless Yet Fashion's Only Now"

Hall & Oats

"The only thing that goes out of fashion is fashion itself. Style stays forever"
Coco Chanel.

Sorry 001, but this picture actually makes the C-Class look far more attractive.

I think the E90 design (3 Series sedan) is a major snoozefest. It's only the coupe that's really hot.

The M3 sedan is also quite attractive, but it shares the E92's front end.

I agree S4. To my eyes this picture particularly makes me prefer the C-class...and it looks more modern, too...not to mention it is a coherent design instead of a hodgepodge of intersecting lines.

Are u the M3post T-bone?

There is no doubt that BMW makes the most desirable cars on the market both in terms of performance and modern design. YES, they do make their competitors look old fashioned and yes there are a lot of BMW haters(all people with bad taste or zero knowledge when it comes to cars). BMW cars today are by far the best looking cars on the road.

umm, right.

Vendetta is a German car hater. What else do you expect him to say.

No, the C class looks better and fresher than the 3 series.

Banglemobiles are lame on the exterior.

Im gonna admit that the c-class looks a bit better than the 3 sedan. but respectfully, the CTS wins the looks dep.

When I look at a Hyundai and then a 3-series, the 3-series looks very plain to me too!

I agree with 001 - the simple yet modern design elements of BMW design makes others look outdated.

the only decent looking BMW is the 3 series coupe and thats it. The only good looking bmws were pre-bangle, when they had their own distinct look.

Autospies really knows how to improve their bottom line..every post adds $$$ from advertisers...so we get inane and utterly useless 'articles' like this BMW design is 'better' 'more contemporary' 'less old fashioned' than Mercedes to drum up sales. Whats worse is that it attracts so much attention from so many to say the opposite or agree. Whats the point? Whats next 001, "Lexus designs are 'edgier' than European brand X"? Lets step it up to a more sophisticated level...

cptamazing ..
"I think most Euro cars look elegant. They also keep their original design heritage."


what ? by copying the slanty asian headlights of yesteryear cars from Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi etc..

Well, O.K., you have us there....

I don't think its the fact that it looks better or makes the competitors rides look old fashioned. I think its the 3er's curves are so seamlessly integrated and I think its more eye catching. I find myself looking at every 3er I see, even if its on the corner of my eyes, because something about it is screaming attention. Not that the competition looks bad or dated, I just think the curves on the 3ers are just right, not too exaggerated, nor too plain.

Not the 3, the 3 looks plain & common next to all of them. C-Class, G35 & IS look fresh.

It's only the front grill that makes a german car what it is.. take a out the BMW grill or take out the Audi grill, what do you get ?? a Honda or a Toyota...

You're right, the R8, S5, A8, Z4, M6 and 335i all look exactly like any Toyota.

S550 > A8 > 750i > LS460
550i > e550 > A6 > GS430
335i = C350 > is350 > A4

No, not the ugliest car in it's class but the very best looking and handling.

I bet you were the ugliest kid in school though.

Now that I think about it, I think they are both one of a kind. Both have a special feature/features.

Ian Callum (of DB7/DB9/XK fame) once said something interesting about the whole mess when asked if the future designs of Jaguar would challenge peoples preconceptions as much as Chris Bangles BMW's have.

He said: "We’re not into shock. Shock is about challenging people’s emotions to the point where they’re not quite sure. Pleasantly surprised, let’s say. I want people to look at our cars and say “I like that,” not ask themselves “do I like that or not?...There are two ways of doing innovative design. You can do it right, with intelligence and with knowledge and real understanding of how to design a car.... Or you can do it in a sort of surprise/shock way, which is where it’s done by somebody being slightly naive and who just does things for the sake of it, not to actually create any sense of pleasure."

Before anyone refers to the DB9 reference- Henrick Fisker only "mildly tweaked" Callum's design after he took over in 2001 according to Car and Driver.

You must be smoking smogg, crack or something. Not only are the BMW currently lineup "tired" looking but we can't forget that wonderful flop that BMW 7 series brought to us just a few years ago (with that ugly trunk). Then we shouldn't forget that unreliable i-Drive system which they brought to us and those classic cup holders in the 3 series dash area. That really screams quality cup holders ;-). I've been driving cars for 36 years now, owned 19 different makes. BMW makes a very nice handling car and a sporty feeling. However they have ways to go before I start calling their exterior dessigns & lines are "simply beautiful", and interior standards on the same high quality level as Audi. I really enjoyed the interior curves from the BMW 3 series and 5 series from 2000-03 model years. Why didn't they keep those beautiful interiors, and make a gorgeous exterior to compliment it. That 6 series nose dive looks terrible too. The 5 series 2010 spy photos look like their going to be great; maybe I'll buy another again.

just a thought: how does the 5 or 7 series looks nice? they both look like abominations.

The 5 series is probably the most beautiful sedan on the road today. Are you on drugs?

really how? beautiful as an accord?

What kind of idiot would compare the BMW 5 series with an Accord?

you said "the most beautiful sedan", which could mean any sedan. and how, again, does either the 7 or 5 series beautiful?

If anyone thinks that BMWs have the most beautiful designs, they should have their drivers licenses revoked... let alone be able to post on a blog about cars. Maybe the last generation. Those were quite nice, but these are just fugly. Jag, Cadillac, Audi, MB, Infinity all better.

I agree...prebangle ftw.

Agent 001 I think it is obvious you like BMW because to me they are starting to look more like Audi especially they ney 335i. As a matter of fact all the German brands a strating to look similar the 3, c and A4 all have characteristics of each other and I see copying being done on all three's part, the question is who started the trend.
Persnally I do not think BMW are that great they are bland inside and the exteriors aren't whoa!

BMW is a 2nd rate company that came up the ladder by blatantly copying everything Mercedes did. I'd take a Lexus over a bmw anyday.

you are a moron--to say that BMW ever copied MB. LOL
YOu must be a child. What 14?

For once, I actually agree with agent. I just finished browsing a used car booklet, and there side by side was an 06 325i and an 07 is350. From the front 3/4 angle, it's amazing how OLD the is looks already, while the 3 looks just as fresh and modern as it did May '05. The is reminds me of a sonata from the front and just looks dated and ready for a refresh already.

It's those coke-bottle glasses 001. And the smog. And those Big Macs you eat everyday for lunch.

Its just you. I prefer Mercedes, Audi, Infiniti over any comparable BMW. Throw the CTS in there as well.