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.

— jasaero (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 1:33:23 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

Stop smoking the pipe!

— Brembo (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 1:39:41 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 5   

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

— drew630 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 1:41:51 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 5   

I think your sniffing too much LA Smog

— AMGZING_fanboy (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 1:42:01 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -2   

Its just you :P

— Obliv (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 1:44:04 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 5   

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.

— dbs600old (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 1:46:07 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -9   

Its you dude!!!
T

— TauronB2G (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 1:47:46 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

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.

— Blakura (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 1:48:56 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 4   

001, It's just you.

— _43LE (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 1:50:33 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 9   

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

I think they forgot all about Form Following Function.

— Boosteroo (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 1:50:54 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 5   

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.

— GermanNut (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 1:52:13 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

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

— keyzi747 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 1:55:59 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -3   

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

— RealitySmack (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 1:57:22 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -4   

what you talkin' 'bout willis?

— EvoAudi (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 2:00:51 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

Above comment, lol...and...

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

— Czelinski (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 2:07:45 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -6   

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.

— theoptimisticpessimist (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 2:16:16 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -6   

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.

— Yonder7 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 2:17:14 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -8   

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

— 0to60 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 2:28:12 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 4   

It's just you.

— CLK63BlackSeries (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 2:34:32 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 6   

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!

— vman1013 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 2:35:31 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -11   

i think bmw designs made the others look old a few years ago. but since then, bangle inspired the industry as a whole to deviate from the staid designs that were plaguing our streets. we now have many flavors of sir bangle's work. almost every major manufacturer is offering their version of a masterpiece.

— 1995e34 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 2:43:46 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -3   

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.

— enthusiastx11 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 3:10:40 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -3   

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.

— Hwany (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 3:27:01 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

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.

— 2ndbimmer (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 3:33:15 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -7   

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.

— enthusiastx11 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 4:31:53 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -6   

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

— KEVINBSL500 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 3:48:54 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

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.

— Chip (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 3:57:53 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -7   

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

— LexSucks (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 4:57:22 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -4   

imitation is the greatest form of flattery.

thank you lexus for the compliment.

— enthusiastx11 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 4:33:28 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

BMW has the best designs.

— bmwfan1513 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 4:40:43 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -7   

It's like:


Funky or Casual

— Carboy (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 5:11:39 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -5   

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...

— AgentOrange (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 5:13:16 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -2   

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.

— farabira1 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 5:17:54 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 5   

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.

— autopro (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 5:18:27 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -3   

"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.

— Steve (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 5:27:49 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

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.

— S4cabriofoxone (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 5:59:02 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

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.

— Star (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 8:00:39 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -7   

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

— chewy (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 8:44:43 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -3   

Banglemobiles are lame on the exterior.

— Tour18 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 8:54:52 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

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

— Htay7500 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 10:16:34 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -2   

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

— MeanVulcan (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 11:29:48 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -2   

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

— SixxFive (View Profile)

Posted on 2/1/2008 11:51:06 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -2   

It's just you 001.

— huu76 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/2/2008 12:05:05 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

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.

— Htay7500 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/2/2008 8:21:22 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

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...

— markusck (View Profile)

Posted on 2/2/2008 9:13:21 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

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..

— mpls (View Profile)

Posted on 2/2/2008 9:22:31 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -3   

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

— AgentOrange (View Profile)

Posted on 2/2/2008 3:23:02 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

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.

— ThierryHenry14 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/2/2008 10:43:19 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

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

— StickShiftCamry (View Profile)

Posted on 2/2/2008 10:53:23 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

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...

— mpls (View Profile)

Posted on 2/2/2008 12:24:06 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

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

— coatandthai (View Profile)

Posted on 2/2/2008 12:32:44 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -5   

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.

— FactsRule (View Profile)

Posted on 4/13/2008 1:19:50 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

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

— Carboy (View Profile)

Posted on 2/2/2008 1:25:34 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

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.

— cdoke (View Profile)

Posted on 2/2/2008 2:28:55 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

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.

— gkearns (View Profile)

Posted on 2/2/2008 2:31:41 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

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

— Htay7500 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/2/2008 5:29:29 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

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.

— FerrarisR4me (View Profile)

Posted on 2/3/2008 1:05:05 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

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!

— mikeydred20 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/3/2008 11:31:43 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -3   

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.

— selercs (View Profile)

Posted on 2/3/2008 11:42:02 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

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

— razzy23 (View Profile)

Posted on 2/3/2008 3:51:29 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

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.

— tattedtwice (View Profile)

Posted on 2/4/2008 5:35:13 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

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

— M35MT (View Profile)

Posted on 2/4/2008 10:53:03 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

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

— the_gamper (View Profile)

Posted on 2/6/2008 3:25:05 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0