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Good, Bad or Ugly - Current and Future styling trends of BMW
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In addition to your valuables, the attendants are liable to toy with your car. I.E., test the stereo system, play with the Navigation, even burn the rubber.
Geez, to my eye, the trunk of the new 6er is the best looking of the late BMWs. Go figure. ;-)
Best Regards,
Shipo
The car is absolutely gorgeous.
My 545 rocks!
The sales figures speak for themselves.
The Bangle E60 is a great success.
Many people seem to agree with me.
Funny: I love those eyes.
They remind me of the irresistibly sexy and exotic Egyptian goddess, Isis.
GRRRRR!
In other words, feminine.
In the same way you can call the eyes of a sleek female cheetah or panther feminine.
Another similarity among the cheetah, panther and my 545:
Look, but don't touch! :P
At least BMW had the courage not to give us the "same old, same old!"
My E60 545 always draws looks-it's sexy, bold, aggressive and looks like it's built for speed.
A nice stable indeed!
Shows there are a lot of folks out there who appreciate the bold, aggressive and sexy styling of the great and incomparable E60!
Ummm... no, it doesn't. It shows that 42.8% more people bought the Bangle 5 since January 2005.
If you're in the market for a car, and you're a BMW fan, what else could you drive? Would a BMW lover be happy in an Audi? An Infiniti?
I'm sure there are many people that bought the Bangle 5 in spite of the looks - not because of it.
I'm not bashing the looks of the Bangle 5 - really. I'm not a big fan of it, but I've seen worse.
I too am so tired of the stupid position that people will buy a BMW for $50,000- $60,000 despite the fact they view it as "ugly."
I have a 545 and there is no way I would have leased this vehicle if I felt it was ugly and it would embarrass me.
I would have looked at the 330i if I did, or the Infiniti M45.
People are greatly influenced by style and whether you can or cannot accept this, well, that's YOUR problem!
Sales of the 5 series are up 42.8% even though the buyers perceive the car as ugly?
Totally laughable!
Never had a vehicle that causes so many stares and they aren't stares of disgust, they are looks of admiration or envy.
You would see a lot more of them on the road if the price was $10k lower.
Then the folks with the envious stares would be driving the 5 series too.
Anybody out there is free to call the car "ugly." That is your right.
But when sales are up 42.8% in one year, your view is in the underwhelming minority.
Thank you!
I didn't mean to suggest that all, or even most people "bought it in spite of", but I'm sure a fair number did. Why do I think that? Because I almost did.
Nothing drives like a BMW. Nothing. An Audi is good, so is a MB, and the Infiniti is amazingly close for a Japanese car, but there's just something about a BMW. If you've drank the Kool-Aid, so to speak, then when you go car shopping your first thought is "Which BMW am I going to buy?"
I went back and forth about the 5, and whether or not I could get used to the look. I wasn't crazy about it, but I didn't (and still don't) think it is ugly. I did, however, love how it drove.
When I went to the dealership, check in hand ready to pull the trigger, I took it for an extended two-hour drive just to make sure. After about an hour and a half, I found the seats uncomfortable and my back started to hurt. I've had back problems for years, so this was a Big Red Flag for me, and I passed. I bought a Lexus GS300 instead.
If I had to do it over again? I'd buy the BMW and a big bottle of Advil.
So - I would have bought it "in spite of" the looks. In other words, even though I didn't love the look, I loved how it drove. And, since I don't care if anyone notices my car or is envious, feel would win out over look.
Although if it looked like an Element or Aztec...
So, does the possibility exist that I would opt for a car that I don't like the looks of because of said cars' other attributes? Yes, but only if I couldn't find something that fit my requirements nearly as well.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Best Regards,
Shipo
Obviously there are some who bought the car despite not being in love with the looks. I can't see a whole lot of people buying the car if they thought it was downright ugly, but I'm sure there are some who bought that weren't exactly smitten with the looks.
Some of the BMW faithful have most definitely jumped ship too.
Then you have those BMW buyers that were looking for a change and this car suits their taste just fine.
Then you have those that have never bought a BMW before because of the styling. This group thinks the new look is a big improvement. I've heard this expressed more than a few times at the BMW stand at Detroit and Chicago.
I suggest a poll of 5-Series buyers/owners on the 5-Series board!
M
That, and I type faster.
I doubt that would really show anything. I'm sure there are a fair number of people that initially weren't thrilled with the look of the E60, but after owning it have "gotten used to it" and have come to like it. After spending that much, you almost have to.
I'm sure I've come across as an E60 basher - I'm really not. I like the car, and if I owned one I'm sure I'd be jumping in now to say how much I enjoyed it.
But, to say that the increase in sales is a testament to people's love of the look isn't right. I'm sure there are many that were forced into accepting it.
One poll I'd love to see, if you could get honest answers: out of all the E60 owners, if they could snap their fingers and make it look like the 2003 5er, would they do it?
Bingo! If BMW was to make exactly the changes you've outlined, I'd almost instantly switch from "Dat be ugly" to "Yum, gotta have one". ;-)
Best Regards,
Shipo
Once I saw one and thought it was a 3, but was surprised to see "525" on the back.
The 5 was well overdue for a fresh new look. At least now, there is no possibility of mistaking a 2006 5 for a 3.
Hmmm, I never once mistook an E39 for either an E36 or E46 (or an E90 for that matter). Not once.
"The 5 was well overdue for a fresh new look."
That is a point I won't argue, the E39 was produced during nine different calendar years (1995 through 2003), and as good as it looks and as timeless as its design is proving to be, it was a little long in the tooth by the time it was retired. That having been said, BMW totally lost me with both the Dame Edna schnozzle and the Bangle Butt. Yeesh!
I saw a spy photo of what is purporting to be the new 2009 7-Series a day or two back and I cannot tell you how glad I am to see that car has been returned to a clean look from forced garishness of the current design. I can only hope the next generation 5-Series follows suit.
Best Regards (from the loyal opposition),
Shipo
True, but now if I see one from a distance from the front and can't see the logo, I confuse it for a Pontiac.
(ducking)
Do you still have the link? I'd love to see it.
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=108559#4
Best Regards,
Shipo
Hmmm.... not bad looking. The best thing I like about it is BMW's willingness to tone things down a bit. Still don't like the headlights, though.
One thing I'd love to see is a touchscreen instead of the bottlecap. We'll see.
Thanks again.
I will allow you one "get out of jail free" card.
Give 'em credit for boldly going where no BMW has gone before.
My Dad has an A8L (he's 72), and for that demographic I think hiding the screen works well since he's not likely to mess around with stuff too much. I have a touchscreen in my GS, and I love it (that part of it, anyway). I'm always using it to flip around the XM stations, plus it's great for entering NAV destinations.
If BMW put a touch screen in their cars, I think you'd see a lot of the iDrive complaining stop.
Hmmmm... if I had to pick one, a good cup holder or a touch screen.... I'd probably take the touch screen, but it would be close.
>"Give 'em credit for boldly going where no BMW has gone before."
Agreed. The E60 is distinctive and original.
I too would prefer a good touch screen. At the very least, get the radio tuning function out of IDrive! What a dumb idea! You wonder who is making these decisions. Hasn't anybody in Corporate tried to tune in or input into memory a new radio station frequency when going from one area to another?
it's a major project and a big mistake!
You have now earned a second "GOOJF" card for being so agreeable!
I'll leave it to you to keep track of the balance in my account.
Regarding the 09 7 series if looks could kill this one wont even kill an ameoba.
If your driving desire in life is blandness then the 09 7 series looks perfect.
It ceases to amaze me how Lexus is looking more Bangle-like and how future BMWs are looking more Camry-like. An ominious trend for BMW in my opionion but certainly not for Lexus.
M