[Patton250]

Originally Posted by Germanauto

Mercedes interiors look more flashy but quality is easily a notch below BMW and Audi, this has been extensively reaffirmed by journalist/media types too. Lot more hard plastics, creaking/squeaking in their cabins, etc.

It definitely squeaks more. I don't really know what journalist say I just know what my opinion is and while I think the interior of my G80 is absolutely magnificent I'm just telling you in my personal opinion my AMG was a little more impressive. I've never owned a Audi but I can tell you have test drove many of them and I don't think there are as nice as the Mercedes or BMW. In fact the reason why I went with the X3 and not the Audi equivalent is because they didn't even have a touchscreen. Their technology seemed to be like five years behind BMW.

[Germanauto]

Originally Posted by Patton250

It definitely squeaks more. I don't really know what journalist say I just know what my opinion is and while I think the interior of my G80 is absolutely magnificent I'm just telling you in my personal opinion my AMG was a little more impressive. I've never owned a Audi but I can tell you have test drove many of them and I don't think there are as nice as the Mercedes or BMW. In fact the reason why I went with the X3 and not the Audi equivalent is because they didn't even have a touchscreen. Their technology seemed to be like five years behind BMW.

AMG definitely has its own flair. On a side note, I feel like Mercedes sedans and coupes have awful visibility compared to other cars. Their dash/doors and belt lines sit very high, whereas BMW is clever about slanting its dashboards down to give a more airy feel. I often troll my buddy by calling his C43 coupe a bathtub.

[chassis]

I was speaking with a German citizen car enthusiast today and he confirmed M-B's reputation in Europe is low quality (many problems and failures on the vehicles).

M-B is circling the drain. Their new car delivered quality is poor, and medium term reliability is abysmal. Engine failures requiring engine replacement at less than 100k miles are not unusual across their engine lineup, not isolated to AMG high output engines.

[TheStanman]

Originally Posted by Patton250

It definitely squeaks more. I don't really know what journalist say I just know what my opinion is and while I think the interior of my G80 is absolutely magnificent.

It's a distinction between interior design and quality. Many people prefer MB interior design as it has more "wow" factor, but it's the material quality that's not as good. It's just about personal preference and how much you value design vs quality.

Regarding original topic, the art of interior design is balancing familiar design language yet enough difference to distinguish high-end models. Same with exterior.

OP - I agree BMW has gone too far in similarity across the range. I believe more than historically for BMW. Exterior is a different story. But MB has too much similarity in exterior design - e.g., C vs S class look extremely similar.

[mecheng77]

You couldn't be more wrong OP.
The interiors are similar because it takes years and millions of dollars to prove and design a sturdy interior, they don't want customers to be the tester of a failed design.

I love BMW interiors for their simplicity. I want to drive and not fumble through screens like Tesla and Volvo and now even Vw to change the climate or radio.

I want to be able to touch the interior and not hear squeaks like a Mercedes which has flashy interiors but I find them tacky and won't age well. The interior on a BMW feels like it's been carved from a solid piece of granite

[its55]

Maybe its time for a Toyota ... err... Lexus...

[Penguino]

Originally Posted by mecheng77

You couldn't be more wrong OP.
The interiors are similar because it takes years and millions of dollars to prove and design a sturdy interior, they don't want customers to be the tester of a failed design.

I love BMW interiors for their simplicity. I want to drive and not fumble through screens like Tesla and Volvo and now even Vw to change the climate or radio.

I want to be able to touch the interior and not hear squeaks like a Mercedes which has flashy interiors but I find them tacky and won't age well. The interior on a BMW feels like it's been carved from a solid piece of granite

What does any of those things have to do with using different style steering wheels and different air vents design or maybe a unique digital cluster for each series?

A difference between series is not related to quality concerns, it's a cost saving decision that's causing fatigue.

It's OK if it is someone's first BMW, but I've been driving BMWs since 1999. Changing every 3 years feels like I'm getting into the same car lately.

[BMWCCA1]

Originally Posted by Penguino

A difference between series is not related to quality concerns, it's a cost saving decision that's causing fatigue.

As similar as they may look, I can guess that few parts are actually the same exact part between the series. That would blow your cost-saving theory.

[heavyD^2]

Originally Posted by Our03z4

Don't be afraid to check out Audi, I'm personally done buying Bmw. Better Indy shops for Audi/Vw as well if you do long term ownership. Even the online groups as more friendly and helpful. Tons of mods if you are into that. Very comfortable cars and tons of power, not so great in the twisty though. A lot of my clients have moved from Merc, Bmw and Porsche as well for higher end Audi's.

Oh and my Audi is giving me a back massage as I type this.

Long term ownership and Audi are rarely used in the same sentence. BMW is not immune to having expensive repairs long term but we have way more old BMW's on the road than the other german brands because a lot of BMW's can run for a long time after warranty. Even my local Audi buddies will never, ever consider owning them out of warranty as they fall apart worse than almost any other brand as they age. Mercedes recently has really fallen on hard times and may be worse but Audi models have had consistently poor long term reliability for as long as I can remember.

[Piper1]

Originally Posted by its55

Maybe its time for a Toyota ... err... Lexus...

The turn off for me in looking at a rcf, Lexus can certainly all be identified by the front end with no badge needed. Funny I love the look of the MKV Supra cause nothing else has that front end lol

[cfm56d7b]

Originally Posted by mecheng77

You couldn't be more wrong OP.
The interiors are similar because it takes years and millions of dollars to prove and design a sturdy interior, they don't want customers to be the tester of a failed design.

I love BMW interiors for their simplicity. I want to drive and not fumble through screens like Tesla and Volvo and now even Vw to change the climate or radio.

I want to be able to touch the interior and not hear squeaks like a Mercedes which has flashy interiors but I find them tacky and won't age well. The interior on a BMW feels like it's been carved from a solid piece of granite

Very well said by mecheng77.

Creating a design which enables the driver (and to a lesser extent the front passenger) to be a better driver while providing a meaningful experience takes time + money. Standardizing supply chain, optimizing parts mix while reducing costs remains a constant goal as well.

This design is always constrained by the function, i.e. the driver still has to drive and not participate in some form of a future Olympics event, such as "let's exercise every finger on the iPad while not looking at the road".

Prior to the recent times, the design did evolve in the right direction: dial controllers (on the console and the steering wheel) to control iDrive + other features, bigger screens, HUD, navigation suggestions on the HUD, and many other evolutionary improvements.

What concerns me the most is change for the sake of change in recent designs produced by BMW and others:

- Erase the dashboard, delete the majority of helpful buttons, add velcro, and attach an iPad
- Since traditional drivetrain / driveshaft is absent in EVs, let's emphasize the newly gained space where center console used to be by adding a living room couch instead of 2 seats
- The newly gained 3 cubic feet in the middle should be the source of continuous admiration
- Wishing for a center console with easy to access controls is no longer fashionable nor welcome
- Unexplainable fascination with crystal buttons while providing no other options
- Wheels in newer EVs - while suggesting a more aerodynamic design to reduce drag - compel the buyer to look for non-OEM alternatives reducing revenue and margins

[Our03z4]

Originally Posted by heavyD^2

Long term ownership and Audi are rarely used in the same sentence. BMW is not immune to having expensive repairs long term but we have way more old BMW's on the road than the other german brands because a lot of BMW's can run for a long time after warranty. Even my local Audi buddies will never, ever consider owning them out of warranty as they fall apart worse than almost any other brand as they age. Mercedes recently has really fallen on hard times and may be worse but Audi models have had consistently poor long term reliability for as long as I can remember.

You've never met me then. Sucks to hear, what models do they own? I keep ALL of my cars until they can't go any longer. 200-300k miles is the norm. I do most work myself and I think outside the box as far as parts so that does help. Many things you can have custom made. For instance my Porsche, clutch disc is about $650, I can have one custom made and better than OEM in California for about $250. I can have 4 custom high performance rotors made in Cali for the Audi for only $600. I would never own an Audi SUV or lower level models, you get what you pay for. The only BMW my brother fully was happy with was an 1987 325i, thing was a tank and a hoot to drive.

BMW has been the worst car as far as parts and reliability that I've ever owned. Same with my brother who also won't buy another.

Ultimately what we need to all admit is that cars nowadays simply suck. My new F250 is horrible and makes me miss the older models, my previous 5 were simply excellent. I enjoy my 07 model much more than the new one. I have an Omni GLH, fun but horrible little car but the nice thing is parts are almost always under $10. Gone are the days of keeping cars around long term, just like houses they are made to be thrown away.

When I bought my Audi I told the salesman wow there is a ton of stuff to go wrong in this thing. Freaking space ship it is.

[BobBMWX3]

I am new to BMW. I like the interiors. I think they are stylized yet not loud or over the top anywhere. I can see the advantage of having a similar look across the models. It is easier to communicate to the consumer that this is a BMW. If you got a good thing, why change it.

I could get behind the idea of the Ms getting a more aggressive line in the design of the dash and doors. Then you would have some variety that would make some sense. Ms are a slightly different consumer market, so that could work.

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by Our03z4

Don't be afraid to check out Audi, I'm personally done buying Bmw. Better Indy shops for Audi/Vw as well if you do long term ownership. Even the online groups as more friendly and helpful. Tons of mods if you are into that. Very comfortable cars and tons of power, not so great in the twisty though. A lot of my clients have moved from Merc, Bmw and Porsche as well for higher end Audi's.

Oh and my Audi is giving me a back massage as I type this.

I hope you are not driving while typing this! And getting a massage in a car is not something unique to Audi; my BMW 530e has a massage function (8 settings with three different intensity levels).

[BMWILUVU]

The only thing I like about the new G-series BMWs are the engines. The exterior styling is plain copycat and the grille is ugly. People like the interior but imo it lacks composition. I don't like the look of the M-sport steering wheel and the plastic looks cheap. The screen version of the dash is too busy and I don't like it for many reasons. The new BMWs just do not inspire upgrade money and is the main reason I kept my F-series after lease. After all these years I still do look back at my parked car when walking away. When I see a G-series, I look away.

[POBEP]

Originally Posted by LogicalApex

I personally think the similarities play to a strength and not a weakness. It helps to give them an ability to make the BMW feel familiar and inviting no matter where in the lineup you go. Which I think it much more common than it was in the past (but I'm in my 30s so maybe I'm wrong here). I feel people now may get an X5 and then go to a 5-Series or even an X3 later and etc...

They want you to be able to jump into a BMW connect your profile and have that car feel familiar to you. The car to act as if it knows you. Setting various settings to your liking and etc.

All this while allowing you the flexibility to go where you're pulled at any given time. It is a longterm good strategy I think as you'll end up feeling deeply connected to BMW as time goes on if you're brand loyal.

+1 here.

My E-fleet feels like one familiar space - and I like it. Weather it is E91 (city/work), E90 (summer mountain ride) or E70 (winter ski trip) - I do not have to think twice about control placement or functionality difference.

I find the long straight highway stretch boring.
Twisty mountain road is never boring: there is no time for iDrive, mobile device or checking interior features - the BMW helps enjoy the ride

Two interior design items that puzzles me in E9X series are trunk release and door lock button placement ... I can live with it

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by chassis

I was speaking with a German citizen car enthusiast today and he confirmed M-B's reputation in Europe is low quality (many problems and failures on the vehicles).

M-B is circling the drain. Their new car delivered quality is poor, and medium term reliability is abysmal. Engine failures requiring engine replacement at less than 100k miles are not unusual across their engine lineup, not isolated to AMG high output engines.

In the US Consumers Report has been giving MB bad reliability grades for some time.

[jnj2455]

I strike middle ground here.

I like having a family resemblance, to a degree. But to OP's point, I was not able to discern at all which car was which based on the interior photos that were shared. It does seem off putting that a 750's interior is basically the same as a 330 but with upgraded materials and mildest of stylistic changes.

[LOFT]

My two cents...first, I'll defend Audi. I've had five of them and kept them all to a minimum of 8 years without costs other than servicing, brakes, etc. Either I've just been lucky or they are good build quality. Their interiors are best in class.

Having said that I'm waiting delivery on an X5 45e. In December I was upgraded to an X5 40 by Hertz for a California/Arizona road trip. It was impressive in terms of easy adaptation to the entire driver interface for a car I had never driven. The PHEV purchase was a personal decision, but I wanted to get a 2022 before the new all digital IX screens arrive. I truly hope that I will be as happy as a long term BMW owners as I've been with Audi.

So net/net, as a relative newbie/returner to BMW (I owned 3 in the '90's and early 2000's) I really like the current interior.

[Tacoma]

Originally Posted by alex2364

If you’ve owned BMWs as long as you say you have, then you would know their interiors have always looked the same during the same era. Compare the interior of a E46 vs E39 and you can barely tell them apart. This is nothing new.

E46


E39


E46 vs. E39: There's certainly a family resemblance but you can tell the difference, especially at the center floor console which is completely different.

G20:


G42:


G20 vs. G42: It looks the same! The center floor console looks interchangeable - they probably are. You have to look to the doors to tell the difference.

The two modern BMW interiors go beyond family resemblance. They're practically twins!

[alex2364]

Originally Posted by Tacoma

E46 vs. E39: There's certainly a family resemblance but you can tell the difference, especially at the center floor console which is completely different.

Try again when you have both E46 and E39 with nav or both without. Of course it's going to look different when one has screen in the center stack and the other doesn't.

[Penguino]

Originally Posted by Tacoma

E46


E39


E46 vs. E39: There's certainly a family resemblance but you can tell the difference, especially at the center floor console which is completely different.

G20:


G42:


G20 vs. G42: It looks the same! The center floor console looks interchangeable - they probably are. You have to look to the doors to tell the difference.

The two modern BMW interiors go beyond family resemblance. They're practically twins!

You get it.