Originally Posted by santiago fonseca' post='439271' date='Jun 24 2007, 11:23 AM

Yeah, the German spec 05s (maybe 04s as well) had that compartment on the left side under the light knobs and it was failry big if I remember correctly - like 6-7 inches across by 3 or so high and fairly deep. I had it on one I road tested before we bought our US Spec car.

One thing I dislike tremendously about mine is the lack of storage space in the cockpit. I had them remove the phone craddle from the console box 'cause it took all the space except the 2"-deep "fridge" There's no place to put glasses, phone, wallet, CDs anything. The glove box is very hard to reach from the driver's seat when you're strapped in and the center console glove box is the only space left. The console may be "artistically designed" but it is crap as there's not one surface to put anything that'll stay through the first turn. My phone goes in the ashtray.

I use the "tray" between the leg bolster and the seat (passenger side, comfort seats) to put these items - unless I have a passenger.

I know some of you will say - get a bluetooth phone, and get an iPod - but that's not the answer. German engineers think you get in the car to drive and that's all you'd do - well, it ain't so - at least not here in the good ol' US of A.

A thought just occured - if the German spec cars have (had) it and engineers KNOW we carry lotsa shit with us on this side of the pond, maybe they're doing it to piss us off and laugh when we continue to buy the cars??

How many of us have gone to another brand's dealership and not bought a car because we didn't like this or that and then gone over to BMW and bought one regardless of not liking a few things when there may be better cars out there??

There seems to be so much more value for the money in other brands, but we still buy BMW - why? Things will not change at Dingolfing until we say "Enough. Build them for the US market or sell them in Dubai, Hong Kong - or somewhere else"

Oh yeah, I hate placement of the CD changer as well. Nearly impossible to load if you're in the driver's seat. yeah, yeah, get an iPod...

Food for though. That's my piece.

Originally Posted by ExGMan' post='439360' date='Jun 25 2007, 12:20 AM

Gee...quite a rant, eh? I think you'll find similar ergonomic issues in any vehicle. BMW has made a lot of adaptations to the E60, and continues to do so. My suggestion is to drive your E60 over to a Lexus dealer, and take a test-drive in an ES350. Everything may fall to hand in the ES350, but you'll lose the smile, but that, as they say in the MasterCard ad...."Priceless."