pharding

As a loyal BMW enthusiast, I was shocked to see the design sloppiness with the refresh. I am appalled with the backward evolution of the design of the cabin with the refresh. The new silver shifter base-plate sits on an awful black filler panel. Then the beautiful wood covered ashtray with the cool sliding lid was changed to black and was redesigned just to match the dumb black filler for the shifter opening. The door arm rest/handles on original "classic" e60 were beautifully integrated into the design. The driver and passenger sides matched beautifully. With the refresh the driver and passenger's armrest/handles revert back to a 1950 design for the driver and a 1960 design for the passenger. They are not as elegant as the "classic" e60 and do not match each side of the cabin. On the exterior the new rear bumper is another design regression backward. "The "classic" bumper is much more elegant. Also why does the refreshed e60 even have a manual parking brake? The X5 has the same shifter and an electronic parking brake which integrates well with the electronic shifter. Just put that brake in the e60 which shares the same platform.

I do not understand BMW's shift in design direction other than they are trying to dumb down design to appease a few auto magazine critics that most people just ignore because of the internet. Look at the e90 sedan. It is so conservative that it borders on being banal. The e60 has been a very successful car for BMW. I do not understand why they are dumbing down the design and making designs that can best be best described as cheap and shortsighted. I do not understand the change in direction for BMW. Also by using mindless patches and sloppy deisgn elements, they are moving away from their German heritage for design/technical excellence. They are starting to behave like a French car company.

For me the refresh is a non-starter. Why do I want a cabin that is slopped together? Why do I want something that looks bad in comparison to what I have? What I have is fast and powerful. The refresh changes are small and just slightly better technically, but what I have works fine. I have thought it through and I will pass on the refresh when my lease is up in August 07. I will either keep my current 04 545 or I will reluctantly shift over to an Audi A8 for the next three years. A fully loaded 5 er is now comparably priced with a base A8 which is loaded anyway. I will look at the numbers and decide which makes financial sense on a lease basis.

10:47 am I just finished reviewing the Audi A8 on their website. I will probably lease an A8 when my lease is up. I really like BMW cars, but I do not want to go backwards. If you compare the refreshed 550 versus the Audi A8, the Audi A8 is more German to me. It is certainly not slopped together.

BimmerGuyFL

LOL what the hell are you talking about? The car has only been shown in pictures and your complaining and basing your thoughts on pictures? You should wait to see the car in person and drive it before you criticize anything. Cars in pictures and in real life are two totally different animals; it?s like comparing apples and oranges.

Rudy

I understand your frustration with the new interior, etc. One thing that you might want to keep an eye on is not only what the car will look like when it's actually in showrooms but also what it might look like a few months into production (like closer to when your lease is up.)

Remember the early E60's didn't have wood on the door handles, didn't have wood in the area just above the ashtray, and didn't have wood in the rear part of the console (where the rear a/c vent is.)

I'm wondering if some of these parts like the filler on the shifter will eventually become better integrated with materials that match the rest of the car.

As far as the parking brake, I suppose that would have caused too much redesigning (too expensive) but also since the E60 still offers a manual transmission, the handbrake might be a better fit since it would be difficult to operate a foot pedal parking brake while holding in a clutch pedal (no manual option on an X5, right?)

Whatever you do Paul, don't be a stranger!

pharding

I feel completely comfortable looking at and forming opinions based upon photographs. After all that is why BMW put both photographs and text out there describing the refresh. They want to stimulate interest in the car at midlife and keep the sales from falling off. All I can respond to is what I can see now. All that I know is that right now, based upon the photos and text, the refresh is non-starter for me. If something changes I will reconsider my decision to not get the refreshed 5er when my lease is up. A fully loaded e60 is an expensive car. It should not be slopped together. I really like BMW's and I will reevaluate my decision if situation is the sloppiness is fixed. Undoubtedly I will be drive the F10 in 2010 when it comes out. However based upon what I now see in photos and text that BMW put out I will definitely not lease a refreshed 550. I will still frequent this board because I like BMW's in general.

baadaaboo

well said, I couldn't agree more. BMW should be more confident of what E60 was.

Adding those ugly idrive shortcut buttons is actually contradicting its functionality. It also contradicting voice command feature!! what is the F*^$# point? shortcut for what that had been shortcut?

I am glad I took the last e60 delivery before facelife. If my E60 were look like that? I wouldn't buy it.

wake up BMW!

Ricracing

The Audi A8 is a very fine car in the BMW 7-series-, M-B S Classe- and Lexus LS-group.

Of these car I would go for the Mercedes S500 (S550 in the States I think), even
the S350 will take you there.

The 7-series is waiting for a total renewing very soon and Jap cars, oh, are Jap cars.


PS. After some surfing I realize that the S350 is not sold in the US and that the A8
is much cheaper than the S550...

Go for the Audi, you can always come back to BMW's...