German Car Forum

I don't know why I came to the realization now on this issue but I guess I wanted to bring it up to see what you guys thought.

The current 5er has just looked at me the wrong way. I don't know what it is, but the front, and the interior, finally spoke to me. I don't like it. I like the back and the overall style, but being particular about things I don't like the front headlights, bumper, or interior styling. The eyebrows just piss me off everytime I look at them. Furthermore, whenever I look at an A6 I think to myself, 'Gee that car looks bigger, nicer, and costier."

Adding on to what I have already said I don't know if the new 5er has been holding its value to well. I have looked at some 04 545i's fully loaded going for 34-36k. That is not bad at all considering many of them have about 29-36k of miles. What's up with this?


Do any of you share my thinking?

Is there an update on the facelift, if any?

Can't say I share your thoughts. Design is a very subjective thing and clearly the 5er doesn't work for you.

I personally love the front of the 5er but I'm a little biased as I drive one. I particularily like the 5er because it has, in my opinion, an aggressive look to it that neither the A6 nor the E-class have.

I think the facelift is suppose to be fairly minor and debut at Geneva, hitting North America as MY08.

I agree about the front bumper and headlights. Never gotten used to them. It looks alot better with the M package though.

I agree with you Michael that the 5er look disappointing from some angles, especially from a side angle view of the front, which makes it look a little dopey. I like the rest of the car however, and the M package really serves to correct the front issue with me.

One big issue I have with the 5er is that it has no LEDs at the back - this is especially irritating since the E39 has them.

Your opinion took me by surprise Michael, I feel the same about the headlights, I never liked them. One of my biggest issues with the front end is the grill. It`s just too small with all that mass and "flash" going on. The M or sport package just makes things worse because that adds even more mass! The profile I can live with, it`s unique, fresh and very BMW but the interior could use some work. Although it`s less busy looking than it`s new baby brother the 3er it still looks like it was designed by machines.. too much of an industerial feel about the look and "feel" of the design. BMW really needs to improve with their interiors imo. Mercedes and Audi do a far better job with interior designs.

Thank you guys. I am not putting the car down but rather just noticing an aging process. I think in retrospect the headlights should not have been so aggresive when it came to the eyebrows. Then again, like someone mentioned, that is subjective and truly in the eye of the beholder. The problem is that, for me, this has to be the first BMW that actually "ages" when I look at it. It doensn't appeal to me like the E39 did for such a long time.

If you notice the aggressivenesss and the way the M5's bumper is designed is as if it is to counter the design flaw that plays with the regular 5er car. The eyebrows are going up, so to counter tha M has aggresively designed the front bumper to draw the stance down.

I share your opinion. I have never liked the 5er. I'm not going to go as far as calling it ugly becasue it isn't but it doesn't score a 10 on my design scale, but it is a good car. Regarding the value of the car you have to remember that it is a mass produced large car and just like the E-class and A6 it loses a huge percentage of its value the first two years after having left the showroom.

Yep I can see that in a way.. but even here you can see the biggest flaw is the smallish grill from directly ahead. I always wondered why BMW did that.
Increasing the grill size with such a radicle design would have soften the "loudness" of the front-end design and would have made the car look a little more up-scale. -And yes the headlights, the way thay are shaped, I get your point here.. Like you I also like the E39 5 more. Don`t get me wrong with the latest 5 though.. it`s not a beautiful car I just call it unique... BMW could have been a little more rational.

Luw besides that I think there are some cars that can retain their vaule better especially being sold at 56k and then go down to 36k in 2 years.



I like the picture you posted. The M5 does look good in my opinion and it is because of the front bumper. It does away with that 'upward' look of the car that seems to be caused by the headlights.

I agree with you Mike. The E60 has a strange "face". The eyebrows , the rounded kidneys and some other details don't work for me either. Shame cause the middle part of the car (from A pillar to C pillar) is a well designed (with reference to classic BMW design language) car.

Like which ones, except for low volume cars like Porsches, AMGs, Ms and RS cars?

Personally I don't think many of the newer BMW designs will age well, thanks to the many superflous details. For a design to work over time, every detail needs to add up to create harmony in the overall look and feel. Making these cars appleaing to the Asian market through expressive design took precedence over refninig the details that count, that more importantly, have defined the BMW look for so many years .

I am referring to the 5er that is currently out. To depreciate that much seems a little bit to much for me.

i love the car, especially in dark colours. Add the sportpackage and you have the coolest car in the class. 5er is one hell of a car and the M5 is to die for

I think it's safe to say you like anything w/ a roundel up front.

http://www.kbb.com/kbb/MediaCenter/P...ContentI d=26






Also interesting:

https://www.alg.com/deprratings.aspx
https://www.alg.com/press_detail.aspx?id=66

The weakest part on 5er E39 is the rear, looks plain and not as aggressive as the new. The strongest part on 5er E60 is the rear so im very happy bmw fixed the problem I had with E39.


mean machine

I wouldn't expect you to say something else.

im speaking from my heart so why would I say the opposite. I like A6 as well, I bet you didnt expect that.

BTW whats up with all this attitude problems? not what I expect from you.

Same with what you said. Very boring indeed.

I already know what every member here is going to say on this subject. Overdone and very unsurprising answers....

At least the car is ten times as original as all those boring and the same looking Audis. Thank GOD! I still have a hard time seeing the difference between an A4, A6 or A8

love it with M package..its the sportiest car in the class..
without M package it looks to be honest terrible from the front..
love the rear..no matter what package..

interior are as all other BMW interior..not to bad..no to god.. make wrong colour combo..and it will looks like the most crappy interior... or make the right..and it will look very handsome..

all in all a nice car still.. i would take it over the A6 everyday..wich was fresh to me about 30mins and then it looked old..
and the E class is just plain old..but still elegant..
so today i would wait for the FL 5er and get that in this class.. or the new E class..but thats further away i guess

Oh, and one more thing, regarding BMWfreak's first post on this subject:

"I don't know why I came to the realization now on this issue...."

I don't know either man. The car has been out for years now, and I came to my conclusion about a week after I first saw the car. It's just silly it took you so long to realise what you don't like about the car. Sorry. Either you want to make some sort of conversation here because the forum has been horribly slow, or you just make this up (or you never see the car, which I find hard to believe).

come on man, no need for that.

Klier do you want to start a problem with me? Seriously? Get over your BMW fanaticism. Just Me is a BMW fan and he is a nice person.

What a person cannot change his/her opinion a week, month, years down the line? Completely ignorant and irrational from your part to say such a thing. I don't just start threads to see if we can get something 'moving.' So, watch your mouth! We know that you are a fanatic of BMW and so is Just me, but for once learn from him and not yourself!

In reference to you saying about whether I see the car or not, someone in my family owns one and if you know anything about Miami, it is the central for hot cars so yea the 5er is EVERYWHERE.

I liked the 5er when it came out, but just like Just Me pointed out something he didn't like about the E39, I can point something out about the current 5er. I think that the E39 was a longer living design than the current one. Seeeing the new A6 and other cars introduced in other german manufacturing companies does affect my opinion and I am sure it does to everyone as well. The new S class for example is strikingly good looking which shows the oldness of the 7er already. So, in retrospect one is always updating their opinion about a particular car and model.

Tell me, why is it that Just Me see's problems now with the old E39? I thought he loved that car. I thought it was his favorite. Well, a newer 5er came around that he so happens to like very much. Now he can see the flaws or outdatedness of the older 5er(e39) when compared to the newer 5er. Is that a problem? I am sure you can point out things that you don't like about the E39 now. That would probably be because the car is old already.


BTW my name is Michael not BMWFREAK.

Klier sometimes people change their opinions or need time to decide what they like and what not. What you find bad or mediocre at one point you can find it beautiful some time later.
For example i used to like the 3 door A3 more than the Sportback some time ago but now it's the opposite.

I don't think that Michael started this conversation to put down BMW simply because he is not that type of guy.