Enhancing Desire : The Compact Sporty BMW.

People have an issue with Scott saying it's a "minority" who find the front of the 1 Series ugly. Nobody is questioning that people have still bought it for it's other desireable aspects. It's ENI who is on his own saying NOBODY would buy an ugly car, which is patently not true.

Ah... minority.

In that case,... good luck explaining that one SCOTT!

I don't use the extreme word 'ugly' but I will say not in line with other good looking BMWs.
I have bought a BMW(E60) which in my opinion was not that great looking, as my daily beater. I bought it because I got a good deal on it and the 'interior' controls, ride feel, etc are to my taste, but not the exterior.

I buy ugly cars when they are needed
If I have to go with a BMW for my company it will probably be the 1-Series if it suits the company's needs.
I have considered the F20 even for myself and I really dislike the car's design but it's simply an amazing daily

PS: TVR Tuscan is IMO an ugly car but then again it's my all time favorite design and my dream car!

IMO anyone who intentionally buys an UGLY thing is mentally challenged or ill somehow.
Nobody buys things (s)he considers ugly.
Less attractive - yes. Odd - yes. Not particularly good looking - yes. Ugly - DEFINITELY NOT.

If you guys buy ugly things, there's something seriously wrong with you.

Even if it is a super good deal ... nobody buys ugly things. Otherwise I'll start to wonder what do you guys wear ... Affordable ugly cloth? Live in affordable yet fugly house / flat? Being married to / dating "affordable yet fugly wife / girlfriend"? I DON'T THINK SO.

Psychology works here ... Nobody buys an ugly thing for himself / herself. Period. Again.

Eni, are you trying to convice us that the 1er is pretty? It's the ugliest front end of the 3 germans. BMW better realise that.

I guess I drive an affordable ugly car then and that's why I desire the F20 as it is a beauty yet so expensive and not as practical as my LP...
If I want a RWD Hatch and the only one on the market is the F20 and I already have the appealing ride in my garage and don't care much about how my daily looks as the F20 is the best option for me offered on the market... what should I buy then ? Astra and go mod it to become RWD and upgrade the quality by using BMW powertrain ?

Just accept that people don't agree with you. People will not respect you when you make posts like the one above.

LOL this thread is hilarious.

Where are the 2 series pictures Scott is talking about? I'd like to see if it holds a candle next to the CLA. If not, BMW could be in some serious trouble with the younger end of the market. Mercedes brand perception is going to evolve RAPIDLY with the A-class and CLA and BMW will need a HOT product to counter.

Then how do you explain all the Ssanyongs out on the roads? No one in their right mind would consider those attractive. They are without a shadow of a doubt FUGLY, yet they still manage to sell.

BMW can put out some ugly shits and still sell, and this for Mercedes too. The badge...the badge...

I'm not saying F20 is absolutely beautiful, or handsome. I even admit it looks odd from some angles. But that's hardly a new issue when it comes to contemporary BMWs.

But I don't think its ugly or "fugly".

Why people buy odd looking cars? I guess because they like them in a way how they look. Some people have attraction to odd. Why do you think people buy contemporary abstract art? Those who buy it, they do certainly not think it's ugly.

Sane people just don't buy things they really consider ugly. Ugly is repulsive, offensive, uncomfortable, it makes you nervous, stressing, negative etc. Perhaps some masochistic self-destructive person likes to buy ugly things ... perhaps.

And since I think all of you are sane enough, I don't believe yo a bit that you really buy things you for certain consider ugly. It's not how normal human brain works.

But I'm not gonna try to convince you anymore, We can settle ... to agree to disagree. But I still don't believe you., guys.

Let the market decide. Pull out a 2er with the same front end as the 1er and then sit back and wait.

F20 is not just not beautiful, old 1series was not beautiful, but this is just ugly, its hard even to look at its front. M division however somehow made 1 M coupe great looking, but im not sure its possible to pull something similar off with these new headlights. Maybe after facelift. Maybe...

Check the happy owners' posts: http://f20.germancarforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=292

And argue with them they have bought an ugly car ... Good luck.

Why go a BMW owners forum ask them if they think there car are ugly?
We have this in IC
http://www.germancarforum.com/internal-combustion/43580-poll-bmw-1er-vs-audi-a3-vs-mb-class-9.html
Not to go OT. The test is where BMW puts a similar front end in the 2er and try to sell it in America, good luck with that.

Why? Because they are the REAL customers.

Internet "polls"? Give me a break.

Remember why BMW changed the design philosophy? Because the media & initial public response to the new E46 3er look was completely lukewarm. Nobody was really excited. The car was vanilla. And the BMW bosses panicked, and decided for more controversial avant-garde look. E46 even get an early facelift! And then all the outcry when "Bangle designs" were premiered, and the bosses panicked again, demanding more conventional styling. And so on, and so on.

But no matter how the car looks, it sells well. Perhaps maybe really due to the brand name & cachet. Obviously BMW can sell all the cars they can produce. They are able to. Even the "ugly" cars. Why bother then? The production capacities are full.

We can discuss about the looks, but DO NOT generalize & exaggerate about styling influence on sales. Especially in the premium segment, where brand / badge counts much more than in economy segment. There are my posts somewhere here on this board about the importance of the brand / badge on the sales in today's consumeristic culture. Find & read them.

Nobody is saying that there aren't people who like the looks of the 1 Series.

That's exactly what you're doing. You're generalising that NOBODY would buy a car they think is ugly. That simply isn't true, as several people on here, including myself, are saying that they think it's ugly yet they would still buy the 1 Series because the other qualities of the car make up for the looks. A colleague put an order in yesterday for an Alpine White M Sport 118i, yet they think it's ugly. They already own a BMW and it was just the easiest thing to do. They don't particularly like cars.

Can you make distinction between ugly & not looking good & looking odd?