German Car Forum

Which of the 3 big Germans is going the best direction in the design?
What is your opinion?

My opinion:

1. Audi - Their brave move with the single frame grille was really something special. At first I was sceptical, but now I really love it! Sure the models look alike eachother a bit, but I believe that the future models like R9 (Le Mans) and A5 (Nuvolari) will be off the hook.

2. MB - Love their current design, but lately I have seen cars like the B-Class and the S-Class live and I think they are going the wrong way. They look to japanese for me.

3. BMW - Bangle bangle bangle...

1. BMW - they dare to be bold and gets away with it.
2. Audi
3. Mercedes

I totally agree with you on Mercedes....Their current design is awesome but I think the future is bad, not just for them but generally for the whole car industry...Asia is influenting too much, they are going too fast. I dislike all these Japanese future-cars and crap, that's not way to go, I think that car-design shouldn't go much further, it's cool how it's now.

Audi has a nice future, maybe the best from these 3...we have to see their next model 'sports hope'

and BMW - you never know LOL

Definitely BMW. It seems that BMW sparked the sudden design change for everyone (IMO of course). I mean around 2002 when the 7 series came out, car designs were not as bold. Now look at them!

Many companies, such as Lexus, are starting to use BMW design elements, and in my opinion thats a good thing. I like bold designs and different designs that make your head turn, and Chris Bangle started a revolution for the better (IMO), and the sales numbers back that up.

One thing I've noticed about BMW designs is that you either love them or hate them, very rarely there is an in between. Even so many people take time to learn to like them. Take for example the guys over at M5Board. They hated the 5 series when it first came out. Now they can't stop gushing over it. In my opinion that is a good thing, its makes sure there is no 'mediocre' design, i.e. there is no 'safe' middle ground... the designs challenge you. Thats my take on it anyway. It was these designs that made me like BMW over the other Germans (which I still admire, regardless).

Now for my list (my opinions again):
(1) BMW (Reasons above)
(2) Mercedes (Their designs are becoming far more bold, especially the CLS and the new S-class... there interesting to look at, at some angles, there are things to hate and things to like... they are head turners as much as the next BMW. Their old designs, e.g. W211 E-class are a bit dull for my tastes)
(3) Audi (in my opinion the least bold and most 'safe' and probably most dull in terms of design. Aside from the RS4, which is really made 'bold' by its bodykit, when I see a A8, A6 or A4 on the road it doesn't attract my attention. This maybe why people want the car, but this is a poll about opinions. On top of that I like the shield grill, but thats really the only bold thing about these cars. Problem with the shield grill is that it makes all the cars look the same. There has been a number of times when I mistook an A6 for an A4, and a A8 for an A6 etc, and I (if I must say so myself) tend to have an eye for detail when it comes to cars. Undoubtedly they make good interiors and good cars as much as the next Germans... but design-wise I don't get impressed by the designs.

Well thats my take.

1. Audi. I find their design quintessentially German, something that used to be true of the other two as well. Sporty, understated elegance is, IMO, still the way to go. Current Audis will look good and modern for years to come - something that might not be the case with some other designs.

2. Mercedes. I'm really worried about Mercedes at the moment. The new S and the new M are not what I'd call attractive design. The older designs are much more distinctive and attractive, IMO.

3. BMW. It should be no surprise the new design direction is not to my liking. Somehow I feel now that Bangle has been replaced by that Van Honkytonk fella as the main designer the designs seems to have toned down somewhat but they're still a far cry from the design purity that made BMW great.

What makes you not like the Asia car industry? I mean what is it about Japanese cars which are so bad?

Fact is that I feel the Germans, European cars etc need to move towards 'Asian' designs (or designs that appeal to Asians) simply because thats where the money is nowadays. If you look at Japan and China, these countries economies are growing phenomenally. I mean (unless someone can prove me wrong), I would suspect that the Chinese market is the fastest growing or one of the fastest. Undoubtedly, the American and European industry are important, but the Germans have already established themselves and a customer-base in those countries.

I must disclose that I am Asian, so therefore I have a bias in this argument.

I'm fan of complex design - design that makes you think. Simple design can be done by everyone, complex one is a work of genius. Conterporary premium brands have to show complex and dynamic design - to stand out from non-premium brands. More and more regular brands are using hi-tech features, powerful engines, quality material. So design is becoming more and more a factor of distinctness (between regular and premium brands).
Nowdays all the premium brands (BMW, MB, Audi, Lexus, Infiniti, Cadillac, Jaguar, etc) aims to be luxurious & sporty at the same time. And design is the best way to express sportiness and luxury. So ...

BMW - the best design for sporty premium brand: brave, complex, brlliant details, absolute dynamic.

MB - new models (SLK, CLS, ML, S, R) are showing MB design is heading towards more complex design, yet staying elegant. Amazing details.

Audi - too conservative (despite new grill); side panels are way too simple for sporty premium brand. Details are nice, but too simple. I hope Audi will excercise more brave design in the future (new TT, new A4 and A5 will reveal future Audi design). Their slogan is: "Vorsprung durch Technik" after all - so I hope their design will also follow that motto.

1. MB.. cause i cant find any car that doesent look good in their line up today.. and that was not the case some years ago..
2.BMW.. cause they make cool bold designes.. some are supernice.. and some are just plain ugly...but still they are diffrent..
3.Same design diffrent sizes..

Let's clear the thing about Asia or Asians: I don't say I don't like the Asian people like you, I said I don't like their industry..Why?? You answered your question. The main reason is the FUTURE...Look at all these Japanese/Korean concept cars. They can turn around themselves, they have some weird things on them that can be understood just by their ingeneer, and at the end, look at the design of those machines (I personally can't call them real cars)...That's what I don't like...It doesn't matter if it's Asia or America of Africa...you get it??
The money is there but it's not really that much in the auto design.

Minus the S class i would say MB, with their rediculous line-up, its easy to see they have all their bases covered.

I wasn't implying you have anything against Asians at all, I was referring to the car industry and those that buy the cars (no racism was implied at all - I am, and I'm sure you are above that).

With regard to your comment, concept cars are concept cars. I mean Japanese cars that can turn them round are simply a concept - they are trying something new and gauging if people are interested in them, they are showcasing their technological advancment, just like BMW and Merc put pre-safe or night vision on their cars. Japanese cars are simply a bit more wacky, more fun, and try solve the simplier problems in life like parallel parking. So I feel that you can't base japanese or asian designs on their concept cars.

1. Audi - I just love Audis design language. Extremely elegant and just bold enough. That said, I'm waiting for the first Audi to knock me off my feet. The concepts are always so promising, but the reality just doesnt quite make it. However the future looks bright, and I'm sure the designs are just going to get better and better. I'm dying to see the new TT and a4.

2. Mercedes - Mercedes is the most confused about its design direction I think and has the least coherent range of the three. Though all their cars are attractive enough with a few standouts and a few that are ok if slightly unimaginative. I expect things to imrpove quite a bit over the next few years.

3. BMW - A close call here. Some are stunning, some I find grotesque, but none could be accused of being boring. Really strong design language across the entire range as well. As with the others 2 there is room for improvement, and I'm sure they'll just get better with years to come.

Audi: Their design is more of less flawless. Neutral and fresh design which can more or less not be called ugly(except for the rear of the Q7). With the A8, A3 sportsback and A6 Audi has showed that they are capable of designing good looking car. Even though they look great they lack that "hotness".

BMW: With their new design car BMW has produced cars that don't look like nothing else and the design of the cars are totally subjective. While one thinks the Z4 is hot the other doesn't. It is good that BMW is moving forward and presents a new design element in every new car. While new design is good I personally think that BMW should tone down some of the Bangle design becasue sometimes it is simply too much on the eyes.

Mercedes Benz: MB latest car the ww221 has showed that MB's design team seem to be confused. The new S has the rear of the MM, but the front light of reminicent of the older S plus four bulky wheel arches . The car is a bit over designed and it seem to me like MB has spent too much time on the drawing board. As for the other models in their line up the new cars like the B, E, ML and S are very fresh and elegant looking car. Besides the new S class it seems like MB knows what they are doing and are IMO going in the best design direction.

Well, her goes:

1. BMW, Bangle ofcourse. By the late 90s only the 3er and Z8 were great designs, the FUGLY FL 7er and the hidious E39 5er were awfull to my eyes. I was very mad about the E39 5er back that since the previous was perfection in my eyes.
Anyway thank God, Bernd Pischetsrieder and Wolfgang Reitzle were ousted and the conservative design lock had fallen.
2. Audi, well the make the same car in diferent sizes.
Anyway, the A6, S8 and particulary the B7 RS 4 have caused a great shock in my eyes, that has made Audi rise in my eyes a lot. They (with Porsche) are second only to BMW in my eyes and that also goes from the design point of view.
3. MB: a lousy SLR, a super hidious S klasse have made MB fall a lot in my eyes.
Thank God for the great CLS, and good/ very good SLK AMG/ M AMG.

BMW's old styling (last body styles E38, E39, E36, E46) were somewhat "coors light", appealing to everyone but still lacked what makes BMW's special today.

I honestly love the S8 with Audi. I also like the new A6 and the RS4. They are too conservative with their designs. They may find themselves behind the times in a couple of years.

Mercedes, well. Umm. They are appealing to look at but their styling is nothing special, nothing out of the ordinary in any way. I like the SLK. My main issue with mercedes is THE DAMN nomenclature they use. It pisses the hell out of me. How the hell can I keep track of all that. They have a C class but then a CLK (which has nothing to do with the C class) then they have the CL (is this the convertable or is it the CLK) and then to add on top of that they have the CLS. ummmm. Who acid using pot smoking idiot comes up with this naming?!

What sort of acid using pot smoking idiot can't figure it out?
The K simply stands for a smaller derivative of another car in their line up, ie. the SL and SLK are both roadsters and the SLK is just a smaller derivative. Same goes for the CL and CLK both are coupes the CLK is just a smaller version. As for the CLS, well it's certainly marketed as a coupe hence the CL badging, so I can only imagine that the S stands for "sedan", "sport", or "sexy".
BTW, I'm rather sure I remember the K stands for a word in German I just don't remember... Was it "Kompact" or something along those lines?

No arguments from me

I 100% agree with all of this

Yes, generally I would agree with you on that.

I do think you are quite correct about that Luw.

I will put them in this order :
1)Mercedes-Benz
2)BMW
3)Audi ( the only car I love is RS4)

As always this type of poll brings out the fans of each of Germany's luxury car makers.

I personally think Mercedes was the best overall in design because they kept the same language from one model to another with enough difference for you to be able to tell them apart - in most cases. Now with this new S-Class I'm not so sure I like where they are going. I like everything about the new S except those damn wheel arches. They are simply too big, especially at the rear and we all know that once Mercedes introduces something like that on a model like the S-Class it won't be long before all of their cars have something similar. God I don't want to think about that. The current CL, CLS, SL, W220, is where the Mercedes magic is. I like the new SLK and the CLK has been transformed into something desirable with this last facelift, but quite frankly I'm worried about the next CL, C, and E. These wheel arches could work on a coupe, but on a sedan..NO. Mercedes, leader in the past and really had a secure position in the world when BMW first came out with their new look in 2002, but now they feel the need to get radical - a miscalculation imo. Conservatively elegant with a nod to the past and a look to the future is what Mercedes' are supposed to be, not radical fad statements. All Mercedes had to do is stick to the traditional imo. Now if this new S takes off all over the world then I guess MB will be convinced the wheel arches and what not are the way to go. I don't want the car to fail, but I don't want those wheel arches to show up on the next so what to do. The current E isn't a cutting edge and radical as the A6 or 5-Series, but it has those traditional good looks imo. There is nothing to get used to or explain, it just looks good.

BMW - I don't like the Bangle look overall, but I do like the new 3-Series a whole lot. They got it right, but it took them to ruin the 7-Series and muck up the 5-Series to do it. I'm one of the few that thinks the Z4 is hot too. I like.

Audi - IMO, will be the style leader of the future. The A8 is a masterpiece. The facelifted A4 looks like a totally new car - well almost. The A6 is wide, agressive and looks the part. Not a weak link in their whole lineup. Audi's emerging dominance over MB/BMW in styling will depend on the A5 Coupe (Nuvolari) and the LeMans Quattro in addition to me seeing the Q7 in person at Detroit. I think Audi can do it while BMW and Mercedes duke it out as to who can be the most radical.

M

BMW: I enjoy Bangle's design. I think that the 5er and 6er are extremely beautiful cars. However, I do see where everyone is coming from and I think that the new design direction is a double edged sword. BMW picked up many more customers (record sales), but they have created so much contraversy! I don't know for how long they can keep pulling this game because if they come up with sometime way too hard to swallow, then it might be the beginning of something bad. BMW has bad enough reputation for being too "crazy" with their designs although I like it. I personally they are #1 when it comes to design as of right now

Audi: Would come second in my book. Although the shield grill doesn't get approval from some people, I like it, not as much ons maller models. But it looks awesome on the A6 and A8. Very consistent line up as Merc1 said. I'd keep an eye on them.

Benz: 3rd but not because they are bad. 3rd in German comparison in my book but still very highly ranked in the world in my opinion. The reason? I don't find their lineup consistent. CLS and ML (especially AMG version) look gorgeous. Didn't like them at first, but I'm falling for them now. But then there's the A class and B class which I just don't like at all. So like someone said about the BMW lineup, some great, some horrible.

I think BMW are going in the right direction, it has modern designs and sales are going up and up.

Audi comes next, they have put new trademarks for Audi, such as the new grill and the designs look expensive. I like all audis apart from the Q7.

Some MB designs look great, such as the CLS and M class, but the new S and A class loook too bland and boring to me, MB need to become more radical!

1) Audi - despite the extremely conservative designs, they're elegant, catchy, futuristic and instantly remind people of "AUDI". All their cars have "that look" that hints at family-type design. Cars like the A3, A4, A6 and A8 all have a family resemblance. The Q7 also looks very "Audish" thanks in part to that grille but also the design of the doors and front lights.

2) Mercedes - from usually conservative designs, MB has gotten more bold, particularly with the new S-Class, CLS-Class, R-Class and of course the SLK-Class. I'm a bit worried about the styling of the rear of the S-Class but other than that, I'm ok with most designs. They're still elegant and beautiful and despite their boldness (S-Class), I still detect some conservatism in them. I don't really think most new Mercedes' designs look Japanese at all. The W221 S-Class for example still has a very Germanic appearance, and it looks like a bold evolution of the W220, which I never thought looked Japanese at all.

3) BMW - not a fan of Bangle at all. Most current BMW's aren't to my liking, with the exception of the 6-series which I feel looks pretty sweet. I just think these designs are way too futuristic, having perhaps been introduced in the wrong time period. Maybe in 2015, such designs will be acceptable but for now, I feel that they were perhaps introduced to early. Can't hide the face though that the E60 5-series looks good from the side and rear (the front isn't nice IMO), but in M5 / Alpina form looks really hot.