Poll 2017 BMW 5-series vs 2017 MB E-class design comparison

[klier]

Well, post of the month at the very least.

I only did this to cross check my impression that the G30 had a more traditional 3 box shape to it, nothing else.

I have no agenda either, and I already knew the cars looked pretty similar in profile.
This similar however, I would have never thought. Like many said, truly remarkable how the actual designs makes them appear very different....

And to make this feel like Internal Combustion: it's a win for the Benz, because Bimmers always have better proportions

 

[Betty Swollocks]

By the way from my experience Gesture control is really not anything exciting.

I disagree. IT's INCREDIBLY exciting. You make a gesture and then you wait to see whether it actually works!

 

[klier]

I disagree. IT's INCREDIBLY exciting. You make a gesture and then you wait to see whether it actually works!

Just make sure you don't mention it in your 7er review, because this must be the 10th time I see you say this. The whole forum is aware now to the point of actually believing it
Maybe mention it in a dedicated footnote, marked for severe spoilers

 

[domleo999]

Must be warm in here, it appears to be evaporating quite quickly!

Right @tristatez28lt1 @klier , I hadn't saved it before, so I did it again.

The source profile images are taken from Mercedes and BMW's own 3 angle projections:
http://tools.mercedes-benz.co.uk/current/passenger-cars/e-brochures/new-e-class-saloon.pdf
http://www.bmw.com/_common/shared/n...ries-sedan-technical-data-dimensions-zoom.jpg

I pasted them into a graphics application and traced each roof line...

Mercedes in Orange this time around...

BMW in blue...

.. in both cases, I only traced from the left and right most points that the images showed the length dimension for, this is for scaling purposes.


The next step was to scale the outline to the dimensions quoted on the manufacturer images... @klier, I didn't stretch or shrink anything - they're both to the same scale. Here they are using the programs dimensioning tool.

Then I overlaid them. This is perhaps where there might be artistic license... you can argue that the focal point might be in different places, but I didn't give it too much thought.. I aligned the top of each, then dropped the BMW by 2mm, since it is 2mm lower... then I aligned them horizontally from the base of the grille, this also leaves the base of the windscreen in a comparable position.

You could left align, right align, centre align, I could have done it from front wheel centre, from rear wheel centre... what would be right? I just went with the first thing I thought about.

So, there you go. Hadn't meant to make a big deal of it... I thought there'd be a much more pronounced difference, turns out there isn't - but it goes to show how much the character lines play in how people (or me at least) interpret the car.

Amazing post man! Nice clarification on the matter... I also think the width of the C pillar on the E creates the illusion of the difference in shape.

What part of the UK are you from?

 

[Matski]

I disagree. IT's INCREDIBLY exciting. You make a gesture and then you wait to see whether it actually works!

Can't wait for the next generation of Gesture Control ... "Gesture Control Steering" - for when you truly want to feel the exhilaration of being alive!

Amazing post man! Nice clarification on the matter... I also think the width of the C pillar on the E creates the illusion of the difference in shape.

What part of the UK are you from?

Thanks man, I'm in Northamptonshire (not far from Silverstone Circuit).

 

[domleo999]

Can't wait for the next generation of Gesture Control ... "Gesture Control Steering" - for when you truly want to feel the exhilaration of being alive!



Thanks man, I'm in Northamptonshire (not far from Silverstone Circuit).

Not too far... I'm from Nottingham

 

[Matski]

Not too far... I'm from Nottingham

Nice, weirdly, I've only been there once since the days of visiting mates at Uni.

 

[Serpens]

Mercedes certainly missed an opportunity to launch rear wheel steering with the E-Class. The Audi Q7 and now the 5-series has it. I hope Mercedes will introduce rear wheel steering in 2 model years. However, the 5-Series doesn't have air suspension as an option. Maybe the new A6 will beat both cars to the punch and have air suspension and rear wheel steering.

Tobias Moers said the E-class didn't need it. Whatever that means.

 

[tristatez28lt1]

@Matski f#cking amazing work. If we were at a bar all your drinks would be on me. Thank you!

 

[Betty Swollocks]

Just make sure you don't mention it in your 7er review, because this must be the 10th time I see you say this. The whole forum is aware now to the point of actually believing it
Maybe mention it in a dedicated footnote, marked for severe spoilers

Don't worry, it will get a mention, along with all the good points about the car too. I am fair, and my frequent mention of gesture control not working reflects just how utterly rubbish it is.

 

[martinbo]

@Matski some more well-deserved:



Post of the year - no doubt.

 

[martinbo]

Don't worry, it will get a mention, along with all the good points about the car too. I am fair, and my frequent mention of gesture control not working reflects just how utterly rubbish it is.

I don't seem to have the same problem with gesture control in my car...

^ This gesture gets the same consistent reaction every time. I reckon it's down to technique.

 

[Sunny]

Amazing! One thing that boggles me despite the similarity in the silhouette how BMW doesn't suffer from the "small rear-wheel" syndrome like the Merc . Not sure why, maybe it is the hofmeister kink?

Any chance you can add the lower line/wheel wells to the comparison?

 

[Beemer B773ER]

Fantastic comparison Matski!!

With the overall silhouette being very similar, I think one thing which visually makes a difference is the positioning of the rear wheel. The 5er's has a longer wheelbase and therefore a shorter rear-end.

I will say I did notice during the spy pics that the 5er has a longer-than-is-normal for a BMW front overhang. The E-class has a shorter front overhang, and coupled with the longer rear-end that continues to slope down, it gives it that cab-forward look that all of the MB passenger cars now feature.

 

[Beemer B773ER]

I don't seem to have the same problem with gesture control in my car...

^ This gesture gets the same consistent reaction every time. I reckon it's down to technique.

Maybe it's down to size...

 

[Matski]

Amazing! One thing that boggles me despite the similarity in the silhouette how BMW doesn't suffer from the "small rear-wheel" syndrome like the Merc . Not sure why, maybe it is the hofmeister kink?

Any chance you can add the lower line/wheel wells to the comparison?

What am I? A monkey to perform for everyone?

Awww well, since you're staff and you asked nicely...

I've added the respective character lines, and the wheels (the wheel wells are near enough identical so I didn't do them), I've also added in the position of the tail-end of the windows, I think this has more to do with "small rear-wheel" syndrome....

.. now I've put the wheels in, I've aligned it from the point the front wheel touches the ground. The fact the BMW appears to have larger wheels could be down to a few things, I've not double checked, but this was not something I did intentionally... It's a bit quick and dirty, I blame the whiskey (and subsequent bottle of Rum).

PS I no longer regard this as a silhouette... wink..

 

[tristatez28lt1]

One of the few times where the sequel of a blockbuster was even better than the first.

 

[Matski]

One of the few times where the sequel of a blockbuster was even better than the first.

So this would be the straight to Netflix version....

 

[martinbo]

How much smoke can be blown up one man's arse?!?

Not enough, I tell ya, not enough...

 

[Matski]

How much smoke can be blown up one man's arse?!?

Not enough, I tell ya, not enough...

Depends how long he was drowning for...

Spoiler: Sir Steven of Fry

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