Merlot Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 It was a left hooker 2.0TDI and I was impressed. It had the alcantara seats which were nice and the quality of the switchgear etc and the driver focused dash looked good. I think it will go down well. I'm certainly looking forward to the B8 S4 Avant. Also sat in a whole host of A8's. I sold mine a year ago and now have a facelift 535d as my 'big' car. Its hard to admit it but the BMW interior is higher quality - the MMI switches in the A8 just felt cheap next to the iDrive controller on the Beemer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDiAvant Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 I've got the exact opposite opinion, I felt the BMW 5 series interior looked very cheep, and not a nice place to be in, also the build quality of the A8 far better than the 5/7 series IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlot Posted January 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 I'd forgotten how cheap the MMI knob and four associated buttons felt on the A8 (worse on the A5/A4 though but that's a different price point). Was the five series you sat in post March 07 production? Big quality increase after that date when the facelift came out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alastair_A3 Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 [ QUOTE ] I've got the exact opposite opinion, I felt the BMW 5 series interior looked very cheep, and not a nice place to be in, also the build quality of the A8 far better than the 5/7 series IMHO. [/ QUOTE ] I struggle to understand how this interior looks cheap? Plus merlot is right about the facelift Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDiAvant Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 As I said that was my opinion, and photos are not going to change my mind. We could could argue all day, about this being sh!te & that being sh!te, I'm just glad we have our own personal tastes, as if we all like the same stuff the world would be a boring place Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenny_boon Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 agreed some people just prefer and lok for different things. i chose audi over bmw in the interior fronts too but havent sat in a 2007+ car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alastair_A3 Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 I think they are both high quality interiors, perhaps Audi is ahead in some ways. I just think you'd say a Ford or Vauxhall interior looked cheap rather than a BMW.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDiAvant Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 No, that not what I'm not saying, I just think they look cheap compared to Audi/Merc. Ford or Vauxhall and in a hole different league of cheap interiors, but so are kia & Chevrolet. BMW are starting to use more environmentally friendly plastics, which is good, but I just don't think the quality is there as yet. Most BMW drivers will think the A8 is shite, and that fine I really don't care, it's what you like at the end of the day which matters most Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cass56 Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 Not being picky but those door end reflectors look like sone of the thing's I see on the back of truck's, surely they could find something better for that money Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alastair_A3 Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 I like the A8 interior aswell Ive had one when the Mrs's A3 was in for warrenty work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chav Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 [ QUOTE ] I struggle to understand how this interior looks cheap? [/ QUOTE ] Ford mondeo interior is just as nice. I hate big slabs of aluminium. Have the same criticism of the A6/All road/Q7 interiors :sad: Best thing about a new beemer interior, is the 3 series coupe lovely padded steering wheel. gorgeous to hold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon magnifique Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 I absolutely hate that horrible metal finish in the pre-facelift M Sport 5 series - 'aluiminium cube'? It looks and feels cheap, hard, cold and absolutely not what I want in a quality interior. The brushed aluminium post facelift is better, but I prefer the anthracite bamboo wood. Gives the whole interior a warmer feel. That aside, I think there's a big step up in quality and overall interior 'feel' from the BMW 3 series to the 5 series. One thing that is standard across all BMWs however is by far the best ergonomics (of the key controls - forget iDrive!) of any marque out there. Of course to a certain degree, the 'quality' of a car's interior is subjective. I think the A8 is one of the very best, and in my view on a different planet to the rest of the Audi range. The only VAG car (forgetting Bentley and Bugatti... ) that comes close (in fact is arguably even better) is the Phaeton. There's little arguing with the quality of the BMW 6/7 series interiors either - though I'm not quite so keen on the styling. I think there's also a big difference between low end and high end models in other marques - sit in a new C Class and CL/S Class and you'll see what I mean. I think Lexus have joined the top table with the new LS - the only thing that lets it down for me is the occasional button/switchgear that looks like it might have come from a Toyota. Finally, I suppose it's inevitable, but there's alot of misplaced snobbery about supposedly 'lesser' marques. Being as objective as I can about the Subaru Legacy, I think it was a huge step forward for Subaru and takes it to a level occupied by a number of cars (Jag, Alfa, Volvo, VW etc) that is better than your average Vauxhall but still has a way to go to match the best. (A decent stereo would be a start, if you're listening Mr Subaru... ). And if you haven't had chance as yet, try to take the opportunity sometime to discard the blinkers and sit in a new Ford Mondeo. I promise you WILL be impressed. It's definitely better than the Legacy, and I'd suggest actually pretty damn close (closer than you'll want to admit) to the B7 A4. [/ramble] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chav Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 My god - did you just agree with me on something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon magnifique Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 Wasn't intentional, promise... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alastair_A3 Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] I struggle to understand how this interior looks cheap? [/ QUOTE ] Ford mondeo interior is just as nice. I hate big slabs of aluminium. Have the same criticism of the A6/All road/Q7 interiors :sad: Best thing about a new beemer interior, is the 3 series coupe lovely padded steering wheel. gorgeous to hold. [/ QUOTE ] Hmm Mondeo interior just as nice.. we all have our own opinions i guess... I agree with Garcon about the alu cube, glad BMW dropped that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon magnifique Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 [ QUOTE ] Hmm Mondeo interior just as nice.. we all have our own opinions i guess... [/ QUOTE ] Have you ACTUALLY sat in a new one? The high end models especially are very impressive. But yes, we all have our opinions. It's just that mine are more balanced than yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alastair_A3 Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 Yup i have.. all i'll say is i dont agree! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chav Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 [ QUOTE ] Yup i have.. all i'll say is i dont agree! [/ QUOTE ] That's because you paid twice the price for the same quality. And I'm not being brand biased - the Mondeo interior isn't exactly crap when compared to an A4 either. We're probably being cruel comparing to a 5-series though, as that's bigger/roomier! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golfer Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 [ QUOTE ] Most BMW drivers will think the A8 is shite, and that fine I really don't care, it's what you like at the end of the day which matters most [/ QUOTE ] I would agree they might, but I have come out of the A8 and it is very well made, but I am looking at the 635D Sport and the quality of finish is hard to fault. That coupled to an very much Improved IDrive IMO has made it very desireable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golfer Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 [ QUOTE ] And if you haven't had chance as yet, try to take the opportunity sometime to discard the blinkers and sit in a new Ford Mondeo. I promise you WILL be impressed. It's definitely better than the Legacy, and I'd suggest actually pretty damn close (closer than you'll want to admit) to the B7 A4. [/ramble] [/ QUOTE ] Agreed the new Mondeo is a step up for ford, very much improved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gizze Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 I think what we are finding with interiors are they are all getting closer and closer quality wise. I think alot of this has to do with the type of plastics they are using, they are trying to be greener and using less wasteful materials and more and more recycled materials. This means that if anything the new cars are feeling cheaper to touch than the last generation, so you will find that so called 'lesser brands' now feel on a par with audis and BMWs etc. But to be fair most of the switchgear in a Ford Sharan is straight out of the A4, the climate, the windows, even the sat bav is the same as the RNS-D, only difference is the backlighting is green. People moaned when the E39 5er and E46 3er came out that they had lost that rawness and it was all getting too luxury, now they are moaning that that don't feel luxurious enough, you will never win, people like to moan. I reckon the E90 BMW will go down as one of the best BMWs ever built, it is almost perfect comfort and drive wise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlot Posted January 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 I agree with you in the round...apart from the overtight seats in the M Sport model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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