[fatjoez]

All 3 have ditched curves/extravagant designs in favour of relatively speaking,
boring, sharp lines designs which look like they should have come in the reverse order?

[NewYearsBoy]

I know I hate all of the new cars out... Though I have to say that E class is sooooooo nice...

[pmeloche]

My guess is that they are responding to the demographics they are targeting. My favorite designs are the E46 3 Series, the E63 6/M6 Series and the E86 Z4MC but I do think that the new F01 7 Series and the F10 5 Series look awesome. And from the look of it I think the new 6 Series will look fantastic too. Chris Bangle is an artist at heart and considered car styling as a work of art.

[V1.47fan]

They're getting tired of asian car manufacturers stealin their cool new designs. hahaha They got together and decided to have a freeze on new designs.
Did you see the new Kia small SUV,it even has the same Audi's DRL but placed at the bottom of the headlight units,I guess they don't wanna make it too obvious,They're pathetic.

[hks786]

Passat: The current Passat is very good but the chrome front has dated and its so common that it doesnt stand out anymore. I actually like this new one but I just wish VW didnt use the same face across all new models.

5 series: E60 was overall average in design but to be fair looked very good in Msport form. That honestly transformed the car. In stock form you really notice the awkward shapes of the grilles and headlights etc. The new F10 is beautiful. I wish it was a little bit more exciting because sometimes it just looks too similar to the facelift E90 sedan. Overall it is very nice and looks more like the E39 and older models. Very subtle and classy. Trust me it does have decent presence on the road and the Msport will stand out.

E class: I was a fan of the old E class when it first came out and it still is a nice car though it has dated. I'm not really a fan of the new one though because it just looks like a big S class sort of car. It looks too big and square. It lacks having a distinct shape like the C and S class models and looks very boring. However, if you want a car that looks like you got money then buy it. It does look better in person, but nowhere as nice as the new F10 5 series.

[FStop7]

Just me but I don't think any of them have gone backwards.

[V1.47fan]

I really like this car. Although it doesn't anything new and radical like flame surfacing etc. like the Merc or previous E60.

[MCMLXXXIX]

the F01/02 is one of the best looking BMWs out imo

and have you seen a F10 in person? its amazing. the only one that looks a little weird is the VW

[V1.47fan]

It looks like Kia and Hyundai are also going backwards with "their" designs.

[OBI_agent]

The 5 series looks really nice in real life but not the E class. I thought that some people were just comparing it to a Hyundai but got to admitt, they were right. The E class does look like a cheap car or something that Hyundai would make .
And The old E class still looks great.

[Year's_End]

My opinion of the three manufacturers overall:

VW - Their new design language is actually better overall imo, but this new lineup they have must be the most similar looking set of models I can think of. The face needs some variation. It's worse than Audi. Everything else about them is bland and predictable, but at least they're all more handsome and better-proportioned than anything else in their class.

BMW - I'm just not wowed by their new designs. I liked the polarizing effect of the Bangled cars. I hated them at first and loved them passionately as years went by. These new ones impress with their detail and handsome looks, but I find myself looking at them impassively and feel like it's just a calculated battle between Audi with the two using the same generic shapes and applying their respective trademark surfacing/design cues. It's becoming too predictable.

Mercedes - More or less my complaints with Mercedes are the same as those with BMW. They're taking previous models and making boring, calculated tweaks to previous design formulas to modernize their lineup.

Bottom line is, we need something new. I'm hoping BMW's Vision concept actually waters down into the next gen. If the company's design history is anything to go by, we should be expecting radically new models in a few years.

[Year's_End]

Originally Posted by V1.47fan

It looks like Kia and Hyundai are also going backwards with "their" designs.

The Equus has actually been out for a while now in other parts of the world. I consider it the bastard child of the current hyundai lineup. Both of the Genesis models and the new Sonata are absolutely impressive imo. Biggest step forward for any company in such a short time period.

[Small Yellow]

Hyundai genesis sedan's design looks like Merc and its badge with the wings looks like Bentley.

[.:bHd:.]

Originally Posted by Nikkahtropolis

BMW - I'm just not wowed by their new designs. I liked the polarizing effect of the Bangled cars. I hated them at first and loved them passionately as years went by. These new ones impress with their detail and handsome looks, but I find myself looking at them impassively and feel like it's just a calculated battle between Audi with the two using the same generic shapes and applying their respective trademark surfacing/design cues. It's becoming too predictable.

I thought i was the only one who felt this way. I loveeeee the E46. I hated the e92 when it came out but now I love it. The e92 LCI is meh. 5 series is nice but nothing special, we'll see how the M is. 7 Series is also meh. The nicest design BMW offers is the new z4 and that wasn't even done in house.