New BMW X5

[m7ammed]

Gallery here



It looks sick

 

[Dave A]

They've made it uglier.

 

[Dougboy]

They've made it uglier.

agreed

 

[harrytuttle]

"Looks sick" is right.

Someone described Chris Bangle's early BMW designs as though someone had taken an axe to an otherwise decent-looking clay buck. This X5 is the clearest example of that: make a clay model of the X5, put a blindfold on, pick up the nearest bladed weapon and swing away for a good 10 minutes. Then whatever falls on the floor, just slap it on top the rear bumper, and give it just 15 seconds worth of smoothing. Bake for 25 minutes at 350F and garnish as necessary.

It's not terrible as a whole, just not well thought out for a face lift. Like the man said:

 

[Wolfe]

Don't fret much, guys, it's not like it's a big loss. It's still a BMW for tossers...it's just that those tossers will stick out more in regular traffic.

 

[McLaren]

I like it. Should make the 4.8is model a little bit more menacing with the headlights.

 

[red70mach1]

I likw the X3 better than this.

 

[Carl.]

It doesn't look as sleek as the first gen did when it came out, but at least this time it does have more utility than a 5 series wagon. 👍

I think the similar dash layout looks a bit spartan in other BMWs, but somehow it seems to fit right in that one, it really looks upscale.

 

[niky]

I actually like the new face, and the new flanks look fleshed out and muscular.

And, give Bangle a rest... the proper term nowadays is "Hooydonked".

 

[Poverty]

Don't fret much, guys, it's not like it's a big loss. It's still a BMW for tossers...it's just that those tossers will stick out more in regular traffic.

I agree completely.

 

[YSSMAN]

Well, they only kinda screwed it up. It isn't as bad as the transition was with the 5-series, but didn't go over quite as nicely as it did with the 3-series. I'd still say the X5 looks better than some of the competition, but it isn't as "clean" as it used to be.

 

[vladimir]

i think it looks hot, even more muscular than the old one.👍

 

[Wolfe]

Actually, the more I look at it, the more I like the way it looks....too bad it's still a useless vehicle.

i think it looks hot, even more muscular than the old one.👍

Yeah, and it'll still be about as off-road-capable as a 525xi, which is okay, because it'll do nothing but be driven around town by its owners.

 

[vladimir]

but it grips like no other SUV.

 

[TS]

Looks like an X3 on 'roids.

 

[1X83Z]

In every "new car" thread here, the masses always, one hundred percent of the time, unequivocally say that the vehicle being displayed is ugly, regardless of what it is. It gets comical after a while to read through these threads and hear every single new car derided for being ugly.

Of course no one complains at all once they've seen the car a few times. That's the really funny part - all these judgments are made after looking at a rough image of a pre-production model for ten seconds.

 

[Pupik]

Of course no one complains at all once they've seen the car a few times. That's the really funny part - all these judgments are made after looking at a rough image of a pre-production model for ten seconds.

...but when it's a Bangle-ized BMW, those complaints are valid!

To me some of them look good (Z4, 5-series), and the rest are muddled-looking or over-styled. I've never been a fan of forcing the same style cues on every car, although BMW's been doing it for years with their more conservatively-styled cars for years now. But that's another matter.

Anyhow, I like (and liked) the looks of the old X5, it looked like a BMW should; it had just the right blend of "serious buisness class" and "boxy off-road", whether it's thought of as a pouser SUV or not didn't matter.

 

[Jim Prower]

*Sigh.*

BMW shouldn't even be making these, im ny opinion, and this redesign justifies that.

 

[harrytuttle]

In every "new car" thread here, the masses always, one hundred percent of the time, unequivocally say that the vehicle being displayed is ugly, regardless of what it is. It gets comical after a while to read through these threads and hear every single new car derided for being ugly.

Of course no one complains at all once they've seen the car a few times. That's the really funny part - all these judgments are made after looking at a rough image of a pre-production model for ten seconds.

Well, I still stand by my opinions that the cars are ugly. But we only have pre-production sketches/renderings to go by. If the final product ends up looking different, then the view may certainly change. So far, though, BMW has been pretty loyal to the early design proposals.

 

[1X83Z]

I should go through all the threads where new cars are released and do the stats for the number of people who have liked the car, and the number who have thought it was bad. It's an easy 10% liked to 90% hated for each and every car.

 

[GT Pro]

BMW headlights need 'revising'.

 

[m.piedgros]

Well, they only kinda screwed it up. It isn't as bad as the transition was with the 5-series, but didn't go over quite as nicely as it did with the 3-series. I'd still say the X5 looks better than some of the competition, but it isn't as "clean" as it used to be.

Agreed. 100%.

m.piedgros

 

[harrytuttle]

I should go through all the threads where new cars are released and do the stats for the number of people who have liked the car, and the number who have thought it was bad. It's an easy 10% liked to 90% hated for each and every car.

There's a reason for that: most new car designs are too challenging for most. Car companies feel that they may have run out of conventional ideas, so people like Bangle & Hooydonk (sp?) are given total freedom with design. Others, like Ford, turn to their past, and sometimes get it right, sometimes they don't.

BMW (and many others) are currently trying to redefine their image, and in the process of doing so a lot of clunkers may fall out of the machine. In time, I'm sure it will work itself out. I can't imagine Harley Earl's wings were widely accepted at first, either.

 

[DuckRacer]

Personally I think this makes the X5 look better. But the current-gen X5 is uglier than dirt, so that's not saying much.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

I think it looks pretty cool, even kind of wagon-ish. It's less boring than the previous one. The only new BMW, I don't like is the M6 and the Z4 could use some help in the front.

 

[slowman]

Agree with Wolfe27x in this one... only tossers need apply...

As a BMW owner who actually works on their vehicle I say... real BMW's are built, not bought. 2.8 M20 stroker FTW!

 

[Wolfe]

I should go through all the threads where new cars are released and do the stats for the number of people who have liked the car, and the number who have thought it was bad. It's an easy 10% liked to 90% hated for each and every car.

I don't know about everyone else, but I know that if I sorta kinda like a car, I probably won't bother saying anything. It's mostly when I love or dislike/hate a car that I'll actually speak up...

 

[ND4SPD]

Hmm, I'm not to sure about the way this one looks. Seems more rounded and softer looking than the edgier more aggressive looking previous X5.

 

[1X83Z]

There's a reason for that: most new car designs are too challenging for most. Car companies feel that they may have run out of conventional ideas, so people like Bangle & Hooydonk (sp?) are given total freedom with design. Others, like Ford, turn to their past, and sometimes get it right, sometimes they don't.

I don't think that's accurate. In fact, I think if you go back to threads showing preview shots of cars that are now out, you'll find that these cars were called ugly and are now widely accepted or ignored. People just tend to have negative reactions and immediately post those reactions without even giving designs a chance.

I'm not making accusations - we all do it - I just think the snap judgements here are a bit too much. I mean everyone under the sun insulted the Porsche Cayenne before it debuted based on two unflattering first press photos, and as soon as it came out people stopped commenting so much, and now no-one cares. It's just hard to make statements like everyone here made without seeing more than one shot from an odd angle.

 

[GT4_Rule]

It looks like a carbon copy of X3...what an ugly crap. I can't believe those richass people buy this...it's just the BMW letters on the front, man.